' WASTEFUL, CLUELESS, CERTAINLY NOT UNLUCKY '

Russell Slade's critics will be queueing up after Cardiff City's play-off hopes take a Christmas hit.

" they were wasteful, or clueless, certainly not unlucky . . . "

By Steve Tucker

It seems to be the same old story covering Cardiff City these days when the Bluebirds fail to pick up a result.

I have written something along the lines of, ‘but a win in their next game could see Russell Slade’s men bounce back into the Championship play-off places’.

Not this time around.

A dreadful defeat at struggling MK Dons has left the Bluebirds now four points adrift of sixth-placed Ipswich and five from Burnley in fifth.

Above that, well, let’s be honest, barring a miracle, and the Bluebirds under Slade seem a long way short of performing miracles, the top four are away, with fourth-placed Brighton a mighty 11 points ahead of Cardiff right now.

It looks like the Bluebirds are battling for two spots in the play-offs, along with arguably 11 other teams, although in truth, the tightness of the Championship makes it tough to work out where the cut-off point is.

But that is no matter, let’s focus on Cardiff. The question is, of course, do they deserve a place in the play-offs?

The answer to that right now, particularly with the horror show at Stadium MK fresh in one’s mind, is a resounding, no.

On the weekend Cardiff put in a performance that was symptomatic of all the concerns and questions that have hung over the Bluebirds’ side guided by Slade.

For so long, the stick used to beat Slade, and, as we know, there have always been plenty of hands willing to hold that stick, have been that his side were boring, pedestrian, predictable and hardly worth parting with your hard-earned cash to watch.

Earlier in the campaign, the Bluebirds battled out soulless stalemates, where a goal was a rarity, at either end it seemed.

But not any more. Those brave fans who ventured to Milton Keynes on Boxing Day witnessed a cracker of a game, full of twists and turns and plenty of chances, most of them created by the Bluebirds themselves.

But they were sadly a host of opportunities they simply could not take advantage of.

Slade’s Bluebirds can be cavalier and swashbuckling, they like to get forward and in on-loan Tony Watt they have as exciting a player currently operating in the second-flight, while in their other loanee, Sammy Ameobi, they have a player as frustrating as any the Championship currently has to offer too.

As we say, Cardiff had innumerable chances to put this game to bed so early we could have all headed home to watch The Great Escape safe in the knowledge the Bluebirds had wrapped up the points.

But they were wasteful, or clueless, certainly not unlucky, as chance after chance went begging.

And, as it must be in football it seems, the gods intervened and it had to be former Bluebird, Nicky Maynard, who opened the scoring for the hosts and Josh Murphy who delivered the last- minute coup de grace. The Bluebirds it seems have patented late heartbreak this season.

Craig Noone’s equaliser, by the way, is left bearing an insignificance its beauty hardly deserves.

But what price this new-found spirit of adventure if the Bluebirds cannot keep the door shut at the other end? OK, against the Dons there was the excuse of a new centre-half partnership bedding in just at the time you do not want such things to be happening.

Bruno Manga may be the best defender at the club as far as most are concerned, but naturally here he was rusty after so long out and it will take time to forge an understanding with the, as-ever, competitive Matthew Connolly.

But what was the Bluebirds’ excuse in more recent outings where they have squandered chance after chance and leaked vital goals at the back way too often from winning positions?

The answers surely are complex: fitness, mental toughness, formation, the ability to adapt to changes by the opposition? Take your choice. There are so many factors perhaps, but one thing is for sure, the blame for all of them will be firmly laid at one door, and that is with Slade himself. The buck stops there.

Never perhaps before has a Cardiff manager, whose side have not been fighting relegation, laboured under such a great avalanche of criticism just waiting to be unleashed as soon as the time is right.

And, after a result like the one at Milton Keynes, it seems, judging by social media at least, that the time is currently right.

The players maybe under-performing too often, the club itself might lack direction, but the focus remains on one man, Russell Slade, and until the problems so evident against the Dons are remedied that will continue to be the case.

Three points against Forest will not see Cardiff back in the play-off places then, but what they would do is give the ‘Slade Out’ brigade a bit of a break of about, oh, four days at least I would say.

Never perhaps before has a Cardiff manager, whose side have not been fighting relegation, laboured under such a great avalanche of criticism just waiting to be unleashed as soon as the time is right.

I used the word rebellion and that is what it feels like is going to happen.

we're just lucky the championship is crap this year, worst I have seen so far, and I think that is why we are hanging on in there.

