MATCH THREAD: " CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA " MATCH THREAD

CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA CITY
Saturday 12th December, 12.30pm
Sky Bet Championship
Cardiff City Stadium 




STARTING 11

Alex Smithies
Leandro Bacuna
Sean Morrison
Curtis Nelson
Joe Bennett
Will Vaulks
Joe Ralls
Sheyi Ojo
Harry Wilson
Mark Harris
Kieffer Moore

SUBSTITUTES

Dillon Phillips
Sol Bamba
Filip Benkovic
Greg Cunningham
Joel Bagan
Marlon Pack
Gavin Whyte
Josh Murphy
Robert Glatzel



GREAT NEWS:

Cardiff City unchanged (again)

So then.

Yours truly remarked after Stoke City that it was unlikely Cardiff would stick with the same line-up for this one.

Yours truly clearly doesn't have a clue what he's on about as Neil Harris names an unchanged line-up for the FIFTH consecutive game.

Harry Wilson, despite being declared a doubt in the week starts for Cardiff today.





Match to be played in front of no supporters, for information on how to watch the match on TV or to stream it - see below


Harry Wilson looks a major doubt for the derby this weekend. Neil Harris says the player's arm 'has to improve' if he is to be considered for selection.



Updated: Saturday 12/12/20



CARDIFF CITY:

It's been a stunning turnaround from the boys in blue over the past fortnight, with sterling wins over Luton Town, Huddersfield Town, Watford and Stoke City which have launched them up the league standings.

The only frustration Harris will be feeling is the doubt he has over Harry Wilson's availability.

The on-loan Liverpool winger suffered an arm injury against the Potters, with Harris labelling the knock as "bizarre".


"It’s not a good injury," Harris said on Thursday. "I don’t know the ins and outs at the moment, because it’s very strange, but he has got a real issue with that arm.

"As I found out in the last few hours, until you injure your arm you don’t realise how much you use your arms when you're running and trying to protect the ball.

"We will have to see how he goes in the next couple of days. If he’s got a chance, we will give him until the last knockings to be available."

Harris will also be without Lee Tomlin, who went under the knife to solve a troublesome groin injury, and Arsenal loanee Jordi Osei-Tutu is out until after Christmas with a hamstring complaint.






SWANSEA CITY:

Cooper will be immensely pleased with his side's defensive solidity so far this season, but his charges will face the ultimate test in Kieffer Moore this afternoon.

The Welshman is one of the form strikers in teh Championship at present, who has bullied centre-backs for fun in recent weeks.

With question marks over Marc Guehi (head) and Ryan Bennett (hamstring), Cooper admitted he'll be making a late decision on both.

"Ryan has not played [the last two], he’s picked up a bit of a hamstring strain," said the head coach.

"We’re giving him every chance to try and be available for the weekend, we’ll know more tomorrow whether we’ll involve him or not.

"Marc is a bit different, he picked up a bang on the head against Luton and we’re following the procedures of return to play and train.

"We just want to make sure before we think whether to include him or not."

Long term, Cooper will be without Morgan Gibbs-White, who is making good progress after fracturing his foot, and George Byers, who is now back in training.



Harry Wilson update:


NEIL HARRIS:


It’s not a good injury. I don’t know the ins and outs because it’s very strange. He’s got a real issue with that arm.

As I found out in the last few hours until you injure your arm you don’t realise how much you use your arm in football.

If he’s got a chance, we will have to give him until the last knockings.

I couldn’t tell you (what chance he has) because of the nature of the injury. I’ll be guided tomorrow and wait until Saturday morning.





BLUEBIRDS:

Harry Wilson is doubtful after a shoulder injury at Stoke City.

Junior Hoilett missed Stoke, but is now back in contention.

Filip Benkovic is in full contention for the Bluebirds and will def be around least on the bench.

The Croatia centre back, who is yet to appear for Cardiff since joining on loan from Leicester 9 weeks ago.


Lee Tomlin, Isaac Vassell and Jordi Osei-Tutu are all still the long-term absentees.



How can I watch this match on TV?

This match is live on Cardiff City TV and Sky Sports Main Event.

About Swansea City

Swansea City Association Football Club is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their home matches at the Liberty Stadium since 2005, having previously played at the Vetch Field since the club was founded.

