MATCH THREAD: " CARDIFF CITY v BRISTOL CITY " MATCH THREAD

CARDIFF CITY v BRISTOL CITY
Friday 6th November, 6pm
Sky Bet Championship
Cardiff City Stadium 



Cardiff City XI (4-2-3-1): Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Pack, Ralls; Ojo, Wilson, Hoilett; Moore.

Subs: Phillips, Bamba, Bagan, Vaulks, Whyte, Murphy, Glatzel.



Match to be played in front of no supporters, for information on how to watch the match on TV or to stream it - see below


Updated:

Friday 6th Nov 2020

What's the team news

Lee Tomlin is a major doubt for Cardiff City's clash with Bristol City.

The Bluebirds playmaker was omitted from the squad for the midweek win over Barnsley owing to a flare-up of his long-standing groin injury.

Elsewhere, Cardiff appear to have come through the Barnsley win relatively unscathed, barring the odd knock and niggle.

Greg Cunningham and Jordi Osei-Tutu (both hamstrings) remain the long-term absentees, with a view to getting the wing-back duo fit again after the international break.

Isaac Vassell, too, is still in rehabilitation following a foot injury setback.



BRISTOL CITY:

As for the visitors, Tyreeq Bakinson is the only doubt but he should be fine to play after a migraine in midweek ruled him out 20 minutes before kick-off against Huddersfield Town.

Joe Williams and Liam Walsh are both out until after the international break.

Alfie Mawson (knee), Andi Weimann (knee), Steven Sessegnon (hamstring) and Nathan Baker (hamstring) are all long-term injury problems.





TEAM NEWS:


Filip Benkovic could make this Friday bench.


Lee Tomlin out for up to 4 weeks.


Greg Cunningham and Isaac Vassell are still unavailable, as is Jordi Osei-Tutu.



How can I watch this match on TV?

This match is live on Sky Sports Main Event.

About Bristol City

Bristol City Football Club are a professional football club based in Bristol, England. They currently play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded in 1894, they have played their home games at Ashton Gate since 1904.

The club's highest-ever league finish was second in the top flight in 1906–07. They were FA Cup runners-up in 1909, and won the Welsh Cup in 1934 despite being an English team. The club have also won the second tier title once, the third tier title four times, the Anglo-Scottish Cup once, and the Football League Trophy a record three times.

The club's home colours are red and white, and their nickname is The Robins—a robin featured on the club's badge from 1976 to 1994 and from 2019 onwards. Their main rivals are Bristol Rovers, with whom they contest the Bristol derby, and Cardiff City, with whom they contest the Severnside derby.

Previous Meeting 

We won 1-0 at Ashton Gate in July. After this match, Lee Johnson was sacked as Bristol City manager.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Cardiff City: Smithies, Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett, Pack, Ralls, Hoilett, Wilson, Glatzel, Moore

Bristol City: Bentley, Vyner, Kalas, Rowe, Hunt, O'Dowda, Nagy, Brunt, Dasilva, Wells, Martin

Form - Last Three Games

Cardiff City 3-0 Barnsley
QPR 3-2 Cardiff City
Derby County 1-1 Cardiff City

Huddersfield Town 1-2 Bristol City
Bristol City 1-3 Norwich City
AFC Bournemouth 1-0 Bristol City

Match Odds

Cardiff City - 11/10
Bristol City - 12/5
Draw - 12/5

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

2-0 city

Surely has to be the same line up

Actually hopeful we have stumbled on something that could work, hopefully he doesn't return to the old set up

TEAM NEWS:

Lee Tomlin out for up to 4 weeks.
Greg Cunningham and Isaac Vassell are still unavailable, as is Jordi Osei-Tutu.

Surely has to be the same line up

Actually hopeful we have stumbled on something that could work, hopefully he doesn't return to the old set up

Let’s stick with it as you say Thomas

Can't see anything other than another win for us. 2-0

UPDATED:

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Filip Benkovic could make this Friday bench

Amazing what difference a result and performance like yesterday makes. Buzzing for Friday now! I think it’s got to be horses for courses so he may revert back to 4-2-3-1 for this game. As long as Wilson is in the 10 I think it’s fine. The problem was without Wilson or tomlin that system doesn’t work. Either way a lot for Harris to consider after last night

Same side and formation for me! I'm going 2-1 city.blooooooooobirds.

