Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:28 am
Paul Abbandonato writes
Neil Harris' struggles at Cardiff City are magnified by success of Swansea City and Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough - something major HAS to change
Bluebirds have been playing over-cautious catch-up football for most of the season, even though manager Neil Harris claims performances have been 'excellent'. He could do a lot worse than take a leaf out of Ralph Hasenhuttl's book
walesonline
Cardiff City manager Neil Harris needs to accept the many faults with his team and actually address them
It seems an eternity ago, but it was only last year that Kenneth Zohore's 93rd-minute winner gave Cardiff City a smash-and-grab victory at Southampton as the Bluebirds leapfrogged their rivals in the Premier League relegation battle.
Southampton had just had 67 per cent of the possession, 14 shots to six, eight corners to Cardiff's two and Neil Etheridge was the overwhelming choice as man of the match.
But their manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was searingly honest with the media afterwards, saying: "This is simply not good enough. If we keep playing like this we have NO chance of staying up."
Nothing about character, so-called better chances created, being robbed or anything like that.
This was a manager who candidly accepted and thus addressed the faults in his team.
Today Southampton stand fifth in the Premier League, ahead of Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Cardiff City players celebrate late Kenneth Zohore winner - it actually helped turn around Southampton's fortune
Wind forward 20 months and the contrast could not be greater with Neil Harris and his Cardiff City team.
Pre-Coventry, he had the audacity to tell disbelieving Bluebirds fans that "performances have been excellent" and the gap to the top six will soon be closed "if we keep playing like we are".
As impersonations of an ostrich go, it's hard to imagine something much more head in the sand than that in my opinion.
Cardiff have played 13 games this season, won just three and stand much closer to the relegation zone than the top six.
They have been excellent in one and a half of them - a 3-0 thumping of Barnsley and the first half of an early 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
There have been brief periods in other games when the Bluebirds have thrown caution to the wind and had a real go. But invariably it has been when they have been behind, desperately trying to play catch-up football.
For the vast majority of the campaign Cardiff under Harris haven't been excellent. They have been woeful.
Lacking in tempo, pace, creativity, plus energy and athleticism from the midfield. They lack goals, a cutting edge in the final third and continually concede them with alarming errors at the back.
The fans know this, of course, and frustratingly have to watch and bear it, even if the manager begs to differ.
Those passionate supporters, desperate for their team to play well and win, deserve a whole lot better.
So too does owner Vincent Tan, whose leisure business has taken a real hit during Covid-19 yet who still went an extra mile this summer in freeing up the purse strings to give Harris a squad more than capable of challenging in the top three in what is not a great Championship this season.
But 18th in the table and just three wins tells you the sum of the parts is not working. These gifted players, particularly at forward, are being held back in my view by over cautious tactics, poor team selection and a belief from the manager that things are a whole lot better than they actually are.
In their last 11 matches, Cardiff have only once scored in the first half. That is anything but excellent. It tells you the team is set up too negatively, rather than going for the jugular from the off.
Under Harris, the Bluebirds are playing back foot football.
Contrast that with what is happening 40 miles down the road.
Swansea City have some really talented players, notably Andre Ayew, Connor Roberts and Marc Guehi. But their squad isn't as strong as Cardiff's. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
Yet under Steve Cooper they play front foot football. Zip the ball around, move at speed, work their socks off and look genuinely creative in the final third.
The sum of the parts is certainly working under Cooper. In many ways, he is punching above his weight.
As is the case with Middlesbrough under Cardiff's old boss Neil Warnock. He would give his right arm for pretty much every single player in the Cardiff squad, he signed most of them.
Yet with much lesser talent Warnock has his Middlesbrough side challenging for the top six while the one he left behind struggles nearer the bottom.
Something tangible needs to change at Cardiff. And with immediate effect.
Many fans feel it should be the manager, with various calls for Craig Bellamy, Eddie Howe or Nigel Pearson to take over.
Bellamy would certainly bring the very fire, passion and adventure that was so sorely lacking at Coventry on Wednesday night.
Howe would be a sensational coup. I suppose Pearson has something of a track record, although his is not a name that would thrill everyone.
The alternative, of course, is for Harris to take a step back, accept his team have been awful rather than excellent and address the real issues, as opposed to pretend.
It must be said Harris has done a lot of good things at the helm and as such has a bit of credit in the bank. He has invested in the Academy, hugely important after years of neglect by his predecessors as manager.
