Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:39 pm
Tuesday 2nd December 2014
' Cardiff City manager Russell Slade prepares for a key run of fixtures against clubs he knows well '
The Bluebirds take on Rotherham and Brentford and Bournemouth in the run-up to Christmas
They are the three sides Russell Slade is perhaps most familiar with in the Championship and they now stand between the Cardiff City boss and the play-off places.
Whilst we are all looking forward to the run up to Christmas Day, Bluebirds supporters perhaps face the advent countdown with a lot more excitement than most.
A long-cherished win on the road at Watford last time out took Slade and his men to within two points of the top six places and now Rotherham and Brentford, promoted from League One last term, and Bournemouth, up themselves from the third tier just the season before, are next up for Cardiff.
Those three encounters, against arguably the division’s least glamorous clubs, could be a turning point for the Bluebirds in a season that looks finally to be getting back on track under their new manager.
Cardiff may have been favourites to bounce straight to the Premier League before a ball was kicked, but on the pitch this season things haven't gone exactly to plan. Indeed, under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it proved a deeply disappointing and frustrating start to life back in the second-tier.
Following a caretaker period under Cardiff favourites Scott Young and Danny Gabbidon, Slade arrived from Leyton Orient in early October seemingly with plenty to prove.
The new man has certainly settled the ship. At home under their new boss the Bluebirds have recorded perfect statistics, with four wins out of four, and whilst the quality of the performances might have left something to be desired, the 12 points gained in the process have been most welcome.
On the road things might have been slightly more fraught, but a point at Birmingham was followed up by that first away win in the league since April at Vicarage Road and with it the Bluebirds were almost instantly transformed from mere wannabees into real Championship contenders.
As early as this Saturday Cardiff could make the psychologically-boosting move into the play-off places. That would require three points off Rotherham, first up in the Welsh capital, before a trip for Cardiff to Bournemouth the following weekend before Brentford are the visitors on December 20.
One thing Slade cannot complain about as he approaches these next three crunch encounters is that he does not know enough about the opposition with all three until recently operating in League One. Slade, of course, knows all about the third-tier having spent the last four seasons there in charge of Orient.
First up is the revenge mission to end all revenge missions for the Cardiff boss. It was Rotherham who pipped Slade’s Orient to promotion in the League One play-off final at Wembley back in May. It was done in the most heart-breaking manner too. With the match finishing 2-2 after extra-time at Wembley, a penalty shoot out decided it with the Millers triumphing 4-3 on spot-kicks.
Bournemouth meanwhile finished League One runners up in 2013, the same season Slade’s Orient just missed out when they finished seventh, whilst Brentford were second in League One last season just behind champions Wolves.
Both Bournemouth and Brentford have enjoyed excellent starts in the Championship this campaign with The Bees currently third and Bournemouth fourth. It is only Rotherham who are struggling out of the Bluebirds next three opponents. They hover just able the bottom three and Slade will be doing his best this Saturday to ensure the Millers’ situation does not improve any time soon.
They say familiarity breeds contempt, and there will be plenty of keen competition over the next few weeks that is for sure, but Slade will be hoping that familiarity also brings a place in the play-off places for his new side before Santa comes calling.