" Will this hurt Cardiff City? "

Not having clinical finishers?

The teams above Cardiff in this division have spent big money on clinical finishers, and at this critical stage of the season, it is really beginning to hurt the Bluebirds.


Sunday 14th Feb 2016

Media Wales

Yesterday at Charlton, their profligacy almost sent them home empty handed.

It was only the brilliance of Bruno Manga that stopped Charlton from stealing it at the death.

His awareness in being exactly where he needed to be to clear Makienok’s effort off the line was superb. There was nothing so subtle about the series of determined blocks that followed, but they were no less vital.




Slade at least knows that in the brilliant Gabonese stopper and Matthew Connolly, he boasts one of most impressive backlines in the division.

In the coming weeks, it might make all the difference.

He knew that throwing on Federico Macheda was a gamble, but he knew he could count on his centre-backs to cope with the counter-attacking threat Charlton posed, with the Bluebirds often leaving four men up top for much of the final stages.

Their response was emphatic, snuffing out the danger and putting their bodies on the line. At times, it was a breathtaking rearguard.


Cardiff City player ratings v Charlton Athletic: Bruno Ecuele Manga the star of the show as Sammy Ameobi and Peter Whittingham flounder

Cardiff know, however, that they should not be clinging on for a point at the side bottom in the table.

Just like last week, they should have been protecting a comfortable lead as the game came to its conclusion.

But the cutting edge and final touch just simply isn’t there. It is telling that in the week Jordan Rhodes announced his £9million move to Middlesbrough with a last gasp goal, Cardiff’s deadline day signing Kenneth Zohore was an unused substitute.

These are the cards the embargo dealt Cardiff with, but at present, it looks unlikely to be a winning hand for Russell Slade.

We were signing rubbish before the embargo. Slade's record in the transfer market has been poor throughout.

2 clean sheets in 2 games but also 2 shut outs at the other end got to get the balance right if want to sneak in to the playoffs and at the minute the forward play is struggling. How about some intensive shooting practice in training??

Nothing spoilt yet but we'll have to start turning these draws into wins soon.

Back in August I said that if we could find someone to stick the ball in the net we would piss this league. Unfortunately we haven't. Still I agree with the post above that the strikers should have concentrated training sessions and how about our set-piece from corners and free-kicks which was producing goals at one point?

Slade brought in revell and doyle. Instead of wasting money on them he could have bought a million pound striker.
He brought in ameobi who is shit aswell when he could have loaned someone like fraizer campbell. Now hes loaned immers and zahore who will just be put on the bench every game so pointless signings once again.

Fact is slade is useless and aint got a clue what to do to get cardiff out of this league. Slade needs to go asap.

No matter what level of football you need somebody who can put the ball in theo onion bag, we have seen it be the difference year on year. If your blessed with a prolific scorer its a bonus, but having a decent striker does ultimately make a huge difference. Having said that, Mason and KJ had to go for different reasons and they were not the answer. Some of our other strikers have also flattered to deceive. All teams crave a top striker, we potentially have one in saddi but who knows.

A different level of football but as a player Chris pike was dreadful, but when it came to putting the ball in the net he did just that. I think macheda is capable but he seems disinterested and will soon be on his way.

I also think a team building again which is what we are can address what is now needed and be stronger got it in the future.

Slade brought in revell and doyle. Instead of wasting money on them he could have bought a million pound striker.
He brought in ameobi who is shit aswell when he could have loaned someone like fraizer campbell. Now hes loaned immers and zahore who will just be put on the bench every game so pointless signings once again.

Fact is slade is useless and aint got a clue what to do to get cardiff out of this league. Slade needs to go asap.

It is very hard to argue with that assessment. What made me worry was Slade admitting when signing Tom Lawrence that the striker wasn't "prolific?"

Not really a clever move for a club struggling to score as we are already well stocked with non-prolific strikers

No matter what level of football you need somebody who can put the ball in theo onion bag, we have seen it be the difference year on year. If your blessed with a prolific scorer its a bonus, but having a decent striker does ultimately make a huge difference. Having said that, Mason and KJ had to go for different reasons and they were not the answer. Some of our other strikers have also flattered to deceive. All teams crave a top striker, we potentially have one in saddi but who knows.

A different level of football but as a player Chris pike was dreadful, but when it came to putting the ball in the net he did just that. I think macheda is capable but he seems disinterested and will soon be on his way.

