The Cardiff City midfield balance:

Cardiff City have not enjoyed any sort of new-manager bounce under Sabri Lamouchi.

Three games and three defeats was not the start the Frenchman was looking for, but if we are to pick out a small sliver of silver lining in the cloud, then there have been a couple of positives.




The Cardiff City midfield balance:


Arguably the biggest puzzle of the lot is the midfield.



By Glen Williams



It's clear, even from just three games, that Romaine Sawyers is a Lamouchi favourite. After starting the season well under Steve Morison, the midfielder's form dipped and found himself out of the side for large periods.

Under Mark Hudson, he barely got a look-in, in comparison, starting just four games during his time at the helm.

Well, Lamouchi is clearly a fan, starting the former West Brom man in all three of his matches in charge so far. Some feel Sawyers adds a composure and a much-needed footballing brain to the middle of the pitch. Others, perhaps a more vocal contingent, believe he slows the midfield down far too much and it hinders their ability to drive forward at pace.

Joe Ralls has also come under fire, despite starting two of Lamouchi's three games in charge, for his performances this season. He adds a bite in that midfield but his quality going forward appears to have dropped off somewhat this term, often turning to hooked, arced balls down the channel in hope of a forward latching on to them.

Both have their merits, but also have their drawbacks. Starting one, rather than both, of either Ralls or Sawyers appears to be the logical solution.

Ryan Wintle has been off the boil recently, largely owing to a drastic change in playing style which doesn't appear to play to his strengths, while Andy Rinomhota has not been given a start yet.

Cardiff were thrilled to get Rinomhota over the line in the summer and he started well, before fans once again began to bemoan his lack of quality in the top end of the pitch. But he has been more consistent than most in that midfield and deserves his shot. While most back Wintle to come good again.

One of Ralls or Sawyers, alongside Wintle and/or Rinomhota, depending on whether two or three central midfielders are used, must be the way forward.

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' The Ojo and Philogene debate '



This is a tricky one, because Cardiff are so devoid of creativity and ingenuity, and both Sheyi Ojo and Jaden Philogene are the most likely candidates to bring those things to the table consistently.

But there is a nagging feeling that these players are just too similar. They both look a million dollars right up until the final moment and that quality evades them. Their fleetness of foot and ability to escape a tackle to set City on a break is hugely positive, but one feels one of them must make room for another striker or different type of forward if Cardiff are going to pose another threat.

Much like Sawyers and Ralls, it might be a case of starting one of Philogene or Ojo, with one replacing the other as matches wear on to ensure that creative spark is fresh throughout the entirety of the 90 minutes.

Both have the same problem. They can do so much right but they can also frustrate when it comes to putting in that final ball or cracking off a well-directed shot. But in my view, out of the two of them, Philogene's performances this season have eclipsed Ojo's and he has more of a right to start.

That then frees Lamouchi up to add another dynamic to the forward line. Sory Kaba will likely get a run now, with Callum Robinson also a seemingly nailed-on selection.

So, does Lamouchi go for broke and add another physical presence up there in the form of Kion Etete? Or Connor Wickham when he signs? Or does he ask Isaak Davies, or maybe Mark Harris, to play off Kaba and make those runs in behind and stretch defence. Much like Harris did alongside Kieffer Moore when he first got into the team under Neil Harris.

Both Ojo and Philogene are talented and both have big parts to play for Cardiff this season, but it might be time to redress that balance in the coming games.

How many at the back?


By Glen Williams


Having Mahlon Romeo back on Saturday was such a blessing for Cardiff. He adds such a natural balance to this side, providing just as much quality bursting down the wing as he does defensively with his perfectly-timed challenges and positional astuteness.

In truth, having him back made the option to field a back four far more palatable than it might have otherwise been with other options which were used during his time out injured.

But it does throw a question moving forward now. Do Cardiff revert to five at the back? Romeo is comfortable in a wing-back role or a conventional right-back role, while Callum O'Dowda, who is the only viable option on that side of defence, really, is far more effective in a wing-back role.

Plus, while he has been a little out of sorts, Perry Ng has been a top servant for Cardiff for more than two years and they would do well to accommodate him in the side. Right centre-half, in a back three, is a position made for him, with giants Mark McGuinness and Cedric Kipre making up the other two positions in a back three.

But with Cardiff struggling to score consistently, is taking one midfielder or attacker away for another defender the right way to go? That's down for Lamouchi to decide. Cardiff were overrun in midfield against Boro, but if we stick to the rule of playing a maximum of one of Sawyers and Ralls, adding in the legs of Ryan Wintle and/or Andy Rinomhota, perhaps that will mitigate having one fewer body in there.

A back five, so to speak, of Romeo, Ng, McGuinness, Kipre and O'Dowda, on paper at least, looks solid and covers all bases.

But where are your flair or goals coming from then? You might have to opt for, for example, Wintle, Rinomhota, Robinson, Philogene and Kaba ahead of that defence. Is there enough of a goal threat in there? Adding a Davies or, potentially, a Wickham would just lift that goal threat slightly perhaps.

Getting the formation bang on is a big challenge facing Lamouchi this week. How does he field an XI with defensive stability and enough of a goal threat to pose their own questions to the opposition? Big questions will be answered this week.

You don't win games against top sides like boro by playing 2 in midfield and getting over run in waves of possession

You don't win games against top sides like boro by playing 2 in midfield and getting over run in waves of possession

Exactly.

The one worry I had with Bamba coming back was that he’d suggest Lamouchi pick Ralls !!

Hopefully Lamouchi has now worked out that Ralls is not in the same class as Rinomhota and Wintle.

What did surprise me on Saturday was that he seemed to drop Sawyers back and push Wintle and Rinomhota further forward and that really seemed to work with them able to press Boro much higher up the pitch and Sawyers having more time on the ball (which he needs !!).

Hopefully those three games have given him an idea of what he has at his disposal and now we just have to grind out a few results and build some momentum.

It’s encouraging to see he CAN make that subtle change in midfield.

You don't win games against top sides like boro by playing 2 in midfield and getting over run in waves of possession

Exactly.

The one worry I had with Bamba coming back was that he’d suggest Lamouchi pick Ralls !!

Hopefully Lamouchi has now worked out that Ralls is not in the same class as Rinomhota and Wintle.

What did surprise me on Saturday was that he seemed to drop Sawyers back and push Wintle and Rinomhota further forward and that really seemed to work with them able to press Boro much higher up the pitch and Sawyers having more time on the ball (which he needs !!).

Hopefully those three games have given him an idea of what he has at his disposal and now we just have to grind out a few results and build some momentum.

I still believe that Boro sat back and invited us on, it worked as well.

One of my many issues with Saturday 442, 4321 then 4141 was when Wintle or Rinomhota got the ball around the 18 yard box they didn't really have the quality to do anything with it. The question is would a genuine attacking minded player have the quality to do something with it. Just imagine Colwill with the ball in some of those situations

Let's face it Wintle (11 pro goals in 240) and Rinomhota (3 pro goals/ 150 games) are stoppers as are Ralls (35 goals in 347) and Sawyers (27 in in 400) nowadays.

Time for a formation change and go with wingback and the two younger CMs as holders, thats the midfield. three at the back Kaba with Robinson then one of Ojo, Philogene, Rubin or Issack the other side of the big lad