Our mighty Bluebirds return home this weekend ready for the visit of struggling Rotherham and although it's "just another 3 points" on the line, if our hard working and battle weary boys can produce a 4th win on the bounce it will represent a spectacular return and potentially lift our high flying club into the play-offs, now who'd have thought that would be the case just a couple of short weeks ago? The Millers come to us on the back of some very shaky form, though a 1-1 at home to early pace setters Preston last time out show that despite their 23rd placing in the league right now, they will once again be no push over. Their squad of course contains a few very familiar names including ex-skipper Sean Morrison (whom I'm sure will receive a very warm reception should he face off against us), Lee Peltier and ex-loanee Jordan Hugill, all players that have endeared themselves to the Bluebirds faithful, not forgetting of course Dillon Phillips too, though his time with us was of course a little less impactful. Their goals have been shared about a bit with 3 players all having notched 2 goals to their names, those players being Hugill (of course), Fred Onyedinma and Hakeem Odoffin. Last time out saw the 2 teams having to replay a previously abandoned game which got called off in rather controversial circumstances with the Bluebirds leading. As you'll all no doubt recall heavy rain was followed by half hearted attempts to clear puddles from the pitch (their efforts were so lax it made Max Watter's work rate look like he was on a pay per inch run contract!!). The resulting replay still finished in a deserved victory for the Bluebirds however and was the result which effectively made the team safe from relegation. The Millers themselves would go on to secure safety not long afterwards but once again find themselves languishing at the lower end of the table this year. Being unbeaten in our last 7 against Rotherham, and indeed only 1 defeat in our last 14 against them (2015), hopes must be high for another good result, we just can't afford to make light of their challenge though. The Bluebirds on the attack last season just prior to the abandonment Bulut's Bulletin The big news for the Bluebirds this week is of course that Sheyi Ojo played 90 minutes for Kortrijk, oh, there was some news about Rambo being out injured for a minimum of 3 weeks, possibly more, but seeing as we've won 2 from 2 without him he shouldn't be too much of a miss eh? Outside of the loss of Ramsey though, the squad is still likely to be without Callum O'Dowda and Josh Bowler for this one, but Bowler is reportedly now back on the grass so may not be too far off a return. Rambo's absence does now create opportunity for others however, so will Bulut continue with Wintle in the "10" role or is he going to shuffle his pack and give either Callum Robinson or Rubin Colwill a chance to impress? The smart money would be on Wintle but you just never know with our scheming gaffer. After a very bright showing in an otherwise disappointing mid-week cup game, Kion Etete could be favoured up top, but such is the squad depth now that Ugbo or Meite could be given that role. Opposition gaffer Matt Taylor will be absent from the touchline for this one after picking up a suspension for picking up 3 yellow cards already (hardly surprising if Rotherham have continued their "rough and tumble" attitude and approach again this year), he was however quite complimentary of our boys this season stating "They are much improved and have a different dynamic," he said. "I went to the game last night against Blackburn Rovers in the cup. It’s sod’s law to an extent that they made 10 changes and it shows the strength of their squad. "Cardiff have a very fluid frontline and have a lot of quality elsewhere on the pitch. They are a team to admire from afar, but we have to take the game to them.” What Are The Odds On That? With the cup out of the way, it's back down the serious business of our promotion push and Vince clearly knows this.... he's heavily backing his boys to do the business, maybe a little too heavily with us being odds on?? Well I Never Did you know that one of Rotherham's top attractions is the Magna Science and Adventure Museum. It was built on the site of the old Templeborough steel works and a Roman fort. Magna Science and Adventure Museum is home to an array of interactive displays. Each of these are aimed at children to help them learn about science. In total there are four pavilions, each of which represent the four elements: fire, earth, water, lots and lots of water, oh and more water, and air. Each of these tell you everything you need to know about their importance and use on our planet (especially how water can be used effectively to try and avoid losing football matches). After the Norman invasion, the hamlet of “Rodreham” was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book. It was said to have a manor, a church with a priest, three ploughs, and eight villains, all of which worked as ground staff for the local football team. In the years after the Norman Conquest, the lands had first been given to Nigel Fossard. Nigel was William the Conqueror’s half brother. After this they were then given to Robert de Mortain, and eventually the De Vesci family. These Norman landowners didn’t really visit the parish or even built a castle to keep order like many Yorkshire places. Rotherham was a district with a series of absent landlords for much of the Middle Ages. Despite this, the hamlet began to grow. In 1207, it was granted a fair and a market. Both of these encouraged traders to the town. Sharing The Love Bit of a theme this week, strikers, what with rail strikes on the weekend (backwards, lazy good for nothing, usless barstewards (oh sorry, my mind drifted back to Rotherham's ground staff again there)) it only seemed right to highlight some front men, though it's fair to say that despite a couple enjoying "cult" status of sorts, none really provided the kind of returns that would have been hoped for when they signed for the club! Leo Fortune-West The 1999–2000 season saw Fortune-West finish as Rotherham's top scorer with 17 goals in 43 appearances and while the club won promotion to the Second Division as Third Division runners-up just a month into 2000–01 he joined Cardiff for a fee of £300,000 in September 2000. Leo helped the club earn promotion to the Second Division as