I also think a team building again which is what we are can address what is now needed and be stronger got it in the future.

On a similar note after Earnie left us in 2004 he often got slated with being unable to hold the ball up as a 'complete forward' should do (especially Bryan Robson @ WBA). Earnie was never that kind of player he was an out and out goal scorer. He was as close to a guaranteed 25 goals a season as you could get.

Never understood why managers simply didn't allow him to get on with what he did best, rather than trying to make him something he is not.

It's just plain silly to put an argument forward that the embargo and lack of a prolific goal scorer will suddenly halt our promotion push, firstly I don't think many of us truly believe that we are good enough to get promoted or even a top six finish. We have also scored goals, been two up and yet failed to win those games. We must have had at least 6 strikers over this campaign who could be considered decent at one time or another and all have failed to get any consistency.

The lack of a clinical goalscorer has already hurt us and sadly will continue to hurt us but we are no better in respect of defensive performance, you only have to compare our performance so far this season to the other teams in the top 10.

Only 1 team (Notts Forest - 10th) have scored fewer goals and on the flip side only 1 team (Ipswich - 8th) have conceded more. No team inside the top 10 have kept fewer clean sheets although 3 (Forest, Ipswich & Brighton) have the same number as us - 9.
No team in the top 10 has drawn more games than us. Only 1 team (Birmingham -10) has failed to score in more games.

The reality is we have struggled ALL season to get the balance between being defensively solid, in particular holding onto a lead, and scoring a single goal or conceding 1 goal less to convert any of the 13 draws into a win.

In my opinion it is wrong to look at a single aspect of team performance (Goal scoring) when we have and continue to fail in almost ALL other areas of the team.

When you look at the home games against Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham we scored 2 in each game but still failed to win. Is that because our strikers failed or our defensive organisation ? Or did the team as a whole fail ? I know where I think the failure lies, with the team as a whole and the manager in particular because his substitutions have tended to have a negative effect on the team and actually cost us points.

We are where we deserve to be and, in my opinion, where we will stay in the top 10 but short of the stated target of the top 6.

No matter what level of football you need somebody who can put the ball in theo onion bag, we have seen it be the difference year on year. If your blessed with a prolific scorer its a bonus, but having a decent striker does ultimately make a huge difference. Having said that, Mason and KJ had to go for different reasons and they were not the answer. Some of our other strikers have also flattered to deceive. All teams crave a top striker, we potentially have one in saddi but who knows.

A different level of football but as a player Chris pike was dreadful, but when it came to putting the ball in the net he did just that. I think macheda is capable but he seems disinterested and will soon be on his way.

I also think a team building again which is what we are can address what is now needed and be stronger got it in the future.

On a similar note after Earnie left us in 2004 he often got slated with being unable to hold the ball up as a 'complete forward' should do (especially Bryan Robson @ WBA). Earnie was never that kind of player he was an out and out goal scorer. He was as close to a guaranteed 25 goals a season as you could get.

Never understood why managers simply didn't allow him to get on with what he did best, rather than trying to make him something he is not.

Couldn't agree more

Yes it is.

Wouldn't rush Saadi back too early but need to find out about him for next season. We also need to find out if Healy is Championship class, if not let him go and find his level. If Lawrence turns out to be any good we need to get his signature, Leicester will be shopping a little higher next season.

We were signing rubbish before the embargo. Slade's record in the transfer market has been poor throughout.

Yep slades signings all of them

Recall Adam Le Fondre.

With this new system that Slade is using, we have been creating more chances. We need a clinical goal scorer, and although he couldn't finish his dinner previously, what's the point in him sitting on the Wolves bench when we are crying out for someone to put the ball in the net.

Would he really be any worse than Macheda?

Seriously thought we'd sign a tidy striker, even with the embargo. A Fraizer Campbell type, but Tan isn't going to pay his wages, is he?

Seriously thought we'd sign a tidy striker, even with the embargo. A Fraizer Campbell type, but Tan isn't going to pay his wages, is he?

I think you are right...for this season at least

However, given Vincent Tan's recent positive moves in the financial sense, it would seem illogical not to give next season's manager (be it Russell Slade or someone else) some kind of War Chest with which to do battle for a serious push for the Premier League and the financial rewards he (Tan) now knows is there and can now better plan for

It maybe not a Malky or OGS sized War Chest, but it would make sense and (along with the expected positive season ticket news) help keep the loyal supporters on side