Amazing what difference a result and performance like yesterday makes. Buzzing for Friday now! I think it’s got to be horses for courses so he may revert back to 4-2-3-1 for this game. As long as Wilson is in the 10 I think it’s fine. The problem was without Wilson or tomlin that system doesn’t work. Either way a lot for Harris to consider after last night

last night was our best performance by some margin.. and about time.... sorry but the last thing on earth he should be doing now is considering reverting back to that over cautious stuff

Updated:

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Just wish we had a pacey striker. I can't see us getting far with Glatzel and Moore as our primary strikers it puts too much pressure on our midfielder to score goals.

When you see the strikers available to teams above us it really does show that we are below quality in this area.

Hopefully Moore can or Glatzel can put away one of their chances on Friday and make me eat my words but neither look likely to score when a ball lands on their head or foot.

Bluebirds win

Updated:

Friday 6th Nov 2020

What's the team news

Lee Tomlin is a major doubt for Cardiff City's clash with Bristol City.

The Bluebirds playmaker was omitted from the squad for the midweek win over Barnsley owing to a flare-up of his long-standing groin injury.

Elsewhere, Cardiff appear to have come through the Barnsley win relatively unscathed, barring the odd knock and niggle.

Greg Cunningham and Jordi Osei-Tutu (both hamstrings) remain the long-term absentees, with a view to getting the wing-back duo fit again after the international break.

Isaac Vassell, too, is still in rehabilitation following a foot injury setback.



BRISTOL CITY:

As for the visitors, Tyreeq Bakinson is the only doubt but he should be fine to play after a migraine in midweek ruled him out 20 minutes before kick-off against Huddersfield Town.

Joe Williams and Liam Walsh are both out until after the international break.

Alfie Mawson (knee), Andi Weimann (knee), Steven Sessegnon (hamstring) and Nathan Baker (hamstring) are all long-term injury problems.

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What have the managers said

Cardiff City manager Neil Harris: "We used the defeat at QPR as a real positive in getting a reaction on Tuesday.

"It wasn’t just the result and performance on Tuesday, it was the second half against QPR where I had a reaction from my players.

"Everyone says the same thing, we look like we are nearly there. We are gelling, settling. We have to back it up in the coming 30 hours but certainly the next two to three weeks.

"Ultimately, we go into this local derby in great spirits, the lads are hugely looking forward to it. and that's not maybe a position we would have been in before Tuesday night."









Bristol City manager Dean Holden: "They're always a really well drilled outfit. There's no doubt about that.

"They're always a team that get on the front foot and they do play with some physicality - and you have to do that to win a game of football.

Match facts

Cardiff City have won five of their last seven league games versus Bristol City (L2), including as recently as July in a 1-0 victory away from home.



Bristol City ended a 11-game winless run away to Cardiff in all competitions last season with a 1-0 victory in November 2019; the Robins haven’t won successive games on the road at Cardiff since December 2002.



Cardiff are looking to win back-to-back league games for the first time this season, picking up their first home win of the campaign against Barnsley in their last match.


Bristol City’s Nahki Wells has been directly involved in six goals in his last four Championship starts against Cardiff (4 goals, 2 assists).


Neil Harris has only lost one of his five previous Championship matches against Bristol City as a manager (W2 D2), winning his only such meeting as Cardiff boss 1-0 in July last season.

Heart says win, head says draw

Every word from Dean Holden on Bristol City free agent plans and Cardiff City

Full pre-match transcript ahead of Friday evening's Severnside Derby.


Bristol live

Friday 6th November 2020



Congratulations on the three points on Tuesday evening. How much of a relief was that after that not so great run?

It was just a really strong performance. The game before against Norwich, we were just too easy to play against so we went into this game with a really strong shape and always wanting to create an attacking threat. We had the two best chances in the first half but for a slight mistimed bit of defensive work, we conceded a goal. But at half time, it was pretty calm. We were the better team and we knew that we had options to come off the bench to take it to them and take it away from them, as we did.

It was a big result for the players because when you're going through a spell, as you say, of drawing and losing a couple, doubt can creep in. The biggest thing for me was keeping that continuity of going about our work everyday and the same messages.

If I look like I'm starting to panic, then everyone around me will start to panic. So it's about staying calm in those moments, knowing that in the season we'll have little results like that. I was really pleased for everybody that we got that result - it was well deserved.





For you, coming off that not so good run and you said you were staying calm - did you feel pressure going into that game at all? It's such a big game on Friday that you didn't want to go into that off the back of a defeat?