The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and entered into the Southern League, winning the Welsh Cup in their debut season. They were admitted into the Football League in 1920 and won the Third Division South title in 1924–25. They again won the Third Division South title in 1948–49, having been relegated two years previously. They fell into the Fourth Division after relegations in 1965 and 1967. The club changed their name to Swansea City in 1969 to reflect Swansea's new status as a city. They were promoted at the end of the 1969–70 season, though were relegated again in 1975.

The club won three promotions in four seasons to reach the First Division in 1981. It was during the following season they came close to winning the league title, but a decline then set in near the season's end, before they finished sixth, still a club record. It was from here the club suffered a relegation the season after, returning to the Fourth Division by 1986 and then narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference in 2003. The Swansea City Supporters Society Ltd owns 20% of the club, with their involvement hailed by Supporters Direct as "the most high profile example of the involvement of a supporters' trust in the direct running of a club". The club's subsequent climb from the fourth division of English football to the top division is chronicled in the 2014 film, Jack to a King – The Swansea Story.

In 2011, Swansea were promoted to the Premier League. On 24 February 2013, Swansea beat Bradford City 5–0 to win the 2012–13 Football League Cup (the competition's highest ever winning margin for the final), winning the first major trophy in the club's history and qualifying for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, in which they reached the round of 32 but lost over two legs to Napoli. The club was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Previous Meeting 

We drew 0-0 at home to Swansea in January.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Cardiff City: Smithies, Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett, Vaulks, Ralls, Ojo, Wilson, Harris, Moore

Swansea City: Woodman, Naughton, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Roberts, Smith, Grimes, Bidwell, Dhanda, Lowe, Ayew

Form - Last Three Games

Stoke City 1-2 Cardiff City
Watford 0-1 Cardiff City
Cardiff City 3-0 Huddersfield Town

Swansea City 0-0 AFC Bournemouth
Swansea City 2-0 Luton Town
Middlesbrough 2-1 Swansea City

Match Odds

Cardiff City - 7/5
Swansea City - 15/8
Draw - 23/10

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

Draw for me 1-1

Bluebirds win by 2

Slightly off topic , have you seen the state of the library pitch ? No money to update the Rusty stadium and now no money to sort the pitch out .
I bet they are so looking forward coming to a proper stadium and playing on a lovely pitch .
The jacks will come to defend , it'll probably be a tough game for us , as they will be terrified of losing . So a draw 0-0

Cardiff City face an anxious wait over Harry Wilson's fitness ahead of the upcoming South Wales derby, after the winger was forced off with a 'bizarre' arm injury in the win over Stoke City on Tuesday night.

Wilson was replaced by Robert Glatzel shortly after the break, and was seen clutching his shoulder on his way off.

Having named an unchanged squad for the fourth game in a row, Harris admits he's likely to make changes for the weekend, and conceded there are concerns around the Liverpool loanee, who came off the worst following a 50/50 with James McClean.


NEIL HARRIS:


"It's a really bizarre one," he said.

"It's an arm injury. The muscle in the arm, the bicep, not because he's been in the gym doing loads of weights. He's not built like that!

"We'll just have to see.

"I've picked the same team four games in a row. I've been really fortunate enough to do it, and we've had four positive results, obviously.

"I'm not sure that's going to be the case going into the South Wales derby at the weekend with the walking wounded we've got in the dressing room at the moment."

However, there is better news on fellow winger Junior Hoilett, who was left out of the matchday squad for the trip to the Potteries.

"We're hoping to have Junior Hoilett back fit, which is a big bonus for us," Harris added.

"He was missing tonight with a hip flexor injury, but we'll have to see what unfolds and what happens in the next 72 hours before we pick the team for Saturday.

"Fingers crossed, the lads who have got knocks aren't too serious and they're available Saturday or very soon afterwards."
ATTACHMENTS

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Harry Wilson is doubtful after a shoulder injury at Stoke City.

Junior Hoilett missed Stoke, but is now back in contention.

Filip Benkovic is in full contention for the Bluebirds and will def be around least on the bench.

The Croatia centre back, who is yet to appear for Cardiff since joining on loan from Leicester 9 weeks ago.


Lee Tomlin, Isaac Vassell and Jordi Osei-Tutu are all still the long-term absentees.

