CARDIFF CITY: " TACTICS EXPLAINED... "

Tactics Explained: Cardiff’s Premier League push
Written by Alex Stewart
Illustrations by John sheenan


Friday 23rd March 2018


Cardiff are the Championship’s form side – while Wolves have set the pace in the league, Aston Villa are revitalised under Steve Bruce, and Fulham are playing some of the best football, Neil Warnock’s have quietly got on with the job of winning. In fact, in the league, Cardiff are unbeaten since January 1st, a run of nine wins and two draws – they have only lost once in any competition in 2018, to Manchester City in the FA Cup.

Cardiff have used a variety of formations this season, including deploying three at the back, but have favoured a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 in their recent run. Kenneth Zohore leads the line, flanked by Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, in front of a midfield three that generally features Joe Ralls, and Loic Damour, who also plays in the hole of the 4-2-3-1; Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic has also impressed in recent fixtures.

Cardiff defend aggressively, helped by the physically imposing nature of their back line, Joe Bennett aside. Bruno Ecuele Manga is a centre-back playing mostly on the right, while Sol Bamba is a significant aerial presence both defensively and offensively and arguably the best centre back in the league this season. Bamba especially steps out of the defensive line to close down players, with Bennett covering over from left back. Indeed, Cardiff’s positional fluidity in defence, especially against teams who play it quick and short, can look like disorganisation. In fact, the stepping out and covering across is designed to close down threats and win the ball back irrespective of whether that pulls someone out of their standard position.


This defensive movement is aided by the covering of the wide attacking players, especially Junior Hoilett on the left, who works extremely hard to drop back in the wide space to cover Bennett’s movement inside. Bennett does not just tuck in to cover for Bamba pushing forwards; he also pushes up and in to the midfield area if cover is needed there. The Cardiff back-line can also shuffle across if this happens, effectively stopping up the centre with three centre backs, and Hoilett and Mendez-Laing covering like wing backs.

In the midfield, Cardiff close down the opposition and tend to follow their men. If Amour is playing in the double pivot, rather than the hole, he will still follow the man he is closing and another Cardiff player covers the space he’s vacated.

Ahead of this, Kenneth Zohore rumbles around, pressing the player in possession – Cardiff tend to press more at home than away, as might be expected. Warnock’s team have conceded fewer goals than any other side in the Championship – their combination of movement, aggression, and effort is paying dividends.

Cardiff’s intention is to win the ball back quickly by pushing forwards and then transition straight into an attack by getting the ball into the opposition half. It’s a form of vertical football, but once the ball is transitioned quickly and directly, Cardiff are happy to play attractive football. It’s not just punted long balls and set pieces, though Cardiff do certainly pose a threat from a dead ball with their height and power. Winning possession wide means a quick transition to the wide attacking players, who push forwards and look to deliver a quick cross to Zohore, or drive to the byline and cut back for a midfielder coming from deep.


Cardiff will use Zohore as an out ball centrally, and he’s good at flicking it on to the wide players cutting inside, or back to an advancing midfielder. The central midfielders, Damour especially, are also expected to get up in support and provide late options around the edge of the box. Cardiff get a lot of shots off, the second highest number per game in the league and, while Zohore has scored seven so far, winger Hoilett and midfielder Paterson are Cardiff’s joint top scorers, with eight – midfielder Joe Ralls also has seven. Zohore is the focus of the attack, but his function is as much to disrupt the opposition marking and bring other players into the attack, as it is to score himself.

Cardiff could unfairly be categorised as a long passing team, relying on physicality and pace and the exploitation of set pieces. While all of these are strengths, Warnock’s side have no little skill and an intelligent defensive system that are both also key to their success. They may not be as silky as Wolves or Fulham, but Cardiff are a very good team who deserve the success that will certainly be theirs this season.

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You can actually listen to this.After my initial reservation about the blokes voice it is actually worth listening to as the guy goes on to describe our style of play better than anyone I've read or heard before.The only thing he fails to mention is the increasingly growing influence of Callum Patterson.

You can actually listen to this.After my initial reservation about the blokes voice it is actually worth listening to as the guy goes on to describe our style of play better than anyone I've read or heard before.The only thing he fails to mention is the increasingly growing influence of Callum Patterson.

Have you got a link ?

Cheers Chris, good read that.

You can actually listen to this.After my initial reservation about the blokes voice it is actually worth listening to as the guy goes on to describe our style of play better than anyone I've read or heard before.The only thing he fails to mention is the increasingly growing influence of Callum Patterson.

Have you got a link ?

Here you are

https://www.tifofootball.com/video/tact ... diff-city/

Good video too. I'll download that app.

You can actually listen to this.After my initial reservation about the blokes voice it is actually worth listening to as the guy goes on to describe our style of play better than anyone I've read or heard before.The only thing he fails to mention is the increasingly growing influence of Callum Patterson.

Have you got a link ?

Here you are

https://www.tifofootball.com/video/tact ... diff-city/

Nice one, yes that's good

Cheers Chris, good read that.

Thanks and I thought so, Paul

Very good read thanks for posting!

Very enjoyable read, Morrison should have had a mention though. Seemed unfair that bruno and bamba did but Morrison didn’t