But as you say, if we lose the next game against Cardiff, it's the same... I don't think of any of that, we just fully focus on the players we've got available. Resources are stretched, as you know, at the moment and it's about focusing on the group of players that we've got at the moment that can get us through this little period and making sure they feel confident about themselves, making sure they feel prepared and the game plan is clear. The messages from me have to stay consistent. We have to give the players clarity as to what we want from them and they're good players. They've proved it in most games this season - they're a real good team. Most teams that we've played have adapted to suit us. I think that's testament to the players as well.

I don't get too hung or drawn up with any external pressures. The pressure...The day I took the job, I was opening myself up to sleepless nights, potentially. A couple of defeats and start panicking about that, I promised myself I wouldn't do that.

I firmly focus on what I can control and that's putting out a group of players who can go out and get a win and I was really pleased that we did it.

We spoke to Callum O'Dowda and he was praising your man management. But we also saw your tactical awareness on Tuesday with that change of formation. Is that something you might like to do against Cardiff, maybe start with that formation?

The truth is that ever since from the start of pre-season, we've prepared the players for any eventuality. Nothing's going to catch them by surprise and the way that we coach the players is about them problem-solving. We can't stand at the side of the pitch with a Playstation remote and control them all the time. They have to be ready. We went into the game the other night thinking that Huddersfield were going to play one system or maybe another one and they changed it, because teams are going against their own systems sometimes to try and combat us. It's about us being what we're very good at as a team and sticking to that.

Tactically, you have to change - whether it's before a game or during a game. The resources available to you can sometimes dictate that. It's about putting round pegs in round holes as much as we can to try to get the result in any given game.




In terms of this Severnside derby, it's a big one but also after the last two games, a manager has left - Neil Warnock left this time last year after you beat them and then in the summer, it was a big one for you because Lee Johnson left, you took interim charge and eventually became head coach. Do you worry about it from that point of view? What was your reaction to what happened in the summer because it's such a passionate game - no fans there but it was almost like they were having their voice heard after Lee went?

I'm not fearful of Neil Harris losing his job after this game! I'm got some great memories of the game. I remember Josh Brownhill's goal last season at their place. If we win tomorrow night, we can go second. We've had a really strong start to the season. The players are feeling confident and bubbly. We'll pick a squad from who's available to go to Cardiff and put in a performance that's worthy of the three points.

I'm sure the supporters can't wait for this one. I'm sure they enjoyed the one the other night and that's the disappointing thing because we'd take a right army of supporters to Cardiff. You can imagine the scenes behind the goal the other night against Huddersfield and what that would have been like with that late goal. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing without supporters and when they can come back in and support us, they're coming in to see a team which is giving everything in every game and that they can be proud of.






Callum O'Dowda was saying that you and your two assistant coaches are all really clear on the way you want to play this season. Going in to this game, are you tempted to change anything having seen how things panned out against Huddersfield in that last half hour or are you going to try to stick with that 3-5-2?

Sometimes, resources available dictate that. I've got my own ideas about the way we want to play - the system, the style. Sometimes, that changes within games and people don't always pick up on that in terms of the stats. We put a team out there which is prepared and we are prepared. There's not many training games in between games at the minute.

This is the seventh game in 20 days. So a lot of work was done in pre-season in terms of having a go to shape if we're losing a game, we have to have a go to shape if we're winning a game. It's not just a case of playing one system in every game in the season, despite what players we have available. Of course, we have to be adaptable.







How have you found that change to head coach now, from being assistant coach? There were some reports that when Nahki Wells come off on Tuesday evening, some words were said. Was it unhappy about coming off and how do you deal with that now as head coach because perhaps before, you were just the go-between?

You mean some words from Nahki? I wasn't aware, I was fully focused on getting some tactical information across to the players on the pitch. I would expect him and hope that any player leaving the pitch would be disappointed coming off because players love to play. They have to have that mentality and I've no problem with that at all.

In terms of the head coach role, for me the only change is that I make the big calls and I'm comfortable doing that. I'll explain to the players why I'm making those calls. As I said before, everyone's got to be prepared. We saw the other night, 20 minutes before kick-off, Tyreeq Bakinson is out and Adam Nagy has to step in.

The two young lads - Ryley Towler and Opi Edwards - have come to see me today after training to ask me what's happening tomorrow. I've said put your head on the pillow tonight expecting to play tomorrow. That's the way you have to prepare.

