'JASON PERRY & DARREN PURSE '
TWO GREAT LEADERS/MAYBE THATS WHAT WE ARE MISSING?
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=150716 Bluebirds need to show mental strength to stop away-day blues
Thursday Nov 27, 2014
By Steve Tucker
Former skippers Darren Purse and Jason Perry agree travel sickness is all in the mind
It may be hard to believe, but it’s been 25 league matches since Cardiff City last savoured the delight of an away-day victory.
They go to Watford tomorrow looking for a cure for the travel sickness that is threatening to derail their hopes of a Championship title bid.
While all is well at the Cardiff City Stadium, Russell Slade picking up five home wins out of five since his reign began in October, the Bluebirds have been unable to replicate that form away from the Welsh capital.
Their blues on the road stretch a lot further than Slade’s tenure or even this season, indeed they reach back right across the previous Premier League campaign too.
Cardiff have not won on the road in the league since April 12 when they triumphed 1-0 at Southampton thanks to a goal from centre-half Juan Cala. The Spaniard, ironically, is now embroiled in a war of words with the club after being sent to train with Cardiff’s youngsters.
But even that win proved an isolated case. The Bluebirds’ previous away win, aside from a couple of FA Cup victories. came on September 28, 2013, when they won 2-1 at Fulham under then-boss Malky Mackay.
So, how do you cure a severe case of travel sickness?
Juan Cala scores for Cardiff against Southampton - the Bluebirds' last away win in the leagueJuan Cala scores for Cardiff against Southampton - the Bluebirds' last away win in the league
Well, two of Cardiff’s toughest past skippers think the solution is all in the mind and that the Bluebirds squad need a head start to begin believing they can end the hoodoo.
“In my experience, in practical terms, there’s little difference between playing at home and playing away,” said Darren Purse, a no-nonsense centre-half with 123 Cardiff appearances to his name.
“Sure, you are travelling, but that’s by luxury coach and more often than not you are staying overnight. It’s not an issue.
“I can totally understand why Cardiff have an easier time picking up results at home, it’s because of the fans and the crowd, I’ve experienced that plenty of times myself. The noise and intimidation factor can be massive in Cardiff and that definitely gives them an edge.
“Away from home, of course, you don’t have that and that is where that little bit of mental strength comes in. You need the ability to just dig in and grind out a result and that is maybe where the Cardiff players are just slightly lacking right now.
“You are walking out at the Cardiff City Stadium and you are thinking, ‘I fancy this, we are winning here, doing well’. But away from home, when you are not picking up results, it is easy to lapse into a negative mind-set. It does become a ‘thing’ in the dressing room if you are not careful, you don’t talk about it, but it is there.”
But Purse, who has retired from the game now after a distinguished career, believes the Bluebirds may have taken their first step to finding a cure thanks to their previous result away from home.
Last time out on the road they battled out a 0-0 draw at St Andrew’s against Birmingham. It was their first away point under Slade and only their second clean-sheet of the season.
Purse added: “That’s something right there. That is something to build on. Birmingham have been improving and to take at least something at St Andrew’s is a result. The clean-sheet is important. If you are going to arrest an away run like they are on, you are most likely going to do it with a scrappy 1-0 win. That’s what they will be looking to do at Watford now.’
Jason Perry, another battling former Cardiff skipper and centre-half, agrees with Purse that the Bluebirds must be careful of slipping into a downward spiral of negativity when on their travels.
But the man known affectionately as ‘Psycho’ by Cardiff supporters also sees more practical reasons as to why City are finding it hard to make the breakthrough away from the Welsh capital.“One reason is that the side lacks pace, simple as that,” observed Perry.
“People say Slade has a big squad, but for me it is an uneven one, Over-stocked in some areas it may be, but it is lacking in others and one area it is lacking is when it comes to players with a bit of pace.
“Being strong in defence away from home is fine, but the difficult thing on the road is turning defence into attack quickly and that is where Cardiff are falling down right now.
“The aim away from home is to go out there and keep the home supporters quiet, you do that either with possession, by frustrating them or ideally by grabbing a goal of your own. The Bluebirds need to start well away and often they don’t and if they fall behind you fear they don’t have the character to get back into the match.”
Slade is expected to stick to his 4-4-2 formation at Watford, with Matt Connolly continuing at right-back instead of Fabio and Adam Le Fondre leading the line alongside Federico Macheda despite the availability of Kenwyne Jones.
Watford, who have suffered three successive defeats and are seventh in the Championship, three points ahead of the Bluebirds, have signed Crystal Palace midfielder Adlene Guedioura on loan, and the Algeria international is expected to start at Vicarage Road.