' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 1:07 pm
Interesting article: http://www.footyplace.com/features/tan- ... 0513292743 
' Tan and Solskjaer must share blame for Cardiff relegation '
Dan Lewis | On Tuesday 13th May 2014
Vincent Tan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must share the blame for Cardiff’s relegation back to the Championship, writes Dan Lewis.
It’s hard to believe that it was just 12 months ago when the city of Cardiff came to a complete standstill to celebrate the club’s promotion back to the top flight. An open top bus passed through hordes of people young and old as a sea of blue united ahead of a first campaign of Premier League football in the Welsh capital for over half a century.
Talk of potential transfer targets and various grounds fans could look forward to visiting soon became a reality when the campaign finally got underway. In many ways, the underwhelming defeat to West Ham United on the opening day summed up the campaign: Dispirited, anti-climatic and, well, extremely disappointing.
Fast forward eight months and as Newcastle United’s third goal hit the back of the net last Saturday, it was hard to tell that Cardiff City had just been officially relegated. ‘Officially’ being the key word, because in truth the relegation has been a formality for the best part of three months. In truth, more people would have backed Algeria in the World Cup betting than they would have Cardiff to escape.
Yet while the season had come to a close for the Bluebirds on the field, the talk regarding who was ultimately to blame for the demise is very much ongoing.
Some suggest the blame lies with former manager Malky Mackay, while others point the finger at current boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer, brought into the club in January amid much controversy and unable to truly put his mark on things. The overwhelming majority – according to a recent survey in a local newspaper, at least – put Cardiff’s relegation down to owner Vincent Tan.
It’s not hard to see why. At one stage this season it was all going so well for Cardiff under Mackay, with victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage lifting the Welsh club up to 11th place in the league table – one point above Manchester United, and more importantly, a point above arch-rivals Swansea City. It was a real party atmosphere on the Thames as last season’s Championship champions truly introduced themselves to the watching world.
It really was dreamland. Before that, a memorable Fraizer Campbell-inspired victory against Manchester City was followed up by draws against Everton and Hull City, while Tottenham Hotspur needed a 95th minute goal to salvage three points at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The results then began to fade under Mackay, as wins and draws turned into losses against the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea and Arsenal. However, and this is the important aspect of life under the Scottish manager, Cardiff were still able to claw out positive results against the sides who they would be competing against come the season’s end to stay in the division.
Defeats against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace aside, Mackay guided Cardiff to victories against Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion, while also picking up valuable points against Stoke City and Norwich City, as well as those aforementioned results against Hull and Fulham.
The saying suggests that to remain in the Premier League, you must win your home games and avoid defeat on the road. As simple as it may sound, it is the key to clawing over the survival line. There is no denying that under Mackay, Cardiff were doing exactly that.
Enter stage right Vincent Tan. The Malaysian tycoon, who two years ago to the week announced that the Welsh club’s colours would be changing from blue to red, welcomed himself to a worldwide audience by controversially dismissing Director of Football Iain Moody.
The reasons behind Moody’s exit are still not fully in the open, though what is clear is the fact that it sent Cardiff into a spiral which they struggled to truly rectify. Mackay’s future was called into question, before finally, following a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Southampton, the former Watford manager was gone.
In the modern day where social media turns mere opinions and observations into solid no-nonsense facts, all of Mackay’s work was quickly forgotten. The man who led the Bluebirds to a League Cup final in his first season, who built a team essentially from scratch and led them to the play-offs before eventually being the first man to guide them over the line to the Premier League for the first time, had now become a failure in the eyes of many.
Yes, he picked up just nine points in his final 12 games, but what the Scot gave Cardiff was a sense of togetherness, a spirit of collectiveness best epitomised in the 3-1 defeat at Anfield in December, where a rendition of “Don’t sack Mackay, Malky Mackay” – an unofficial anthem of this season in many ways – was chanted for seven full minutes after the game had ended.
For those seven minutes it was Cardiff against the world – the same inseparableness that was a big part of the club for many supporters growing up. More importantly than that, however, the players bought into it. All across the field, from the centre-backs and full-backs right through midfield and up to Campbell in his lone-striker role, the team knew what was expected of them.
