In the blink of an eye, here we go again. No sooner have we finished watching replays of Ollie Tanner's sublime goal and Rambo's cool as you like penalty from Saturday evening than the next game rolls around and this time our visitors to the CCS are the "other" CCFC Coventry City. The Sky Blues have made a solid, if somewhat unspectacular start to life in the Championship again this year, which is no mean feat given their play-off final heartbreak and the loss of exceptionally influential players Gus Hamer and Bluebird tormentor in chief Viktor Gyokeres. It's fair to say that the player most likely to have been brought in to replace Gyokeres, Ellis Simms, hasn't quite got going yet, however, his strike partner Matt Godden is leading the way with 4 goals from his 7 appearances, though just 3 of those goals have come in league action. It's clear that Mark Robins has identified the defence as an area for improvement after last season with several new recruits coming in within that area including Yasin Ayari on loan from Brighton, Jay DaSilva from Bristol City and Joel Latibeaudiere who got out of Swansea whilst the going was good. Also joining the ranks was a player I believe was potentially linked with the Bluebirds, and someone our Gaffer will be all too familiar with in the form of USA International Haji Wright, a 9 million euro signing from Antalyaspor. With a goal and 2 assists to his name already he'll be one to keep a serious eye on no doubts. Last season at the CCS saw the Bluebirds slip to a 0-1 defeat at the hands of the Sky Blues, but the game ended with the City feeling a little hard done by having had a perfectly good Callum Robinson equaliser chalked off. The refs association provided an apology for the error after reviewing the game but that will have felt of little consolation to the home side - hopefully that memory is still lingering in the team and they feel we have a score to settle! Overall, in the last 2 or 3 seasons our form against Coventry has become a little patchy, so here's to hoping that we can get back to the form shown between 2008 - 2010 when we won 6 on the bounce against our visitors, but with just the single defeat so far this season for Robins' side they will surely be a tough nut to crack. Past Meetings Things are rarely dull between our 2 sides, here are a couple of relatively recent home wins for the Bluebirds (I'm putting last season's defeat to one side as that should have been a 1-1 in truth!! Does it show that I'm still bitter??). Lovely Joel Bagan goal here. From memory this was when he had that spell where he scored a few on the trot (3 games on the bounce was it??). I won't mention the Watters miss; Classic big Kieffer on this one in a comfortable win for the home team; Will tomorrow night be as comfortable? Doubtful, but after the highs of Saturday, who knows how much confidence is streaming through those Blue Blooded veins of our boys?? Bulut's Bulletin Hot off the press, and fresh from picking up his OBE (Order of the Bluebird's Empire), Erol Bulut gave a brief update on the team after Saturday's heroic efforts. The boss began with an injury update: "We have a few knocks that we need to manage, and we have to make sure the lads have all recovered. We already have a number of players missing and we don't take any unnecessary risks when it comes to managing our players. That may mean we make 2/3 changes for the Coventry City match. But we'll be ready." One has to suspect that Rambo may get a rest after running himself into the ground on Saturday, or maybe being hooked at half time perhaps? No doubts Rubin Colwill and Callum Robinson will both relish the chance to step into any break left by Rambo. On our visitors he said: "They're a good team. They have a strong squad that have played together for a couple of years now, with only a few new players added. "It will be another difficult game. Against Hull City, they led for a long time, before conceding late on. "We're expecting another strong test, and we'll be prepared for that." What Are The Odds On That? After Saturday night's magnificent victory and a growing confidence amongst the team and the fan base at the CCS, it's a little bit of a surprise to see VT still doesn't quite fancy us for this one, though even more surprising perhaps is the fact that the draw hasn't been given shorter odds, but there we go, who am I to argue with a successful businessman with such a good footballing brain? Well I Never Anyone else wondered why Coventry have an elephant on their crest?? It seems, apart from being seen as a strong creature (so signifying strength) there are also many religious connotations as well as a lot of links to the crest of the City itself. The name Coventry originated from the word, Coventre and is derived from the two words Covent, which stands for Convent, and Tre, which means a settlement. The Anglo-Saxon Nun St Osburga was known in the history books to have founded a nunnery (convent) there in AD 70. So Coventry means a settlement full of Nuns. You would not want to have been sent there either as in the saying, because being sent to Coventry may mean getting the silent treatment today but it originates from the English