Derby and Forest both lose at home to lower/mid table clubs - Middlesbro, Watford and Norwich all draw to effectively drop 2 points each, and Bournemouth stick in 8 goals away from home to go top 4. Wolves get a win, but it was only against Leeds...... Great chance to put some pressure on those above and what do we do - regress back to our form of a month ago. We deservedly go down to a side (no disrespect intended) that most would have predicted would struggle to stay up, just like against another drop contender (certainty?) Blackpool with the same scoreline. Don't know where this division is going, and it would take a fool to predict the ups and downs - so here goes one fool....... Going up auto - Watford and Cardiff, with the playoff winner anyone from another 10 - I'll go for Wolves. Going down - Blackpool, Brighton and Leeds.
3 poor 1.0 defeats away. Something fundamentally wrong with our tactics and attitude away from CCS. Thinking back to our promotion season we had an extra workhorse in midfield in Don Cowie so had more support for attack and defense. Unspectacular but did a job well. Do we need someone of a similar style?
We lost yesterday because that old Fox Holloway out managed Slade. We were muscled out of the game and they were up for it and we weren't. We took hoofball to a new level and hardly strung a pass together until Morrison came on............far too late. It was a shocking performance. While I admire optimism I don't think we have a cat in hell's chance of going up automatically.
Admit it's a huge slice of optimism there whoops, but I was following through on the unpredictability of results in the division as well our own Jekyll and Hyde character. To corrupt a quote from Gerry Anderson's Stingray - "anything can happen in the next 6 months".
Out muscled at Blackpool and Millwall. Such tactics must be expected in this league. It looks to me that we don't have the players to deal with this.
This is a serious problem that Slade has to deal with. Dikgacoi was brought in for this role and that decision has proved a disaster up till now. Gunnar is being used as the battler but lacks any real pace. Adeyemi has the legs but lacks experience. I can see Slade going out for someone on loan as soon as gets some of his "unchosen ones" out the door. On the subject of Whitts - does anyone think he makes us play well, and when he doesn't personally, we suffer? OR that he only plays well when the side does as a whole? Chicken or egg?
Due to his style, when things aren't going well and we need battlers then he is not influential. In saying that, against Ipswich he won more headers and tackles than in the rest of the season so far. However, the team were all battling and Ipswich were not an imposing physical side. Conclusion - against big, strong teams unless we can win the physical battles, Whitts will be ineffective. Might then be more useful as an impact sub once we have turned the game our way.
Another thought, we seem to have lost our ability to score from set pieces. Indeed, for free kicks I have noticed Manga rarely goes up. Look at the goals we scored 2 years ago through Hudson, Connolly and Turner. I know Gunnar's throws are not what they were but we didn't notch many from those. However, corners and free kicks were our specialities. Even Gunnar and Campbell got onto a few as the defenders were watching our big guys. In most instances we now only seem to have Morrison and KWJ/Macheda likely to win anything in the air and Macheda is not that good. What is the point of Whitts swinging in corners under the crossbar if we don't even challenge? What happened to our marking Saturday to allow Sh!ttu to get in on the far post? I couldn't bring myself to watch but in the one photo I have seen it looks like Macheda should have been marking him. With Macheda's lack of aerial ability that would have been a no contest. Conceding goals from corners was something that rarely happened in the past.
Marshall should have stayed on his feet for that corner although he was definitely impeded by McDonald and the ref should blown for that. s**ttu is a big guy who can bulldoze his way through most defences for dead ball deliveries. Manga or Morrison should have looked after him - at least they would have got something on him if not the ball. Macheda marking him was a total mismatch, and there was only ever going to be one winner if the ball got through to them.
For me this article sums up why we were second best against Millwall. http://www.newsatden.co.uk/42191-millwall-defender-i-wanted-cardiff-to-crumble-in-tunnel.html Most of the City players were feeling intimidated at the Den. There is a soft underbelly in the squad. I've said it so many times, if only we had a Kevin Nolan type leader.
Perfectly summed up. Russell needs to search out the right person to bring in, if not now on loan then a purchase in January - although it could be too late then.
He doesn't seem to get much credit on here but Gunnar going off was a massive problem. We need cover but I seriously doubt there's a player better than Gunnar just knocking about some ones squad. Cover for him is a real priority though. Moments change football matches, we should have been 2 up and even if you let Alf off the first miss the 2nd was unforgivable. If we take the lead it might have been a different story even without Gunnar. If the ref had blown for the foul on Marshall that would have helped too. In the end we didn't deserve anything but most of Millwalls chances came when we were chasing a game we really shouldn't have been. I'm ready to file that one under 'one of those days' rather than a back to square one moment. The complete non effect that Maynard has had on proceedings off the bench must mean Guerra is close to taking his place on the bench at least?!?
We're certainly not back to square one. I said we reverted to the form of a month ago for that game and that needs to be addressed by Slade. As is usually the case, the chances you miss cost your the game as on Saturday, but at least we are creating real chances now. Maynard hasn't impressed me at all this season. Le Fondre is the better of the two to me but his misses in that game cost us what could have been a comfortable victory. He doesn't need to be told that, he'll be well aware of it and I hope it doesn't affect him too much. Macheda for me is a combination of trying too hard and not having the fitness nor ability for it to come off - he should sit the next one out. I'd certainly persevere with Le Fondre, but pair him with someone else. Maybe as you say, Guerra should be given a shot, but his commitment seems to have been questioned. If it has, I'd stick Kenwynne back in there if fit and play Le Fondre off him. That leaves us with midfield - I've got a feeling we've been here before.
Down Brum, Blackpool and someone who's going to struck by bad luck with injuries. Reason for saying that it's very difficult to pick a 3rd side, as there's so much quality all the way down to Bolton. If I had to guess I'd probably say Leeds and if I could actually choose I'd probably say Leeds as well Going up by what ever means Derby Us (that is one seriously biased pick) Fulham If I wasn't so biased I might say Watford instead of us tbh.
Ignoring Sparkey's question on predictions, this must be the time for the forgotten man, Dikgacoi. We know what he is capable of so for Christ's sake get him fully fit and playing. Cometh the hour, cometh the man!!!! In fairness to Gunnar, he has improved game on game this season and his injury Saturday may well have been a game changer for us and put us on the back foot. Ralls just isn't up to that type of game. We need someone else to take and give the hard knocks. If DGK isn't up to it then get someone in who is.
I like Macheda and think he'll be first choice for a good few games yet. 2 goals in 3 means dropping him after one not great performance would be very harsh imo. I'd start with Alf and Macheda again but I want a lot more off the bench than Maynard has offered so far. Guerra looked lively in a couple of sub appearances, he couldn't have less of an effect than Maynard if he forgot to come on when told to.
ALF seems to be a favourite on here but what has he actually done? Any chances he has had he has missed and the goal he supposedly scored was - or should have been - an own goal. He is not particularly quick either; nippy yes but he hasn't blistering pace. Guerra looked good in a brief appearance against Wigan (??) but we do not really know how fit he is or whether he is committed to the cause. Maynard looked very poor on Saturday and no better previously so what are we left with? Macheda and Jones. I would like them to be given the opportunity of playing together as 4-4-2 seems to be the formation of choice.
Sparkey, at your age, you need to be careful "following through" , might get an unpleasant shock pal!
