Anyone interested in this League Cup match tonight? BT and I will be there in the plush Grandstand surroundings. I don't have a clue what 11 BBM will play and if we have a desire to progress in this competition. Police likely to have their hands full. I think Swindon have sold over 1500 tickets and their charming little thugs caused a lot of trouble at Walsall in their first game of the season.
It would be useful to get a game or two in the cup. It would allow a few more players to get some game time (not wholesale changes, but a couple), it would allow Barry to have meaningful games to work on and to allow the team to gell further. We've had a mixed start to the season and the players need time playing together. Saying that, the league has to be the top priority.
My memory doesn’t serve me well but I know that we have had managers in the past who made wholesale changes and others who stuck close to the starting eleven in the league. I think it was Dave Jones who didn’t tinker much with the team for cup games (please correct me if I’m wrong). Personally I would prefer to use Jones’s approach and get our first team up to speed for the next league game.
Not sure we know who the 1st choice keeper will be (I think playing Trott on the weekend was a mistake) so play either. Not Alnwick or Horvart. Swap Robinson for Salech. Maybe one of the midfielders. Nothing more than that.
Hmm, did he read my comments? Cardiff City XI: Trott; Kpakio, Fish, Chambers, Bagan; Wintle, Turnbull, R. Colwill; Ashford, Davies, Robinson. Subs: Turner, Lawlor, King, Mafico, J. Colwill, Tanner, Nyakuhwa, Willock, Salech.
Ashford needs to step up after 2 non descript performances so far. Will Robinson put in a shift? Davies has a chance to stake a claim for a league start. Maybe Turnbull can show us something decent for a change. Thought King would have started instead of Wintle. Chambers at CB again? He’s a lightweight. I’d prefer Lawlor to partner either Fish or Daland.
Robinson & Davies off; they were really poor. Chambers is a total liability. This display is showing how desperately City need a big CB, a pair of effective wingers and a pacy striker.
Indeed it will if he persists in playing Chambers at CB and can’t replace Willock and Robinson. Who’d you reckon would win a foot race out of those
I know we don't like knocking the younger players but Kpakio had a shocker. Swindon pressed higher second half and targeted him. He lost possession so often and got skinned 2 or 3 times. If Ng isn't due back soon then we desperately need another right back. Chambers won most aerial balls first half but completely lost the plot second half. Other clubs will see these weaknesses and focus on them. Robinson does a lot of good work off the ball but was left on his own too much and then, as usual, our crossing was poor. He will feed on what he is given but if given sod all he can't do much. He did well to play in Ashford first half, before Colwill's goal, only for Ashford to hit the post. Isak did himself no favours unfortunately. As said above we need 3 or 4 better players in key positions. Over to you BBM.
Didn't go but watched the game on the box. Chambers was diabolical and proved yet again he's no centre half. Fish looked indecisive alongside him as a result, and is far better than his showing last night. Both fullbacks tried to push forward to link with the widemen but that only left the CB's struggling because they lack recovery pace, particularly Chambers. Up front I just don't get Robinson. His game is essentially goal hanger, but he used up his energy dropping back to get the ball leaving no one up top to test their CB's - Salech was far more effective troubling defenders when he came on. Colwill's work rate has seen a sea change this season. Gone is the lolloping passenger relying on his undoubted skills when the ball got to him, changing into a far more procative role - he is really trying hard this season. Him, Turnbull and Wintle worked well in midfield - the problem was both behind and in front of them.
We have a problem with the wingers. Bagan tried to release Davies many times who failed time and time again to best his fullback abd then Willock who is just too slow to be of any effect on the break. On the other side Ashford isn’t direct enough and tends to go inside too often whilst Tanner is an enigma who flatters to deceive. BBM must be aware by now of the problems with our wingers let alone the CB position.
Well, the positive is we got through. Should have been far more comfortable than we made it and yet again we gave our opposition a good spell where we allowed them to get on top of us, which only served to make us look even more jittery than we normally do. It was good to see not too many changes were made again but I also can't disagree with the previous comments around certain players. It's a shame Daland is going as I reckon given a proper chance, him and Fish or Lawlor could have been a good pairing eventually.
Watch a rerun Hilts. He got caught out on the ball so often and out of position when they pressed higher second half. Most of those sat around me agreed. If we had another fit right back I would rest him on Saturday.
B B-M seems to have a different view on Isaak. Brian concluded by praising the performance of Isaak Davies against the Robins. “He’s been electric in training and I just wanted him to get the confidence that he can play at the same level and he displayed that,” he stated. “He’s clearly an outstanding striker that wants to play through the middle, but based on the quality that we have in that position, I feel as an option in wide areas he’s very exciting, and I think he’s a player who will get the support based on how explosive he is in behind the last line, which is so important to the way we want to play.”
