MOTM v Fulham (a)

Not the best performance today, but very good to take a point.

Four goals now for Kenwyne Jones this season, great start for him. Good to see Joe Ralls come on as well.

But who was your man of the match?

24 hours to vote

Thought quite a few had decent games. Fabio, Connolly, Jones, Daehli. Pilkington, le Fondre, dikgachoi, however all poor. Overall I enjoyed the game, more open than Wolves, but like there we were 2nd best 1st half but better in the 2 nd half. We'll need to be patient as it's going to take a while for this team to settle. However there were some promising signs especially from Daehli linking with Jones and when Macheda came on he looked sharp.

I would have to see the game again to really judge all the players (it´s hard to keep record of 11 players at the same time).

Overall, I think Daehli looked liked the player with most impact. This became quite evident in the first half when he and Pilkington switched sides. Before the change, all of Cardiff´s play was on the left side, but it switched immediately to the right when Deahli were moved over there. He was involved in pretty much everything Cardiff created. Minus for a couple of horrible deliveries in the second half and in a few duels he looked a bit weak. But still by far the most creative player for Cardiff and a must-starter in my opinion. Pilkington on the other hand, was never able to get into the match. He just never seemed to be playable. With his performance today, I feel the door is wide open for Noone when he´s back.

The central midfield did alright, I think. Actually, I thought Whittingham had a good match today, very tidy on his passing although once again he went missing some parts of the game, and especially the last 30 minutes of first half when Fulham really looked like the stronger side. Dikgacoi did his job well defensively but I feel I need to watch the game again to really make up my mind about him.

The biggest disappointed today, in my opinion, was the strikers. In the first half, Jones looked just like the player we witnessed last season. Immobile, slow reaction, and he even fell short in the duels. Possibly, he was a bit victimized by a - at best - mediocre referee. Came out a lot better after the break, and a big plus, of course, for the goal. When it comes to Le Fondre, I most of the game forgot that he was playing. As a striker, you cannot always blame the deliveries, you also need to find room form yourself. It could be though, that my first impression after watching the game only once, is unfair to him, so I hold it open that I could change my mind after having watched the game again. My impression now, however, is that he won´t be starting the next game.

Again, I felt we did a decent/good game defensively. Morrison lost his man on their goal, but in the second half I think he stood out as of the our best players. He was always at the right place and headed us out of danger time after time. Very good at getting in front of their players and very tidy on his passing. Connolly also had a good game, and I can´t remember him doing anything wrong. It will be tough for the competitors to squeeze any of them out of the first team. Fabio and Brayford also both had acceptable performances. Both good in the duels and Fabio - as always - put in a lot of energy in his play, although his passing was not always as tidy as one would wish.

None of the substitutes managed to make any huge impact, but I thought Macheda gave a positive impression. Good on the ball and good passes. fbvThe same can not be said about Ralls and Eikrem, unfortunately. Ralls - who has been so impressive in the cup matches - spend most (at least half) of his first appearance in the first team giving the ball away. Nerves? Eikrem didn´t look very sharp either, to be honest. Will any of them be in the squad for the next time? I think not.

All over, I think Cardiff had a decent game today, except for the last 30 minutes of first half. But you have to give Fulham some credit also for the way they played especially in the first half. Very quick passing and good runs. Probable their best match of the season. Don´t forget that they actually DO have a lot of quality in their squad.

Mccormack was everywhere

I abstain.

The central midfield did alright, I think. Actually, I thought Whittingham had a good match today, very tidy on his passing although once again he went missing some parts of the game, and especially the last 30 minutes of first half when Fulham really looked like the stronger side. Dikgacoi did his job well defensively but I feel I need to watch the game again to really make up my mind about him.


Whitts spent that time at left back. Scott Parker realised that Fabs and Matts like to wander up the pitch playing overly complicated 1-2's lose the ball leaving a gaping hole down the left flank.