4 The Match Thread ESPNs thread is here and the BBC has one as well View attachment 12344 CARDIFF CITY 1 v 1 WATFORD Britt Assombalonga- caution 24 mÃn. Jonathan Hogg - caution 33 mÃn. Substitution: Liam Lawrence for Craig Conway - 38 min. Ben Turner - caution 44 mÃn. Kenny Miller - goal 45+1 mÃn. 1:0 Joe Garner for Britt Assombalonga - 45 mÃn. Substitution: Filip Kiss for Stephen McPhail - 58 mÃn. David Marshall - caution 69 mÃn. Nyron Nosworthy - caution 71 mÃn. Filip Kiss - caution 72 mÃn. Lloyd Doyley - caution 75 mÃn. Substitution: Chris Iwelumo for Prince Buaben - 78 mÃn. Substitution: Robert Earnshaw for Liam Lawrence - 79 mÃn. Nyron Nosworthy - goal 82 mÃn. Attendance: 21.259 (583 visiting Hornets) Cardiff City today: David Marshall - caution 69 mÃn. Ben Turner - caution 44 mÃn., Andrew Taylor, Mark Hudson, Kevin McNaughton Aron Gunnarsson, Robert Earnshaw for Liam Lawrence - 79 mÃn. for Craig Conway - 38 min., Peter Whittingham, Don Cowie, Filip Kiss - caution 72 mÃn. for Stephen McPhail - 58 mÃn. Kenny Miller - goal 45+1 mÃn. Substitutes: Tom Heaton, Filip Kiss, Kadeem Harris, Liam Lawrence. Robert Earnshaw Watford today: Tomasz Kuszczak Lloyd Doyley - caution 75 mÃn., Nyron Nosworthy - caution 71 mÃn. - goal 82 mÃn., Martin Taylor, Carl Dickinson Sean Murray, John Eustace (c), Jonathan Hogg - caution 33 mÃn., Chris Iwelumo for Prince Buaben - 78 mÃn. Joe Garner for Britt Assombalonga - caution 24 mÃn. - 45 mÃn., Troy Deeney Substitutes: Scott Loach, Dale Bennett, Joe Garner, Chris Iwelumo, Matthew Whichelow Watford cross into Wales for the only time this season with only the hope of stopping former Hornet player and manager Malkey Mackay in their quest to attain the play off matches. This match will mean more to the Watford fans in their desire to better their last manager. CARDIFF CITY • The Manager – Malky Mackay please log in to view this image Middlesbrough reaction. "I thought tactically we were spot on today against a good Middlesbrough team who pass the ball well," he said after the game. "We countered very well on them and had a good first half, scoring two good goals which could have possibly been more if Joe Mason had made the most of a chance right on half time." "Of course, there's also the matter of the fact that their goalkeeper should have been sent off after three minutes. I've looked at the challenge again, Kenny nutmegs him and is them completely cleaned out. It's a free-kick because it's not inside the box, but they didn't have a goalkeeper on the bench and it's a clear sending off. I can't believe it as I've got players limping about in there." "We've got five games to go and we turn our attention to that now. Right now it's all about concentrating on each individual game. It's a good time to have some momentum and we'll want to build on that this week. Every game will be nip and tuck, but we'll battle and fight for every possible point. Today though I'm delighted, because my players showed real character." Millwall reaction. "Although we didn't get the three points that we wanted last weekend, other results continued to go for us and that's the way this division is, it's nip and tuck - everyone takes points off everyone else because they are fighting for something whether they are chasing play-offs or automatic promotion, or fighting against relegation. I don't see that changing over these last six matches." On Cardiff City's fixtures. "Teams have got extra rest on us going into the game on Monday, which I find a bit bizarre. The fact that we've all got to play this weekend - some teams to not get the extra day's recovery and some teams to get that, I find that a bizarre decision, but it's not about teams playing regular Tuesday nights or playing catch-up games.” • The Bluebirds Kenny Miller collected an ankle injury on Saturday and Rudy Gestede was also replaced because of a knee injury. Update on the Bluebirds’ latest statistics Goal Gallery v Middlesbrough please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Ben Turner and Joe Mason WATFORD • The Manager – Sean Dyche please log in to view this image “I am disappointed in our performance. We have gone very well lately. We had a couple of hiccups since Christmas but got over that swiftly and went on a good run, so I am disappointed.” “The performance wasn’t good enough by our standards and we didn’t have enough people who really wanted to make a difference today, and it is important we focus on that because we have done that well this season.” “We have been tighter and tighter as the year has gone on, cut out mistakes and silly goals, but they were both today. There