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9 out of 9 then...

Discussion in 'Cardiff City' started by ninian opinion, Feb 5, 2017.

  1. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    3 out of 12 with 2 ominous away games coming up.

    Teams below us picked up points yesterday.

    Still need 14- 15 points.

    Our squad is paper thin, lacking in goals and concede too many.

    Uncomfortable times ahead.
     
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  2. Oldsparkey

    Oldsparkey Well-Known Member
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    I shouldn't be surprised by now, but it never fails to dissappoint me when I see us having no idea how to win a game.

    For all the effort we clearly lack class in the side particularly through midfield. There is little or no invention about our play and we are far too reliant on grunt and effort to get us through. It didn't come off again yesterday.

    Defensively I think we're adequate and I'd have been happy to see the season out with what we've got. Midfield and up front we are woefully lacking in skill and speed. Speed on it's own (Harris, Hoilett) is not enough unless there's an end product - we haven't got one. Zohore is definitely worth pursuing but too much is being expected of him at the moment.

    No doubt safety is priority right now and it's still going to be a battle - a couple more defeats and we could be back with the Wigans and Blackburns of this season in no time. That'll do from where we've come from and with what we've got.

    I don't see much change until next season and only then unless Warnock (or whoever is in charge) gets some serious financial backing.
     
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  3. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    With you on that analysis OS but my concern is that we'll continue to lose games by the odd goal (like our 3 recent defeats) when our huff & puff just isn't good enough to equalise & share the spoils against the better teams.

    In other words as we rarely keep a clean sheet (albeit we had 3 on the spin at home but against average opponents) especially away (one all season) and so when we concede, which we inevitably do, we find it difficult to equalise as there's no pace in midfield and a lack of a quality finisher.

    I am relatively sure we'll be safe but it's going to be tight with away games at BÅ‚ackburn & Wigan pivotal. Anything from our next 2 away games will be a bonus but I foresee single goal defeats again.

    Incidentally I do feel we should have beefed up the squad in the window given our present injuries
     
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  4. BluefromBridgend

    BluefromBridgend Well-Known Member

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    23 names on back of programme. 5 first team squad injured. 18 left including 3 keepers which is why young Harris was on the bench. He was never going to get game time.

    2 or 3 of the injured group may be available Saturday if only to come off the bench but it all emphasises how thin the squad is and how short sighted we were in shipping so many out on loan without getting replacements ....... unless we are not getting the full story and we might be in the financial soft and smellies again.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 5, 2017
  5. Oldsparkey

    Oldsparkey Well-Known Member
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    Whilst it occasionally produces the right result, I've got some concerns about Warnock's method/approach to his team and instructions. It often seems to me that he'd like a keeper and 10 Gunnarssons running around destroying everything and creating nothing.

    True to say that he's not got many creative playmakers in this squad but buying Halford to add to the defence/midfield said a lot to me. Maybe it was the constraints on cash available to him, but the emphasis on "blood and guts" football is designed to save a club rather than win anything.

    Sign of the times maybe and probably what was needed when he joined us but we need to look forward now unless we are to witness more frustrating losses like yesterday.

    You can't fault the committment but the skill factor is missing. Until that is addressed we will remain a tough Championship side to beat but will win nothing.
     
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  6. BluefromBridgend

    BluefromBridgend Well-Known Member

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    Very true Sparks. It was needs must when Colin arrived and also got the crowd onside.

    For us to progress he will need to get players of much better quality and they will have to gel and perform.

    That will be a real test of Colin's skills and the length of VT's arms and depth of his pockets.

    Assuming we can survive this season, as ever, the summer will be interesting.
     
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  7. Stevoldinho

    Stevoldinho Well-Known Member

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    In fairness to Warnock he tried to sign an attacking player, we just wouldn't pay the money to get the player he wanted.

    If he's not backed I'm sure he'll leave in the summer. He had one job when he came in, was to keep us up. He's doing it, if he'd had a full season with us we'd probably finish somewhere between 9 and 13th. Which for our squad is about as good as it gets. You have to bare in mind we've been a poor team to watch for years under a number of managers. I'm not sure you can blame Warnock for the style, he's very much working with what he's got.
     
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  8. Oldsparkey

    Oldsparkey Well-Known Member
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    Warnock's sides have never been pretty to watch though they've been effective over the years in the past. Whilst it's fair to say he has to work with what he's got, there's very little invention in our play and that's Warnock's responsibiltiy.

