COULD THE DERBY POSTPONEMENT ACTUALLY HELP CITY'S CAUSE?
Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:50 am
How the Derby County saga affects Cardiff City's promotion run-in and why the Bluebirds might yet have the last laugh
By Tom Coleman
Wednesday 21st March 2018
Cardiff will be facing a much stronger Rams side next month but it could potentially be a big day
The postponement of Cardiff City's trip to Derby County over the weekend has, perhaps understandably, caused plenty of controversy over the last couple of days, with both City and their passionate fans demanding answers as to precisely why the game at Pride Park Stadium was called off.
The discontent surrounding the manner of the postponement is likely to rumble on for a little while longer, and could well be at the back of the minds of many fans when the rearranged trip to the East Midlands finally rolls round.
When is the rearranged fixture?
The new date set for the Championship clash is Tuesday April 24 (KO 7:45pm).
Is it a favourable date for Cardiff?
Under the circumstances, yes.
There had been initial suggestions that the game could be played a week earlier on April 17. However, the Bluebirds were keen to ensure that they travelled to the East Midlands a week later in order to avoid the possibility of playing three away games on the trot.
Had they agreed to the 17th, the trip to Derby would have come on the back of away days with Aston Villa and Norwich City, which would have seen them clock up 898 miles in the space of seven days.
Their schedule now is nevertheless pretty gruelling, although they do at least have the comfort of a home game against Nottingham Forest as a way of breaking it up.
Has it given Derby any advantage?
Yes. Massively so.
Rams boss Gary Rowett said in his pre-match press conference on Friday that he only had 10 fit and available senior players currently in full training, commenting: "If we had some under-23s on the bench at Forest, we might have some under-16s on the bench this weekend!
"We're just trying to get through this last game before the international break."We are at home and we are aiming to win the game, that is what we will always try to do.
"Come the Sunderland game (March 30) we would hope most of the players will be back and we will be in a much healthier position to finish the run-in with a stronger squad."
The situation could look a lot rosier by the time Neil Warnock's side return to the scene.
Tom Huddlestone is now set to serve his suspension against Sunderland on Good Friday rather than against the Bluebirds, while a host of injured stars including Joe Ledley, George Thorne, Richard Keogh, Tom Lawrence, Ikechi Anya, David Nugent, Cameron Jerome, Marcus Olsson, could all be in contention.
Crucially, top scorer Matej Vydra may also be set to return from a groin injury.
The list of players likely to be back in time to face City will no doubt leave a bitter taste in the mouth for Warnock and his team, who will feel it only adds weight to their concerns over Derby's reasoning for calling the game off.
Does it affect when could Cardiff now be promoted?
In the mind of Neil Warnock, this will change nothing.
After the international break, his side will still have nine games to play - four at home and five away.
The postponement will certainly have been seen as a missed opportunity for the Bluebirds, particularly with promotion rivals Aston Villa and Fulham dropping points - a win on Sunday could have opened up the gap with third to 10 points.
However, Cardiff could still have the last laugh.
Should the current seven point gap remain intact ahead of their trip to face the Rams, Cardiff fans will travel back to the East Midlands with a potential promotion party on the cards as there would be just two games left after that fixture, with six points available.
The Bluebirds finish their season with an away trip to Hull and a home match against Reading on the final day.
Undoubtedly, the crunch period for the Bluebirds is still the games with Wolves and Aston Villa in early April, because staying unbeaten in those two will ensure Villa and Fulham have it all to do in the final weeks of the campaign.
Cardiff City's remaining fixtures:
Burton (H)
Sheffield United (A)
Wolves (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Norwich (A)
Nottingham Forest (H)
Derby (A)
Hull (A)
Reading (H)
By Tom Coleman
Wednesday 21st March 2018
Cardiff will be facing a much stronger Rams side next month but it could potentially be a big day
The postponement of Cardiff City's trip to Derby County over the weekend has, perhaps understandably, caused plenty of controversy over the last couple of days, with both City and their passionate fans demanding answers as to precisely why the game at Pride Park Stadium was called off.
The discontent surrounding the manner of the postponement is likely to rumble on for a little while longer, and could well be at the back of the minds of many fans when the rearranged trip to the East Midlands finally rolls round.
When is the rearranged fixture?
The new date set for the Championship clash is Tuesday April 24 (KO 7:45pm).
Is it a favourable date for Cardiff?
Under the circumstances, yes.
There had been initial suggestions that the game could be played a week earlier on April 17. However, the Bluebirds were keen to ensure that they travelled to the East Midlands a week later in order to avoid the possibility of playing three away games on the trot.
Had they agreed to the 17th, the trip to Derby would have come on the back of away days with Aston Villa and Norwich City, which would have seen them clock up 898 miles in the space of seven days.
Their schedule now is nevertheless pretty gruelling, although they do at least have the comfort of a home game against Nottingham Forest as a way of breaking it up.
Has it given Derby any advantage?
Yes. Massively so.
Rams boss Gary Rowett said in his pre-match press conference on Friday that he only had 10 fit and available senior players currently in full training, commenting: "If we had some under-23s on the bench at Forest, we might have some under-16s on the bench this weekend!
"We're just trying to get through this last game before the international break."We are at home and we are aiming to win the game, that is what we will always try to do.
"Come the Sunderland game (March 30) we would hope most of the players will be back and we will be in a much healthier position to finish the run-in with a stronger squad."
The situation could look a lot rosier by the time Neil Warnock's side return to the scene.
Tom Huddlestone is now set to serve his suspension against Sunderland on Good Friday rather than against the Bluebirds, while a host of injured stars including Joe Ledley, George Thorne, Richard Keogh, Tom Lawrence, Ikechi Anya, David Nugent, Cameron Jerome, Marcus Olsson, could all be in contention.
Crucially, top scorer Matej Vydra may also be set to return from a groin injury.
The list of players likely to be back in time to face City will no doubt leave a bitter taste in the mouth for Warnock and his team, who will feel it only adds weight to their concerns over Derby's reasoning for calling the game off.
Does it affect when could Cardiff now be promoted?
In the mind of Neil Warnock, this will change nothing.
After the international break, his side will still have nine games to play - four at home and five away.
The postponement will certainly have been seen as a missed opportunity for the Bluebirds, particularly with promotion rivals Aston Villa and Fulham dropping points - a win on Sunday could have opened up the gap with third to 10 points.
However, Cardiff could still have the last laugh.
Should the current seven point gap remain intact ahead of their trip to face the Rams, Cardiff fans will travel back to the East Midlands with a potential promotion party on the cards as there would be just two games left after that fixture, with six points available.
The Bluebirds finish their season with an away trip to Hull and a home match against Reading on the final day.
Undoubtedly, the crunch period for the Bluebirds is still the games with Wolves and Aston Villa in early April, because staying unbeaten in those two will ensure Villa and Fulham have it all to do in the final weeks of the campaign.
Cardiff City's remaining fixtures:
Burton (H)
Sheffield United (A)
Wolves (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Norwich (A)
Nottingham Forest (H)
Derby (A)
Hull (A)
Reading (H)
Re: COULD THE DERBY POSTPONEMENT ACTUALLY HELP CITY'S CAUSE?
Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:06 am
Not really as we had better chance of 3 points on Sunday than in rearranged game so potentially losing 3 points that would have opened up an almost impossible gap to overturn for villa/Fulham, the game is on free midweek and anyway all clubs have same amount of matches before then! with luck be promoted by then 