Goals key to settling promotion nerves

Cardiff City fans will gather in the Welsh capital today for an Easter Monday clash with Blackburn Rovers still unable to shrug off those lingering and nagging doubts.

Too often in the past they have seen their side stumble at the final hurdle, pluck misery from the jaws of triumph.

This time Malky Mackay’s men are still in prime position to make it to the Premier League, but there is an argument for saying Bluebirds bums have never been squeakier.

Macky’s men stand clear at the top. But Saturday’s loss at struggling Peterborough means Hull, who beat Huddersfield, have closed the gap down to four points.


Watford, in third place, also clawed back a point, courtesy of their draw with Burnley on Friday night. Thank goodness Sam Vokes popped up with that Burnley equaliser in the last seconds of the game.

Thank goodness, too, that Crystal Palace continue to falter, the Eagles battered 4-0 at home by Birmingham on the Friday.

Those results at Vicarage Road and Selhurst Park meant the Bluebirds’ slip-up at London Road wasn’t too costly.

But it would certainly have eased tension amongst the fans had Mackay’s team held onto the lead they took through Aron Gunnarsson’s scrambled effort on 22 minutes.

According to Mackay, that they didn’t was very much down to the decision-making of the referee at Peterborough, Mr Eddie Ilderton.

It was he who handed Darren Ferguson’s Posh the two penalties, converted by substitute Darren McCann, which sent a fresh wave of paranoia surging across England and into the Welsh capital.

In truth, on first viewing they seemed good decisions. Don Cowie did look to have taken Mark Little’s legs from under him as the Posh man actually headed away from goal.

For the second, Matthew Connolly also looked to have upended impish Peterborough frontman Dwight Gayle in the box.

Mackay was left remonstrating that they were not penalties, but you kind of sensed a penalty could be on its way for the home side because of what had happened earlier on.

You almost lost count of the number of times a Peterborough player went tumbling in the box and the home manager, players and crowd bayed for decisions.

It was mad really. Darren Ferguson said his side might have had six spot-kicks and they might have.

Mackay was gunning for Gayle after the final whistle and he had a point too, given how easily the front-runner appeared to go over.

So disappointment it was for Cardiff, bad decisions and fine margins the order of the day as they always are in the Championship.

Although of course right at the moment everything seems more important, everything more urgent.

It seems churlish almost to point out that the Bluebirds were nowhere near their best again. They haven’t been at their best for months, but that hasn’t stopped them grinding out results and sitting proudly at the top of the table for four months.

The lack of skipper Mark Hudson for the rest of the campaign is a blow. Leo Barnett was in the centre of defence again since arriving on loan from Norwich and hooked up with the returning Ben Turner for the first time to forge the partnership which will anchor Cardiff over these final crucial encounters.

It looks fair enough. Barnett is a big unit, not the fleetest of players, but experienced and able to anticipate danger that vital half a second earlier than many.

The Bluebirds of course were not breached in open play at London Road which will give those concerned some encouragement.

But going forward in search of goals themselves Mackay’s men looked so very limited again and that is an issue that must be addressed in the closing eight games of the campaign.

Starting with Blackburn today.

Craig Bellamy did not travel to Peterborough. He needed to be rested after his World Cup efforts for Chris Coleman’s Wales.

Bellamy will be back against Blackburn to bolster the team with his presence, but only when he plays will we see just what his fitness levels are.

In midfield Cowie and Gunnarsson together looked very one dimensional and Peter Whittingham and Tommy Smith again really failed to bring the excitement to proceedings that everyone knows they can.

You are left wondering what the likes of Craig Noone, Kim Bo-Kyung and Jordon Mutch really have to do to force themselves into the starting reckoning.

There will certainly need to be a bit more bite about the Bluebirds today against a Rovers side who arrive in the Welsh capital only two points above the trapdoor to League One.

That is pressure although, as Cardiff fans will tell you, the nerves are no less intense at the other end of the table.

Mackay himself knows that with eight games left things are not going to get any easier for his men as they look to push themselves over the promotion finishing line.

“Blackburn need to win as well. Every week if it’s not about a league place, then it’s about pride or the pressure of actually keeping your job, whether it’s a player or a manager,” said Mackay.

“You play for something every time you play against someone, every time a team crosses the white line. I don’t think you see a team in this division where it looks as though a team has chucked it in or thrown in the towel.

“We are up against a Blackburn squad that is the envy of everybody in the league, in terms of what came down from the Premier League and the signings that they made. So it’s going to be a tough.

“But I’m very proud of the players in terms of the way that they have shown character to be at the top for four months, to sit there and be shot at for four months and yet still come back and bounce back after setbacks.”

That scenario needs to happen again this afternoon. Three points are most certainly required to soothe those nerves from the supporters.


Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2PBKzFVps

Tucker really is a feckwit of a journo and this is amongst his finest examples of that.


But going forward in search of goals themselves Mackay’s men looked so very limited again and that is an issue that must be addressed in the closing eight games of the campaign.

So the team with the 3rd highest goals total in the league, the team that has failed to score in only 4 games this season and the team that has 9 players who have scored 5 or more goals looks "So Very Limited".


Feck off Tucker

Tucker really is a feckwit of a journo and this is amongst his finest examples of that.


But going forward in search of goals themselves Mackay’s men looked so very limited again and that is an issue that must be addressed in the closing eight games of the campaign.

So the team with the 3rd highest goals total in the league, the team that has failed to score in only 4 games this season and the team that has 9 players who have scored 5 or more goals looks "So Very Limited".