was a sniff of offside for the second goal but I don’t think it was actually and the first one, it was a decision [for the free kick] that went the wrong way and allowed them to break on us. We have to do better than that, and have done all season. I am disappointed with the two goals but it is a good reminder that when teams like that come here - they are very experienced and a good side - and you have to be on the top of your game to perform.” • The Other Manager – Ian Holloway “I think Sean has done an absolutely magnificent job here. The last manager wanted to leave and has joined Cardiff City and how well has Sean done? A rookie in his first job. I think he has done quite stupendous, so well done to him.” • The Hornets Will Stephen McGinn’s knee injury be a thing of the past before the end of this season? I hope so as it is very tedious reporting this every match. Adrian Mariappa is out with his ankle injury, which I am sure will be miraculously cured AFTER the Middlesbrough game to allow a good sale. Ross Jenkis groin strain is still keeping him out and Bernard Mensah’s injury is keeping him from a first starting. There are no suspensions. Update on the Hornet's latest statistics Some pictures please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Tomasz Kuszczak and Chris Iwelumo Who will win? Cardiff City are following in Watford’s footmarks. They have had a collapse in form which has seen them fall away from the play off places. With only two wins in their last ten league matches, and five draws the Bluebirds have been losing ground on their rivals. 7 goals scored and 14 conceded is also not happy reading. The visitors had been enjoying a good run of form which unhappily ended at the hands of Blackpool. Two heavy defeats started the last ten matches and the 0:2 defeat on Friday ended it. In between five wins and two draws lifted the Hornets away from possible relegation to a dream of a wild chance of reaching the play off matches. The good thing is Watford’s defence has become stronger. Akureyri's Prediction: 2:1 Traditionally Watford fail against teams enjoying poor form, so… Cardiff will be looking to continue up their push for the promotion play-off matches so will have something to play for. The Middlesbrough result was a first step but a win against Watford will put them into the race again. skál/skÃ¥l/cheers/salut Don't forget Drop in for some match chat at The Hornet's Nest II. Travellers may want some information about Cardiff.
we've just won a 6 pointer vs boro, we havent actually lost that many games recently, just been held by well drilled teams who have exposed our complete lack of pace... iwelumo wont cause our defence problems, but we are vulnerable to counter attacks and pace, important match for both teams...
Well I think this is definitely a must win game for us....if we want to keep the dream alive. Will be a hard game, but we have been quite good away from home recently...and Cardiff have been in indifferent form. We do have a chance, but we will need to play better than yesterday. Hopefully the lineup will be a bit different......Mariappa back would be a big boost!
Just to beat THEM would be the result of the season...a bunch of foreigners who should never have been allowed in our country's league, led by a man of no principles...they deserve nothing...but I predict a defeat, but I hope it means THEM getting into the play-offs and failing again and listening to the jock whinger moaning about having to play 1 day earlier, and, and, and, and....they deserve each other
all of what w_y said! Great thread Ak, thanks as ever...i will really miss them. Oh, and though my gut says we'll lose, my heart predicts a 1-3, and MM losing his job by the end of the season coz they didn't even make the playoffs. We can live in hope!
w-y I am sure that you are all British and there will be no complaining when Celtic join the Premiership and an extra team is put down to allow them in.
A peacefully meant question to Bluebirds fans. I know you will expect to win this match, and if you do you will almost certainly finish in the top six. But in the event that you don't make the playoffs, would your manager's position be safe? I take it as a given that a cup final and the playoffs would guarantee him another season whatever happens in May, but I'm curious where he would stand if you were to fall short in the league. I know he has a contract, but those mean very little if one party wants to move on.
Or maybe when Carduff, after winning the play-off final, are told "Thanks but no thanks" and Celtic are given the third spot in their place.
