' Steve McClaren's relegation warning to Cardiff City '

Sunday 1st February 2015

By Chris Wathan

Steve McClaren's relegation warning to Cardiff City.... it can be hard to stop a downward spiral

The former England boss has fired a stinging message to the stuttering Bluebirds in the wake of his Derby team's win at Cardiff City

Steve McClaren has spelled out the stark dangers of a double relegation facing Cardiff City, warning it could be hard to stop their “downward spiral”.

The former England boss, whose Derby side cruised to victory at Cardiff City Stadium despite being blasted by McClaren for being sloppy, refused to pull his punches as the Russell Slade’s Bluebirds suffered a fourth straight defeat.

And as they slipped to within seven points of the relegation zone with fans again booing players and manager on the pitch, the experienced boss said that there are plenty of examples to show why there is reason to fear further demotion.

Slade claimed he had no concerns about relegation but McClaren pointed to the recent example of Wolves who found themselves in the third-tier after successive relegations.

Wolves dropped out of the top-flight in 2012 were in League One by 2013 and McClaren said: “In the Championship all normality goes out of the window.

“In the Premier League you usually finish where your budget is, but in this league, if you’re not careful, you can slip down and out, as a lot of teams have proved.

“You can lose momentum and we have seen a few teams do that this season. It’s relentless, a tough league and you have to be able to win in different ways because it can be hard to stop a downward spiral.”

Cardiff are showing little signs of doing that at present, picking up just five points from the last 27 on offer and in desperate need of victory at Sheffield Wednesday.

And, having seen Simon Moore save a 10th minute Chris Martin penalty before Scott Malone’s 23rd minute own-goal and Martin’s header in first-half injury time, McClaren admitted it could and should have been a bigger beating for the Bluebirds.

He said: “It was a professional performance. We won the game in the first half.

“Missing that penalty would have affected us a year ago but not now with the maturity of this team and they kept competing and got the goals in the first-half.

“And the second half we just saw the game out without imposing ourselves.

“I told the players at half-time to take it on and we had opportunities to get the third. But we got sloppy and too casual and should have scored again because anything can happen at 2-0.

“Lee Grant made an unbelievable save but that could have been 2-1 and then it’s a very different last 15 minutes. It was disappointing because we should have pushed on and it’s a lesson to the players that when they are in control to stay in control.

“But we have played three games in a week and the third was always going to be tough. We weren’t quite sharp enough but we are going to have more games like that.”

Mason, McClaren is spot on unfortunately.

Mason, McClaren is spot on unfortunately.

I agree Ned

We certainly fulfil the criteria for this type of relegation i.e. an owner/club who seemingly do not know what they are doing in their appointments. A manager so clearly out of his depth. A fan base, firstly fractured then losing all support for the club and lastly selling anyone who is worth anything and replacing with out of favour or unwanted average players. I have to say that if a double relegation is going to happen anywhere it will be here to our club.

I hate saying it, but I think we will go down with Slade and Young at the helm.
Slade out!!!

You could overhear many fans leaving the ground yesterday commenting that we are well & truly in a relegation fight?

Sunday 1st February 2015

By Chris Wathan

Steve McClaren's relegation warning to Cardiff City.... it can be hard to stop a downward spiral

The former England boss has fired a stinging message to the stuttering Bluebirds in the wake of his Derby team's win at Cardiff City

Steve McClaren has spelled out the stark dangers of a double relegation facing Cardiff City, warning it could be hard to stop their “downward spiral”.

The former England boss, whose Derby side cruised to victory at Cardiff City Stadium despite being blasted by McClaren for being sloppy, refused to pull his punches as the Russell Slade’s Bluebirds suffered a fourth straight defeat.

And as they slipped to within seven points of the relegation zone with fans again booing players and manager on the pitch, the experienced boss said that there are plenty of examples to show why there is reason to fear further demotion.

Slade claimed he had no concerns about relegation but McClaren pointed to the recent example of Wolves who found themselves in the third-tier after successive relegations.

Wolves dropped out of the top-flight in 2012 were in League One by 2013 and McClaren said: “In the Championship all normality goes out of the window.

“In the Premier League you usually finish where your budget is, but in this league, if you’re not careful, you can slip down and out, as a lot of teams have proved.

“You can lose momentum and we have seen a few teams do that this season. It’s relentless, a tough league and you have to be able to win in different ways because it can be hard to stop a downward spiral.”

Cardiff are showing little signs of doing that at present, picking up just five points from the last 27 on offer and in desperate need of victory at Sheffield Wednesday.

And, having seen Simon Moore save a 10th minute Chris Martin penalty before Scott Malone’s 23rd minute own-goal and Martin’s header in first-half injury time, McClaren admitted it could and should have been a bigger beating for the Bluebirds.

He said: “It was a professional performance. We won the game in the first half.

“Missing that penalty would have affected us a year ago but not now with the maturity of this team and they kept competing and got the goals in the first-half.

“And the second half we just saw the game out without imposing ourselves.

“I told the players at half-time to take it on and we had opportunities to get the third. But we got sloppy and too casual and should have scored again because anything can happen at 2-0.

“Lee Grant made an unbelievable save but that could have been 2-1 and then it’s a very different last 15 minutes. It was disappointing because we should have pushed on and it’s a lesson to the players that when they are in control to stay in control.

“But we have played three games in a week and the third was always going to be tough. We weren’t quite sharp enough but we are going to have more games like that.”

Mr.Dalman and Mr. Choo should be reading this and listening to McClaren.

“You can lose momentum and we have seen a few teams do that this season. It’s relentless, a tough league and you have to be able to win in different ways because it can be hard to stop a downward spiral.”

McClaren has experience of this level, Slade doesn't.
McClaren knows what he is talking about,
Slade is deluded and using pointless rhetoric.

Big concern....but as Forever Blue says, our squad is decent and a decent manager could turn that 7 point gap into 15 points with a good run. Alternatively in a couple of weeks it could be down to 1 point!!