' LETS NOT GET CARRIED AWAY YET/PROBLEMS STILL REMAIN '
Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:34 am
Problems clearly remain at Cardiff City but this could yet be the moment that ignites Paul Trollope's reign
Sunday 25th September 2016
BY PHIL SMITH
Cardiff finally have some much-needed confidence but alarm bells were ringing for much of this game
Paul Trollope's Cardiff City may not be the most enterprising of sides at the moment, but the Head Coach may one day look back at today as the moment he ignited his tenure.
Lee Peltier and Sean Morrison were bemused on the touchline, passing the ball from hand to hand. Cardiff had won a throw-in just inside Rotherham's half, having levelled minutes before.
Normally, Peltier, as the right-back, would simply drop the throw into Noone's feet, but Trollope had an idea.
Despite his full-back's bemusement, he told his Captain to take a blue towel, dry the ball, and fire it as deep as he could into the opposition half.
It bounced around, before Lambert fired an effort on his weaker foot into the legs of the nearby defender. Lee Camp was completely wrong footed and the ball crawled home. Trollope, more animated than usual all afternoon, pumped both fists in the air before being mobbed by his background staff.
It should not, and surely will not, paper entirely over the cracks. For this was a game low on quality and creativity, many of the problems that have blighted the Bluebirds were apparent once again.
Surely it will not go unnoticed by Trollope and his staff that again they relied on the exemplary delivery of Peter Whittingham to put the opposition under tangible pressure. Without that set-piece it was difficult to see where the goal was coming from.
The second, too, was an extraordinary moment of fortune. Perhaps it is time the ball fell Cardiff's way, though?
They remain worryingly vulnerable to balls crossed into their own box or played into the channels between the centre-backs and full-backs. They were fortunate today that Rotherham too often dithered on the ball near their own goal when it was clear that they could open Cardiff up by going from back to front.
Still, that is a worry for another day and Trollope should quite rightly take a moment to enjoy this win.
There was a neat symmetry to his and Rickie Lambert's career as they re-united on deadline day at the Cardiff City Stadium.
After all, it had been on the closing day of the transfer window a decade ago that a young Trollope took a gamble on the target man and brought him to Bristol Rovers. From there the striker's career took off in spectacular fashion, while Trollope bided his time at Birmingham and Norwich.
Both showed real trust in each other to reunite in Wales and while Lambert may end up having one or both of the goals taken off him, it was his presence, awareness and strength that hauled his side back from the brink.
Trollope will have been well aware that his tenure was on the ropes but his prizefighter up front has landed him two much needed blows.
Can they build on this win? Adrenaline was understandably through the roof in the immediate aftermath of this comeback but they must soon come back to earth and get back to the hard work of improving their defensive play and upping the tempo in attack.
What was encouraging was to see them offer a genuine counter-attacking threat in the final stages of the game. In arguably their best move of the game, Stuart O'Keefe strode forward from midfield before spotting Harris galloping into space on the left flank.
The through ball was immaculate and Harris was away. The youngster just couldn't get the weight of the cross right to find Craig Noone at the back post but you can count on one hand the number of times they've gone back to front so quickly and with such efficiency.
It underlined the need for Harris and O'Keefe to get more minutes under the belt in the coming weeks because they can offer a thrust that few, if any, others in the squad can match.
This could have been another galling day and despite their poor form, Derby will pose a far more incisive threat on Tuesday night through the pace they have out wide. The same goes for Burton, where Trollope will desperately hope to provide another boost just before the international break.
The table still doesn't look particularly encouraging, and the alarm bells were ringing loud and clear for large spells at the New York Stadium.
Finally, however, they have some much needed confidence and belief to move forward with.
Sunday 25th September 2016
BY PHIL SMITH
Cardiff finally have some much-needed confidence but alarm bells were ringing for much of this game
Paul Trollope's Cardiff City may not be the most enterprising of sides at the moment, but the Head Coach may one day look back at today as the moment he ignited his tenure.
