Tue Dec 23, 2014 1:38 pm
Tuesday 23rd December 2014
The emotional Cardiff City letters that explain exactly how fans are feeling right now
Cardiff City fans have been writing to us in great numbers in recent days. Here, we publish a selection of their letters on the problems facing the Bluebirds
It goes without saying these are troubled times for Cardiff City right now.
Amid off-field discontent and poor performances on the pitch, Bluebirds fans have been getting in touch with WalesOnline to vent their frustrations.
Here, we publish a small selection of the letters we have received in recent days...
Sir
Some thoughts on the shambles that is Cardiff City just at the moment?
Why are we still playing two strikers up front when the service to them is nonexistent?
Why are we not concentrating on a possession game and simply feeding off scraps?
Why not play Peter Whittingham behind the striker and tuck three in to midfield to protect the back four. Whitts is the best player at the club, so give him the freedom to roam behind Kenwyne Jones. Craig Noone or Kadeem Harris could offer the outlet and switch sides during a game.
We will continue to lose games while we have less possession than the opposition. We were lucky at Watford, and things could be a lot worse.
Another interesting point is that in recent years we have signed talented players who have failed to make the required impact at the City. The list is endless, Le Fondre, Macheda, Ravel Morrison, Daehli,etc etc... and this is in the Championship, plus those that bombed in the Premier League.
We are pinning our hopes on Harris, a youngster who has been at the club for three years and rarely had a look in. We need players to come in who can really step up to the plate and make a difference from day one.
Brentford have shown us how it should be done and they were recently plying their trade two divisions below us this time last year!
We may have good players on the books but we do not have a team with the guts and passion you need to win games consistently at this level. Who knows what Vincent Tan must be thinking?
We need a leader on the pitch, someone to grab hold of games and ‘boss’ the engine room. We do not need a goalkeeper as captain of the side, it is crazy to think that David Marshall can inject the passion required from between the sticks.
Most of the fans can see what is required. Given our resources we should be the team to fear and on the front foot. We have a soft underbelly and the cracks are showing.
The three recent clean sheets were a smoke screen. Russell Slade is right. We need battlers and we may need to find them from the lower leagues as there may just be a bit more hunger to succeed.
Have a good Christmas, Barry Shiers (via email)
Sir
Season’s greetings, but I’m afraid I’ve no goodwill for Russell Slade and Scott Young.
Mr Slade has consistently played the same 4-4-2 system since his arrival and we have never achieved midfield dominance in any of games, even those we have managed to win.
His system relies on Aron Gunnarsson and Peter Whittingham to win the ball and orchestrate affairs. In our Championship winning season Malky Mackay dropped and or rested these two players for several matches yet Slade has built his total strategy around these two who have struggled manfully for weeks against teams with three or four midfield players overpowering them.
The Championship is a very competitive League and needs players and managers with first hand experience and expertise to be successful in it.
I’m sorry but neither Slade or Young possess any of these qualities.
Over the last few weeks Slade has impressed no one with his post and pre-match comments, but his “our lack of consistency is very frustrating” after Brentford really takes the biscuit.
I’m afraid Mr Slade your team IS playing VERY CONSISTENTLY
Consistently dire; consistently without leadership; consistently outfought; consistently out-thought.
I’m afraid Mr Tan if you have any thoughts of Cardiff City reaching the play-offs you have to act.
Tony Pulis would sort this mess out and give us some hope.
Look what a difference Neil Lennon has made to Bolton. Look what a difference Gary Rowett has made to Birmingham.
Look what a difference Kit Symons has made to Fulham. Watch the difference Steve Clarke will make to Reading.
Act now Mr Tan. Please give the supporters a happier 2015.
Regards. Peter Fryer (via email)
Sir
After reading the articles about walking away from Cardiff City, this will not work because not everybody will walk.
What needs to happen is a stop to the internal politics and infighting among ourselves.
We need to get behind the team and show we support them.
Lots of us have agreed Russell Slade is not the man for the job, the club is too big for him.
So let Mr Tan know this and get Tony Pulis in. He is the man for Cardiff.
Mr Tan needs to accept the error of his judgement and sort it out.
The fans would start to believe again.
Without Mr Tan, Cardiff City would probably have gone into administration.
As there is no-one to buy him out, let’s get behind the team and make some noise... as we used to do
Spoken by fan of 40 years
Mr T Lewis
Rhondda
Sir
I have been supporting Cardiff City for over 40 years and we have indeed have had some very dismal and dark days in that period.
Nonetheless I kept going. It is my hometown club and it’s not only about supporting a winning team.
However, I will not be renewing my season ticket next year.
It is back to grass roots football for me and the Welsh Premier League. However, the capital city does not have a team at this level.
The 12 team mostly north and mid Wales teams should be supplemented by a 16 team division with a slightly lower criteria below it.
Johny Power (via email)