' Top six or drop zone? '

Top six or drop zone?

Monday 19th Jan 2015

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=145418

By Terry Phillips
Defeat in Norfolk leaves Cardiff 10 points adrift of the play-offs and 11 points ahead of the drop zone. They are in no man’s land with little hope of challenging to go up and in no real danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.

The Bluebirds are just below halfway and that’s exactly where I expect them to finish this season.

And after all the trials and tribulations of 2014 that won’t be a terrible return.

There is unity in and around the club, a true blue front which will help City progress to where they want to be.

They are well short of that mark right now, the Bluebirds have a real chance to move forward over the coming months,

The key for Cardiff is to stick with Slade and allow him to complete his work.


He inherited a squad which wasn’t fit for Championship purpose. The group was far too big, unbalanced and needed major work.

Slade got stuck in moving players in and out, working to try and cut numbers and balance the books. There are a couple of weeks left in the transfer window with quite a few more player ins and outs scheduled.

Only then can Slade really press on with his plans and make sure his City squad and ready for a big push in 2015-16.

Right now, City need stability. There were far too many changes last year and they now have an experienced manager who knows what he must do.

Cardiff flew to Norfolk and back, ensuring they have time to prepare fully for tomorrow’s crucial clash with Middlesbrough in the North East.

Slade and his players watched re-runs of the best and worst moments from the Carrow Road horror show in video replays at their Vale of Glamorgan Resort training headquarters yesterday.

The top 6 is a pipe dream and to use RS own words clubs need to be in or around the playoffs at Christmas to be involved at the end of the season. Few teams adrift of the playoffs at the halfway stage eventually force thier way into the picture, we are currently adrift and showing absolutely NO signs to making a consistent push into the top half of the table.

We are currently 3 points and 3 places above the position we were in when RS took charge of the team but any improvement under the manager has been short lived and defeats against Borough & Derby, which let's face it look likely, then we will be back where we started under RS, 16th position or lower, and after 17 games that is absolutely nothing to write home about.

Currently we are lucky there are 6 teams struggling in the division but IF things don't improve dramatically we can still get drawn into those bottom 6 positions. If that happens with RS in charge and our players confidence shot to pieces who knows what will happen.

But one thing is certain, in my opinion, we will be much closer to the drop zone than the playoffs this season. After the pigs ear he has made so far if RS is still around next season we will be closer again to the drop zone.

An average League 1 manager struggling to get to grips with Championship football.

We're only headed in one direction imo and I think everyone can work out which way that is for themselves. After these next two games things will look just a wee bit worse on the points front and where we lie in the table, we've also got plenty of shite football to look forward to as well.
But on the positive front we'll be that much nearer to blue in two which I'm sure will please the non plastic proper fans who've been yearning for the good old days to return...fear not it will happen soon just need a little more patience.

top six,

the set up in management and coaching is worth than anything we've seen in years, even under OGS. There's always rumours within the club that the players do not like training, don;t understand RS lack of input and it's like an old boys club with certain coaches.

Will we go down, probably not but we're in for a season we've not seen in a long time, that's not about blue or red, THAT'S ABOUT DIRECTION AND ABILITY OF THE PLAYING MANAGEMENT!

It's anyone's guess, it's easy to blame the manager, however there must be more going on behind the scenes than most of us are aware about as there is only one explanation for what's happening and that is that RS that's his orders and he's carrying them out , so no big names! no big salaries! the big surprise for me is that we have managed to keep paying Kenwyne Jones

It seems to me that Slade and Young have 'lost the dressing room' (if they ever had it). Unfortunately Slade is not good enough to get it back again. I can only see our team going one way during this and next season. Sadly, downwards.

The top 6 is a pipe dream and to use RS own words clubs need to be in or around the playoffs at Christmas to be involved at the end of the season. Few teams adrift of the playoffs at the halfway stage eventually force thier way into the picture, we are currently adrift and showing absolutely NO signs to making a consistent push into the top half of the table.