I think this will be a scrappy match with some scores to settle and some tension between the fans. We will want to bounce straight back from Friday, and the way MM was complaining about the fixtures does sound like he is getting his excuses in early. So i will say 1-2.
For this game I would drop hogg for the prince and drop yeates for Britt , Now Britt and Troy both prefer playing in the middle but can do a job as a winger, so how about Troy and Britt swapping periodically to keep the Cardiff defense on its toes
I'd probably go a step further and rest CI (times have changed - two weeks ago I would have said 'drop'!) and bring in Joe Garner. The temptation to hoof it up to CI needs to be removed as that tactic won't work tomorrow anymore than it worked on Friday. Would like to see some input in attack from Forsyth too as well as Hodson & Bennett in defence. Nothing too drastic in the way of changes though.
I admire your optimism but the dream died on Friday. Our maximum is now 72 points - we will not reach that, looking at the remaining fixtures. I would suggest that Birmingham and Blackpool will reach 72 comfortably and at least one of Brighton, Cardiff or Middlesbrough will do also. Even draws for Cardiff & Brighton against us would put us well out of the running. Be content with what we have achieved this season - we have only one victory all season against teams in the top 8 - that is not really promotion form. There's always next year.......
Well said Vic. The main positive from this season is that if you strip out the daylight robbery against Derby and utter shocker from both teams when we hosted Forest, we have been great against other teams who weren't quite good enough to challenge for promotion. Why do I highlight that? Because at almost no point this season have we had more than 3 players on the pitch who are even close to starting for teams currently in the Premier League. In contrast, if you ignore Derby, all of the teams above us have a good number of players who you would think will be in the Premier League sooner or later. There were a few games were Kuzczak, Mapps, Murray and Alex all played, supported by most of the players we have who are not a million miles away: Nosworthy, Hogg and Eustace, as well as Deeney on a good day. Surprise surprise, with seven or eight quality players we went on a great run. We're known for being a club that is both ambitious and realistic. In my opinion, this season we were a lower mid table team, which with the right loan signings and a bit of depth seems reasonably likely to achieve a top half finish. The long term vision for this club is for the core of the team to consistently deliver top half finishes, with the gems we unearth hopefully taking us to another level. I won't name current players so as not to pile on pressure, but by gems I mean a combination of academy products like Ashley Young, excellent signings like Danny Graham, and outstanding loanees like Tom Cleverley. These last five games are important, not because we have any realistic chance of the playoffs, but because we have a lot of players who need to show that they can produce some of their better stuff against some of this division's better opponents. It will have a big impact on Dyche's dealings in the transfer market this summer.
As always a top thread AK, thanks ! Given both teams' league positions and the MM dissatisfaction factor this is a big game. I hope the players focus on the game and not the MM ****e that inevitably comes with it. We need a win here to stop our season just drifting happily away into mid-table heaven !
An outside chance? Yes.... "dead"...? No way! When you look closely...not just at our fixtures, but at Cardiff, Middlesbrough and Brighton's fixtures...it's not as bad as it looks. Personally don't believe that Brighton will get too many points. They play Reading, West Ham and Birmingham....and we might just knick 3 points off them too. Middlesbrough have Hull, Derby (both away) and Southampton to play. Us on the final day....I have it down as a possible decider Cardiff have the easier games, but could still struggle. If we beat them, then I think we have a shout of catching them up. Whether we have tough opposition or not...it doesn't really matter. It's not as hard as most of the teams above us, and if we can win them...which is possible, then maybe we can do it. I think if you go into games against Cardiff, Brighton and Middlesbrough...all 3 of which aren't in great form, thinking that we will lose...then you're being a lot more pessimistic than I am being optimistic.
As always Ak This will be a tough one for us, their tails will be up after their good win at the Boro but our team need to prove to SD that it was just a bad day at the office at not the start of the rot till end of the season! COYH!!! 3 points SVP
we are not chelsea, our last manager got another two years after quite possibly the worst end of season a club has had in terms of blowing a top 6 place..the longest serving manager in the championship before he was sacked...such decisions arent taken lightly at this club. we paid compo for him, increased his wages in a contract to 2016 in february, he was the right man 2 months ago so nothing has changed in terms of his job security..