Slightly off topic , have you seen the state of the library pitch ? No money to update the Rusty stadium and now no money to sort the pitch out .
I bet they are so looking forward coming to a proper stadium and playing on a lovely pitch .
The jacks will come to defend , it'll probably be a tough game for us , as they will be terrified of losing . So a draw 0-0

£9.01 and hour what do you expect



Swansea City has vacancies for two grounds people to join the club's ground staff.

The job description can be found below:

Department: Grounds Department.

Report to: Grounds Manager.

Contract Term: Fixed Term until May 31 2021.

Contract: 1 x Full Time (40 hours) & 1x Part Time (24 hours).

Hourly Rate: £9.01.

Working Hours: Flexible (Days, Evenings, Weekends).

Roles and Responsibilities

This will be an ideal opportunity for someone looking to gain hands-on experience working within an elite environment.

The successful candidate will work as part of a team to develop and maintain the Liberty Stadium pitch and training grounds.

General duties will include, mowing, seeding and line marking.

General

Follow all Club Policies, such as Equality & Diversity, Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Anti-Corruption & Bribery and GDPR.
Make suggestions to improve the working environment and contribute to positive employee relations within your area of work and Swansea City Football Club as a whole.
To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and other employees and members of the public who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
To comply with all aspects of the Swansea City Football Club Health and Safety Policy and Arrangements, to enable the Company to perform its civil and statutory obligations in relation to Health & Safety.
Ensure effective communication within your work team and across Swansea City whilst actively offering support and guidance, as necessary.
Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two years’ experience working in a similar role, be self-motivated and have strong team working skills.
NVQ Level 2 in Sports Turf Maintenance and Safe Use of Pesticides Qualifications are desirable but not essential.
The closing date for this vacancy will be Monday, December 7 2020.

If you believe you have the right mix of skills for this position, please complete the Application Form available HERE or email Jobs@swanseacity.com to request an application form.

Please note CVs will not be accepted.

Swansea City AFC strives to ensure it provides an environment where everyone's rights, dignity and individual worth is respected and takes a zero tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Equal Opportunity is an integral part of our recruitment and selection process and we welcome applications from all individuals who feel they meet the core requirements of the role. We are particularly encouraging applications from women, disabled people and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals who are currently under-represented within the organisation. All appointments will be made on merit of skill and experience relative to the role.

The Company is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people involved in activities and event at the Company. As part of the Company’s recruitment and selection process any offers of work involving working in regulated activity with children are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS Disclosure and barred list check (depending on the level of supervision, frequency and nature of contact with children). Appropriate references are also required.

Should an adequate number of applications be received prior to the closing date, Swansea City AFC reserve the right to remove this advert.

CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA CITY
Saturday 12th December, 12.30pm
Sky Bet Championship
Cardiff City Stadium 


Match to be played in front of no supporters, for information on how to watch the match on TV or to stream it - see below



BLUEBIRDS:

Harry Wilson is doubtful after a shoulder injury at Stoke City.

Junior Hoilett missed Stoke, but is now back in contention.

Filip Benkovic is in full contention for the Bluebirds and will def be around least on the bench.

The Croatia centre back, who is yet to appear for Cardiff since joining on loan from Leicester 9 weeks ago.


Lee Tomlin, Isaac Vassell and Jordi Osei-Tutu are all still the long-term absentees.



How can I watch this match on TV?

This match is live on Cardiff City TV and Sky Sports Main Event.

About Swansea City

Swansea City Association Football Club is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their home matches at the Liberty Stadium since 2005, having previously played at the Vetch Field since the club was founded.

The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and entered into the Southern League, winning the Welsh Cup in their debut season. They were admitted into the Football League in 1920 and won the Third Division South title in 1924–25. They again won the Third Division South title in 1948–49, having been relegated two years previously. They fell into the Fourth Division after relegations in 1965 and 1967. The club changed their name to Swansea City in 1969 to reflect Swansea's new status as a city. They were promoted at the end of the 1969–70 season, though were relegated again in 1975.