We are currently 3 points and 3 places above the position we were in when RS took charge of the team but any improvement under the manager has been short lived and defeats against Borough & Derby, which let's face it look likely, then we will be back where we started under RS, 16th position or lower, and after 17 games that is absolutely nothing to write home about.

Currently we are lucky there are 6 teams struggling in the division but IF things don't improve dramatically we can still get drawn into those bottom 6 positions. If that happens with RS in charge and our players confidence shot to pieces who knows what will happen.

But one thing is certain, in my opinion, we will be much closer to the drop zone than the playoffs this season. After the pigs ear he has made so far if RS is still around next season we will be closer again to the drop zone.

An average League 1 manager struggling to get to grips with Championship football.

While I agree with most of what you said CB, It must be remembered how & why RS was brought to Cardiff City in the first place. Firstly, he was appointed on the recommendation to VT, from an outside source,,,with the remit of assembling a team of relative battlers on the cheap.
Secondly, RS was one week, or more like one defeat away from the sack at LO, when he was alerted to our clubs interest.
Talk about luck, its like being told on Monday that your going to be sacked at the end of the week, & then winning the Euro lottery on Friday night,,,,,he was never going to turn us down, however little salary he was offered (by Championship standards) & no matter what his contract details required of him.

The fact of the matter is VT is pulling All of the strings on RS. A lot more player will be leaving, one way or another,,, only to be replaced by a few, cheaper players.

Vincent Tan is slowly but surely turning the screw, & just like a retail closure, anything & everything that can command a price must go. The return to blue was more of a short term financial fix to him, rather than a sentimental, & emotional response. He lost interest in Cardiff City FC a long time ago, however, the club still remains a financial & economic burden to him.

Eventually though, the time will come when Tan himself will sell up. When??? is the question I keep hearing.
Probably after he has taken advantage of the parachute payments. How long is that, I wonder?

A fantastic and realistic post by the op. Unfortunately it has been responded by a load of moans and whingeing. Remember we are not a former premier league club on the way up. We are a Championship club preparing for the long term future and survival. Time to get real!!

A fantastic and realistic post by the op. Unfortunately it has been responded by a load of moans and whingeing. Remember we are not a former premier league club on the way up. We are a Championship club preparing for the long term future and survival. Time to get real!!

I'm usually a massive optimist but I'm afraid mid table at best hope I'm proved wrong though

We need to find our best team bring through youngsters get who he wants in now and strengthen the team get rid of dead wood and build for next season

The top 6 is a pipe dream and to use RS own words clubs need to be in or around the playoffs at Christmas to be involved at the end of the season. Few teams adrift of the playoffs at the halfway stage eventually force thier way into the picture, we are currently adrift and showing absolutely NO signs to making a consistent push into the top half of the table.

We are currently 3 points and 3 places above the position we were in when RS took charge of the team but any improvement under the manager has been short lived and defeats against Borough & Derby, which let's face it look likely, then we will be back where we started under RS, 16th position or lower, and after 17 games that is absolutely nothing to write home about.

Currently we are lucky there are 6 teams struggling in the division but IF things don't improve dramatically we can still get drawn into those bottom 6 positions. If that happens with RS in charge and our players confidence shot to pieces who knows what will happen.

But one thing is certain, in my opinion, we will be much closer to the drop zone than the playoffs this season. After the pigs ear he has made so far if RS is still around next season we will be closer again to the drop zone.

An average League 1 manager struggling to get to grips with Championship football.

While I agree with most of what you said CB, It must be remembered how & why RS was brought to Cardiff City in the first place. Firstly, he was appointed on the recommendation to VT, from an outside source,,,with the remit of assembling a team of relative battlers on the cheap.
Secondly, RS was one week, or more like one defeat away from the sack at LO, when he was alerted to our clubs interest.
Talk about luck, its like being told on Monday that your going to be sacked at the end of the week, & then winning the Euro lottery on Friday night,,,,,he was never going to turn us down, however little salary he was offered (by Championship standards) & no matter what his contract details required of him.

The fact of the matter is VT is pulling All of the strings on RS. A lot more player will be leaving, one way or another,,, only to be replaced by a few, cheaper players.

