NEIL WARNOCK: TEAM SELECTED FRIDAY AND GOOD OPPORTUNITY

Neil Warnock picked Cardiff's League Cup team prior to Huddersfield draw
By Rory Dollard

Neil Warnock has revealed he chose Cardiff City‘s League Cup team last week and is more than happy with what looks certain to be a second string side.


The Bluebirds host Championship side Norwich on Tuesday night, looking to find some fluency after failing to score in each of their first three Premier League games.

Warnock’s chosen XI will bear little resemblance to the one which scraped together a 0-0 draw against 10-man Huddersfield on Saturday but he insisted that is no comment on performances at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Indeed, he pieced together the team before travelling north and believes it stands up well.

“I picked the team for Tuesday on Friday,” he said.

“And when I put it up on the board I thought ‘bloody hell…not bad that’. When I came to the club I’d have settled for that team in the Championship.

“It’s not bad, the squad we’ve got and we’ve done that over 18 months, really.”


Fans have advance warning over what to expect in terms of changes but Warnock insists the early season knockout fixture offers a worthy audition to break into the first XI rather than the inconvenience some top-flight bosses see it as.

“It’s a good game for us to have because I need to look at one or two things and it will be a good opportunity for me,” he said.

“Everyone will get a chance who has not played (at Huddersfield) and then we’ll fill in with one or two that have played to make the numbers.”

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The men in contention to start

Neil Etheridge has fully justified his position as the club's first choice goalkeeper having kept clean sheets in two of the Bluebirds' three Premier League games so far as well as saving penalties against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

It's meant summer signing Alex Smithies has had to settle for a place on the bench, but the former Queens Park Rangers man is set to make his competitive bow for the Bluebirds against Norwich, with Brian Murphy most likely to be named among the substitutes.

And there's set to be big changes in the back line too.

Smithies' fellow summer recruit Greg Cunningham should get the nod on the left, with Joe Bennett set to be rested while Matthew Connolly, Lee Peltier and Jazz Richards are all in the mix to start, although captain Sean Morrison could well remain in the starting XI to give the Bluebirds some continuity in defence.


Further up the pitch, Loic Damour is in line to get his first minutes of the season while Callum Paterson could well get the nod given that he's started the last two games on the bench, although he did play the majority of the 0-0 draw with Huddersfield due to the injury suffered by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

Junior Hoilett is unlikely to return to action until after the international break, and it means Kadeem Harris could get the chance to shine in front of the Cardiff faithful on Tuesday night.

Don't be too surprised if Josh Murphy takes to the field from the outset given the injuries to Hoilett and Mendez-Laing, while Warnock did make it clear that he will have to include some players who have been involved in the three games so far this season in the squad for the visit of the Carrow Road outfit.


And as for the forwards, Bobby Reid and Danny Ward will be vying for starts having made cameos in the draw against Huddersfield while Gary Madine will also be desperate to prove his worth as he bids to score his first competitive goal for the Bluebirds since his January move to South Wales from Bolton.

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How the Bluebirds could line up

Here's a closer look at the ways Cardiff could line up in their cup clash with the Canaries.


4-1-3-2

Smithies; Peltier/Richards, Morrison, Connolly, Cunningham; Damour; Paterson, Reid, Harris; Ward, Madine.


4-2-3-1

Smithies; Peltier/Richards, Morrison, Connolly, Cunningham; Damour, Paterson; Murphy, Reid, Harris; Ward.


4-4-2/4-2-2-2

Smithies; Peltier/Richards, Morrison, Connolly, Cunningham; Damour, Paterson; Reid, Harris; Ward, Madine.


Your opinion: How should Cardiff line up against Norwich?


Note: The injured trio of Aron Gunnarsson, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Junior Hoilett are not available for selection

Surely a game to put Tomlin and Pilkington in the shop window. Injuries to JH & NML surely mean that we cannot risk Murphy and with NW saying that Madine had comeback from the close season looking mean and keen having lost loads of weight it has to be time to give him a full 90 minutes.

I'd also use Jazz Richards in midfield alongside Damour as he is more than capable of doing a job in there. Tomlin needs to play so we will have at least one player on the field capable of delivering a quality cross which is something our other players used so far this season have failed miserably with.

NW like most any other manager is not going to take this competition seriously so forget the bullshit about the team he has selected being better than the team he had available when he took over, I think this is a game he would rather do without but it is also a game to nothing and for the faithful fans it offers the chance of a cup run and in a season where we will be fighting for our PL future a cup run could add a priceless feel good factor.

I hope we do win and get a decent draw in the next round and in this competition your staring at a possible quarter final before you know it.

Surely a game to put Tomlin and Pilkington in the shop window. Injuries to JH & NML surely mean that we cannot risk Murphy and with NW saying that Madine had comeback from the close season looking mean and keen having lost loads of weight it has to be time to give him a full 90 minutes.

I'd also use Jazz Richards in midfield alongside Damour as he is more than capable of doing a job in there. Tomlin needs to play so we will have at least one player on the field capable of delivering a quality cross which is something our other players used so far this season have failed miserably with.

NW like most any other manager is not going to take this competition seriously so forget the bullshit about the team he has selected being better than the team he had available when he took over, I think this is a game he would rather do without but it is also a game to nothing and for the faithful fans it offers the chance of a cup run and in a season where we will be fighting for our PL future a cup run could add a priceless feel good factor.

I hope we do win and get a decent draw in the next round and in this competition your staring at a possible quarter final before you know it.

Gary, that's a good call and I hope the manager takes the opportunity to see what the rest of the squad can do for their Premier League chances

Smithies, Cunningham, Damour and Madine should be the shoe-ins; whilst Tomlin and Pilkington will have something to prove ahead of any potential moves before the the transfer deadline

Whatever team is picked, I will be at the game to support and expecting the team to put in a winning performance against Norwich before hopefully moving on with the feel good factor that any cup run can bring

Surely Cunningham play cb with Connolly so jazz and pelts can play rb lb. With midfield and strikers made up with those who have been subs etc so they can all bid for a place to start Sunday