Civil War. Back then Royalists who were rounded up were taken prisoner and sent to Coventry as it was a Parliamentarian stronghold and they were not known for their prison reforms. I for one want Nun of that, it's a bad habit to get into!! Additionally the first £5 note in a worker's peacetime wage was paid in Coventry during the 1950's. I bet Jimmy Hill was to blame for it having to be raised to a tenner not long afterwards!!! Lastly, Chuck Berry recorded his number one hit 'My Ding-A-Ling' at a Coventry dance hall by all accounts (reportedly after seeing someone in a Mask wiggling his bits at passers by following a Coventry v Cardiff game at Highfield Road!) Sharing The Love Having covered a few players last season in a little detail, including the much revered Aron Gunnarson, the list this time is limited to a select few, including a few of our most revered forwards who whilst not prolific gave so much to the team as a whole..... Craig Bellamy On 17 August 2010, Bellamy signed for Cardiff City on a sensational season-long loan from Manchester City. Manchester City had been wary of selling Bellamy to a potential divisional rival and had suggested the idea of a move to Cardiff, paying a large percentage of his wages to make the move. He made his debut for Cardiff on 21 August in a 4–0 win over Doncaster Rovers, in which he scored from a stunning 35-yard free kick. Bellamy suffered knee issues during this time and hired Raymond Verheijen, his former fitness coach at Manchester City, to work with him during the season, reportedly paying Verheijen's wages himself. He scored the winning goal in the South Wales derby against Swansea City on 6 February 2011 with a long-range shot in the final minutes of the match; it was the first time Cardiff had won at their rival's ground since 1997. Bellamy's influence on the Cardiff team proved pivotal in the push for promotion with City challenging Norwich for the second automatic promotion place but slipped to a play-off spot instead. Sadly Bellamy suffered a hamstring injury in the opening 20 minutes of the first leg away to Reading, forcing him out of the game and causing him to miss the 2nd leg which ultimately ended in defeat for the Bluebirds. Bellamy stated that he would like to stay with Cardiff beyond his loan spell to achieve his dream of them one day playing in the Premier League but he subsequently retunred to Man City and eventually joined Liverpool under Kenny Dalgleish and even faced his beloved Bluebirds in the 2012 Carling Cup Final at Wembley. The tragic death of Gary Speed and the breakup of Bellamy's marriage prompted him to return to Cardiff to be closer to his children, despite new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers offering him the chance to stay at Liverpool. On the 10 August 2012, Bellamy completed his free transfer to Cardiff City on a two-year deal. After a handful of appearances, he requested time off to deal with personal and injury issues and did not return to the first team until mid September, however on his return, Bellamy scored with a 20-yard free kick against Leeds United, with Cardiff winning the game 2–1. Further injuries hampered his season but returning in November, back-to-back victories over Middlesbrough and Barnsley put Cardiff top of the table. The side maintained its position for the rest of the season, and a goalless draw with Charlton on 16 April 2013 secured Cardiff's promotion to the top tier of English football for the first time in 52 years with Bellamy broking down in delight on the pitch at the end of the game, having achieved what he called "an impossible dream". Bellamy's first goal of the 2013–14 Premier League season on 1 February 2014 was his side's opener in a 2–1 victory over Norwich City. The goal meant Bellamy became the first player to score for seven different clubs in the Premier League. He played 22 league games during the season but did not score another goal. Bellamy retired from football on 22 May 2014, saying; "I guess over the years I've become accustomed to the pain from various injuries, but for the last three to four years I've been on anti-inflammatories every day. I'm not sure my body will think that's a wise thing in due course, but it kept me playing for that period. However, the time has come to stand aside and say enough. My body can't take anymore Bellamy subsequently returned to Cardiff as an academy coach on a voluntary basis.] In 2016, he was appointed Cardiff's player development manager, overseeing all age groups at the club's youth academy and coaching the older age-group teams. He stepped down from his coaching role at Cardiff in January 2019 and in the June of the same year signed a three-year contract to become the under-21 team coach for Belgian side Anderlecht following the appointment of his former Manchester City teammate Vincent Kompany as manager. In July 2022, he rejoined Vincent Kompany and was named a first team coach at Burnley. Jay Bothroyd Joining from Wolves, Jay joined Cardiff City (who reportedly beat off interest from newly promoted Premier League club Hull City) on 4 August 2008 on a three-year contract for a fee of £350,000. At the start of the season Bothroyd