' Cardiff City must cut out slow starts '

Cardiff City must cut out slow starts to survive Aston Villa test on Saturday

By Jamie Kemble

Thursday 10th August 2017


Cardiff City struggled to break the habit of starting slow in games last season and it seems to be continuing into the current campaign.


The Bluebirds waited until the second half to come alive against Burton Albion on the weekend with Kenneth Zohore striking late to secure the win.

And again in mid-week, Warnock’s men didn’t find their rhythm until the second half when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s goal was enough to take the Carabao Cup tie with Portsmouth to extra time – Greg Halford eventually striking the winner.

And the slow starts are an issue the Bluebirds are aware of, according to Tuesday night’s hero Greg Halford.

“It was the same last season, we never got off to the best starts in the first half and sometimes we ended up chasing games,” said the experienced midfielder.

It’s a concerning factor for the Bluebirds who next welcome league favourites Aston Villa to the Cardiff City Stadium this Saturday afternoon.

Warnock’s men will need to be quick out of the blocks against Villa to avoid being punished by the millions of pounds worth of talent assembled by Steve Bruce this season.

A first half resembling anything like that of the Burton and Portsmouth fixtures and it could well leave the Bluebirds with too much to do against a team like Aston Villa.

Neil Warnock revealed he was thrilled with his teams fitness in the first two games of the season, and it has to be said, it has been impressive with the team getting stronger and stronger as the games progress.

And that in itself could prove critical with Aston Villa having the likes of 36-year-old John Terry in their ranks, experienced players who will have a big say on the game, but crucially players who will tire later on in the game.

However, Neil Warnock will also know that his team will need to get their first-half act together if they are serious about beating Aston Villa this weekend.

The Bluebirds scored just three times in the first 10 minutes of games last season, but their goals were more or less evenly split with 25 in the first half of games and 35 in the second.

The first statistic, however, highlights what we already know in that it takes this Cardiff team time to settle into games and at times, it did cost them last season.

If Warnock is serious about a promotion push then they will have to eradicate that issue this season, or they will find themselves lost amongst the undeniably high standard of this year’s Championship.

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It's been a continuous problem that whoever has been the manager has failed to come to grips with, also the captain must be held to account also, if we have to put up with Morrison as captain he needs to be more vocal on the pitch

It's been a continuous problem that whoever has been the manager has failed to come to grips with, also the captain must be held to account also, if we have to put up with Morrison as captain he needs to be more vocal on the pitch

I heard him a lot on Tuesday and thought he controlled things pretty well. Maybe we just don't hear him in the crowd for all the noise we make during a game?

Oh, hang on! Sorry...

Slow starts show a lack of fitness, trying to conserve energy doh

It's been a continuous problem that whoever has been the manager has failed to come to grips with, also the captain must be held to account also, if we have to put up with Morrison as captain he needs to be more vocal on the pitch

I heard him a lot on Tuesday and thought he controlled things pretty well. Maybe we just don't hear him in the crowd for all the noise we make during a game?

Oh, hang on! Sorry...

Chris half the time reading this forum you'd think the fans on here were down on the pitch.

I'm a big Warnock fan, but team selection is one problem. V. Burton, you can't play Peltier as a wing back.....He's fine in a flat back four. V. Pompey it was obvious that Tomlin should've been in a central role from the off. Pilks could've played wide (though Mendez clearly changed everything in both games).
If Villa play Adomah and we play wingbacks we're inviting trouble.

Why all this bollocks about one of the best centre backs in this division I don't understand it are people now saying Mr Warnock is wrong about making Sean Morrison captain who has said he is not vocal enough because there is no way on earth could we hear or not hear on the terraces

I'm a big Warnock fan, but team selection is one problem. V. Burton, you can't play Peltier as a wing back.....He's fine in a flat back four. V. Pompey it was obvious that Tomlin should've been in a central role from the off. Pilks could've played wide (though Mendez clearly changed everything in both games).
If Villa play Adomah and we play wingbacks we're inviting trouble.

So obvious that we won both games

I'm pretty sure NW knows Tomlin is more effective centrally hence why he bought him to play there, Tuesday was for me a low risk chance to see if he could play out wide if required, NW saw enough and moved him back.
As for Villa I think Adomah has been playing more centrally rather than a conventual winger.

In regards to the OP, I wouldn't say it's slow starts,just a conservative one, keep it tight frustrate and then build from there. When asked the team can step up which is the main thing. I'm very confident of a good result against t both villa and Sheffield

I'm pretty sure NW knows Tomlin is more effective centrally hence why he bought him to play there, Tuesday was for me a low risk chance to see if he could play out wide if required, NW saw enough and moved him back.
As for Villa I think Adomah has been playing more centrally rather than a conventual winger.

Exactly what I said the other day on another tread.
But all the Dio's from Aberfuckknows always know better than Warnock.