CARDIFF CITY - THE BIG KICKOFF

Thursday 24th July 2014.

Two matches won, the other lost. Cardiff City’s pre-season tour to Austria is over and with just days to go before the big-season kick-off against Blackburn, we look at where their training camp leaves the Bluebirds.

Just how are Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Bluebirds looking in the build-up to the Championship kick off?
Having spent a week on tour with the squad, Terry Phillips analyses what we have learned from the trip.





Defensive Frailties -
This was a major problem in the Premier League last season and alarm bells are ringing again. Sadly, there isn’t much of a case for the defence right at this moment in time.

Cardiff score goals for fun, but the Bluebirds badly need to tighten up at the back.

That was underlined when Russian opponents Amkar Perm beat them 3-0 in their final pre-season tour match. Solskjaer’s men should have done far more to stop crosses and pick up players in the middle.

Solskjaer and his coaches have worked hard during the week on defensive roles, aiming to create awareness and ensure City are as tight as possible. But those defensive frailties are still there – and the new Championship season starts in a couple of weeks.

There are two more friendlies, plus plenty of training, to go and Solskjaer is clearly thinking through his options.

The Bluebirds are keen to bring in a centre-back signing to replace Steven Caulker, with Jose Fonte at Southampton and Manchester United’s Michael Keane among those to have attracted attention.

But Southampton are intent on keeping Fonte, while Keane is away in America on United’s pre-season tour.

Spanish defender Juan Cala is suspended for City’s opener at Blackburn, which restricts Solskjaer’s options even more. The manager’s likely back four at Ewood Park will be John Brayford, Mark Hudson, Ben Turner and Fabio.

Turner is a big, powerful defender who should shine in the Championship, but the technical qualities and speed of the Amkar players caused Hudson problems at times.

In the wide areas, Brayford had a solid tour, while Fabio is fantastic going forward. He does, though, struggle defensively – and is facing strong competition from Declan John.

One thing is certain. If Cardiff are to return to the Premier League, they can’t afford to crack defensively as often as they have done under Solskjaer.




Team Balance -
When Malky Mackay was manager City were a solid unit, set up by the Scot to keep things tight at the back to try and grind out results. The balance of the team was always tipped towards defence – and there were fans who called for far more enterprise.

Solskjaer wants his team to have a go offensively, but the balance has changed too much towards the forwards.

The Bluebirds have strikers who can score – Federico Macheda, Adam Le Fondre, Javi Guerra, Nicky Maynard, Joe Mason and more are capable of hitting double figures.

But City are being exposed at the back. Mackay never quite found that perfect balance and it is up to Solskjaer to find the right blend between offence and defence.

It’s a big task, but Cardiff’s promotion hopes will hinge entirely on how successful he is.






Who will start up front? -
Solskjaer is spoilt for options going forward, but my favourites to play striker after watching Cardiff through the week are Macheda and Maynard. Macheda had an outstanding trip and has already scored twice in Bluebirds colours. Maynard has yet to hit the net, but they look good together.

Macheda is quick, mobile and dangerous, while Maynard is a strong forward who makes run after run, while he is also prepared to track back and help out when City don’t have the ball.

I could also put up a strong argument that Le Fondre, a proven Championship scorer, and Guerra, a clinical finisher, should start. Mason, too, has produced good moments on tour.

But if, as looks highly likely, City start with a 4-4-2, then it’s a Macheda/Maynard partnership.

If Solskjaer opts for just one striker, who is best suited to the lone role? Probably Guerra, who performed that function at his former club, while Maynard’s movement would make him another contender.

Finally, there is Kenwyne Jones, who came to Cardiff with a bit of a fanfare in January. I can’t see him starting too often, but the big striker certainly offers a different option in attack.

He had an outstanding pre-season trip to Austria, where he trained hard and looked full of intensity and desire. At his best, Jones could be a major player in the Championship.





How fit are Cardiff City?
Mackay’s Bluebirds were incredibly fit and I didn’t expect the 2014-15 players to match those standards set. And yet they have.

Mackay and Solskjaer have different approaches to pre-season. Over the last couple of seasons, Mackay took his squad to Switzerland, did not arrange any matches and his players had double training sessions day after day.

