" Cardiff City Our Season So Far "

' Cardiff City Our Season So Far '

27th December 2014

http://www.annisabraham.co.uk/news/

After the completion of the game yesterday we currently stand 11th in the Championship table with 31pts out of the 69 available, this is the 3rd lowest points total we have achieved at this stage of the season since our return to this level in the 2003/04 season. Only in season 2004/05 (22pts) and 2007/08 (29pts) have we won fewer points at this stage.

At the start of this season expectation levels were high amongst our fans that we would achieve an immediate return to the PL having what many considered the best squad in our history. Sadly those expectation levels have been crushed by a succession of one disappointing performance after another. At the halfway stage of the season we are going to have to achieve something NO other club in the last 10 years has done by winning automatic promotion having won just 31 points after 23 games. To put things into greater perspective even the Championship winning Reading team of season 2011/12 who came from nowhere had 36 points, 5 ahead of us, at this stage. Of greater concern is that only 1 club in the last 10 seasons, Preston, has gone on to reach the playoffs having won fewer than 31 points after 23 games, and that was in season 2004/05.

So after just 50% of the season any hope of automatic promotion has gone, unless we can do something NO other team has achieved in the last 10 seasons, and when it comes to the playoffs only 1 of the 40 teams to have reached the end of seasons playoffs has done so having won fewer points than us. So what are we left to play for? In my opinion our target should be the 50 point mark as that would at least give us another season in the Championship.

So after the completion of 50% of our games where has it all gone wrong and where do you think we will finish? Well here are my views a sort of half term report into season 2014 – 2015.

To fully appreciate our current position it is worth looking at the official league statistics covering the areas which not only identify performance, but how effective the team is against key performance criteria. The following is a comparison of our season against the average performance of the team since the club returned to the Championship. The comparison is I think very interesting;

Wins %: 35% - 44%
Draw %: 30% - 28%
Loss %: 35% - 28%

Average Goals Scored: 1.30 – 1.57
Goal For Conversion Rate: 9.77 – 7.92
Failed To Score%: 30% - 11%

Average Goals Conceded: 1.35 – 0.97
Goals Against Conversion Rate: 11.19 – 9.61
Clean Sheets %: 17.39% - 31%

Possession 45.35% - 51.54%

Points Won: 31 - 36

The lowest overall possession, the number of games won, the increase in the number of games lost, the number of clean sheets, the number of goals conceded, the poor conversion rate are ALL clear indicators of why we have had such a disappointing season to date.

There can be little doubt that this season, despite a wide held believe in the attacking talent within the squad, we have needed more attempts on goal to score (9.77) than the average of the previous 10 seasons of scoring a goal every 7.92 attempts on goal. We have also failed to score in 30% of games, against an average of 11% since we returned to the Championship. We are also scoring on average 1.3 goals per game against an average of 1.57 per game since our return to the Championship.

Currently we have the 11th ranked attack in the Championship and this has, in my opinion, been the major contribution to us winning such a low % of games.

Sadly our defensive performance so far this season has been the biggest disappointment. Currently we have the 13th ranked defensive record in the championship with 31 goals conceded, the highest total at this stage since our return to the Championship.

This season a goal is conceded every 11.19 attempts at goal compared with an average of 9.61 since our return to the Championship. However this season our opponents have averaged 15 attempts at goal each game against an average of 10 since our return to the Championship.

With 31pts from 23 games we have made, for us, a below average start to the season, our average over the last 10 years has been 36 points at this stage. As a result we have little chance of winning automatic promotion and only a slim chance of reaching the playoffs.

In recent weeks RS himself has talked about the importance of being in the top 6 at Christmas because few clubs manage to break into the top 6 in the 2nd half of the season. We are exactly where we deserve to be and I see little chance of us making the breakthrough into the top, but I hope I’m proved to be wrong.

But right now I would settle for reaching 50 points and doing so as quickly as possible.

I would like to know the stats since Tan burst into the dressing room against Newcastle home last season where he told the players they would not be getting their promotion bonuses.