It was boring, it was at times frustrating, but it was also successful. Mackay left Cardiff with the club sitting two places above the drop zone – certainly not an achievement to be shouted from the rooftops, but it was a good position to be in with all the surrounding sides in the table still to visit the Welsh capital.
Unfortunately for those who wanted to see a more exciting brand of football, points were soon even harder to come by. No longer were Cardiff scraping points on the road, picking up the odd surprise result and frustrating the teams in positions around them; they were now losing in comical fashion under Solskjaer.
Now for the solid, hard facts that many crave: In 18 games under Mackay’s tenure this season, Cardiff had a return rate of 17 points (a better tally than Steve Bruce at Hull over the same period of time) – give or take, the point-a-game ratio that Mackay stressed over and over would be enough to secure safety. Under Solskjaer, however, the team took only 12 points from 19 games. Not good enough.
It was always going to be a tough start for the Norwegian with visits to face Arsenal and Manchester City at the turn of the year, but it’s no excuse for what has been close to a shambolic four months in charge.
Harsh, maybe, but there’s no denying Cardiff have become whipping boys under the former Molde manager – and more tellingly, things have gone backwards with the Bluebirds failing to score in nine games, and conceding more than two goals on eight separate occasions.
West Ham United, who themselves were 17th at the time and in all sorts of trouble, cruised to a 2-0 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium; Hull City put three unanswered goals past David Marshall, while fellow relegation battlers Crystal Palace returned to South London with three points and a memorable 3-0 victory.
The fact that there has been so many second chances has made relegation even harder to take for some.
It looked to be all over after the thrashing against Hull – except it wasn’t. “If we beat West Brom we’re back in it,” many argued. “If we get three points against Stoke it could happen,” some opined. Two points in those respective fixtures followed. Not good enough.
That an equally poor Newcastle and a down-and-out Sunderland with the worst home record in the league put seven goals past the Bluebirds without response typified the way things had gone. Constant changing of the team, players being dropped, then brought back, and then played out of position. It was all rather desperate and disjointed.
Solskjaer will remain in charge next season, but the Championship, as Cardiff fans know only too well, should not be underestimated. Constant changing of the team will not work, nor will throwing countless millions at the squad in an attempt to rebuild. Queens Park Rangers opted to spend more money to regain their spot in the top tier, which hasn’t worked – or at least not yet.
Burnley on the other hand summed up this season what is needed: that team spirit and togetherness which Mackay so expertly added when he was appointed as manager three years ago.
More importantly than that, though, is what happens off the field this summer. Tan simply needs to bring back blue, as the campaign name puts it, and get the fans on his and the team’s side.
It’s been a tough season for Cardiff, but if lessons are learned by all those concerned, then a return to the top flight is not inconceivable. Whether or not Solskjaer is the right man to undertake that task is a different matter.
' Tan and Solskjaer must share blame for Cardiff relegation '
Dan Lewis | On Tuesday 13th May 2014
Vincent Tan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must share the blame for Cardiff’s relegation back to the Championship, writes Dan Lewis.
It’s hard to believe that it was just 12 months ago when the city of Cardiff came to a complete standstill to celebrate the club’s promotion back to the top flight. An open top bus passed through hordes of people young and old as a sea of blue united ahead of a first campaign of Premier League football in the Welsh capital for over half a century.
Talk of potential transfer targets and various grounds fans could look forward to visiting soon became a reality when the campaign finally got underway. In many ways, the underwhelming defeat to West Ham United on the opening day summed up the campaign: Dispirited, anti-climatic and, well, extremely disappointing.
Fast forward eight months and as Newcastle United’s third goal hit the back of the net last Saturday, it was hard to tell that Cardiff City had just been officially relegated. ‘Officially’ being the key word, because in truth the relegation has been a formality for the best part of three months. In truth, more people would have backed Algeria in the World Cup betting than they would have Cardiff to escape.
Yet while the season had come to a close for the Bluebirds on the field, the talk regarding who was ultimately to blame for the demise is very much ongoing.
Some suggest the blame lies with former manager Malky Mackay, while others point the finger at current boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer, brought into the club in January amid much controversy and unable to truly put his mark on things. The overwhelming majority – according to a recent survey in a local newspaper, at least – put Cardiff’s relegation down to owner Vincent Tan.
