Blake: City should now eye the title

I've been banging on for a couple of months that Cardiff City’s best playing system would be 4-3-3.

Now they have gone back to that attacking set-up and everything looks far more comfortable. Tommy Smith, Craig Bellamy and Heidar Helguson linked up going forward and did a fantastic job.

I have been talking about that since late January and it’s good to see City play to their strengths in the last couple of matches. It was a top team performance against Barnsley, but City took a step back after scoring instead of forward and didn’t make the most of chances that came their way.

They did the right thing against Forest and stepped forward after scoring. They earned their rewards.

Maybe it helped that Forest were on a good run and in the play-off places. When you play another top team it does help psychologically.

Players don’t need anything to fire them up at this stage of the season, but they knew it was going to be tough and in front of a full stadium City wanted to turn on the style.

They certainly did that.



It must have been difficult picking a man of the match. There were eight, nine or more players who played well enough to have taken that accolade. It was tough to pick any one player out.

Kimbo was fantastic and has such quality and Rudy Gestede’s headers were top class, while Jordon Mutch for Peter Whittingham has proved to be a good decision. I don’t see it as Whitts being dropped, more that he needed recovery time. He has come out of the team to chill.

The manager must have hesitated to make that move before because he had to find somebody who could do the same job Whitts can do. Mutch has stepped in and shone, he can do that. He’s been fantastic.

He has been impressive for a young man still aged only 21.

Plenty of others were excellent – it would be a whole list if I named them all. It was good to see Craig Noone play again. Malky Mackay is using a little squad rotation, keeping everybody fresh for the big push towards the title.

Personally, I am not at all worried about promotion. City, for me, are already up. Now they need to go for the title.

It was a really entertaining match against Forest, who are a good side. The game turned on Cardiff’s first goal – what a sensation delivery it was from Bellamy for Helguson to score – and the red card for Darius Henderson.

That was unfortunate because it wasn’t a malicious challenge, but his arm was flailing and he ran the risk of being sent off. Helguson went down as he was struck in the face, but it was good to see him get straight back up ready to play on.

Bluebirds fans did their bit by turning out in force. There were a couple of thousand Forest fans and the attendance was a new stadium record of 26,588.

The supporters had a ball. It was a fantastic occasion and they loved it. Let’s see the place packed again tomorrow because the City faithful can play their part.

There was passion in the air – a Bluebirds passion which the players were able to thrive on. It’s important that atmosphere is there again tomorrow and against Bolton in the final home game.

From here to the end of this season we want to win them all, home and away. There is no time for a party just yet because the matches are coming thick and fast. Charlton tomorrow, and they will be dangerous after scoring six against Barnsley – and they netted five times against Cardiff at the Valley earlier this season.

This has been a fantastic, thoroughly enjoyable season. Malky Macky has done a top job and his players have been first class. They deserve to finish it off in style and win the title.

I firmly believe they will do that. Then, when the final match is over, the parties can begin.

*Look out for Nathan's live talk show Blakey's Boot Room this week

I have to admit I had a chuckle after seeing that Barnsley had lost 6-0 against Charlton after their player Bobby Hassell had a pop at me on Twitter.

He was upset by my comments in my last South Wales Echo column saying Barnsley don’t carry much of a threat. I felt it was fair comment, but Hassell had a go and said: “Blake’s comments were disrespectful.

“He clearly hasn’t seen the spirit in our dressing room or watched us in recent weeks. If he had, he would see that we have been one of the form teams in the league since the turn of the year.

“Cardiff’s players earn four times what we earn yet we earned a point. It was more defending and more graft but we showed a lot of bravery.”

That’s why I chuckled when Barnsley’s result came through. They also had two players sent off, are back in the bottom three and still have some tough fixtures left.

Nottingham Forest and Hull are among their opponents.

If I was on Twitter, which I’m not, then Hassell certainly opened himself up to a bit of abuse.

Also I would love to see the Cardiff City Stadium expanded for next season.

I’ve heard any expansion might be delayed to 2014-15, but if it’s possible I’d do it now. City don’t want to miss out on the astonishing financial rewards on offer if the 27,000 capacity was increased.

Season tickets next season, 20,000 of them, are already sold out and it would be fantastic if there was a way to add extra seats.

When the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United, Chelsea and more come calling they will bring massive support.

Promotion, when that is confirmed, is going to be amazing for the club and the city of Cardiff. I can’t wait.

We still need 1 point, until then I'm not celebrating

We still need 1 point, until then I'm not celebrating

Very true although not celebrating I've started to fully believe we will be going up

Another 'obvious' article from 'The Man Who Would Be King' at Cardiff City FC

I think Nathan is suffering from the old Media Wales 'Short-term Memory Sndrome' after some comments this season

I have two memories from the disaster at Charlton, the first was Vince Alm telling the young lads whinging afterwards, that wed be promoted by the end of march
And secondly Blakes comedy gold article the next day about Hudsons unsuitability has a captain
(I honestly think that article is on the dressing room wall,as Mark has been faultless since

I have two memories from the disaster at Charlton, the first was Vince Alm telling the young lads whinging afterwards, that wed be promoted by the end of march
And secondly Blakes comedy gold article the next day about Hudsons unsuitability has a captain
(I honestly think that article is on the dressing room wall,as Mark has been faultless since

You're obviously not suffering from the same 'syndrome' mate

For some reason when I opened this thread I thought the title of the thread was "Bristol City should now eye the title"