Vincent Tan is slowly but surely turning the screw, & just like a retail closure, anything & everything that can command a price must go. The return to blue was more of a short term financial fix to him, rather than a sentimental, & emotional response. He lost interest in Cardiff City FC a long time ago, however, the club still remains a financial & economic burden to him.

Eventually though, the time will come when Tan himself will sell up. When??? is the question I keep hearing.
Probably after he has taken advantage of the parachute payments. How long is that, I wonder?

And for me there lies the biggest problem at the club the "My way or the highway" management style of VT. From the moment he went into the changing room against Newcastle at Home last season and kicked off over the players bonus scheme we have been on a downward spiral. I agree VT will sell up and the sooner the better because god alone knows where we will end up with him pulling the strings.

But non of that excuses the performance to date of RS who seems completely incapable of organising the team and motivating the players and as a result we are dropping further and further into the mire, it's almost as if everyone inside the club is asleep and blissfully ignorant of what's going on.

Someone needs to wake up and look hard at the performance of RS and start with a direct comparison with Gary Rowett at Birmingham, a team who have only 2 players who cost a fee, but none the less GR has a bunch of free transfers and kids organised, motivated and running through brick walls for him. Result 7 wins from 11 games and up from 23rd in the table at the end of October to 11 today. So far RS has only had 6 wins from his 15 league games with the result Birmingham have gone sailing by.

This article by Terry Phillips looks like an excuse list written by RS but, in my opinion TP would do better to just compare the squads of both clubs, even today with the players driven out of the club, and stop listening to RS excuses and ask why he is failing so badly, because that's what's happening, FAILURE, because this squad is better than 13th place.

The top 6 is a pipe dream and to use RS own words clubs need to be in or around the playoffs at Christmas to be involved at the end of the season. Few teams adrift of the playoffs at the halfway stage eventually force thier way into the picture, we are currently adrift and showing absolutely NO signs to making a consistent push into the top half of the table.

We are currently 3 points and 3 places above the position we were in when RS took charge of the team but any improvement under the manager has been short lived and defeats against Borough & Derby, which let's face it look likely, then we will be back where we started under RS, 16th position or lower, and after 17 games that is absolutely nothing to write home about.

Currently we are lucky there are 6 teams struggling in the division but IF things don't improve dramatically we can still get drawn into those bottom 6 positions. If that happens with RS in charge and our players confidence shot to pieces who knows what will happen.

But one thing is certain, in my opinion, we will be much closer to the drop zone than the playoffs this season. After the pigs ear he has made so far if RS is still around next season we will be closer again to the drop zone.

An average League 1 manager struggling to get to grips with Championship football.

While I agree with most of what you said CB, It must be remembered how & why RS was brought to Cardiff City in the first place. Firstly, he was appointed on the recommendation to VT, from an outside source,,,with the remit of assembling a team of relative battlers on the cheap.
Secondly, RS was one week, or more like one defeat away from the sack at LO, when he was alerted to our clubs interest.
Talk about luck, its like being told on Monday that your going to be sacked at the end of the week, & then winning the Euro lottery on Friday night,,,,,he was never going to turn us down, however little salary he was offered (by Championship standards) & no matter what his contract details required of him.

The fact of the matter is VT is pulling All of the strings on RS. A lot more player will be leaving, one way or another,,, only to be replaced by a few, cheaper players.

Vincent Tan is slowly but surely turning the screw, & just like a retail closure, anything & everything that can command a price must go. The return to blue was more of a short term financial fix to him, rather than a sentimental, & emotional response. He lost interest in Cardiff City FC a long time ago, however, the club still remains a financial & economic burden to him.

Eventually though, the time will come when Tan himself will sell up. When??? is the question I keep hearing.
Probably after he has taken advantage of the parachute payments. How long is that, I wonder?

And for me there lies the biggest problem at the club the "My way or the highway" management style of VT. From the moment he went into the changing room against Newcastle at Home last season and kicked off over the players bonus scheme we have been on a downward spiral. I agree VT will sell up and the sooner the better because god alone knows where we will end up with him pulling the strings.

