....Meanwhile back in the armchair... ...Today we visit the magnificent 'erm Birmingham City, home of Miss Diane. A club with a great tradition but suffering in this league recently. Good chance to steal the points today, overdue a penalty, but I suppose you have to get in the opponents penalty area first....where's Jay when we need him Eh? TEAM NEWS Birmingham striker Lee Novak is suffering from a hamstring problem and will not be included in the squad. Trevor Francis could make a surprise return today after a lengthy layoff....good luck Trev pal! Otherwise boss Gary Rowett has no other fresh injury or suspension worries. Cardiff will be without their top scorer Kenwyne Jones who has travelled to Trinidad after a family tragedy. Winger Anthony Pilkington (illness) is available but former Crystal Palace midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi (knee) will not be involved and has been ruled out for 16 weeks. MATCH FACTS Head-to-Head • Cardiff won the last meeting 1-0 at St. Andrew's in the Championship on New Year's Day 2013. • Cardiff are unbeaten in the last five meetings, winning three. Birmingham's last win was 2-1 at Cardiff's old ground Ninian Park in the Championship in September 2008. • Cardiff's 1-0 win at St. Andrew's last year is their only win in the last 14 meetings there in all competitions (since 1966). Birmingham • Birmingham won 2-1 against Watford at home on Tuesday - their first win in six games. • That win against Watford was also their first win at home in eight games in all competitions, since they won 1-0 against Brighton in the Championship on 16 August. Cardiff • Cardiff have won three of their last five games, after winning only one of their previous eight in all competitions. • Cardiff have not won any of their eight away games in the Championship this season, drawing four and losing four.
Slade's team selection is going to be interesting. Much more of the same away stuff, and some on here will be looking for a length of rope........ I can't see him making wholesale changes given his dogmatic 4-4-2 approach, but a bit of variety and spark or two of inspiration on the pitch wouldn't go amiss. Where's it going to come from though? Ravel and Daehli could provide it from the off, but we've got less chance of seeing that than Malky getting a Christmas card from Tan. Hope I'm wrong but this could be another Rorke's Drift back-to-the-wall effort to win a one off battle rather than the war. Continuity was certainly needed after Ole's debacles, but Slade may need to mix it up a bit if we're to get anything more out of this other than a mid table tale off season with nothing to go for in the last dozen games.
............and another thing......... Just watched Derby on the box demolishing Wolves 5-0. Fair play, some lovely positive football from the Rams. Got the ball forward to Martin early and their midfield followed up in support looking for the ball - the whole team was buzzing with energy. How the hell did we get a point up there? I can remember a super strike from Whitts to go two up, but from memory we were lucky to hang on in. Never really liked McClaren, but he's got a good thing going on there. Have we really got one of the best squads in the Championship?
First half over and we should be at least two goals up - poor effort earlier on by Le Fondre and a dreadful attempt at a finish from Macheda with only the keeper to beat and all the time in the world. Gunnar best player on the pitch by a country mile - he's getting stuck in and bossing the Brum midfielders. Hardly any work for Marshie to do maybe more to do with a poor Brum attack as much as anything else. Turner looks solid in front of him - maybe a bit too solid - he looks a bit rusty and could shed a few pounds. Overall a better showing so far. Now if only Slade could find a bloody striker..............
Serious question. Who is our manager? Scott Young? Seems to be making pitch side decisions. Sit down for **** sake. Gestede still scoring for fun I see.
Gunnar was magnificent - if it wasn't for him. we'd have lost that. He fought and battled his way through the game and not without showing some decent skills as well. As for Macheda and Le Fondre up top, we wouldn't have score if we'd played till midnight. There is something seriously wrong with the sharp end performances. Macheda seems so slow to me. He lost the ball far too often and when he had that glorious chance he blew it big time. Le Fondre was little better, but at least he shows some pace around and through opposition defenders - he just can't find the net for love nor money. I'm not sure how Slade can sort this with Guerra obviously not figuring in his plans at all. Thank goodness Jones will be back (I didn't think I'd ever get around to saying that) after the Reading game. Maybe he has to switch his system to a 4-4-1-1 setup, because as sure as hell, this isn't working like it should.
Oldsparkey not seen you on ours for a while still going to win the league then ? please log in to view this image
Never said we were going to win the league, just that we were in with a chance of going up, whereas you were going to have a problem staying up.
