It'll be playoffs only by default after that today. Another home draw against a beatable team, but one that came with a plan and stuck to it - they could have easily pinched it too. Seen it so many times this season at the CCS recently Cov, Burnley and Hull this month and the Blackpool game another month back all demonstrated our inability to overcome a visiting team set out to kill you in midfield - Holloway took it a stage further and stuffed us.. What has happened to Whitts? Not burdening him with the blame, but he's dropped well off the boil. I've never seen him give the ball away so much for such a gifted player. Maybe it's the tired looking performances from those around him, but something's not right. Up front we've become toothless - Miller has gone back into early season mode, Earnie is rusty beyond belief, and Gestede looks like a bit of an amateur on times - the only hope up there is young Mason. At the back - yes, we've kept a clean sheet today as we did against Burnley, but the all important midfield bite that won us so many games in the first half of the season has evaporated. Only the failure of those around us will give us any hope of a playoff place. It's still on, and if you do get in that top 6, we all know anything can happen. After this March debacle and looking at the latest scores as I write, I wonder how the hell we're still in 7th.
I guess other results have been okay again for us. Brighton and Middlesbrough draw. Hull and Leeds lose. Anyone notice that Watford are just 4 points behind us with a weaker team than last year apparently?
Now if Blackpool can lose , another incredible set of results for the Bluebirds ... not a very strong Championship this season it seems ... I'll get my coat HAHA !
Ok. At least this post has some relevance and worth debating. DJ had some pretty bad runs as well, but the question will be asked as to why MM has not been able to turn things around. I guess the two possible reasons are: 1) We overachieved and we are now playing at our true level; 2) MM is not as good as we think. I stated in a post above that Watford seem to be doing okay without him. I believe it is still to early to say that MM is not performing because the playoffs are still there. If we slide down to 8th or 9th, the discussions may well change. Either way MM should get a summer to buy players he wants and another season in charge.
Actually, you Swans keep arguing that competitive = strong (I still can't work out how you do that), so that means the Championship is uber powerful
To my mind comparing MM to DJ is a non starter. If MM had taken over the same group of players then fair enough but he didn't. It's a whole new group... a new era if you like. You'd just as well compare DJ to Lenny Lawrence who won the playoffs, or all of the above to Eddie May who won a league title. Even if we don't make the play offs, has MM failed?... compared to what? MM can only be judged on this years performance by next years and only then if its in the Championship (which, although we're still in with as much of a shout as those around us, head over heart, is beginning to look the case) Is he the right man for the job...personally, I think he is
I agree he should get another season H. I think he needs a summer transfer window to get things how he wants. If he had of removed the players we had last season, brought in his own, and failed to achieve the playoffs then he may have more to answer too.
The root of the problem is the lack of signings in the recent window. Most other sides in the division have signed players to add to their squads and give them a boost with fresh legs and talent. All we have is Lawrence (who actually had a good game today playing right midfield). Okay Malky said he tried to make signings but they did not happen. Perhaps he didn't try hard enough or perhaps he really wanted to keep his powder dry to build a more competitive side in the summer who will press for auto next year. A big gamble but it will then be "his squad" and then he will be measured against that. I remind everyone he said it was a 2 to 3 year project and we have probably over achieved with what we have. I honestly don't want the play offs with our small, tired squad.
Really Blue? I think you have to be in to win it. It's not like we would be embarrassed if we made them (I hope).
None of us really know why we couldn't get anyone in the window. I doubt it was from a lack of effort but in hindsight, and from a fans point of view, looking at what we were landed with last Jan... is it such a bad thing afterall
To my mind comparing MM to DJ is a non starter. If MM had taken over the same group of players then fair enough but he didn't. It's a whole new group... a new era if you like. fair comment and true but to me DJ was a good manager and my only criticism of him he never showed any emotion...i see MM as trying to make a point by sticking to the same game plan every week and its not working for him, why dont he change things sometimes like play earnshaw and miller up front in a 4-4-2 formation...
Sorry guys, but this argument is driving me potty!. How can you not want to be in the playoffs? Anything can happen, and with the Prem cash and thoroughly decent owners behind us, anything can also happen in the Prem if we got there. It's up to us then. Come on fellas - this "tired squad" needs to get it's bloody act together. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but they are very well paid proffesionals as is the manager Malky and staff - they need to perform collectively.
I think Blue was feeling a little blue when he said that Sparkey. As you say, if we get there, you just never know. I think tired squad is also being bandied about too much. It started about two months ago, and I agree that the guys have got to fire up. MM also has to try something different. I have expected a little more innovation from him tbh.
Realistically , Cardiff could finish anywhere from 4th to 16th & 16th now could make the playoffs with 6 to play . That's what happens when the top teams start stumbling late . Should be an awesome finish to the Championship this season though .
Siam - something needs to change mate no doubt about that, but to write us off now for possible Prem football through the POs is beyond me. (No offence intended to anyone in particular)
With 7 regular games to go and sniffing at the playoffs, that should be enough to take the tiredness out of the legs. Up until the semis of the cup I could understand the changes MM was making and how he was setting up against the opposition. In the last 6 weeks I've totally failed to see what he is trying to acheive. A dip in form is on thing, but the wheels seem to have come off big style. A return to the format that got us to where we are couldn't do any worse. Back 4 as is, conway, whitts, Gunnar / Kiss, McPhail, Cowie / Lawrence across the middle with miller or Mason up front. Conway wide left and Lawrence wide right to give us some structure. From what I can make out on the radio, there is a lot interchanging of positions which is losing our shape and making us even narrower that we were at the start of the season. I'd still love to make the playoffs, but it is looking less likely.
Also remote, we get closed down more in the middle, and we don't have the pace to run through the lines. Finishing is a bit below par at the moment as well. Sparkey; Agree with you.