found himself in and out of the team as manager Dave Jones attempted to find his best strike partnership and, after a number of matches, Bothroyd assumed the role of first choice strike partner to Ross McCormack. On 30 September 2008, Bothroyd scored his first goal for the club when he found the net against one of his former clubs, Coventry City during a 2–1 win. Despite suffering injury Bothroyd finished the season with 12 goals, but could not prevent Cardiff from slipping out of the playoffs. Bothroyd made a bright start to the 2009–10 season, scoring the second goal in the first ever league match at the Cardiff City Stadium in a 4–0 victory over Scunthorpe United and scored a total of 13 goals in all competitions, the highest single season total of his career, as Cardiff reached the play-off final where he was forced off after 15 minutes due to an injury which many Bluebirds fans believe prevented the club from achieving a victory at Wembley that year, such was the integral nature of Bothroyd to the way the team played. He again started the 2010–11 season in good form, scoring 15 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions and even earning his one full England cap in a friendly against France, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 2–1 defeat, thus becoming Cardiff City's first England international in their 111-year history, and the first Football League player to represent England since David Nugent in 2007. On 23 May 2011, Bothroyd left Cardiff City after failing to agree a new contract, going on to sign for newly promoted QPR. Ian Gibson Gibson was sold to Cardiff City in 1970 for £35,000, one of the clubs highest fees paid at the time. He made his Cardiff debut on the opening day of the 1970–71 season in a 1–0 win over Leicester City and went on to provide numerous chances for many of his strike partners such as Brian Clark, John Toshack and Alan Warboys and even played a part in the famous victory over Real Madrid at Ninian Park in 1971. After helping the side avoid relegation in his second year he was sold to Bournemouth in October 1972 for £100,000 but after only a few months a serious injury saw his professional career unfortunately ended prematurely. The Scottish midfielder was hugely popular at all his clubs, including Middlesbrough and Coventry City. Gibson lived in Teeside following his retirement from the game, working on North Sea oil rigs and scouting for the Sky Blues. He sadly passed away in May 2016 aged 73. Ben Turner Big Ben Turner joined the City on 30 August 2011 from Coventry City for an undisclosed fee reported to be £750,000. Turner's knee injury, suffered the previous season, kept him out for the first few games following his move, with him not making his debut until 1st October, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute against Hull City. His first goal for Cardiff came on 17 December 2011, in a 3–2 defeat to Middlesbrough with him clocking up his 100th league appearance in the January, in 1–1 draw with Southampton. Big Ben scored a dramatic equaliser against Craig Bellamy’s Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in the 2012 League Cup Final, a moment that gave me one of my best and proudest moments in football in a performance lauded for the way City held their own against the Premier League giants. Sadly the City were ultimately beaten 3–2 on penalties but came so close to that 2nd major trophy win. Turner started the 2012–13 season as first-choice centre-half alongside captain Mark Hudson. Sidelined with injury early on in the season, he was kept out of the team by new signing Matt Connolly upon his return. On 12 December, having regained his first-team berth, he signed a new contract keeping him at Cardiff until 2016. Turner was an integral part of the Cardiff side that won promotion from the Championship as League Champions to the Premier League. Sadly Cardiff lasted just one season in the top flight and returned to the Championship. During the 2014–15 season, Turner suffered a serious injury which resulted in him missing the majority of the season. The following season, Turner's injury problems continued and he joined former club, Coventry City on loan in November, scoring in his first appearance back at Ricoh Arena, however he suffered another ankle injury after 5 appearances and returned to Cardiff. At the end of the season, he was not offered a new contract by the club and was subsequently released, making his final appearance against Birmingham City, going on to sign for Burton Albion on 23 June 2016. So, can the real CCFC please stand up (again) and triumph for the 2nd time in a week? Will we avoid being robbed against Robins and his crew for the 2nd season running and come away with victory?? Will being Viktorless leave our visitors victoryless at the CCS and help us climb the table further and keep our Royal Blue Bandwaggon rolling on??? All I know is............... Swansea get battered, everywhere they go....Swansea get battered, everywhere they go.... (Oh and just for Robbie, I'm also bringing a Sky Blue fan along with me to the game tomorrow because us Bluebuds are good like that! ) Bloooooooooooooooooooobirds!!!!!!!!