The club won three promotions in four seasons to reach the First Division in 1981. It was during the following season they came close to winning the league title, but a decline then set in near the season's end, before they finished sixth, still a club record. It was from here the club suffered a relegation the season after, returning to the Fourth Division by 1986 and then narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference in 2003. The Swansea City Supporters Society Ltd owns 20% of the club, with their involvement hailed by Supporters Direct as "the most high profile example of the involvement of a supporters' trust in the direct running of a club". The club's subsequent climb from the fourth division of English football to the top division is chronicled in the 2014 film, Jack to a King – The Swansea Story.

In 2011, Swansea were promoted to the Premier League. On 24 February 2013, Swansea beat Bradford City 5–0 to win the 2012–13 Football League Cup (the competition's highest ever winning margin for the final), winning the first major trophy in the club's history and qualifying for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, in which they reached the round of 32 but lost over two legs to Napoli. The club was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Previous Meeting 

We drew 0-0 at home to Swansea in January.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Cardiff City: Smithies, Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett, Vaulks, Ralls, Ojo, Wilson, Harris, Moore

Swansea City: Woodman, Naughton, Cabango, Latibeaudiere, Roberts, Smith, Grimes, Bidwell, Dhanda, Lowe, Ayew

Form - Last Three Games

Stoke City 1-2 Cardiff City
Watford 0-1 Cardiff City
Cardiff City 3-0 Huddersfield Town

Swansea City 0-0 AFC Bournemouth
Swansea City 2-0 Luton Town
Middlesbrough 2-1 Swansea City

Match Odds

Cardiff City - 7/5
Swansea City - 15/8
Draw - 23/10

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

I'll be gutted if Wilson is out!

I think we’ll win this 1-0 in a very tight game. Moore the scorer

Harry Wilson looks a major doubt for the derby this weekend. Neil Harris says the player's arm 'has to improve' if he is to be considered for selection.

Harry Wilson update






NEIL HARRIS:


It’s not a good injury. I don’t know the ins and outs because it’s very strange. He’s got a real issue with that arm.

As I found out in the last few hours until you injure your arm you don’t realise how much you use your arm in football.

If he’s got a chance, we will have to give him until the last knockings.

I couldn’t tell you (what chance he has) because of the nature of the injury. I’ll be guided tomorrow and wait until Saturday morning.

It needs to improve.

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1-0 Morrison what a week for him

Bluebirds win by 2

No !

We can win this

It’s got bore draw written all over it. As much as I’d like a game full of goals I can’t see Swansea falling short of Cardiff’s threat.

If there’s ever been a game to keep the ball stuck to the floor it’s this one. As much as I love city if I see that ball being hoofed up field a dozen times in the first half il probably turn over!

Really hoping Harris continues the style we’ve adopted recently. We can pretend it’s free flowing passing but our pass rate has increased drastically over the past month or so.

0.0 this one I reckon. Or Swans to net first followed by a Moore equaliser.

Never one for the avid footy fan this one! Apart that game where Bellamy scored!! And ahem, that Prem game we don’t like to talk about.

Back to our clean sheets,2-0to the Bloobirds (Moore Ojo)

Bluebirds win by 2

No !

Yep. Sure of it

Chuck young keiron evans on the bench, bring him on after 70 minutes, watch him be our next academy graduate too play regular hopefully score the winner as well

CARDIFF CITY:

It's been a stunning turnaround from the boys in blue over the past fortnight, with sterling wins over Luton Town, Huddersfield Town, Watford and Stoke City which have launched them up the league standings.

The only frustration Harris will be feeling is the doubt he has over Harry Wilson's availability.

The on-loan Liverpool winger suffered an arm injury against the Potters, with Harris labelling the knock as "bizarre".


"It’s not a good injury," Harris said on Thursday. "I don’t know the ins and outs at the moment, because it’s very strange, but he has got a real issue with that arm.

"As I found out in the last few hours, until you injure your arm you don’t realise how much you use your arms when you're running and trying to protect the ball.

"We will have to see how he goes in the next couple of days. If he’s got a chance, we will give him until the last knockings to be available."

Harris will also be without Lee Tomlin, who went under the knife to solve a troublesome groin injury, and Arsenal loanee Jordi Osei-Tutu is out until after Christmas with a hamstring complaint.






SWANSEA CITY:

Cooper will be immensely pleased with his side's defensive solidity so far this season, but his charges will face the ultimate test in Kieffer Moore this afternoon.

The Welshman is one of the form strikers in teh Championship at present, who has bullied centre-backs for fun in recent weeks.