He made Lee Tomlin a kingpin last season when Warnock ostracised him.
He took the bold steps to drop Aden Flint and Marlon Pack and in doing so got a run going that saw Cardiff march into the play-offs.
Come the Fulham semi-final, Harris surprisingly defaulted to Pack and Cardiff were back to their over-cautious worst.
But the shackles came off in the second half at Craven Cottage. Off came Pack and Junior Hoilett at the interval. Suddenly Cardiff started to play with adventure, invention, fast wingers and intent.
The new midfield duo of Joe Ralls and Will Vaulks offered energy, tempo, legs and supported the front four much better.
Cardiff went out on aggregate, but won the game 2-1. This had to be the template for the new season when the Bluebirds, having greatly strengthened with the summer captures of Kieffer Moore, Harry Wilson and Seyi Ojo, would surely be in the promotion mix.
Leeds, West Brom and Fulham were out of the way. Brentford were losing their front players. As the best of the rest, so to speak, having finished fifth, it looked so promising for Cardiff - particularly with those fabulous new signings.
But straight away, in the opening day loss to Sheffield Wednesday, Harris showed negativity in picking Ralls in the creative 10 role. If Tomlin wasn't fit, the bold move would have been to put one of Hoilett, Ojo or Josh Murphy there.
Harris persisted with the tactic, even sticking Leandro Bacuna there in one match. It wasn't fair on Ralls or Bacuna, who can each be highly effective deeper in midfield but can't be expected to create from 10 and play with their backs to goal.
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Pack also came into the team and has retained his place. He too has many strengths, but plays far too deep, can often be found behind his own centre-backs and for many slows things down too much.
Hoilett, another Harris favourite, has been superb at times since joining Cardiff and is also a regular starter. But he isn't going beyond full-backs any more, spends a lot of the game, presumably under orders, tracking back rather than bursting forward.
With wingers not getting to the byline, and the full-backs not rampaging forward often enough, it means Moore simply isn't getting the service he deserves at centre-forward and which would see him score lots more goals.
Moore's hugely gifted Wales colleague Wilson also has to be supplied with better ball in dangerous areas on a far more frequent basis.
In fact, Cardiff have simply got to get more players forward quicker to support the front men and they have to play with far greater tempo.
There have been occasions, to be fair, when Harris has accepted the team have not been good enough. Coventry on Wednesday night was one of them.
But too often he has spoken about Cardiff creating the better chances in games they haven't won.
He's evidently seeing things that I and many others don't. In many cases it's been opposition teams who have been missing absolute sitters to stretch their lead further.
Whether Harris stays or goes, what everyone can agree upon is that the current situation simply cannot be permitted to continue.
As manager, he needs to take responsibility for the horrendous, not excellent, performances his team have consistently produced this season and address them, rather than make excuses.
Picking Filip Benkovic, another highly capable summer signing, at the back would be a start.
Playing higher up the pitch, with any two from Ralls, Bacuna or Vaulks, giving the energy and legs needed from midfield would help.
Putting Murphy and Ojo on the correct flanks and ordering them to start flying past their full-backs from the off, and from advanced positions, would be great.
Neil Harris' struggles at Cardiff City are magnified by success of Swansea City and Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough - something major HAS to change
Bluebirds have been playing over-cautious catch-up football for most of the season, even though manager Neil Harris claims performances have been 'excellent'. He could do a lot worse than take a leaf out of Ralph Hasenhuttl's book
walesonline
Cardiff City manager Neil Harris needs to accept the many faults with his team and actually address them
It seems an eternity ago, but it was only last year that Kenneth Zohore's 93rd-minute winner gave Cardiff City a smash-and-grab victory at Southampton as the Bluebirds leapfrogged their rivals in the Premier League relegation battle.
Southampton had just had 67 per cent of the possession, 14 shots to six, eight corners to Cardiff's two and Neil Etheridge was the overwhelming choice as man of the match.
But their manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was searingly honest with the media afterwards, saying: "This is simply not good enough. If we keep playing like this we have NO chance of staying up."
Nothing about character, so-called better chances created, being robbed or anything like that.
This was a manager who candidly accepted and thus addressed the faults in his team.
Today Southampton stand fifth in the Premier League, ahead of Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Cardiff City players celebrate late Kenneth Zohore winner - it actually helped turn around Southampton's fortune
Wind forward 20 months and the contrast could not be greater with Neil Harris and his Cardiff City team.