But non of that excuses the performance to date of RS who seems completely incapable of organising the team and motivating the players and as a result we are dropping further and further into the mire, it's almost as if everyone inside the club is asleep and blissfully ignorant of what's going on.

Someone needs to wake up and look hard at the performance of RS and start with a direct comparison with Gary Rowett at Birmingham, a team who have only 2 players who cost a fee, but none the less GR has a bunch of free transfers and kids organised, motivated and running through brick walls for him. Result 7 wins from 11 games and up from 23rd in the table at the end of October to 11 today. So far RS has only had 6 wins from his 15 league games with the result Birmingham have gone sailing by.

This article by Terry Phillips looks like an excuse list written by RS but, in my opinion TP would do better to just compare the squads of both clubs, even today with the players driven out of the club, and stop listening to RS excuses and ask why he is failing so badly, because that's what's happening, FAILURE, because this squad is better than 13th place.

Interesting. Russell Slades shortfalls are as clear as day, & from tomorrow nights result until the end of the season I believe will tell us all we are going to need to know about his level of professional footballing expertise, competence, & man management. I hope I'm wrong, I really do,,,but the writing is clearly on the wall,,, & to coin a phrase, RS is clearly "out of his league"!

More likely to go down under Slade than go up. Problem is the next manager is going to have a big rebuilding job on his hands with any kind of flair player gone.

The top 6 is a pipe dream and to use RS own words clubs need to be in or around the playoffs at Christmas to be involved at the end of the season. Few teams adrift of the playoffs at the halfway stage eventually force thier way into the picture, we are currently adrift and showing absolutely NO signs to making a consistent push into the top half of the table.

We are currently 3 points and 3 places above the position we were in when RS took charge of the team but any improvement under the manager has been short lived and defeats against Borough & Derby, which let's face it look likely, then we will be back where we started under RS, 16th position or lower, and after 17 games that is absolutely nothing to write home about.

Currently we are lucky there are 6 teams struggling in the division but IF things don't improve dramatically we can still get drawn into those bottom 6 positions. If that happens with RS in charge and our players confidence shot to pieces who knows what will happen.

But one thing is certain, in my opinion, we will be much closer to the drop zone than the playoffs this season. After the pigs ear he has made so far if RS is still around next season we will be closer again to the drop zone.

An average League 1 manager struggling to get to grips with Championship football.

While I agree with most of what you said CB, It must be remembered how & why RS was brought to Cardiff City in the first place. Firstly, he was appointed on the recommendation to VT, from an outside source,,,with the remit of assembling a team of relative battlers on the cheap.
Secondly, RS was one week, or more like one defeat away from the sack at LO, when he was alerted to our clubs interest.
Talk about luck, its like being told on Monday that your going to be sacked at the end of the week, & then winning the Euro lottery on Friday night,,,,,he was never going to turn us down, however little salary he was offered (by Championship standards) & no matter what his contract details required of him.

The fact of the matter is VT is pulling All of the strings on RS. A lot more player will be leaving, one way or another,,, only to be replaced by a few, cheaper players.

Vincent Tan is slowly but surely turning the screw, & just like a retail closure, anything & everything that can command a price must go. The return to blue was more of a short term financial fix to him, rather than a sentimental, & emotional response. He lost interest in Cardiff City FC a long time ago, however, the club still remains a financial & economic burden to him.

Eventually though, the time will come when Tan himself will sell up. When??? is the question I keep hearing.
Probably after he has taken advantage of the parachute payments. How long is that, I wonder?

And for me there lies the biggest problem at the club the "My way or the highway" management style of VT. From the moment he went into the changing room against Newcastle at Home last season and kicked off over the players bonus scheme we have been on a downward spiral. I agree VT will sell up and the sooner the better because god alone knows where we will end up with him pulling the strings.

But non of that excuses the performance to date of RS who seems completely incapable of organising the team and motivating the players and as a result we are dropping further and further into the mire, it's almost as if everyone inside the club is asleep and blissfully ignorant of what's going on.

