The worrying issues Cardiff City must now resolve after lack

The worrying issues Cardiff City must now resolve after lacklustre Leicester City display



By Dominic Booth


Monday 5th November 2018



With 24 hours having passed following an emotive day, Cardiff City must now address some serious on-field issues that arose from their 1-0 defeat to Leicester City.

Once again the Bluebirds fans were a credit to the club with how they respected Leicester: observing the minute's silence impeccably and supporting the Foxes faithful in paying tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

On the pitch, however, it was a highly competitive tussle but one in which Cardiff were second best for long periods, the defeat meaning they now dip back into the relegation zone.

These are the issues Neil Warnock must address in the next seven days ahead of next week's vital game against Brighton...




Reignite home form after a bad weekend all round

Newcastle's victory over Watford was bad news for Cardiff, so too the fact that either (or both) Huddersfield or Fulham will pick up points when they meet on Monday night.

It means Cardiff have been dragged back into the mire, with concerns heightening about their survival credentials once again. Losing winnable home games to Burnley and Leicester will merely give fuel to those pundits who believe the Bluebirds will sink like a stone.





And in truth, their performance against Leicester was a Championship performance.

The football was too often Route One straight up to Callum Paterson, too rudimentary and lacking the verve and energy seen in that tremendous Fulham triumph a fortnight ago.

It was reminiscent of the back-to-basics approach that dogged the Bluebirds' form at times towards the end of last season. Warnock's side are often labelled direct and physical but their most effective football is also eye-catching, fluent and played at a high tempo.

That must return in the next month or two during this favourable run of fixtures, else Cardiff will be under pressure to pick up points in the more difficult away games.






Evolve the style of play

The sight of Ben Chilwell racing down the Leicester left flank and creating Demarai Gray's goal on Saturday afternoon should provide its own lesson to Cardiff - and in particular Joe Bennett - about how to bring more vigour to the attack.

Cardiff's full-backs just did not maraud with the same adventure as the young England left-back. Ricardo Pereira did something similar on the opposite flank and you wonder if Warnock should now free the shackles on Bennett.

The current tactics are understandable. Of course it's wise to protect and defend, but you feel Bennett isn't operating at his full capacity.

He is one of their most able Premier League footballers, wouldn't look out of place in Bournemouth's side, or West Ham's.

And his natural instincts, to get forward and use that cultured left foot, are being curtailed somewhat.

It's a different problem on the other side, where Cardiff are playing a centre-back out of position. You wouldn't expect Bruno Manga to overlap and crusade down the right. But overlapping, crusading full-backs are a cornerstone of almost every Premier League attack.

It's hardly Manga's fault - in fact he's doing a very decent job. But Cardiff must either get Jazz Richards fit and firing to play the position, or scour the transfer market for a right-back in January.






They need an extra dimension going forward.


Bring the best out of Paterson

This was not the same Paterson that we saw against Tottenham and Fulham.

This time, the fears of those who believe he is just a makeshift centre-forward were borne out. The Scot won his fair share of flick-ons and physically matched Wes Morgan, but there was precious little else.

It wasn't all down to him. As Nathan Blake has written on these pages Paterson has limitations as a centre-forward, so Cardiff must do what they did against Fulham and get players close to him, running beyond him.

That's why overlapping full-backs would be a huge help. They would allow Josh Murphy and Victor Camarasa to drift inside and develop an understanding with Paterson. Bobby Decordova-Reid must also do more going forward - he felt like a midfielder against Leicester but was bought as an attacking playmaker.

Such an attacking display has done little to quell ongoing concerns about Cardiff's lack of a true Premier League quality striker.

Kenneth Zohore's situation remains a mystery and Gary Madine has STILL not scored a goal for Cardiff, suggesting he is not likely to influence Premier League matches off the bench.

Warnock has always been very defensive of his decision to splash £6milion on Madine but maybe it's time Cardiff cut their losses. It simply hasn't worked out and may never.