Pre-Coventry, he had the audacity to tell disbelieving Bluebirds fans that "performances have been excellent" and the gap to the top six will soon be closed "if we keep playing like we are".
As impersonations of an ostrich go, it's hard to imagine something much more head in the sand than that in my opinion.
Cardiff have played 13 games this season, won just three and stand much closer to the relegation zone than the top six.
They have been excellent in one and a half of them - a 3-0 thumping of Barnsley and the first half of an early 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
There have been brief periods in other games when the Bluebirds have thrown caution to the wind and had a real go. But invariably it has been when they have been behind, desperately trying to play catch-up football.
For the vast majority of the campaign Cardiff under Harris haven't been excellent. They have been woeful.
Lacking in tempo, pace, creativity, plus energy and athleticism from the midfield. They lack goals, a cutting edge in the final third and continually concede them with alarming errors at the back.
The fans know this, of course, and frustratingly have to watch and bear it, even if the manager begs to differ.
Those passionate supporters, desperate for their team to play well and win, deserve a whole lot better.
So too does owner Vincent Tan, whose leisure business has taken a real hit during Covid-19 yet who still went an extra mile this summer in freeing up the purse strings to give Harris a squad more than capable of challenging in the top three in what is not a great Championship this season.
But 18th in the table and just three wins tells you the sum of the parts is not working. These gifted players, particularly at forward, are being held back in my view by over cautious tactics, poor team selection and a belief from the manager that things are a whole lot better than they actually are.
In their last 11 matches, Cardiff have only once scored in the first half. That is anything but excellent. It tells you the team is set up too negatively, rather than going for the jugular from the off.
Under Harris, the Bluebirds are playing back foot football.
Contrast that with what is happening 40 miles down the road.
Swansea City have some really talented players, notably Andre Ayew, Connor Roberts and Marc Guehi. But their squad isn't as strong as Cardiff's. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
Yet under Steve Cooper they play front foot football. Zip the ball around, move at speed, work their socks off and look genuinely creative in the final third.
The sum of the parts is certainly working under Cooper. In many ways, he is punching above his weight.
As is the case with Middlesbrough under Cardiff's old boss Neil Warnock. He would give his right arm for pretty much every single player in the Cardiff squad, he signed most of them.
Yet with much lesser talent Warnock has his Middlesbrough side challenging for the top six while the one he left behind struggles nearer the bottom.
Something tangible needs to change at Cardiff. And with immediate effect.
Many fans feel it should be the manager, with various calls for Craig Bellamy, Eddie Howe or Nigel Pearson to take over.
Bellamy would certainly bring the very fire, passion and adventure that was so sorely lacking at Coventry on Wednesday night.
Howe would be a sensational coup. I suppose Pearson has something of a track record, although his is not a name that would thrill everyone.
The alternative, of course, is for Harris to take a step back, accept his team have been awful rather than excellent and address the real issues, as opposed to pretend.
It must be said Harris has done a lot of good things at the helm and as such has a bit of credit in the bank. He has invested in the Academy, hugely important after years of neglect by his predecessors as manager.
He made Lee Tomlin a kingpin last season when Warnock ostracised him.
He took the bold steps to drop Aden Flint and Marlon Pack and in doing so got a run going that saw Cardiff march into the play-offs.
Come the Fulham semi-final, Harris surprisingly defaulted to Pack and Cardiff were back to their over-cautious worst.
But the shackles came off in the second half at Craven Cottage. Off came Pack and Junior Hoilett at the interval. Suddenly Cardiff started to play with adventure, invention, fast wingers and intent.
The new midfield duo of Joe Ralls and Will Vaulks offered energy, tempo, legs and supported the front four much better.
Cardiff went out on aggregate, but won the game 2-1. This had to be the template for the new season when the Bluebirds, having greatly strengthened with the summer captures of Kieffer Moore, Harry Wilson and Seyi Ojo, would surely be in the promotion mix.
Leeds, West Brom and Fulham were out of the way. Brentford were losing their front players. As the best of the rest, so to speak, having finished fifth, it looked so promising for Cardiff - particularly with those fabulous new signings.
But straight away, in the opening day loss to Sheffield Wednesday, Harris showed negativity in picking Ralls in the creative 10 role. If Tomlin wasn't fit, the bold move would have been to put one of Hoilett, Ojo or Josh Murphy there.