Someone needs to wake up and look hard at the performance of RS and start with a direct comparison with Gary Rowett at Birmingham, a team who have only 2 players who cost a fee, but none the less GR has a bunch of free transfers and kids organised, motivated and running through brick walls for him. Result 7 wins from 11 games and up from 23rd in the table at the end of October to 11 today. So far RS has only had 6 wins from his 15 league games with the result Birmingham have gone sailing by.

This article by Terry Phillips looks like an excuse list written by RS but, in my opinion TP would do better to just compare the squads of both clubs, even today with the players driven out of the club, and stop listening to RS excuses and ask why he is failing so badly, because that's what's happening, FAILURE, because this squad is better than 13th place.

I agree with almost everything you have written "Castleblue".

This season is now a write off other than making sure we don't get dragged into a relegation battle!!! A season when we had a massive advantage with the parachute payment over most other teams in the division and we wasted it !!! 2 seasons in a row we have "shot ourselves in the foot" !!

Watford are on manager number 4 this season and are still riding high !!!!

The top 6 is a pipe dream and to use RS own words clubs need to be in or around the playoffs at Christmas to be involved at the end of the season. Few teams adrift of the playoffs at the halfway stage eventually force thier way into the picture, we are currently adrift and showing absolutely NO signs to making a consistent push into the top half of the table.

We are currently 3 points and 3 places above the position we were in when RS took charge of the team but any improvement under the manager has been short lived and defeats against Borough & Derby, which let's face it look likely, then we will be back where we started under RS, 16th position or lower, and after 17 games that is absolutely nothing to write home about.

Currently we are lucky there are 6 teams struggling in the division but IF things don't improve dramatically we can still get drawn into those bottom 6 positions. If that happens with RS in charge and our players confidence shot to pieces who knows what will happen.

But one thing is certain, in my opinion, we will be much closer to the drop zone than the playoffs this season. After the pigs ear he has made so far if RS is still around next season we will be closer again to the drop zone.

An average League 1 manager struggling to get to grips with Championship football.

Agreed...........

A fantastic and realistic post by the op. Unfortunately it has been responded by a load of moans and whingeing. Remember we are not a former premier league club on the way up. We are a Championship club preparing for the long term future and survival. Time to get real!!

Sorry. Sensible posts are not allowed in this thread.

More likely to go down under Slade than go up. Problem is the next manager is going to have a big rebuilding job on his hands with any kind of flair player gone.

What flair? We didn't have flair when we got promoted and haven't done since the disappointing failures of Dave Jones.

More likely to go down under Slade than go up. Problem is the next manager is going to have a big rebuilding job on his hands with any kind of flair player gone.

What flair? We didn't have flair when we got promoted and haven't done since the disappointing failures of Dave Jones.

Not really what I mean.
The likes of Ravel, Daehli, Guerra all forced out and not given a chance. Fabio looks like he is going the same way. A good manager could have made the most of these players.
The players we have now mixed with the historic 4-4-2 means we are in trouble.

slades target this year i suspect is top 10, with a push for top 6 coming next season if he's still here.

i expect a further clear out next summer and once he has another 2 windows including this one, i think thats when we can properly judge him. remember the team was in a mess before he joined us.

"Top six or drop zone?"...

Realistically, neither, although I remain optimistic that better than mid-table may happen if luck is on-side.

Some in a real panic about relegation. That is just so unlikely and even on home form alone, safety should be a given.

To look at the future, we'd all like a trip to Wembley but hand-on-heart, I don't feel that promotion would be a good thing this year. A period of consolidation and "finding ourselves" needs to take place before a push for PL football is a viable and sustainable option. The squad is going to be a Championship team and any dreams of top flight should be laced with a strong sense of self-awareness.

Guys, you got your club back, now it's time to build a foundation on the field. Maybe Slade isn't the long-term answer, but for now, let's see.

The local media never seem to question the curious, illogical decision to appoint Slade. His unremarkable record of 10 seasons in Divisions 1 and 2 without a single promotion did not suggest he had the credentials to shape Solksjaer's talented but unbalanced Championship squad into promotion contenders. Tan's refusal to appoint a top class management team is going to cost him many, many times over.