Adam deserves a lot of credit for coming in the other night and putting in the performance that he did. He can only do that because his mentality is right -the way he trains every day, the way he prepares himself. Sometimes you can get disheartened when you're not in the team or in the squad but he's remained supportive of his teammates.

The truth is that's how we've coached them. Every single day is about preparing that you're going to play, whether you're in the team or whether you're not, you're prepared to play. Don't be caught by surprise, don't train properly for a couple days because you're upset. We wouldn't have that anyway but there's a really good group around this place that are connected and we saw that in the performance the other night.





What do you make of the challenge of Cardiff City?

They're always a really well drilled outfit. There's no doubt about that.

They're always a team that get on the front foot and they do play with some physicality - and you have to do that to win a game of football. It's not just about nice football, set-pieces... You have to have a little bit of everything to get a result.

They've got some real attacking threats and they've mixed it 4-4-2 with two strikers and 4-2-3-1 maybe with Wilson who's a really good player playing off the front. They've got a mixture of direct play and really good players in those forward areas.

Without the fans, it's just a bit odd for a big game like this, isn't it? Obviously there's no Bristol Rovers derby at the moment. This is a Severnside derby which the fans absolutely love, you're on TV which is nice for the fans although they can obviously watch via the club streams. So how much are you going to miss them tomorrow night and how do you try and recreate that intensity of that rivalry?

As a football fan myself, I know how much fans are really struggling at the moment and this is probably going to be a big test for our supporters with it being a Severnside derby and a Friday night game. They would have been travelling, leaving work at lunchtime and getting across there early and getting a few drinks down them and enjoying it. It's not to be. Our job is to put in a performance which gets the three points which they'll be delighted with, wherever they're watching it, and I hope that they will be enjoying a real good win tomorrow night.

In terms of our approach, we've become used to performing in empty stadiums, as daft as that sounds. We keep things pretty simple. We go out there with a mentality of how we want to start games and we try and get a rhythm to our game and start on the front foot. We've seen that in most games.





How important do you think it is that elite football is continuing through this second lockdown?

I think it's essential. To be honest, I'm disappointed about the grassroots side of it. Some of the rules that are coming out, I don't agree with but I've got to be careful what I say about that. I think people are really struggling at the moment. We're talking here about a game of football which means so much to so many people but this second lockdown, I think, is going to provide a lot of problems for a lot of people. We have to somehow stay together with that. I've had texts from our players that are injured at the moment - Andi Weimann text me saying "I think I might have hurt my knee again jumping up with that second goal going in." So there's a lot of support from our players but that's how the fans are feeling.

We can take the players, we can go out and put in a performance tomorrow which gets the win which will literally help our supporters to get through the weekend. It's as simple as that. That's part of, not the pressure, but part of what we're about is trying to win football games for Bristol City but we know what it means to the wider community. This is a real tough month ahead of people and our job is to go out and put some smiles on people's faces. Let's hope we can do that.






Did Tuesday feel like an important win? Maybe more than three points? Sometimes you get turning points in the season and maybe that was one. How do you see it?

It was an important victory. There's no getting away from that. The run that we’ve been on, everybody’s looking for that next three points.

As I’ve said before it’s about what we do behind the scenes that gets us those three points. It’s about the preparation of the players, the mentality, the professionalism to keep going when things appear to be against you.

And we’ve been tested as a squad from the first day of the season. It’s about sticking together and confidence that the next win is just around the corner. We’ve competed in every single game this season - even the Norwich game where defensively we were really open and at the same time we had some moments to give a really top team some problems..

We’ve competed really well in every game. This is the next challenge ahead of us now that we cannot wait for.





You say you're only focused on the next game but have you looked at the table at all? Is anything standing out for you in the Championship?

I’ve just heard someone on the TV say the old cliche that 10 or 11 games gives you a bit of a marker.

Is that really true? I’m not so sure. As things start to move through this international break and get towards Christmas I think it will give us a really good guide. And we’re in a good position.

We’re in a strong position with a couple of things going against us. The next three points is all we’re focused on.







Do you use any in-house metrics to measure where the team is at? Do you use Expected Goals or anything like that? Or Do you prefer to no look at that?

Yeah, I’ve got an interest in all that sort of thing. I think the psychology side of the game, the statistics, the data, the analysis...