Harris persisted with the tactic, even sticking Leandro Bacuna there in one match. It wasn't fair on Ralls or Bacuna, who can each be highly effective deeper in midfield but can't be expected to create from 10 and play with their backs to goal.
Related Articles
Pack also came into the team and has retained his place. He too has many strengths, but plays far too deep, can often be found behind his own centre-backs and for many slows things down too much.
Hoilett, another Harris favourite, has been superb at times since joining Cardiff and is also a regular starter. But he isn't going beyond full-backs any more, spends a lot of the game, presumably under orders, tracking back rather than bursting forward.
With wingers not getting to the byline, and the full-backs not rampaging forward often enough, it means Moore simply isn't getting the service he deserves at centre-forward and which would see him score lots more goals.
Moore's hugely gifted Wales colleague Wilson also has to be supplied with better ball in dangerous areas on a far more frequent basis.
In fact, Cardiff have simply got to get more players forward quicker to support the front men and they have to play with far greater tempo.
There have been occasions, to be fair, when Harris has accepted the team have not been good enough. Coventry on Wednesday night was one of them.
But too often he has spoken about Cardiff creating the better chances in games they haven't won.
He's evidently seeing things that I and many others don't. In many cases it's been opposition teams who have been missing absolute sitters to stretch their lead further.
Whether Harris stays or goes, what everyone can agree upon is that the current situation simply cannot be permitted to continue.
As manager, he needs to take responsibility for the horrendous, not excellent, performances his team have consistently produced this season and address them, rather than make excuses.
Picking Filip Benkovic, another highly capable summer signing, at the back would be a start.
Playing higher up the pitch, with any two from Ralls, Bacuna or Vaulks, giving the energy and legs needed from midfield would help.
Putting Murphy and Ojo on the correct flanks and ordering them to start flying past their full-backs from the off, and from advanced positions, would be great.
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Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 12:23 pm
A lot of what he says is true so he obviously reads this forum as its exactly what fans have said on here.. 
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 12:33 pm
pembroke allan wrote:A lot of what he says is true so he obviously reads this forum as its exactly what fans have said on here..
It's odd how the City support and the outside world are in rare agreement but the (current) manager is still knocking out the usual platitudes
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 12:40 pm
Sven wrote:pembroke allan wrote:A lot of what he says is true so he obviously reads this forum as its exactly what fans have said on here..
It's odd how the City support and the outside world are in rare agreement but the (current) manager is still knocking out the usual platitudes
Chris it is extremely odd that the whole world can see the problems (more than one) but he as not acted on them? But come Saturday I I expect to see several changes and change in tactics to reflect on players hes picked only because he's been forced to if wants keep job! If he does this I expect us to win 3-1 maybe that will convince him its way forward ...... if he just tinkering with things can see us losing or drawing at least and that's end of him
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 12:43 pm
I cant quite believe hes getting another game after that disgrace of a performance on Wednesday!
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:07 pm
Pretty accurate assessment. Said a lot of things that have been said on here after every game this season. Harris must be the only person not to see it or he is too stubborn to admit hes been wrong and change it. Personally, I think the damage is done now and even a win tomorrow isn't enough to save his job. Its a shame how it's turned out as he did a brilliant job last season.
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:20 pm
pembroke allan wrote:Sven wrote:pembroke allan wrote:A lot of what he says is true so he obviously reads this forum as its exactly what fans have said on here..
It's odd how the City support and the outside world are in rare agreement but the (current) manager is still knocking out the usual platitudes
Chris it is extremely odd that the whole world can see the problems (more than one) but he as not acted on them? But come Saturday I I expect to see several changes and change in tactics to reflect on players hes picked only because he's been forced to if wants keep job! If he does this I expect us to win 3-1 maybe that will convince him its way forward ...... if he just tinkering with things can see us losing or drawing at least and that's end of him
Allan, I was talking too my brother a day or two ago and he is of the opinion that City's success at the end of last season was more in spite of Neil Harris being the manager rather than because he was the manager; a bit like the 'luck' OGS is riding in his position as manager of a team with decent players rather than him being a good manager
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 2:14 pm
Sven wrote:pembroke allan wrote:Sven wrote:pembroke allan wrote:A lot of what he says is true so he obviously reads this forum as its exactly what fans have said on here..