That's where it started going wrong and this season is a result of it. We will not stop this trend until Tan has gone. That's keeping it simple.

should work for the club! bring a sense of reality to the situation with facts. Slade is still concentrating on a 'top 6' finish regardless of the stats being heavily against him. Reality check required for Slade and all the other muppets in charge top to bottom

I would like to know the stats since Tan burst into the dressing room against Newcastle home last season where he told the players they would not be getting their promotion bonuses.

That's where it started going wrong and this season is a result of it. We will not stop this trend until Tan has gone. That's keeping it simple.

you know any other Chairman in the country would be remembered for that stunt, with Tan it gets forgotten about as he gives joy to the media hacks every time he speaks. Has made Cardiff City the biggest joke in football

I would like to know the stats since Tan burst into the dressing room against Newcastle home last season where he told the players they would not be getting their promotion bonuses.

That's where it started going wrong and this season is a result of it. We will not stop this trend until Tan has gone. That's keeping it simple.

you know any other Chairman in the country would be remembered for that stunt, with Tan it gets forgotten about as he gives joy to the media hacks every time he speaks. Has made Cardiff City the biggest joke in football

No I don't. Has there been one?

I would like to know the stats since Tan burst into the dressing room against Newcastle home last season where he told the players they would not be getting their promotion bonuses.

That's where it started going wrong and this season is a result of it. We will not stop this trend until Tan has gone. That's keeping it simple.

you know any other Chairman in the country would be remembered for that stunt, with Tan it gets forgotten about as he gives joy to the media hacks every time he speaks. Has made Cardiff City the biggest joke in football

No I don't. Has there been one?

there's definitely a book in this with all the stunts he's pulled in such a short time as owner of the club

I don't know how we are mid table.

We are turd.

There are some very average teams in this league - Leeds, Brum, Reading, Wigan, Huddersfield, Charlton, Millwall etc....and we are one of them. I haven't seen too much good football, home or away.

A real shame as this would have been best chance to bounce back with the parachute payments.

On the pitch is dire at times, and off the pitch is a mess again with Tan/fans.

A crap season so far, not very enjoyable.

Here's hoping for 3 points tomorrow but don't include this as a home win in your acca

I would like to know the stats since Tan burst into the dressing room against Newcastle home last season where he told the players they would not be getting their promotion bonuses.

That's where it started going wrong and this season is a result of it. We will not stop this trend until Tan has gone. That's keeping it simple.

For once we totally agree it's plain to see that unless Tan has a radical change of character and chooses to just take a very distant back seat and let football men run the club from top to bottom, then we are only going in one direction

Quoting promotion related stats is pointless as we won't be anywhere near. We were never good enough and too many got carried away and confused having the biggest squad for having the best squad. Never going to good enough up front or centre midfield and we lack pace and creativity.

The likes of noone have one good game in about 10, yet was still being talked about as one of the best in the division
Some keep banging on about have good fabio is, yet defensively he is all over the place.
Overall we don't press without the ball and can't keep it when we have it. Totally inept, clueless football.

We will finish around 15th.

Gary excellent reading as usual and very very interesting, Thank you

Gary
link
http://www.annisabraham.co.uk/2014/12/2 ... on-so-far/

http://www.annisabraham.co.uk/news/

Gary,Did u expect that today?

Gary,Did u expect that today?

Annis I didn't think we would get anything out of the game today because from what I have seen of Watford this season they are one of the better footballing teams in the division. RS has set us up in the last couple of games playing a really narrow formation and this made it easy for Watford to use the width of the pitch and play in front of us, around us and through us. This together with our constant failure to play any form of pressing game, in any area of the pitch, gave Watford the opportunity to play at thier pace and wait for the chances which would come thier way, and they did it very well. I watched them on Boxing day where Wolves played a high tempo pressing game against Watford and they beat them.

Again today RS appeared to have no answer to how Watford play and it makes you wonder if we did any research on them and thier style of play, because if we had then surely setting up to allow them to use the full width of the CCS pitch was a massive tactical mistake. In my opinion RS must take full responsibility for the failings, both today and on Boxing day.

My worry is that with every game that goes by we are looking more and more like Wolves of a few seasons back, fresh out of the PL but underachieving with the squad they had. They changed thier manager later than us but appointed Dean Saunders who basically had little experience at Championship level and Wolves were relegated that season.