There’s so much of it around now. You’ve got to be careful it doesn’t become too much and I think there are some times too many stats that are out there.

I just focus on the ones that are important. We’re in a good position and we’re just looking for the next three points.





How's Tyreeq Bakinson doing? Could he play on Friday night?

We’ll have to see on that. He’s recovering and we’ll have to see if he can join the squad tomorrow.

As I ve said before, we’re a little bit light at the moment. But we deal with what we can deal with which is the group of players that we’ve got. And everybody is giving absolutely everything at the moment to pull together to keep this good start to the season going.

Are Liam Walsh and Joe Williams still on track to come back in after the international break?

That’s the hope. You never quite know with certain injuries and you have to come out three or four times a week and in press conferences and answer on that then you’re never quite sure on that.

Again, those boys are working hard behind the scenes with the staff and let’s get this break out of the way and see where they’re at.






What's the latest on the search for a possible free agent defender? Might you step that up over the international break or have you looked at it and discarded it?

We’ve looked at some things and we’ve spoken to some people.

Nothing’s going to happen before tomorrow and we’ll see where we’re at in this international break. It gives us a chance to sit back and take stock of the first 11 games of the season, the squad, the injuries, who is available and who is not and see where we’re at in terms of the window in January.

Is there any progress on the new contract talks for Famara Diedhiou, Liam Walsh, or even Jamie Paterson, Nathan Baker or Jack Hunt who are all out of contract next summer?

It’s a case of assessing each player individually. You can’t group the guys together even though some of them are out of contract.

As a football club we are in discussions all the time. Looking at the squad and looking at the future and looking at players in and out of contract and as I say these talks will be ongoing and particularly these next couple of weeks, which give us a chance away from the matchday to have a wider look at the club and where we’re at.

Where do you stand on the argument over bringing back five substitutes again? It's been reported that the number of injuries in the Premier League is up year-on-year by 17 per cent currently, possibly because of a lack of pre-season and the fixtures, but we've not seen any Championship data yet.

Pep Guardiola was talking the other day on the TV about injuries and that there’s been a 42 per cent increase in the Premier League soft tissue injuries

This is a one-off situation that we’ve never been through before and effectively apart from a two week period the players had off before coming in for pre-season for the next season we’re effectively almost two seasons rolled into one with a two week break.

I don’t think that’s healthy. Physically or mentally. I don’t think that’s healthy.

At the moment I think the five subs would help because seven games in 20 days is a long stint. But at the same time I’m not sat here making excuses. I’d never do that.

The wider conversation has to be the health of the players first and foremost. That’s probably not always the case.







How will you spend the international break after Friday?

I’m going to a game on Saturday and there’s a couple of games to look at on Sunday as well to look at. Looking back at the first 11 games and where we’re at, taking real stock of what’s come before us and more importantly what’s ahead because that’s what we can affect.

There’ll be lots of preparation. No real days off. You can still be working but unwind., without the pressures of a game every three days. I’ll still be working but at the same time it’ll be in a nice calm manner.

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Rewind 12 months and the world looked very different - especially for the two Championship teams either side of the Severn Estuary.

Cardiff and Bristol City both had different managers in Neil Warnock and Lee Johnson and were chasing a place in the top six after mixed starts to the campaign - but the two Severnside derbies would ultimately cost both of them their jobs.


It is almost one year to the day since Warnock left after a 1-0 home defeat to Bristol City and it was the same result in the reverse fixture, eight months later and in the midst of a global pandemic, that saw Johnson sacked by the Robins.

Can't see past a draw.

Cardiff City XI (4-2-3-1): Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Pack, Ralls; Ojo, Wilson, Hoilett; Moore.

Subs: Phillips, Bamba, Bagan, Vaulks, Whyte, Murphy, Glatzel.

Cardiff City XI (4-2-3-1): Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Pack, Ralls; Ojo, Wilson, Hoilett; Moore.

Subs: Phillips, Bamba, Bagan, Vaulks, Whyte, Murphy, Glatzel.

Decent starting line-up but we must start well again or this Bristol side are more than capable of causing us problems

In a rare prediction, I'm going for a City win...and just to confirm, I mean CARDIFF City!

Here We Go...........

In my local

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0-1

Dam 0-1

Defence still in the dressing room. Awful!

Nelsons reading of the game is shocking

Ah, well!

As that goes, that was a walk-in for Chris Martin and Bristol City

Latest: Cardiff City 0 - 1 Bristol City