    I'm convinced he sends the side out with the same instructions every time - "get stuck in and don't give the bastards any time on the ball". He's very much a destroying sort of tactician rather than a creative one. OK, we haven't got a Silva, Coutinho or Ozil type to call on but you don't need that quality at this level.

    The measure of a good manager is results and whilst he's working with a very limited squad, we're getting beaten far too often. Adopting the same "blood and guts" approach every time is not necessarily the answer, but I accept you can't have it both ways.

    His appointment will probably keep us up - without him and with no money to spend in January, we'd certainly go down.
     
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  9. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    I'm looking at our run in and there are a lot of difficult away games in there with 2 six pointers.

    Looks like city will have to target the home games v mid table teams like Fulham, Bham, Brentford, Forest, Ipswich for wins and hope to pick up the odd win or draw away from home. Only Rotherham at home looks a banker but no game is guaranteed.

    Our final 3 fixtures, should we need points are Wigan (a), Newcastle (h) and Huddersfield (a). On paper all 3 may have something to play for.
     
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  10. Stevoldinho

    Stevoldinho Well-Known Member

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    We need to have safety sorted before our last 2 games! I'll be very worried if we go into those final 2 needing something. We wont though, we'll be safe by then imo.

    We dropped a lot of points under Trollope against average teams at home and poor sides away. Warnock would have us comfortably mid table if he'd had those fixtures. I think you could realistically say he'd have taken 7-9 points minimum that Trollope lost, maybe even more when you look at the fixtures. Our start to the season was fairly kind with lots of opportunities for points. It's why our situation was so dire when Warnock took over.
     
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  11. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    I know I know but it's just my natural pessimism being a city fan for many decades!

    It's so frustrating seeing all these one goal defeats. City seem incapable of drawing games.
     
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  12. Oldsparkey

    Oldsparkey Well-Known Member
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    Losing by a single goal is so annoying. The trouble is when you set up not to lose as opposed to win, there's usually only one way it'll go.

    Showing too great a respect for the opposition shows a lack of confidence in your own ability and can give the other side a lift.

    Realism by all means but demonstrate a degree of ambition otherwise we'll carry on cringing waiting for the inevitable opposition goal - you never know, we might even score before they do.......<laugh>
     
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  13. Ccfc4ever

    Ccfc4ever Well-Known Member

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    i don't even think we went out there for a draw as we did everything but score in that match not to mention the two stonewall penalty appeals turned down
     
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  14. Oldsparkey

    Oldsparkey Well-Known Member
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    4ever - take your point. I'll admit the first 15 minutes we were on the ball and they were tentative, but after that they grew into the game and started to control it. For the rest of the first half Hoilett (who dissappointed for me) and Harris were playing far too high up the pitch and there was a huge gap left in the middle. Ralls, Whitts and Gunnar struggled to cover Houlihan and Co.

    Second half looked more organised with Hoilett and Harris dropping deeper to collect the ball and help out but that caused problems of its' own attackingwise. It was only when Healy and Noone came on to replace Whitts and Hoilett that we came back to life. At 0-1 down and chasing a game it's easy to find reasons for unfairness on the pitch. In all honesty, the penalty shouts could have gone either way and we could easily have won the game 2-1.

    That doesn't disguise the fact that we are limited in our options for pace, movement and sheer skill in midfield, and whilst that remains the case, I can see Warnock sticking to not losing games rather than trying to win them.
     
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  15. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    Norwich were quite happy soaking up our pressure and allowing us more possession once they took the lead. If we had equalised it would have been them not us going for the 2nd.

    I've written off the next 2 games with anything gained a total windfall. Our next home game is crucial; has to be 3 points but it has a banana skin feel about it<yikes>
     
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  16. DaiJones

    DaiJones Well-Known Member

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    Sorry to bust your bubble Ninian Opinion but Leeds were lucky to lose 2-0.
     
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  17. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    Happy to have it burst :emoticon-0148-yes:
     
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  18. ninian opinion

    ninian opinion Well-Known Member

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    What do I know<doh>
     
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  19. Ccfc4ever

    Ccfc4ever Well-Known Member

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    next 9 games look to be our highway to the play offs and an early promotion maybe? not even scared of Newcastle anymore
     
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  20. suprimir

    suprimir Active Member

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    Great reverse jinx thread Nin. Keep them up! :emoticon-0148-yes::emoticon-0167-beer:
     
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