After 24 games Wolves had 31 points, the same as us, they eventually finished on 51 points and were relegated. The question is are we going the same way under RS?.

Gary,Did u expect that today?

Annis I didn't think we would get anything out of the game today because from what I have seen of Watford this season they are one of the better footballing teams in the division. RS has set us up in the last couple of games playing a really narrow formation and this made it easy for Watford to use the width of the pitch and play in front of us, around us and through us. This together with our constant failure to play any form of pressing game, in any area of the pitch, gave Watford the opportunity to play at thier pace and wait for the chances which would come thier way, and they did it very well. I watched them on Boxing day where Wolves played a high tempo pressing game against Watford and they beat them.

Again today RS appeared to have no answer to how Watford play and it makes you wonder if we did any research on them and thier style of play, because if we had then surely setting up to allow them to use the full width of the CCS pitch was a massive tactical mistake. In my opinion RS must take full responsibility for the failings, both today and on Boxing day.

My worry is that with every game that goes by we are looking more and more like Wolves of a few seasons back, fresh out of the PL but underachieving with the squad they had. They changed thier manager later than us but appointed Dean Saunders who basically had little experience at Championship level and Wolves were relegated that season.

After 24 games Wolves had 31 points, the same as us, they eventually finished on 51 points and were relegated. The question is are we going the same way under RS?.

Gary,thats the biggest worry,Slade cant change a game and blames others a bit like Dave Jones.

I honestly feel like you,it will only get worse.

If we got relegated, then the club could fall again and would go bust.

Gary,Did u expect that today?

Annis I didn't think we would get anything out of the game today because from what I have seen of Watford this season they are one of the better footballing teams in the division. RS has set us up in the last couple of games playing a really narrow formation and this made it easy for Watford to use the width of the pitch and play in front of us, around us and through us. This together with our constant failure to play any form of pressing game, in any area of the pitch, gave Watford the opportunity to play at thier pace and wait for the chances which would come thier way, and they did it very well. I watched them on Boxing day where Wolves played a high tempo pressing game against Watford and they beat them.

Again today RS appeared to have no answer to how Watford play and it makes you wonder if we did any research on them and thier style of play, because if we had then surely setting up to allow them to use the full width of the CCS pitch was a massive tactical mistake. In my opinion RS must take full responsibility for the failings, both today and on Boxing day.

My worry is that with every game that goes by we are looking more and more like Wolves of a few seasons back, fresh out of the PL but underachieving with the squad they had. They changed thier manager later than us but appointed Dean Saunders who basically had little experience at Championship level and Wolves were relegated that season.

After 24 games Wolves had 31 points, the same as us, they eventually finished on 51 points and were relegated. The question is are we going the same way under RS?.

Frightening that Gary although I believe the 3 bottom teams could struggle to get 50 points. Well I hope so.

Gary,Did u expect that today?

Annis I didn't think we would get anything out of the game today because from what I have seen of Watford this season they are one of the better footballing teams in the division. RS has set us up in the last couple of games playing a really narrow formation and this made it easy for Watford to use the width of the pitch and play in front of us, around us and through us. This together with our constant failure to play any form of pressing game, in any area of the pitch, gave Watford the opportunity to play at thier pace and wait for the chances which would come thier way, and they did it very well. I watched them on Boxing day where Wolves played a high tempo pressing game against Watford and they beat them.

Again today RS appeared to have no answer to how Watford play and it makes you wonder if we did any research on them and thier style of play, because if we had then surely setting up to allow them to use the full width of the CCS pitch was a massive tactical mistake. In my opinion RS must take full responsibility for the failings, both today and on Boxing day.

My worry is that with every game that goes by we are looking more and more like Wolves of a few seasons back, fresh out of the PL but underachieving with the squad they had. They changed thier manager later than us but appointed Dean Saunders who basically had little experience at Championship level and Wolves were relegated that season.

After 24 games Wolves had 31 points, the same as us, they eventually finished on 51 points and were relegated. The question is are we going the same way under RS?.

Frightening that Gary although I believe the 3 bottom teams could struggle to get 50 points. Well I hope so.

Very and it could happen here.