It’s not hard to see why. At one stage this season it was all going so well for Cardiff under Mackay, with victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage lifting the Welsh club up to 11th place in the league table – one point above Manchester United, and more importantly, a point above arch-rivals Swansea City. It was a real party atmosphere on the Thames as last season’s Championship champions truly introduced themselves to the watching world.
It really was dreamland. Before that, a memorable Fraizer Campbell-inspired victory against Manchester City was followed up by draws against Everton and Hull City, while Tottenham Hotspur needed a 95th minute goal to salvage three points at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The results then began to fade under Mackay, as wins and draws turned into losses against the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea and Arsenal. However, and this is the important aspect of life under the Scottish manager, Cardiff were still able to claw out positive results against the sides who they would be competing against come the season’s end to stay in the division.
Defeats against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace aside, Mackay guided Cardiff to victories against Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion, while also picking up valuable points against Stoke City and Norwich City, as well as those aforementioned results against Hull and Fulham.
The saying suggests that to remain in the Premier League, you must win your home games and avoid defeat on the road. As simple as it may sound, it is the key to clawing over the survival line. There is no denying that under Mackay, Cardiff were doing exactly that.
Enter stage right Vincent Tan. The Malaysian tycoon, who two years ago to the week announced that the Welsh club’s colours would be changing from blue to red, welcomed himself to a worldwide audience by controversially dismissing Director of Football Iain Moody.
The reasons behind Moody’s exit are still not fully in the open, though what is clear is the fact that it sent Cardiff into a spiral which they struggled to truly rectify. Mackay’s future was called into question, before finally, following a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Southampton, the former Watford manager was gone.
In the modern day where social media turns mere opinions and observations into solid no-nonsense facts, all of Mackay’s work was quickly forgotten. The man who led the Bluebirds to a League Cup final in his first season, who built a team essentially from scratch and led them to the play-offs before eventually being the first man to guide them over the line to the Premier League for the first time, had now become a failure in the eyes of many.
Yes, he picked up just nine points in his final 12 games, but what the Scot gave Cardiff was a sense of togetherness, a spirit of collectiveness best epitomised in the 3-1 defeat at Anfield in December, where a rendition of “Don’t sack Mackay, Malky Mackay” – an unofficial anthem of this season in many ways – was chanted for seven full minutes after the game had ended.
For those seven minutes it was Cardiff against the world – the same inseparableness that was a big part of the club for many supporters growing up. More importantly than that, however, the players bought into it. All across the field, from the centre-backs and full-backs right through midfield and up to Campbell in his lone-striker role, the team knew what was expected of them.
It was boring, it was at times frustrating, but it was also successful. Mackay left Cardiff with the club sitting two places above the drop zone – certainly not an achievement to be shouted from the rooftops, but it was a good position to be in with all the surrounding sides in the table still to visit the Welsh capital.
Unfortunately for those who wanted to see a more exciting brand of football, points were soon even harder to come by. No longer were Cardiff scraping points on the road, picking up the odd surprise result and frustrating the teams in positions around them; they were now losing in comical fashion under Solskjaer.
Now for the solid, hard facts that many crave: In 18 games under Mackay’s tenure this season, Cardiff had a return rate of 17 points (a better tally than Steve Bruce at Hull over the same period of time) – give or take, the point-a-game ratio that Mackay stressed over and over would be enough to secure safety. Under Solskjaer, however, the team took only 12 points from 19 games. Not good enough.
It was always going to be a tough start for the Norwegian with visits to face Arsenal and Manchester City at the turn of the year, but it’s no excuse for what has been close to a shambolic four months in charge.
Harsh, maybe, but there’s no denying Cardiff have become whipping boys under the former Molde manager – and more tellingly, things have gone backwards with the Bluebirds failing to score in nine games, and conceding more than two goals on eight separate occasions.
West Ham United, who themselves were 17th at the time and in all sorts of trouble, cruised to a 2-0 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium; Hull City put three unanswered goals past David Marshall, while fellow relegation battlers Crystal Palace returned to South London with three points and a memorable 3-0 victory.
The fact that there has been so many second chances has made relegation even harder to take for some.
It looked to be all over after the thrashing against Hull – except it wasn’t. “If we beat West Brom we’re back in it,” many argued. “If we get three points against Stoke it could happen,” some opined. Two points in those respective fixtures followed. Not good enough.