Lee Peltier and Sean Morrison were bemused on the touchline, passing the ball from hand to hand. Cardiff had won a throw-in just inside Rotherham's half, having levelled minutes before.
Normally, Peltier, as the right-back, would simply drop the throw into Noone's feet, but Trollope had an idea.
Despite his full-back's bemusement, he told his Captain to take a blue towel, dry the ball, and fire it as deep as he could into the opposition half.
It bounced around, before Lambert fired an effort on his weaker foot into the legs of the nearby defender. Lee Camp was completely wrong footed and the ball crawled home. Trollope, more animated than usual all afternoon, pumped both fists in the air before being mobbed by his background staff.
It should not, and surely will not, paper entirely over the cracks. For this was a game low on quality and creativity, many of the problems that have blighted the Bluebirds were apparent once again.
Surely it will not go unnoticed by Trollope and his staff that again they relied on the exemplary delivery of Peter Whittingham to put the opposition under tangible pressure. Without that set-piece it was difficult to see where the goal was coming from.
The second, too, was an extraordinary moment of fortune. Perhaps it is time the ball fell Cardiff's way, though?
They remain worryingly vulnerable to balls crossed into their own box or played into the channels between the centre-backs and full-backs. They were fortunate today that Rotherham too often dithered on the ball near their own goal when it was clear that they could open Cardiff up by going from back to front.
Still, that is a worry for another day and Trollope should quite rightly take a moment to enjoy this win.
There was a neat symmetry to his and Rickie Lambert's career as they re-united on deadline day at the Cardiff City Stadium.
After all, it had been on the closing day of the transfer window a decade ago that a young Trollope took a gamble on the target man and brought him to Bristol Rovers. From there the striker's career took off in spectacular fashion, while Trollope bided his time at Birmingham and Norwich.
Both showed real trust in each other to reunite in Wales and while Lambert may end up having one or both of the goals taken off him, it was his presence, awareness and strength that hauled his side back from the brink.
Trollope will have been well aware that his tenure was on the ropes but his prizefighter up front has landed him two much needed blows.
Can they build on this win? Adrenaline was understandably through the roof in the immediate aftermath of this comeback but they must soon come back to earth and get back to the hard work of improving their defensive play and upping the tempo in attack.
What was encouraging was to see them offer a genuine counter-attacking threat in the final stages of the game. In arguably their best move of the game, Stuart O'Keefe strode forward from midfield before spotting Harris galloping into space on the left flank.
The through ball was immaculate and Harris was away. The youngster just couldn't get the weight of the cross right to find Craig Noone at the back post but you can count on one hand the number of times they've gone back to front so quickly and with such efficiency.
It underlined the need for Harris and O'Keefe to get more minutes under the belt in the coming weeks because they can offer a thrust that few, if any, others in the squad can match.
This could have been another galling day and despite their poor form, Derby will pose a far more incisive threat on Tuesday night through the pace they have out wide. The same goes for Burton, where Trollope will desperately hope to provide another boost just before the international break.
The table still doesn't look particularly encouraging, and the alarm bells were ringing loud and clear for large spells at the New York Stadium.
Finally, however, they have some much needed confidence and belief to move forward with.
Re: ' LETS NOT GET CARRIED AWAY YET/PROBLEMS STILL REMAIN '
Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:22 am
Agreed, we have still had many poor performances so far and we are only just outside the drop zone, but the hope is that this win will give the team and manager some confidence to gain some more valuable draws/wins in the coming weeks. I for one is defo not getting carried away and I still expect either a lower half of the table finish or relegation this season but there is always hope that somehow we can do even better than that! 
Re: ' LETS NOT GET CARRIED AWAY YET/PROBLEMS STILL REMAIN '
Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:55 am
We will get something against Derby too
Re: ' LETS NOT GET CARRIED AWAY YET/PROBLEMS STILL REMAIN '
Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:43 am
4 points from the next 2 games would be awesome. I'd be happy with 3 though.