Have Cardiff Cracked It?!

Russell Slade appears to have found a perfect formation going forward and the perfect personnel to man it

On the evidence against Brighton at least, it suddenly appeared that, after months of angst and argument, Cardiff City’s best attacking line-up was one that really contained no strikers at all.

After various formations and losing the likes of Kenwyne Jones, Joe Mason, Alex Revell and Tony Watt this season, manager Russell Slade appears to have found a perfect formation going forward and the perfect personnel to man it. And not one of them is a recognised striker.

Here we take a look at the players who destroyed the high-flying Seagulls at the Cardiff City Stadium.

ANTHONY PILKINGTON

It really wasn't supposed to be this way, was it? For most of his time since arriving in the Welsh capital from Norwich for £1m in the summer of 2014, Pilkington had been a winger, showing some class, but not totally thrilling.

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Fast forward and he is born-again as the frontman Cardiff always craved and searched for then found right under their own noses. An excellent, threatening performance in the humbling of Brighton saw him make it three goals in six games since being moved up top by Slade.

Pilkington still holds a goal-scoring record from when he was a 12-year-old striker in his local side, much more of this though and those Republic of Ireland Euro dreams might not seem so far-fetched either.

PETER WHITTINGHAM

As they say, reports of Whittingham’s demise, it seems, been greatly exaggerated. Nine years at the club and the 31-year-old has burst back to life for the Bluebirds. The play-making days might be over by his own admission, but, tucked out left with licence to roam, he was devastating against the Seagulls as the assists and two goals will attest to.

We’ve seen Whittingham fall out of fashion before, of course, think the Premier League promotion season as Whittingham became an observer as the Bluebirds secured the Championship title under Malky Mackay.

This season too, Slade has benched him, but the midfielder refuses to go quietly. Form is temporary, class is permanent, that old cliché was never truer than in the case of good old "Whitts".

LEX IMMERS

Personally he was my man of the match against Brighton. The Dutchman was just immense. He never stopped running and battling and feeding his teammates. He is the closest thing the Bluebirds have to a target man currently except he isn’t really a target man and the Bluebirds don’t seem to need one anyway.

In the first-half against Brighton in particular, Immers seemed to be absolutely everywhere and almost anything Cardiff did well went through him. Let’s not forget that lovely finish for his goal after a break in the Brighton box either.

Slade said if the club had not been under a transfer embargo last month, they would most likely not have brought Immers in on loan from Feyenoord. God bless that transfer embargo then. Two goals in two starts is really all one needs to know right now.

TOM LAWRENCE

The only one of our Cardiff offensive players not to find the net against Brighton. Sure he deserved one, but no matter, Lawrence all round was excellent and put in his best performance since arriving on loan from Leicester.

He is better tucked out on the right than through the middle that much is apparent. Lawrence tormented his full-back all game, indeed the Seagulls had no answer to his directness and devastating ability to drive into the opposition penalty area with real menace.

If the young Wales international is partly in the Welsh capital to catch the eye of the Dragons’ camp ahead of this summer’s Euros, then he is doing himself no harm at all right now. Chris Coleman’s assistant, Osian Roberts, was at the Cardiff City Stadium and surely left as impressed as anyone by what he had seen of Lawrence against Brighton.

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A bold statement but it was no fluke, we might not beat boro but the team is improving and looks far better with pace pass and move. Worry would be one injury to pilks would destroy it.

The question is can they do it on a regular basis, or was yesterday a one off where everything went in. Don't think we can realistically expect that to happen week in week out. Important not to get despondent when things go the other way. A lot will happen over the next few months, some good and some bad.

One Swallow don't make a summer
and for the those with overactive imaginations I am referring to the feathered variety of bird.

The question is can they do it on a regular basis, or was yesterday a one off where everything went in. Don't think we can realistically expect that to happen week in week out. Important not to get despondent when things go the other way. A lot will happen over the next few months, some good and some bad.

Got to agree again, and we know it can't happen all the time but you worry when chances aren't being created. We created shed loads in the last 3 games long may it continue.

One Swallow don't make a summer
and for the those with overactive imaginations I am referring to the feathered variety of bird.

I agree but lately huge steps forward have been taken albeit with a few back.

One Swallow don't make a summer
and for the those with overactive imaginations I am referring to the feathered variety of bird.

I agree but we also put Wolves and Huddersfield to the sword away recently.

Let's see how we do in our next two matches then we'll have a fair idea.

Not a mention of Tan's input... Shoooot

Out of interest , which media report was this cut and pasted from?

Out of interest , which media report was this cut and pasted from?

Walesonline.

Fantastic performance against Brighton and that was without Craig Noone who was key to a brilliant performance against Wolves!

Tom Lawrence looked very sharp. Would love to see some consistency to these performances now! If we can play well against Boro tomorrow then I will remain optimistic for the rest of the season!