Yet whoever is selected up front must form part of an effective system. That was lacking against Leicester and Cardiff can ill-afford to see a repeat against Brighton.





Solve midfield conundrum for Brighton

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.




Also, you can play Harry Arter in midfield but you can't stop him getting booked.

A fifth yellow card in nine Cardiff appearances means the on-loan Bournemouth star - who was actually among Cardiff's best performers against Leicester - picked up that suspension fans had been fearing.


Replacing him in midfield against Brighton next week will be no easy task. Joe Ralls has served his suspension but is still sidelined with a chipped bone in his knee.

And while Aron Gunnarsson's return to action has been largely successful, Saturday was the first time he'd completed 90 minutes since the World Cup.

Whether Warnock returns to the side that faced Liverpool and slots Camarasa back into a deeper role remains to be seen.

The Cardiff fans - who continue to be the biggest positive for the club this season - adore Arter's style and more of his midfield bite will go down well with the Bluebirds faithful.

More than anything, the supporters deserve a big performance from the entire team against Brighton next weekend.

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The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

My view is he has no concern where we end up. He has factored into his business plan that the cost of supporting a Premier club is more than he wants to bear. I'm sure he wants to minimise his losses and then pass the baton on to someone else. I do think he wants to leave the club in a sustainable position though.

Replace Warnock with who ?

Give NW 30m in Jan and he will keep us up.

Give NW 30m in Jan and he will keep us up.

How can you say that?? we could be too far behind come christmas, we need at least 15/16 points by then to give us any hope in the second half of the season.

Replace Warnock with who ?

I would personally like Craig Bellamy to be given the chance if not on a permanent basis then as a caretaker manager untill we can get a manager with Premiership experience installed

I agree with City Slicker, I think Tan is looking at an exit strategy of recouping some money for himself and leaving the club in a healthier position than he found it, albeit in the Championship, this would be acceptable for Tan. Thus he's not throwing a large transfer fund at it.
That does not mean that I think we will necessarily be relegated because I think there could well be 3 teams worse than us.
I still have faith in Warnock and I think he is capable of finishing fourth from bottom.

Replace Warnock with who ?

I would personally like Craig Bellamy to be given the chance if not on a permanent basis then as a caretaker manager untill we can get a manager with Premiership experience installed

id prefer Dominic Booth myself...

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

My view is he has no concern where we end up. He has factored into his business plan that the cost of supporting a Premier club is more than he wants to bear. I'm sure he wants to minimise his losses and then pass the baton on to someone else. I do think he wants to leave the club in a sustainable position though.

While I some what agree with what your saying, VT, in order to exit our club in a better positon than he inherited, then thats going to cost some one, or organization, a lot of money.


Speckulate to accumilate??? Surely our club is a more attractive investement staying in the Premier League?

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

My view is he has no concern where we end up. He has factored into his business plan that the cost of supporting a Premier club is more than he wants to bear. I'm sure he wants to minimise his losses and then pass the baton on to someone else. I do think he wants to leave the club in a sustainable position though.

While I some what agree with what your saying, VT, in order to exit our club in a better positon than he inherited, then thats going to cost some one, or organization, a lot of money.


Speckulate to accumilate??? Surely our club is a more attractive investement staying in the Premier League?

Yes I see your point but I don't agree with Vinnie's strategy. I think personally he's missing a trick. If managed properly there is a way of making money out of a Premier League club as opposed to losses. I think the difference with him is that he saw an opportunity when he first took over the club to make a lot of money and it proved illusory. He's only ever had one plan in mind and he's never countenanced any other scenario.

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

My view is he has no concern where we end up. He has factored into his business plan that the cost of supporting a Premier club is more than he wants to bear. I'm sure he wants to minimise his losses and then pass the baton on to someone else. I do think he wants to leave the club in a sustainable position though.

