Thu Dec 10, 2015 1:16 pm
Cardiff City's Christmas crunch...the six festive fixtures that will make or break the Bluebirds' season
Russell Slade's men have squeezed into the play-off zone, but Steve Tucker says their fate this season could be decided over the holiday period
By Steve Tucker
10/12/15
December 12 - Sheffield Wednesday - (h)
Carlos Carvalhal’s Wednesday remain for many a surprise package this term although at a club the size of the Owls, expectations have always remained high.
Wednesday arrive in the Welsh capital hardly in scintillating form. They have one win in the last five although a battling 0-0 draw with high-flying Derby last time out shows what a tough nut they will be to crack.
Just two wins on the road this season too (the same record as Cardiff) illustrates the Yorkshire-club are not the best travellers.
December 15 - Brentford (h)
The Londoners over-achieved last season in many people’s opinion and they are at it again despite managerial upheaval with Dean Smith recently put in charge and seeing a good 2-0 win over MK Dons in his first full game in charge.
In form terms the Bees are buzzing, that latest victory was their sixth in a nine game run that has seen them lose just once.
December 18 - Birmingham (a)
The Blues maybe just a point behind Cardiff right now, but they have hit and slump and how.
Indeed, their misfortune has handed Cardiff the keys to the play-offs.
Birmingham City's Andrew Shinnie with the ball against Derby in August, but the Blues have failed to build on a great start
After a fantastic start to the season, Gary Rowett’s men are suffering. They have just one win their last seven games, a sequence which has actually seen them lose five times.
Only Huddersfield and Bolton are in worse form in the Championship right now. The Bluebirds will be hoping to add to their discomfort at St Andrew’s.
December 26 - Milton Keynes (a)
A first ever league meeting between the two clubs on Boxing Day, although the Bluebirds did crash out of the Capital One Cup at the hands of the Dons earlier this campaign.
Since promotion though Karl Robinson’s side have been suffering.
Since seeing off the Bluebirds on August 25 they have only won two games, losing 10 of the 15 outings since.
It maybe uncharted territory in the league for the Bluebirds, but they will be thinking they can add to their points haul in Milton Keynes.
Stadium:MK, Milton Keynes
December 29 - Nottingham Forest (h)
Up until Bolton last weekend, Forest were the only side where the Bluebirds had registered three points on their travels this season.
Forest are 15th right now, but the tightness of the table means Dougie Freedman’s side will believe a run of form can propel them up to the play-off places too.
Like the Bluebirds it has been inconsistency that has halted Forest’s progress.
A reasonable start to the campaign was followed by a slump, but, again like Cardiff, they seem to be regaining that winning habit just at the right time with three wins in their last four outings.
January 2 - Blackburn (h)
If the Bluebirds can get a run of results together over the festive period they should enter this first fixture of 2016 with some wind in their sails.
Rovers had a dreadful start to the campaign, but Gary Bowyer seems to have steadied the ship somewhat and despite lying 13th now they will believe that, if they can keep up their current form, they can make a genuine assault on the top six too.
Right now they are unbeaten in six with three wins and three draws in that run.