Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:03 am
RUSSELL SLADE DESERVES RESPECT FOR HIS WIN OVER BRIGHTON AND I BELIEVE WE WILL WIN AT BORO
By Nathan Blake
Tuesday 23rd Feb 2016
There was a lot to get excited about in Cardiff City’s excellent win over Brighton on the weekend, but it’s going to mean little if they do not back it up at Middlesbrough tonight.
Russell Slade’s men head north off the back of as good a performance as I can remember under the current boss, particularly in front of home supporters who have not had too much to cheer about this term.
It was what finally looked like a complete performance from the Bluebirds.
There was a lot to admire and everyone, at last, looked like they knew what their role was in the team and they got on with it.
Now, I know a lot of people are keen not to give Slade credit for that showing.
Many will say, ‘Oh, he just stumbled on the formation,’ or, ‘It’s all down to Paul Trollope’s coaching methods.’
The way I see it, you can’t have it both ways.
When the Bluebirds are awful, you can’t lay it all at the door of the manager, but then, when they are decent, go trying to place the credit elsewhere.
The infamous story of the Cardiff City implosion against Middlesbrough that left ex-boss Dave Jones doomed
The buck stops with the manager at the end of the day.
And Slade deserves a bit of kudos right now for the way he set up his team and the way they went about things against Brighton.
The result was a good one, of course, but it was the performance that made me most content.
They did not squeak past Brighton 1-0, the Bluebirds battered them all over the pitch.
And the one thing that caused me to smile the most was that it was a really entertaining display, too.
So often this season the football has been poor to watch and people go on about how it is the results that are really important in the long run.
That to me is rubbish. Football is an entertainment business and fans who pay their money deserve to be entertained.
Anyone who forked out for a ticket to watch Cardiff play Brighton can’t possibly complain they did not get their money’s worth.
But as I say, Slade and his men must capitalise on the Brighton performance on Teesside tonight.
As we all know, too often this campaign, we’ve seen a good showing, seen a good result and all thought that was when the Bluebirds’ season was going to take off and things have just fizzled out as they have drawn or lost their next game.
There’s no excuses this time. That was a great showing on the weekend and the Bluebirds should be buzzing with confidence ahead of this clash.
I believe Boro are the perfect side for Cardiff to be playing, too.
For a start, when it has come to the Bluebirds failing to build on a good result they have usually stumbled against one of the sides struggling lower down in the Championship.
Boro are right up there, they dropped out of the automatic places over the weekend and will be just itching to get back in there.
Boro are without a win now in five games, having drawn their last three and the pressure is all on them.
There is a lot of expectation up there and if Cardiff can keep things tight, the longer the match goes on, the more on edge that home crowd is going to get.
I believe Cardiff will win up at The Riverside.
I hope they believe that they can win as well. After their showing against Brighton, they certainly should have that belief.