With question marks over Marc Guehi (head) and Ryan Bennett (hamstring), Cooper admitted he'll be making a late decision on both.

"Ryan has not played [the last two], he’s picked up a bit of a hamstring strain," said the head coach.

"We’re giving him every chance to try and be available for the weekend, we’ll know more tomorrow whether we’ll involve him or not.

"Marc is a bit different, he picked up a bang on the head against Luton and we’re following the procedures of return to play and train.

"We just want to make sure before we think whether to include him or not."

Long term, Cooper will be without Morgan Gibbs-White, who is making good progress after fracturing his foot, and George Byers, who is now back in training.

Animosity, desperation and the Cardiff City v Swansea City tension that is still very much alive

The South Wales derby takes place between Cardiff City and Swansea City today and our fan columnist says it will still have that feel to it despite the absence of supporters



By Guto Llewelyn


Saturday 12th December 2020



Swansea City face Cardiff City at Cardiff City Stadium this lunchtime - but unfortunately no fans will be in attendance this time
Swansea City versus Cardiff City is a match like no other, but will it have the same feeling when played in front of an empty stadium?

There has always been plenty of debate about the impact fans have on football games.

Does a noisy crowd really boost a team’s performance and to what extent can a hostile fanbase intimidate the opposition?

These questions seem to have been asked more frequently since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced clubs to play in empty arenas.

It’s an interesting discussion with valid opinions on both sides but when it comes to the derby there’s zero doubt, the fans play a huge part in the occasion.

Both camps see it as one of the most important days in the calendar, a day which has lasting ramifications and as such they approach it with the utmost seriousness.

It’s an occasion which can turn even the most mild-mannered of supporters into feral lunatics. It’s a day when your conscience as a fan does not allow you to give any less than 100 per cent for the cause. Every beat of your heart is 10 times faster, every note you sing is 10 times louder and every obscene insult you shout is 10 times more heartfelt.

A derby atmosphere can be a powerful weapon, as we saw in the first South Wales derby of last season.

The Liberty Stadium crowd was particularly pumped for this occasion, the first time Swansea had faced Cardiff for half a decade.

The deafening noise and palpable passion clearly energised the home side but also had an obvious impact on the visitors.

Cardiff were rattled from the start. They have never been renowned for their flowing football but even by the Bluebirds’ usual standards, their passing was chaotically aimless.

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge seemed particularly unnerved by the atmosphere, losing his bearings several times and enduring a series of wobbles, all the while suffering the persistent taunts and jeers from the vociferous home crowd.

Video Loading
Swansea City writer Ian Mitchelmore on Andre Ayew
Anybody who witnessed that match could clearly see the fans’ impact on proceedings.

Much to the disappointment of everybody, with the possible exception of South Wales Police, this traditional derby day atmosphere will be absent because for the first time in history, a competitive fixture between Swansea and Cardiff will be played without supporters.

With fans confined to their living rooms, this derby will have a very different feel and it could impact on the match.

Fans don’t just inspire and intimidate, they also add to the tension and animosity.

We’ve seen tempers flare in the past between these two sides and plenty of players have lost their cool over the years and seen red.

If the significance of the match was not understood by players beforehand, the roar of the crowd would quickly let them know that this was a game they dare not lose.

Will that understanding still be there this time around? The absence of fans could make this feel like any other fixture, and result in less ferocity and animosity between the sides.

There is a risk that this match lacks the usual derby-day traits but many of the usual emotions will still be there, even in these extraordinary circumstances.

For starters, both sides have cause for optimism heading into the match.

A few weeks ago the Swans would have relished a game against what was then an unconvincing Cardiff side but they are now the Championship’s form team and appear to be full of confidence.

Cardiff have scored 10 and conceded just once in their last four games, so Swansea should prepare for a tough contest.

Both clubs entered last season’s derbies in poor form but that’s not the case this time, and that definitely adds to the sense of anticipation ahead of today’s clash. Not only are they competing for local superiority, they’re also trying to gain an advantage in the race for promotion.

There are fascinating clashes all over the pitch.

We are more than a third of the way through the Championship season and the Swans are fourth in the league, just a point off the top two.

Only Bournemouth have lost fewer games than Steve Cooper’s men this season and Swansea have the best defensive record in the division.

