In the bizzaro world that is Cardiff City 2021/22, it’s not three o clock on a Saturday afternoon I find myself looking forward to, it’s one o clock Tuesday lunchtimes because that’s when I get the chance to watch a winning, effective and skillful City side play.
Today, our under 23 side regained their position at the top of their league they had lost yesterday following Bristol City’s 4-2 win at Watford, but, by beating Charlton 4-1 at Cardiff City Stadium, City extended their goal difference lead over the wurzels slightly – they also have a game in hand on the West Country side.
It’s now six wins from six for Steve Morison’s side and, in many ways, this was their best performance so far. I say that because I’ve said quite often on here that year in, year out Charlton have struck me as the most consistent and successful of the group of teams with an Academy grade two that we play each season.
Therefore, when I learned that Tavio D’Almeda, Keenan Patten, Isaak Davies, Keiron Evans and top scorer Chanka Zimba were all missing from the team (I wonder how many of them have gone to London as part of the squad for tomorrow’s first team game at Fulham?), then I felt there was definitely a chance that our 100 per cent winning record would go, but not a bit off it – City never looked back after scoring twice in the first eight minutes.
Right from their first game, which they shaded by 1-0 over Wigan, I have been struck by the change in approach from the under 23s compared to the freewheeling and high scoring stuff we saw in the second half of last season which produced some great entertainment, but a fair bit of inconsistency that was not helped by a pretty ropey defensive record.
If I’m being honest, I’d like to see a bit less sitting back inviting the opposition to try to break us down from the side as we’re often happy to let them have most of the possession and a bit more of a proactive approach, but, to be fair, it must be added that we’re usually leading when playing this counter attacking game, so there’s no real need to go bombing forward.
This change in attitude makes the side much more like the first team in its approach, but the embarrassing thing is that the so called second team is everything that the first team isn’t. The under 23s have wing backs, not specialist centrebacks playing out of position out wide, who are equally at home in either penalty area, they have three centrebacks who are all relatively comfortable on the ball to the extent that they look nowhere near as awkward as the first teamers do when they try to play out from the back.
Further up the pitch, the youngsters have an ability to break quickly and collectively in a manner the first team could only dream about and, of course, this equals far more of a threat from open play.
Today, despite an all new front three, the ability to counter attack from deep with skill and precision was seen to great effect with the third and fourth goals both coming in that manner.
I should add mind that Charlton did themselves few favours by playing with as high a defensive line as I think I’ve ever seen. This was a highly dangerous policy when you consider that at least two of our front three had the beating of the visitor’s back line when it came to pace.
As for that all new front three, one of them was a trialist and, with the club far less willing to divulge names these days, I’ve no idea who he was or who he’s played for, but he certainly made a big impression in the first ten minutes. The trialist tended to play on the left, while on the right it was Jack Leahy, the recent signing from Brighton, who was given a first start after some earlier substitute appearances, while through the middle was the Academy team’s top scorer James Crole who I believe was making his first appearance at this level.
City were ahead within a minute as Charlton became the latest team to learn, if they needed teaching, that a slavish allegiance to playing out from the back can be damaging to your footballing health as their goalkeeper Beadle tried to play a short pass to one of their centrebacks and instead made a present of the ball to the trialist who slotted it home easily.
Within another seven minutes it was two as the trialist got to the bye line and laid a pass back to Tom Davies who, like a good wing back, clipped in a fine cross that was nodded in by Crole as he left the keeper helpless with a clever header from eight yards.
Leahy should have made it three after about fifteen minutes when he was sent through the square Charlton defence only to poke his shot into the side netting and then he had another effort cleared off the line after rounding the keeper as City began to enter let them have the ball mode. However, with Olly Denham nodding just over, City still continued to have all of the worthwhile scoring opportunities as the very impressive Eli King in midfield and Denham and James Connolly at the back snuffed out so many Charlton periods of possession before they became a danger.
A shot which flew about a yard over George Ratcliffe’s crossbar represented the visitors only worthwhile first half goal attempt and they were three down just before the interval when Charlton’s offside trap was breached once again and Crole showed a decent turn of pace for someone who is something of a target man in under 18s football to burst clear and score at the second attempt after his first shot was blocked by Beadle.
It would be wrong to say the second half was a non event, but it was played as if both sides knew the game was won and lost – Charlton improved on their first half showing, but they were picked off again by a ruthless City side as Crole was sent through by King to score with a shot taken early which sent the keeper the wrong way.
As debuts go, it couldn’t have gone much better for Crole who can expect to play a lot more games at this level in the coming months and he was immediately withdrawn after completing his treble along with Leahy for another Academy team youngster, Caleb Hughes, and Ryan Kavanagh. Another sub, Cian Ashford, on for the trialist at half time, wasted City’s only other second half chance when he ballooned his shot over from a central position twelve yards out.
Richard Chin got a goal back for Charlton ten minutes from time, but there was never going to be a repeat of the 5-4 win the visitors gained in the corresponding fixture last season – the annoyance shown by some of the City side at conceding just their second goal of the season was another vivid reminder as to how this team differs from last season’s and also how different it is from this season’s first team.
Finally, Wales Under 16s, with their squad featuring seven City players, are having a good Victory Shield so far. There were five City youngsters, Luey Giles, Dylan Lawlor, Troy Perrett, Charlie Crew and Cody Twose, in the starting line up as they beat hosts Northern Ireland 2-0 on Sunday and a sixth Bluebird, Josh Beecher, came on as a sub. Today, a much changed team with Crew and Beecher the only starters from City, came out on top 2-1 against the Republic of Ireland.
With Northern Ireland beating Scotland 1-0 in the other game played today, they both have three points, while the Republic have none yet compared to our six, so if we avoid defeat in our last game against the Scots on Friday morning, we will win the title outright.
