' Cardiff City Need to address '
Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:36 am
Cardiff City Need to address home form under new manager Neil Warnock following Wigan defeat
By Phil Smith
Monday 31st October 2016
Cardiff City v Sheffield Wednesday at the Cardiff City Stadium
QPR. Reading. Leeds United. Derby County. Wigan Athletic.
Zero points.
Zero goals.
There are a couple of decent teams in that quintet, one pretty average, and two who came to the Cardiff City Stadium in a dreadful run of form.
Two even arrived without a manager, Derby losing theirs just hours before kick-off after Nigel Pearson's bust-up with club owner Mel Morris.
Cardiff City's home form is becoming an achilles heel undermining their season.
Four points from the Severnside derby and a tough clash with Sheffield Wednesday was a superb haul but take those impassioned, backs to the wall affairs out of the equation and the Bluebirds are simply not doing enough in front of their own fans.
It has become too easy for teams to sit deep, frustrate and punish on the counter.
Against QPR, goals in the 76th and 85th minute. Reading, the 89th. Leeds, 62 and 82. Derby 55 and 80. Now Wigan, victorious in the 86th thanks to a former Swan.
Too often, it is hard work to no avail before a sucker punch or two at the death.
If Cardiff are to have any hope of soaring up this league, it is the biggest area where they must improve.
Away from home, under one of the best organisers and motivators in the league, they will be completely in their element and will make life bitterly uncomfortable for their opponents.
The way they clinically disposed of the naïve Nottingham Forest last weekend shows how well set up they are when the pressure is on the opponents to play.
When the boot is on the other foot, it remains too predictable and an a little one paced.
Neil Warnock will assert that the Wigan clash showed they can do it, that his side had a hatful of chances and should have put the game to bed ling before the final ten minutes.
That is absolutely true.
They created far more than in the previous four home defeats and certainly played at a better tempo.
There were countless close calls from set pieces and some slick moves from open play, too.
Had Sol Bamba forced the ball over the line in the opening ten minutes then it would surely have been a different game.
Cardiff would have headed up for that daunting date with Rafa Benitez next weekend five points clear of the relegation zone, breathing down the necks of the top half of the table and with the wind very much in their sails.
Confidence would have gone up another notch, the flair players in the squad probably coming out of their shells even more.
So it's not a case of ripping it up and starting again. Cardiff are improving.
But more must be done to add variety and invention to their attacking play at home.
The Bluebirds had a formidable home record last season, it was the bedrock of their unlikely play-off push. Even, then, however, the results probably did not reflect the lack of creativity.
Derby County's Nick Blackman puts a penalty past Cardiff goalkeeper Ben Amos
After the international break Cardiff face two tough home fixtures against Huddersfield and Brighton.
As suits them at the moment, they will probably be able to play those games almost as the away team, getting back that siege mentality that worked so well against Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday.
After that, however, two games with Wolves and Barnsley in the space of four days is the point at which the Bluebirds must start making home points a regular occurrence.
There were some positives on show yesterday, but it also clear that much needs to be done to break what has become an infuriating pattern at the Cardiff City Stadium this season.
By Phil Smith
Monday 31st October 2016
Cardiff City v Sheffield Wednesday at the Cardiff City Stadium
QPR. Reading. Leeds United. Derby County. Wigan Athletic.
Zero points.
Zero goals.
There are a couple of decent teams in that quintet, one pretty average, and two who came to the Cardiff City Stadium in a dreadful run of form.
Two even arrived without a manager, Derby losing theirs just hours before kick-off after Nigel Pearson's bust-up with club owner Mel Morris.
Cardiff City's home form is becoming an achilles heel undermining their season.
Four points from the Severnside derby and a tough clash with Sheffield Wednesday was a superb haul but take those impassioned, backs to the wall affairs out of the equation and the Bluebirds are simply not doing enough in front of their own fans.
It has become too easy for teams to sit deep, frustrate and punish on the counter.
Against QPR, goals in the 76th and 85th minute. Reading, the 89th. Leeds, 62 and 82. Derby 55 and 80. Now Wigan, victorious in the 86th thanks to a former Swan.
Too often, it is hard work to no avail before a sucker punch or two at the death.
If Cardiff are to have any hope of soaring up this league, it is the biggest area where they must improve.
Away from home, under one of the best organisers and motivators in the league, they will be completely in their element and will make life bitterly uncomfortable for their opponents.
The way they clinically disposed of the naïve Nottingham Forest last weekend shows how well set up they are when the pressure is on the opponents to play.
When the boot is on the other foot, it remains too predictable and an a little one paced.
Neil Warnock will assert that the Wigan clash showed they can do it, that his side had a hatful of chances and should have put the game to bed ling before the final ten minutes.
That is absolutely true.
They created far more than in the previous four home defeats and certainly played at a better tempo.
There were countless close calls from set pieces and some slick moves from open play, too.
Had Sol Bamba forced the ball over the line in the opening ten minutes then it would surely have been a different game.
Cardiff would have headed up for that daunting date with Rafa Benitez next weekend five points clear of the relegation zone, breathing down the necks of the top half of the table and with the wind very much in their sails.
Confidence would have gone up another notch, the flair players in the squad probably coming out of their shells even more.
So it's not a case of ripping it up and starting again. Cardiff are improving.
But more must be done to add variety and invention to their attacking play at home.
The Bluebirds had a formidable home record last season, it was the bedrock of their unlikely play-off push. Even, then, however, the results probably did not reflect the lack of creativity.
Derby County's Nick Blackman puts a penalty past Cardiff goalkeeper Ben Amos
After the international break Cardiff face two tough home fixtures against Huddersfield and Brighton.
As suits them at the moment, they will probably be able to play those games almost as the away team, getting back that siege mentality that worked so well against Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday.
After that, however, two games with Wolves and Barnsley in the space of four days is the point at which the Bluebirds must start making home points a regular occurrence.
There were some positives on show yesterday, but it also clear that much needs to be done to break what has become an infuriating pattern at the Cardiff City Stadium this season.
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Re: ' Cardiff City Need to address '
Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:47 am
Couldnt agree more with this article, while the away games in the championship are notoriously hard we will draw and pinch some wins together with the defeats. Warnock will address this, it will take time and am guessing if we can have a half decent return until the window opens.
It's a strong squad but still needs two strikers and a midfielder, even a decent winger.
It's a strong squad but still needs two strikers and a midfielder, even a decent winger.