Is it possible that we could win by an odd goal, breakaway, one off the todger....anywhere? A must”get something” game. Wolves goalkeeper John Ruddy will make his first league start of the season to help prepare him for the FA Cup quarter-final later this month. Defender Ryan Bennett is currently on nine yellow cards, so one more would trigger a two-match ban. Ron Flowers could get a start after a long layoff! Cardiff's Victor Camarasa is finally fit after a calf problem. Oumar Niasse returns after being ineligible to face parent club Everton in midweek, while Joe Ralls, who missed the game with a pelvic problem, is fit. Harry Arter and Callum Paterson could both return after being rested in midweek. Fifa investigate Sala transfer payment Who to put in your fantasy football team this weekend Martin Fisher: Cardiff's climb out of the relegation zone proved to be brief, and losing heavily at home to Watford and then Everton will have severely dented already fragile confidence. In this deeply troubling season for Neil Warnock, it's a major challenge of his motivational powers to rouse his players again. No doubt he will bring up their recent wins at Southampton and Leicester, while Wolves' loss at Huddersfield on Tuesday might provide further encouragement - as should their victory in the reverse fixture in Wales last November. Wolves have stuttered of late but surely it's only a matter of time before they click into gear again. Isn't it? Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock on his players: "I had a chat with them all [after the Everton defeat] and put my point of view forward about the remainder of the season. "After that they had a meeting of their own and I was quite pleased about that. "When you do make mistakes you don't tend to look in the mirror, you tend to look around. All I've asked is for them to look in the mirror." Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo on the decision to play John Ruddy: "Because in two weeks' time, we're going to play in the FA Cup, and John Ruddy is going to be in goal. "We consider this is the right moment for him to get some game time in competition, and to be stronger." Wolves have now lost home and away to Huddersfield, which is a surprise when you think about the season that Nuno Espirito Santo's side have had. Defeat here would mean Cardiff will also do the double over them, but I don't expect that to happen. Prediction: 2-1 Lawro's full predictions v sprinter Dina Asher-Smith Head-to-head Cardiff came from behind to win 2-1 in their first Premier League meeting last November. Wolves have lost on three of the last five occasions they have hosted Cardiff. The away team is winless in each of the last 22 Premier League fixtures between two promoted teams since Leicester City beat Burnley in April 2015. Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolves have lost just one of their last six league matches, and one of nine in all competitions - but that was against bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield. They are unbeaten in five home games in all competitions, winning four of them. Wolves have scored just four first-half goals at home in this season's Premier League - no other top-flight team has scored fewer. Wanderers have already equalled their highest Premier League tally of 40 points. Nuno Espirito Santo's first defeat as Wolves head coach was against Cardiff City. Cardiff City Cardiff have lost successive league matches, conceding eight goals in the process. The Bluebirds have failed to score in 12 of their 28 league games (43%). Only bottom side Huddersfield have a worse record. Cardiff have conceded at least three goals in 11 different Premier League games this season, more than any other side. They have a passing accuracy of just 64.2% this season, the lowest tally by a Premier League team in a season since Stoke's 64% in 2010-11. Cardiff have scored seven first-half goals this season, fewer than any other Premier League side. Sixteen of their last 19 league goals were scored in the second half. Here we go, bollocks high, bollocks low....here we go bo....
TEAM NEWS Cardiff: Etheridge, Peltier, Bamba, Morrison, Bennett, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Zohore, Camarasa, Reid, Niasse Subs: Smithies, Manga, Arter, Paterson, Bacuna, Harris, Healey
Hmm.....where have the "wide men" gone? No Hoilett, Mendez nor Murphy - not even on the bench. Has Warnock decided to change tack and follow some "Forum advice"? Looks like he's playing through the middle - very interesting.
Reckon Camerasa and Reid will be out "wide" (in a narrow sense).... So a weird/fluid 442. 5 changes for Wolves.... Could be interesting or a complete disaster!
Interesting that just now since that lineup has been published, City's price with B365 to win it came in from 6/1 to 5/1 - still a long shot but there's something very different about that lineup. Had £8 on a City win @ 6/1 just before the odds shortened, and £22 @ 13/10 on a City/draw double chance - that's now just come in to 23/20 as a result of the team selection. That's 30 quid on - going to have a look at the scorer's odds now the teams are in - going to be very interesting.
Well can we assume the players not in Warnock’s trench are NML, Murphy and Hoilett? Looks like 4 at the back with a diamond so City will look to go through central midfield.
OK, so here's the scorers for today - another 20 quids worth........... Bamba to score anytime - £5 @ 12/1 Morro to score anytime - £5 @ 12/1 Reid to score anytime - £7 @ 4/1 Zohore to get 2 goals - £3 @ 28/1............... That's spread my usual 50 quid on City games around a bit rather than going for straight results - will anything come back? That's all for now folks.
The formation is not working. There’s no cover for the full backs and Peltier is no good going forward.As for the diamond midfield well our players just aren’t good enough. A few minutes of chaotic defending but wolves are in a different class. City started well but got undone and again one goal was needlessly given away by Bamba. Ref bottled a red card for Wolves.
Thank gawd that painful viewing is over. Wolves should have won 5-0 but for Etheridge. Let’s face it our season is all but over. We can’t rely on other teams results if we aren’t going to even compete in our remaining games.
I'm of off to review the Butt Thread on the Barnsley board. At least that has some arses worth looking at.
I watch the away games on line with English commentary. Gary Birtles was waxing lyrical about Wolves, who to be fair were very good.