Despite all this, Cardiff are likely to enter the game as favourites.

They seem to have turned a corner after a mediocre start to the campaign, winning their last four games.

Kieffer Moore’s aerial prowess will be tested against a defence which hasn’t conceded a single headed goal all season. Both midfields have toughened up of late and this battle for the middle of the pitch could prove decisive. Up front, Swansea have not exactly been free-scoring but their mobility could prove key against a defence which can sometimes struggle against pace and movement.

Swansea head into the match looking to protect their bragging rights, having not lost any of the last three derbies.

Cardiff may have revenge on their minds after they lost one derby and drew the other last season. They will also want to make amends to their fans having lost another home derby to Bristol City in November.

When all factors are taken into consideration, this once again looks likely to be a tight affair and while Cardiff could justifiably claim to be favourites, it’s very tough to guess which way this match with go.

That’s one of the reasons this still feels like a proper South Wales derby. These games are famously tough to call and the fact there’s usually so little between the two sides when they meet just adds to the tension.

That tension will still be there today and even though fans will be divided into thousands of living rooms across the country, the animosity and the desperation to avoid the most painful of defeats will be as strong as ever.

When we all tune in at lunchtime we will still have that untamed mix of wild emotions running through our hearts and minds. The same excitement, anxiety, hope and fear will still be there, rising our collective blood pressures and tipping us over the edge into derby day insanity.

It won’t be a normal derby by any means. If the Swans score we’ll be crashing into coffee tables rather than tumbling down rows of seats and if the result goes against us, we’ll have to rant at the TV, rather than the opposing fans.

But this is still a South Wales derby, with all the significance which usually accompanies this occasion.

By the time we kick off at 12.30pm we will know exactly what day it is. Let’s just hope the players understand that too and raise their game accordingly.

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Confidence is high - Harris

Cardiff City are the form team heading into this derby clash, with the win over Stoke City in midweek their fourth on the bounce.

The Bluebirds haven't won five consecutive league matches since March 2018 - a run that ultimately drove them to promotion under Neil Warnock.

And Harris insists that confidence is high in the home camp ahead of this one.

“The confidence and belief in the group goes without saying,” he said.

“The guys are happy and settled and we look forward to the game. We can’t go into it in any better shape.

“Four wins on the spin for us doesn’t surprise me, because we’ve put good runs together in the past and will do again in the future. Now we want to add to it on Saturday, that’s for sure.

“Like all Championship sides, they (Swansea) have got some good players within their set-up and have had a good start this year.

“They have a relatively settled squad and we know it’s another tough challenge, but we’re certainly focused on ourselves in this game.

“I’ve got a passionate changing room and guys that want to win. They’ve stood up and shown that. They’ll certainly have that mindset and competitive nature this weekend."

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Without Wilson I do really struggle to think where the creativity will come from and where we will win the set pieces/corners we will need to score from. The team without Wilson will not be too different to the one which stood still and embarrassed us at the Liberty last season.

That said - you never know.

I really hope he goes with two up top and doesn't revert to his negative tactics and play into Swansea's hands with Moore as a loan striker and long balls from all directions aimlessly being pumped up field.

Great that Wilson starts and that we have a settled team again. But we must have the energy and the legs for a quick start. We looked leggy on Tuesday. We will have less possession but must not let them completely dominate the ball. The first goal is crucial. I'll take a draw now so we continue the momentum of our run and focus on the bigger picture of the top 6.

STARTING 11

Alex Smithies
Leandro Bacuna
Sean Morrison
Curtis Nelson
Joe Bennett
Will Vaulks
Joe Ralls
Sheyi Ojo
Harry Wilson
Mark Harris
Kieffer Moore

SUBSTITUTES

Dillon Phillips
Sol Bamba
Filip Benkovic
Greg Cunningham
Joel Bagan
Marlon Pack
Gavin Whyte
Josh Murphy
Robert Glatzel

I really fancy us keeping a clean sheet here.

I feel Wilson will play about 60 minutes in the hope we would have done the damage by then.

Bloody hell just seen jazz richards warming up on the pitch surely not.

It's got a 2 - 0 home win written all over it

Match odds

Here's how the bookies see it going today

Cardiff City win - 7/5
Draw - 11/5
Swansea City win - 2/1

BLUEBIRDS

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