I can't think of anything to add which has not been said about BB's previous matchday threads. Maintaining this standard will be a huge challenge for BB and any ultimate successor. I hope it will be many seasons before the latter point has to be considered. Well done mate.
Don't normally post much on here in the evenings - just look in now and again to check but that is superb Brizzo..........
I am going to miss this match unfortunately, but will be there in spirit! Thanks Brizzle. Great write up
Yep. I've done looking around and I can say that yours are the best match day threads on Not606. That's a real achievement as there are some really good efforts by members of other boards. We're certainly privileged. Now after the high if last Saturday we have a real test against a side showing to be a lot better than the Swans at the moment. Let's hope it's not a case of after the lord mayor's show Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds
Pick the team then. Assuming everyone is fit, keeper and the back 4 to stay the same. In the middle I'd take Wintle out and stick Ralls in his place - although steady, I didn't think Wintle was very inspiring against the jacks. Meite up front in place of Ugbo through the middle. Grant must get another go on the left although a fit O'Dowda must be in contention for a start, but the options on the right are two left footers for me - Tanner or Bowler. If we can take Bulut's throwaway comments about Tanner being better off the bench seriously, it could well be a start for Bowler if fit. Different styles from those two. Bowler tricky and tends to cut inside whereas Tanner is stronger and far more direct - a bit like Mendez-Laing. So for me that's the same keeper and back 4, a middle 3 of Siopis, Ralls and Ramsey in front of them, with Miete up top front flanked by (perm any 2 from 4) - Grant/O'Dowda/Bowler/Tanner. Not sure what to make of the Robbo situation, but him Ugbo and Etete on the bench would give some huge options up front if needed during the game.
Going to be interesting to see what side Bulut puts out tonight after a short turnaround. Does he go all out tonight and change things up for Saturday, or look to change a few tonight and a couple more on Saturday? He does have options without overly reducing quality. Nice to have options. Rambo played 90 mins on sat. Will he get a rest? If so, Colwil or Robinson stepping in at 10? Robinson behind Meite could be a handful for defences. Then Bowler (if fit) or Tanner out wide? Decisions, decisions. Pressure on Erol to get it right, and accept responsibility if he doesn't.
Just another thought. With what we have on the bench, subs need to come on sooner rather than later. Save our legs, keep the pressure on them. Changes with 20-25 mins to go, not 5.
To be fair, he brought Tanner on for Ugbo with 20 minutes (+extra time) to go. Agree though that good managers recognise when changes need to be made regardless of the clock.
Juries out for me on Goutas. Panzo may get a start playing in the left side with MM? Until Keiffer comes in January () Meite should be the no 9, as he holds the ball up better than Ugbo and is stronger on the ball. Ralls is only worth his place IMO if he plays further up the pitch.
Cardiff City: Alnwick, Ng, McGuinness, Goutas, Collins, Siopis, Ralls ©, Wintle, Grant, Tanner, Ugbo. Substitutes: Rúnarsson, Romeo, Panzo, Sawyers, Adams, R. Colwill, Robinson, Méïté, Etete.
Not sure about that midfield. Siopis, Ralls AND Wintle doesn't look to balance the front 3. Looks more of a 433 than a 4231.