Third Division runners-up, scoring 13 goals from 41 appearances over the season. He finished the 2001–02 season with 44 appearances and a further 11 goals. In 2002-03 he helped the team to the play-offs with a sixth-place finish. Promotion was secured after beating Queens Park Rangers in the final, although Fortune-West was not part of the matchday squad. He was released following that season, during which he’d made 28 appearances and scored 4 goals. Following his release he went on to sign for Doncaster Rovers on a 2 year contract. He dabbled in football management with non-league club Amthorpe Welfare in 2012/13, but that was his final dalliance with the touchline. He later went on to settle in Sheffield, where he worked in social services, assessing elderly people to ensure they can manage at home. Alan Lee A key figure for Rotherham. scoring ten goals in 41 games in 2001/02, and finding the net 16 times in 44 appearances the following season, Lee impressed then City manager Lennie Lawrence in a goalless draw on the opening day of the season, soon after making the switch to City for a fee of £850,000 in August 2003 (rumour has it that several Bluebirds players were telling him they’d see him in training soon during the nil-nil) whilst Rotherham's manager Ronnie Moore prophesied that "Alan Lee can and will do better than Cardiff"! However, with his spell at Ninian Park largely affected by injury, the forward would only go on to make 86 appearances for the club, netting 10 goals. After being restricted to just two goals in 25 Championship games in 2005–06 he joined Ipswich Town for a fee of £100,000 Alex Revell On 9 January 2015 Revell left Rotherham United and joined his former manager Russell Slade at Cardiff City, with the transfer fee believed to be in the region of £175,000. He made his debut in a 1–0 win over Fulham the following day and went on to score his first goal against Norwich City in the next game. He went on to finish the season with 2 goals in 17 games for his new club and 6 in total for the season. Revell had started the following season partnering Joe Mason, however he was dropped after 3 games after a slow start to the season. On 11 November 2015, Revell joined League One side Wigan Athletic on loan from the Bluebirds, making his debut at Rochdale and then finding the winner against Shrewsbury Town the following week. On 1 February 2016, Revell signed on a free transfer to fellow Championship side Milton Keynes Dons Ronnie Moore (4th from left, back row) Liverpool-born Moore joined the Bluebirds from Tranmere Rovers in 1979, spending just a single year at Ninian Park before moving to Millmoor. During his time in the Welsh capital, Moore scored six goals in 56 appearances, as City finished 15th in the Second Division table. The striker went on to become a Rotherham United hero, scoring 52 goals in a three-year spell with the Millers, leading them to the top of the Third Division table. Moore returned to Rotherham as manager in 1997, leading United from Division Three into Division One. Another spell followed between 2009 and 2011, where he was assisted by ex-Cardiff City boss, Jimmy Mullen. So, will the Bluebirds brush their opponents aside in a blue tidal wave of pressure and make them abandon hope of any sort of result? Will Bulut have us get into them with a torrent of attacks from the off with our players flooding forward in numbers?? Can we tap in to the current positivity and keep the flow of points coming??? All I know is the tide has turned and we're riding the crest of a fantastic wave right now, and long may it continue. Bloooooooooooooobirds!!!!!!!
Excellent read again Brizzo - deserves to be bumped to the top of the board this morning, so I'll just post this.............. I see only Southampton who've had a few big score thrashings have let in more goals than Rotherham so far. Stoke who've been very poor this season have put 10 past them in 2 games (League and Carabao Cup). Even Championship lowest scorers Millwall put 3 on them out of their meagre total of 7 goals so far this season. What does this all mean? Probably nothing because it's all about "on the day", but I'd be disappointed if we let them off the hook.
Brizzo - those odds Vince is holding are frightening. I absolutely hate it when City are odds on to win. Apart from the obvious over confidence they tend to generate in fans, you have to risk more money than the bookie - that never sat well with me. Apart from betting on the opposition (I could never do that) , one way to get a decent return is have a go on City with a one goal handicap. That obviously means we have to win by more than a single goal margin. Just got 2/1 on that which I can live with - let's see how that pans out.
Given the stats you quoted (I read the 'for and against' numbers only, when I looked) it would be a disappointment if you didn't see a return on your investment Sparkey. As you say, it's on the day. Having kept 2 clean sheets in the last 3 games and regularly scoring 2 or more, I'm surprised you got 2/1.
These are the games that are notorious for tripping us up. Got to be on our game for the full 100+ minutes C'mon let's get ahead early and keep getting further ahead. Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds
Went back in to place the bet and they've dropped it to 15/8 . Never mind - only an eighth of a point. Went back in just now and it's dropped again to 7/4 the bet - looks like they even think they were a bit generous at first.
Cardiff City: Alnwick, Ng, Goutas, McGuinness, Collins, Ralls (C), Wintle, Siopis, Méïté, Grant, Etete. Substitutes: Rúnarsson, Romeo, Panzo, Adams, Sawyers, R Colwill, Robinson, Tanner, Ugbo.
The highlight of the first half seems to have been the ball bursting. No worries Robinson will score after coming on from the bench. I had him down to score originally but changed it to Meite as Robinson wasn't starting. Meite gone off injured. Robinson will score just as a poke in the eye for me.
72% possession in the first half. 3 shots. Can we let them have the ball for a bit? We seem to do better when the opposition have more of the ball than us.
He seems to be running into a bit of form. Good work by him, good work by the coaching team. Nice to have coaches developing players.
I'll take that. Had McGuinness down to score last week, but put a few bob on Perry for today. Going home to check my account - will check in later...........