Feck off Tucker

He's right though. We create barely anything other than scraps from set pieces. We've scored 14 goals in 13 league games in 2013. Only 2 goals scored in a game 4 times. Hardly convincing stuff from the team that people still reckon are going up. We have major problems that is threatening to cost us top 2 right at the death.

Tucker really is a feckwit of a journo and this is amongst his finest examples of that.


But going forward in search of goals themselves Mackay’s men looked so very limited again and that is an issue that must be addressed in the closing eight games of the campaign.

So the team with the 3rd highest goals total in the league, the team that has failed to score in only 4 games this season and the team that has 9 players who have scored 5 or more goals looks "So Very Limited".


Feck off Tucker

He's right though. We create barely anything other than scraps from set pieces. We've scored 14 goals in 13 league games in 2013. Only 2 goals scored in a game 4 times. Hardly convincing stuff from the team that people still reckon are going up. We have major problems that is threatening to cost us top 2 right at the death.[/quote]

Tucker really is a feckwit of a journo and this is amongst his finest examples of that.


But going forward in search of goals themselves Mackay’s men looked so very limited again and that is an issue that must be addressed in the closing eight games of the campaign.

So the team with the 3rd highest goals total in the league, the team that has failed to score in only 4 games this season and the team that has 9 players who have scored 5 or more goals looks "So Very Limited".


Feck off Tucker

He's right though. We create barely anything other than scraps from set pieces. We've scored 14 goals in 13 league games in 2013. Only 2 goals scored in a game 4 times. Hardly convincing stuff from the team that people still reckon are going up. We have major problems that is threatening to cost us top 2 right at the death.[/quote]

Yes, it's hilarious

I agree with the first sentence, the lingering & nagging doubts bit, because its true.

I agree with the first sentence, the lingering & nagging doubts bit, because its true.

I know I'm on a major downer about it but I just don't understand all this "we are as good as up" talk from some on here. Another thread says the last time we played well and convincingly was Blackburn away and that's not far from the truth. Unbelievable for a team at the top.

Lets hope we get the win today as it will make things look a whole lot better. Anything less is not worth thinking about.

I agree with the first sentence, the lingering & nagging doubts bit, because its true.

No need for any sort of doubts Rick, even for Bluebird fans, just remember this team has only failed to score in 4 matches, has kept 14 clean sheets, are the 3rd highest goalscorers in the League, have the best home defence in the league, the joint most away wins in the league, the most home wins in the League and we are top of the League and have been for over 4 months. And we have 5 out of 8 remaining games at home.

Will we be caught by 1 team, maybe, but by 2 Just not going to happen.

I agree with Tucker ( which doesn't happen very often ) about creating from open play. Nearly all our goals scored over last few months have been from set pieces or headers from crosses, which is a worry?

I agree with the first sentence, the lingering & nagging doubts bit, because its true.

No need for any sort of doubts Rick, even for Bluebird fans, just remember this team has only failed to score in 4 matches, has kept 14 clean sheets, are the 3rd highest goalscorers in the League, have the best home defence in the league, the joint most away wins in the league, the most home wins in the League and we are top of the League and have been for over 4 months. And we have 5 out of 8 remaining games at home.

Will we be caught by 1 team, maybe, but by 2 Just not going to happen.

Stats that make good reading. But like I said, 14 goals in the last 13 games, plus 1 win in the past 5 home games. To some extent we are living on previous form that saw us get the points in the bag, but this is being eroded away and the omens are not good.

See what happens later and let's hope it's great news

The feckwit is right about one thing.


Lot's of squeaky bums on here this morning.

The feckwit is right about one thing.


Lot's of squeaky bums on here this morning.

Without doubt!

I agree with the first sentence, the lingering & nagging doubts bit, because its true.

No need for any sort of doubts Rick, even for Bluebird fans, just remember this team has only failed to score in 4 matches, has kept 14 clean sheets, are the 3rd highest goalscorers in the League, have the best home defence in the league, the joint most away wins in the league, the most home wins in the League and we are top of the League and have been for over 4 months. And we have 5 out of 8 remaining games at home.

Will we be caught by 1 team, maybe, but by 2 Just not going to happen.

Thats what i like about you Castleblue, positivity backed up by facts & data.

Me, im a bit of a pessimist when it comes to City, especially when we are playing like we are at the moment.

I can just about remember the end of the 70/71 season, we came third, missed promotion by 3 or four points, only the top two teams promoted then. The very next season the league rules were changed too allow the top three teams up,,,what a bummer!

I agree with the first sentence, the lingering & nagging doubts bit, because its true.

No need for any sort of doubts Rick, even for Bluebird fans, just remember this team has only failed to score in 4 matches, has kept 14 clean sheets, are the 3rd highest goalscorers in the League, have the best home defence in the league, the joint most away wins in the league, the most home wins in the League and we are top of the League and have been for over 4 months. And we have 5 out of 8 remaining games at home.

Will we be caught by 1 team, maybe, but by 2 Just not going to happen.

Thats what i like about you Castleblue, positivity backed up by facts & data.

Me, im a bit of a pessimist when it comes to City, especially when we are playing like we are at the moment.

I can just about remember the end of the 70/71 season, we came third, missed promotion by 3 or four points, only the top two teams promoted then. The very next season the league rules were changed too allow the top three teams up,,,what a bummer!

I remember it well Rick Losing at home to Watford in April with the only shot they had on target and then going to Sheffield Utd a few days after winning away at Norwich thinking just get a draw. Lost 5-1

But at least that year we got to beat Real Madrid in the Cup Winners Cup, even if we lost over the 2 legs. I will never forget the moment Nigel Rees crossed and Clarkie headed it in.


But trust me this is the season we lay ALL of those ghosts to rest.