While I some what agree with what your saying, VT, in order to exit our club in a better positon than he inherited, then thats going to cost some one, or organization, a lot of money.


Speckulate to accumilate??? Surely our club is a more attractive investement staying in the Premier League?

yes a prem club is more attractive...but how much do you spend to make THE difference taking into account there are clubs down there with us that spent far more last summer who already had premier league squads..?

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

I'll bet a pound to your pinch of shit he's got a better idea than you.Many real supporters remember when we really didn't have a pot to piss in.I accept this is gonna be a hard season but as a real supporter I realise the last thing this club needs are supporters turning against the manager and/or the owner.If you like that sort of shite and historically you do then I would suggest you go and support Newcastle Utd where from the safety of your armchair you'll be well received.

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

My view is he has no concern where we end up. He has factored into his business plan that the cost of supporting a Premier club is more than he wants to bear. I'm sure he wants to minimise his losses and then pass the baton on to someone else. I do think he wants to leave the club in a sustainable position though.

While I some what agree with what your saying, VT, in order to exit our club in a better positon than he inherited, then thats going to cost some one, or organization, a lot of money.


Speckulate to accumilate??? Surely our club is a more attractive investement staying in the Premier League?

Yes I see your point but I don't agree with Vinnie's strategy. I think personally he's missing a trick. If managed properly there is a way of making money out of a Premier League club as opposed to losses. I think the difference with him is that he saw an opportunity when he first took over the club to make a lot of money and it proved illusory. He's only ever had one plan in mind and he's never countenanced any other scenario.

"Managed properly" are the key words here,,, & the whole crux of the matter, imho. We only have to look at Leicester City, AFC Bournemouth, Burnley, to see what can be achieved. Lets not forget that LCFC were promoted as run away Champions from the Championship the same season that we were relegated from the Premiership the last time (2012/13)!

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

I'll bet a pound to your pinch of shit he's got a better idea than you.Many real supporters remember when we really didn't have a pot to piss in.I accept this is gonna be a hard season but as a real supporter I realise the last thing this club needs are supporters turning against the manager and/or the owner.If you like that sort of shite and historically you do then I would suggest you go and support Newcastle Utd where from the safety of your armchair you'll be well received.

Get off your high horse you lightweight we are in a lot of trouble right now and if Tan doesn't sack Warnock we are going down,maybe that's what you want I don't know but I would guess like me a lot of fans want the Bluebirds to make a real fist of trying to stay in the Premiership, if you keep Warnock running things it will just be like moving deck chairs around the Titanic,so I say once again,Mr Tan how badly do you want the Bluebirds to stay in the Premiership

The more important issue for me is how badly Tan wants to stay in the Premiership,even his little knowledge of football would tell him how important it is for,not just the Bluebirds but the city of Cardiff itself to have our club in the Premiership,If it's important for Tan for us not to be relegated the first thing he has to to is replace Warnock sooner than later,the second thing he has to do is support the new manager with a hefty war chest for the January window,so Mr.Tan how much keeping City in the Premiership means to you

I'll bet a pound to your pinch of shit he's got a better idea than you.Many real supporters remember when we really didn't have a pot to piss in.I accept this is gonna be a hard season but as a real supporter I realise the last thing this club needs are supporters turning against the manager and/or the owner.If you like that sort of shite and historically you do then I would suggest you go and support Newcastle Utd where from the safety of your armchair you'll be well received.

Get off your high horse you lightweight we are in a lot of trouble right now and if Tan doesn't sack Warnock we are going down,maybe that's what you want I don't know but I would guess like me a lot of fans want the Bluebirds to make a real fist of trying to stay in the Premiership, if you keep Warnock running things it will just be like moving deck chairs around the Titanic,so I say once again,Mr Tan how badly do you want the Bluebirds to stay in the Premiership

your answer is someone that pushed his way via his name to being the under 18s manager ffs...
and that's not pushing deck chairs around..?