The brace on his ankle after the Sunderland game was clearly a precaution and the top news from the Gaffer in his press conference today is that Matt Targett is available. Our other three suspects, Ayite, Kebano and Ojo, he thought would be okay as well. Although that was said with a degree of "let's see!". Birmingham boss Gary Monk has defender Harlee Dean back from suspension. Their problem has however been scoring goals - Sam Gallagher is their top man with 6 and he's unlikely to play!. Monk does have a wodge of players likely to be back from injury (Davis, Gardner, Kieftenbeld, Ndoye and Lowe) but he's still going to have that thorny issue of converting chances. Their main threat will be from the wing, with both Jota and Maghoma being pacy and quality players. Monk is likely to stick with his 'back to basics' 4-4-2. However, those two wing men tend to make it more like an attacking four .... although that can leave their midfield vulnerable. That said there's no doubting that in his short time at the club, Monk has injected commitment and fight into the team. And, for some reason, we always seem to make heavy weather of it against them. Indeed the last time we did the double over Birmingham was in season 1952/53. For us, with Targett okay, all the thinking about possible permutations of how best to replace him are for nought. Thank goodness. So it's the usual place on the right that is as ever up for grabs. Can't see any of the three who missed the last weeks being suddenly in contention. Kamara had a storming time when he came on against Sunderland and the question is whether to follow that format or use him as a battering ram from the outset? Piazon is the quieter option and as we know the Gaffer preaches patience and "as you were" would seem to be his preference. But ... not too long ago I was punching for Abou to be on the right and my instinct says we'll use him to go at them from the start: .........................Bettinelli............. ..Fredericks..Odoi..Ream...Targett.. ......................McDonald... .........Cairney............Johansen..... ....Kamara.....Mitrovic...Sessegnon...
Back to SuperBri's prediction and Premiership refs for this one. We've got Stuart Attwell. Premiership doesn't always equate with the best of course and the Nuneaton Whistler has certainly had his troubles with authority in the past. For obvious reasons we haven't seen much of him in recent years, although regrettably last year it was twice. In the 2-1 home defeat to Brighton when all sorts went on (much of it off the ball). He did book 5; Smith and Fredericks for us. The other time, you could say was once too often, and that was the first leg of the play offs against Reading. Let's just Atwell's attention to detail was somewhat lacking. His eventual red carding of Reading's McShane was scant retribution for what went on before. Four yellow cards also appeared; Malone and McDonald were ours. Purely for the record, Attwell has so far this season handed out 94 yellows and 3 reds in his 28 games.
Seems to be a pattern now that we just don't show up in the first half of games, we got away with it with good 2nd half displays against Millwall and Sunderland but this is a mountain to climb now. Funnily enough though, I still believe!
Chins up guys, we would have taken the season we had in a heart beat, so Derby next and a trip to Wembley. COYW's.
Agree 2whites and not all over ... YET !! One Regret. It would have been massive to have May free to concentrate on recruitment. One Nightmare. With the playoffs being a bit of a lottery, the dread of ending up a Stoke on a cold, wet and windy Tuesday night.
Birmingham played well and we didn't. Play offs it is and we just got to forget this result and move on. Well done Cardiff, we came close but for automatics we fell just short.
Go on and win the playoffs. Most of us over this side of the Bridge will be cheering you on no problem. Easily the best side we faced this season.
Good luck for the playoffs guys. I've said previously that I'd really wished it was you and us Bluebirds going up together and leaving those arrogant Wolves lot to face the playoffs instead. Will be cheering you on...
"No excuses", says Tim Ream "we were ....." You can read what we were, here - https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-tim-ream-automatic-promotion-14625347
Think the game leaves me with a few doubts on our mental state in big games, but after going 23 games undefeated I think teams we play in the play-offs will have to be on their top game, like Birmingham were, if they want defeat us, so there is still hope.