I suspect with the monies changing that the league will get worse year on year as well, so getting out of it and into the premiership is ideal this year.

The blame certainly rests at one mans door, I firmly believe that in a mediocre championship, which taking out Derby and Boro, it most certainly is, Dave Jones at the helm with this bunch of players would have them sitting comfortably in third position and playing attractive football

Never perhaps before has a Cardiff manager, whose side have not been fighting relegation, laboured under such a great avalanche of criticism just waiting to be unleashed as soon as the time is right.

I used the word rebellion and that is what it feels like is going to happen.

That's not right.

Alan Cork, Russell Osman and Lennie Lawrence all got stuck none were close to relegating us. Even Malky was getting stick after we lost 4 2 to the Wurzels. That lasted for a bit.

we're just lucky the championship is crap this year, worst I have seen so far, and I think that is why we are hanging on in there.

I suspect with the monies changing that the league will get worse year on year as well, so getting out of it and into the premiership is ideal this year.

Are you for real? In Hull, Derby and Boro there's probably 3 of the best sides in the championship for many a year. Burnley are not too far behind in terms of squad quality. They paid 9m quid for a striker in the summer!!

This is a far better division than the year we went up. We went up as champions by 8 points and only won 3 of our last 13 games!!!

we're just lucky the championship is crap this year, worst I have seen so far, and I think that is why we are hanging on in there.

I suspect with the monies changing that the league will get worse year on year as well, so getting out of it and into the premiership is ideal this year.

It's not. It's improving as money filters down. People are spending big. Players in the championship who would be in the Premiership years ago. Teams are going up and not just surviving but thriving. Look at Bournemouth and Watford?

It's far better than the year we won it. I did some stats last year about amount of points between top and bottom which shows overall quality is better.

we're just lucky the championship is crap this year, worst I have seen so far, and I think that is why we are hanging on in there.

I suspect with the monies changing that the league will get worse year on year as well, so getting out of it and into the premiership is ideal this year.

Are you for real? In Hull, Derby and Boro there's probably 3 of the best sides in the championship for many a year. Burnley are not too far behind in terms of squad quality. They paid 9m quid for a striker in the summer!!

This is a far better division than the year we went up. We went up as champions by 8 points and only won 3 of our last 13 games!!!

Fans always say it's a poor division when it suits them. I'm in the minority who is willing to give slade a go. I know people get frustrated with him but people are often picking out what they want to say he's bad. Anyway, I understand it's a tough league and I don't think finishing 8th for instance is a disaster, but we're still in the mix.

we're just lucky the championship is crap this year, worst I have seen so far, and I think that is why we are hanging on in there.

I suspect with the monies changing that the league will get worse year on year as well, so getting out of it and into the premiership is ideal this year.

Are you for real? In Hull, Derby and Boro there's probably 3 of the best sides in the championship for many a year. Burnley are not too far behind in terms of squad quality. They paid 9m quid for a striker in the summer!!

This is a far better division than the year we went up. We went up as champions by 8 points and only won 3 of our last 13 games!!!

Fans always say it's a poor division when it suits them. I'm in the minority who is willing to give slade a go. I know people get frustrated with him but people are often picking out what they want to say he's bad. Anyway, I understand it's a tough league and I don't think finishing 8th for instance is a disaster, but we're still in the mix.

The Championship is not a poor division its just really tight and that anyone can beat anyone as we all know and I agree we are still in the mix but for how long? that's the thing

we're just lucky the championship is crap this year, worst I have seen so far, and I think that is why we are hanging on in there.

I suspect with the monies changing that the league will get worse year on year as well, so getting out of it and into the premiership is ideal this year.

Are you for real? In Hull, Derby and Boro there's probably 3 of the best sides in the championship for many a year. Burnley are not too far behind in terms of squad quality. They paid 9m quid for a striker in the summer!!

This is a far better division than the year we went up. We went up as champions by 8 points and only won 3 of our last 13 games!!!

Fans always say it's a poor division when it suits them. I'm in the minority who is willing to give slade a go. I know people get frustrated with him but people are often picking out what they want to say he's bad. Anyway, I understand it's a tough league and I don't think finishing 8th for instance is a disaster, but we're still in the mix.

I don't think the division is too strong this year, teams that went up last year would cream this years lot
The Championship is not a poor division its just really tight and that anyone can beat anyone as we all know and I agree we are still in the mix but for how long? that's the thing

bit tasty for tucker, I can see another DJ WoL stand off soon.

Its not one mans fault but the 11 average players on the pitch.
Great squad my arse.....