Solskjaer, in contrast, built fitness through hard work, but he produced footballs early on and the focus has been on passing, moving, challenging and shooting.

It was a week when the players trained at high intensity. The result is that Cardiff will again have one of the fittest squads around – and that, plus their strength in depth, will be crucial during the intense Championship grind ahead.





Who will be the captain in Steven Caulker's absence? -
Steven Caulker has moved on to Queens Park Rangers and Solskjaer must select a new captain for this Championship season.

Centre-half Ben Turner must be among the favourites and would currently be my choice – or could the new City signing Solskjaer still hopes to bring in fill that role?

I can’t see Mark Hudson wearing the armband in the coming season, although he did lead the team against Amkar Perm.

Peter Whittingham or Kagisho Dikgacoi, who has captained South Africa but wasn’t on tour because of visa problems, are other contenders, while David Marshall could be another if City think a goalkeeper can do the job.





What will the starting lineup be at Blackburn? -
Solskjaer became known as the tinkerman last season because of his lack of consistency of team selection. Well, this time around he has even more options, so just where does he go?

For me, five players are certainties for the season opener. Marshall, Brayford, Turner, Mats Daehli and Whittingham.

The system will almost certainly be 4-4-2 and, unless a new defender is brought in quickly, the other two in defence will be Hudson and Fabio, who has a slight edge on Declan John.

The potential mix in midfield sparks plenty of discussion. Will Dikgacoi start? Is he at peak fitness after being forced to wait for match action while his visa was sorted out?

Why hasn’t Jordon Mutch been at his best on tour? Those driving runs and powerful performances which made him the star of City’s show at times in the Premier League and attracted strong interest from Sunderland have not been evident yet.

Daehli is a certainty to play. He is simply too good to leave out. Whittingham will also be in the four, while Kim Bo-Kyung and Guido Burgstaller have looked in excellent form during the tour.

Personally, I’d stick with Mutch because he is a big-game player and his presence in midfield can improve the Bluebirds.

Burgstaller and Kim are the contenders for the fourth spot – and I’d go for the Austrian.

My starting line-up at Blackburn: Marshall; Brayford, Turner (capt), Hudson, Fabio; Burgstaller, Mutch, Whittingham, Daehli; Macheda, Maynard.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ds-7499658

'Cardiff score goals for fun' .... ?
Do people really think that?

'Cardiff score goals for fun' .... ?
Do people really think that?

I never said that

'Cardiff score goals for fun' .... ?
Do people really think that?

I never said that

I know.

come 10pm Friday 8th August this board will be in meltdown

come 10pm Friday 8th August this board will be in meltdown

Jordan Rhodes

if we bring in Fonte I will be very happy! if we spend half of the Caulker money on him (say £4/5m) then we've got a brilliant replacement! can't see him dropping down a division though after being a regular with S'ton! I would like to see a Cala and Fonte partnership think that'll be strong with Fabio and Declan out wide!

If Fonte isn't keen though, OGS needs to find someone quick so that a CB partnership can gel before the opener!

come 10pm Friday 8th August this board will be in meltdown

Can't wait

Good to hear Malky's team were always very fit and apparently Ole's team are the same

Keep them coming Ian, you should be a mod

if we bring in Fonte I will be very happy! if we spend half of the Caulker money on him (say £4/5m) then we've got a brilliant replacement! can't see him dropping down a division though after being a regular with S'ton! I would like to see a Cala and Fonte partnership think that'll be strong with Fabio and Declan out wide!

If Fonte isn't keen though, OGS needs to find someone quick so that a CB partnership can gel before the opener!

I would be really worried if Fabio and Declan both play outside of the centre halfs you mentioned. The two of them are very poor defensively with their best attribute going forward. That's my main worry the amount of ball we let come in from the flanks. I would rather go for decent full backs before another centre half where I think what we've got can do a job. Stop the amount of balls coming in and stop our centre halves getting exposed first.

Fonte (Cb) and Digichoioioi (Dm) plus Guerra to replace Maynard would please me. Lets have a 4,05 mill £ Fonte bid and most of our worries would be sorted