That an equally poor Newcastle and a down-and-out Sunderland with the worst home record in the league put seven goals past the Bluebirds without response typified the way things had gone. Constant changing of the team, players being dropped, then brought back, and then played out of position. It was all rather desperate and disjointed.
Solskjaer will remain in charge next season, but the Championship, as Cardiff fans know only too well, should not be underestimated. Constant changing of the team will not work, nor will throwing countless millions at the squad in an attempt to rebuild. Queens Park Rangers opted to spend more money to regain their spot in the top tier, which hasn’t worked – or at least not yet.
Burnley on the other hand summed up this season what is needed: that team spirit and togetherness which Mackay so expertly added when he was appointed as manager three years ago.
More importantly than that, though, is what happens off the field this summer. Tan simply needs to bring back blue, as the campaign name puts it, and get the fans on his and the team’s side.
It’s been a tough season for Cardiff, but if lessons are learned by all those concerned, then a return to the top flight is not inconceivable. Whether or not Solskjaer is the right man to undertake that task is a different matter.
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 3:42 pm
He is correct in everything he says
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 6:32 pm
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 6:36 pm
Really enjoyed that 
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 6:36 pm
Why isn't there any blame on the players or Mackay?
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 7:06 pm
Who's GLOVES?? btw
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 7:16 pm
Daft Dave wrote:Who's GLOVES?? btw
hmmm
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 7:17 pm
So malky and his ridiculous spending on crap and the players get no blame 
What a load of old codswollop
What a load of old codswollop
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:12 pm
Jinks wrote:Daft Dave wrote:Who's GLOVES?? btw
hmmm
I'm guessing it's the one who was wearing 'Blue' gloves on Sunday! (apart from myself
)
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:13 pm
Jinks wrote:Daft Dave wrote:Who's GLOVES?? btw
hmmm
Is it you Jinks ?
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:17 pm
Gloves is so obviously annis ffs hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:22 pm
troobloo3339 wrote:Gloves is so obviously annis ffs hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Steve,
Silly bugger, if I could write like that I would be more than happy to have written it in my own name
Gloves writes his own blogs
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=132359&p=1367467#p1367467
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:25 pm
I didnt say you wrote it
Just like you dont write most of your threads
I also got all your books that you didnt actually write
Just like you dont write most of your threads
I also got all your books that you didnt actually write
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:26 pm
troobloo3339 wrote:Gloves is so obviously annis ffs hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Alright, I've only been on this Forum for about 2 months....still learning who's who
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:27 pm
troobloo3339 wrote:I didnt say you wrote it
Just like you dont write most of your threads
I also got all your books that you didnt actually write
Steve, I tell the stories, my Wife and Carl wrote them up, I am one fingered on computer/typewriter
Read my two pages in the Echo tomorrow
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:28 pm
Daft Dave wrote:troobloo3339 wrote:Gloves is so obviously annis ffs hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Alright, I've only been on this Forum for about 2 months....still learning who's who
Dave, Dont lister to my bus mate Troobloo/Steve he is a wind up merchant
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:31 pm
annis 
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 8:32 pm
troobloo3339 wrote::ole:
Yes Steve or Ole?
Its Sir Malky to you
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 9:06 pm
Forever Blue wrote:Jinks wrote:Daft Dave wrote:Who's GLOVES?? btw
hmmm
Is it you Jinks ?
Im not the one that posts under different names unlike some hmmm
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 9:07 pm
Jinks wrote:Forever Blue wrote:Jinks wrote:Daft Dave wrote:Who's GLOVES?? btw
hmmm
Is it you Jinks ?
Im not the one that posts under different names unlike some hmmm
Hmmmmmm Are u sure Red Fan?
Re: ' Cardiff must quickly learn lessons from relegation '
Tue May 13, 2014 9:22 pm
Forever Blue wrote:Jinks wrote:Forever Blue wrote:Jinks wrote:Daft Dave wrote:Who's GLOVES?? btw
hmmm
Is it you Jinks ?
Im not the one that posts under different names unlike some hmmm
Hmmmmmm Are u sure Red Fan?
Red fan??
Definetly dont post on here under any other name as you know