It's odd how the City support and the outside world are in rare agreement but the (current) manager is still knocking out the usual platitudes
Chris it is extremely odd that the whole world can see the problems (more than one) but he as not acted on them? But come Saturday I I expect to see several changes and change in tactics to reflect on players hes picked only because he's been forced to if wants keep job! If he does this I expect us to win 3-1 maybe that will convince him its way forward ...... if he just tinkering with things can see us losing or drawing at least and that's end of him
Allan, I was talking too my brother a day or two ago and he is of the opinion that City's success at the end of last season was more in spite of Neil Harris being the manager rather than because he was the manager; a bit like the 'luck' OGS is riding in his position as manager of a team with decent players rather than him being a good manager
We should be up near top 6 instead of bottom 6! Problem got now is either get rid and hope new man gets. More out of a good squad or until its time to sack him for not putting us near top 6 at xmas cannot see him lasting either way..... if dont get rid next week we will not get top 6 as 3 teams relegated have basically same squad in premier league and they will occupy 3 places and we will be too far behind to make up the points after xmas.. dead man walking is Harris best go sooner than later for club.
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:07 pm
Like most I didn't want Harris but he won me over by showing a bit of variety. Playing from the back is an option if you are getting no success from whacking it out, although we are set up to do that.
Glatzel,Pack and Flint were poor buys from Warnock and he soon fcuked off to save his reputation. Seeing as Warnock has always been about high energy I an still perplexed by the purchase of Marlon Pack. He let a legend go because he couldn't get to the ball quickly then bought Pack, (that's a conspiracy for another day)
Harris dropped two of them ( i have been reminded that they were forced) and it started to click. Marlon Pack is the issue. He is a decent enough player, but not in this system with these players. He kills any pace and can't get to the ball quick enough in a two man midfield. You need two athletes in there to get the ball to the three attacking midfielders or striker.
We are not technical enough to play through the thirds in the championship !!! Its not that difficult to say, but Harris can't or won't see it. IMO he is just trying to prove to everyone in the game he is not Warnock lite, too true mate, you are not a championship manager.
I have believed this pre Fulham, I just never thought it would be this bad. He has blown it, he had the chance to change two games ago, he never, he did more of the same. We caught a poor Barnsley cold with the change of tactics, it hid a lot of problems.
He is not up to it, he'll have to drop down a few levels to get any sort of job again.
Glatzel,Pack and Flint were poor buys from Warnock and he soon fcuked off to save his reputation. Seeing as Warnock has always been about high energy I an still perplexed by the purchase of Marlon Pack. He let a legend go because he couldn't get to the ball quickly then bought Pack, (that's a conspiracy for another day)
Harris dropped two of them ( i have been reminded that they were forced) and it started to click. Marlon Pack is the issue. He is a decent enough player, but not in this system with these players. He kills any pace and can't get to the ball quick enough in a two man midfield. You need two athletes in there to get the ball to the three attacking midfielders or striker.
We are not technical enough to play through the thirds in the championship !!! Its not that difficult to say, but Harris can't or won't see it. IMO he is just trying to prove to everyone in the game he is not Warnock lite, too true mate, you are not a championship manager.
I have believed this pre Fulham, I just never thought it would be this bad. He has blown it, he had the chance to change two games ago, he never, he did more of the same. We caught a poor Barnsley cold with the change of tactics, it hid a lot of problems.
He is not up to it, he'll have to drop down a few levels to get any sort of job again.
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 4:00 pm
Excellent article with the points aligning the majority of the fans views.
It does rile me that Harris keeps on about the excellent performances, the players didn’t do this that or the other, he had harsh words with them etc.....what he doesn’t say is that he gets the tactics wrong or the team selection.
I’ve followed city since 73 so I have a reasonable idea what good football looks like and it ain’t what I’m seeing this season.
I’ve giving up reading his bs....
It does rile me that Harris keeps on about the excellent performances, the players didn’t do this that or the other, he had harsh words with them etc.....what he doesn’t say is that he gets the tactics wrong or the team selection.
I’ve followed city since 73 so I have a reasonable idea what good football looks like and it ain’t what I’m seeing this season.
I’ve giving up reading his bs....
Re: Have to agree with most of this
Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:17 pm
Yes, it’s dishonest to say the least. Be quite refreshing if he came out and said ‘ Hands up, I’m rubbish..and so are some of my players ‘.