The Cardiff City hangover

Sorry i am bored, my mrs is shopping and the daughters are working. Anyways i feel we ruin teams, we grind them into the ground, so i wondered (via AI) how the team that faced us got on after playing us. interesting stuff.


Under Brian Barry-Murphy, Cardiff has been a high-intensity side, and the data suggests opponents are feeling the physical toll in their subsequent fixtures.

The "Cardiff Hangover" (Teams that lost/drew their next game)
Luton Town: After losing 1-0 to Cardiff in August, they dropped points in their very next match.
Plymouth Argyle: Following their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Cardiff, they suffered a major confidence dip and lost their subsequent fixture.
Wigan Athletic: After a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff, they failed to secure a win in their next match.
Reading: Lost 2-1 to Cardiff in October and immediately spiraled into a difficult winless streak.
Mansfield Town: Beaten 3-0 by Cardiff in late November, they went on to lose their next game as well.

The "Bounce Back" Teams (The exceptions)

Bradford City: One of the few to beat Cardiff (3-1 in September), they maintained that momentum to stay in the Top 3.
Lincoln City: After beating Cardiff 2-1 in December, they won their next fixture to cement their place as our primary title rivals.
Peterborough United: Knocked Cardiff out of the FA Cup and used that result to spark a 4-game winning streak in the league.

Season Snapshot (as of Dec 30, 2025)

Cardiff Position: 1st in League One

Opponent Win Rate after playing Cardiff: ~30%
Opponent Loss Rate after playing Cardiff: ~55%

Thanks, that is interesting.

Suggests that teams out so much into playing us which has a knock on effect that sees them struggle in the next game.

BBM is frying my footballing brain...... I am slowly getting it and when they scored i wasn't worried as we hurt teams over the 90 mins. Its a chess match

Here is another interesting stat. Time of goals in 15 min segments

In the 2025/26 season, Cardiff City has established a reputation for being a "second-half team." Under Brian Barry-Murphy, the squad often uses their superior fitness to overwhelm opponents in the final 30 minutes of matches.

As of late December 2025, here is the breakdown of when Cardiff scores their goals in 15-minute segments:

Cardiff City Goal Intervals (2025/26)
First Half: The "Feeling Out" Phase Cardiff typically starts matches cautiously, focusing on possession and tiring out the opposition.

1–15 mins: 3 goals (The slowest start for the Bluebirds)
16–30 mins: 5 goals
31–45 mins: 6 goals

Second Half: The "Barry-Murphy" Surge This is where Cardiff’s high-intensity training pays off. Over 60% of their league goals have come after the 60th minute.

46–60 mins: 7 goals
61–75 mins: 9 goals
76–90+ mins: 10 goals (The most prolific period, often involving late winners)

Key Insights for the Forum
Late Winners: Cardiff has secured more points from goals scored in the final 15 minutes than any other team in League One this season. This "never say die" attitude is a big reason they are currently sitting 1st in the table.

Physical Superiority: The spike in goals between the 60th and 90th minute suggests that opponents are physically flagging while Cardiff's younger squad (the "Kids" and "Young Players" mentioned earlier) continues to push the tempo.

Yousef Salech Factor: The league's top scorer, Yousef Salech, has netted nearly half of his goals (5 out of 11) in the final segment of matches, making him the division's most dangerous "clutch" striker.


Still AI, so sorry if inaccurate but close enough.

This is why I pull my hair out when I hear people complain about us moving the ball from side to side because you can easily see it is intended to wear out the opposition so that they tire out around the 70 minute mark where we can then unleash the bomb squad from the bench to rip apart tired players, our late goals scored stat proves this point perfectly

This is why I pull my hair out when I hear people complain about us moving the ball from side to side because you can easily see it is intended to wear out the opposition so that they tire out around the 70 minute mark where we can then unleash the bomb squad from the bench to rip apart tired players, our late goals scored stat proves this point perfectly

These were my thoughts exactly at half time, after hearing plenty of moaning about passing too much. It's incredibly difficult to keep the level of discipline Stevenage did last night

I think we just have to trust the process. No other sides in league 1 play the way we do. We will come unstuck sometimes, but ultimately we will win more than we lose over the season. absolutely correct its a game of chess and we can see what they are doing. They have excellent close quarter ball management skills so back themselves to deal with most pressures. We are vulnerable to breakaways and "worldies" which in the whole has been the case. We are also vulnerable to poor refereeing too but thats another story!!

The players know instinctively what their roles are and they are getting increasingly interchangeable. We can also pick some different combinations for different approaches too. Robertson, Joel and Turnbull are cases in point.

Every single side bar Doncaster have set up to low block and frustrate. Its no wonder we have to ping it about all over the place to find gaps. I dont think any other side in the league faces consistently negative tactics against them. Not complaining. It is what it is and I expect other sides to play to their strengths. But it plays more to the tactical nature we have adopted trying to break them down.

This is why I pull my hair out when I hear people complain about us moving the ball from side to side because you can easily see it is intended to wear out the opposition so that they tire out around the 70 minute mark where we can then unleash the bomb squad from the bench to rip apart tired players, our late goals scored stat proves this point perfectly

I hear what you are saying but it's really painful to watch. Modern football is just a game of chess with little excitement. I think that's why the atmosphere is so bad at home.

This is why I pull my hair out when I hear people complain about us moving the ball from side to side because you can easily see it is intended to wear out the opposition so that they tire out around the 70 minute mark where we can then unleash the bomb squad from the bench to rip apart tired players, our late goals scored stat proves this point perfectly

I hear what you are saying but it's really painful to watch. Modern football is just a game of chess with little excitement. I think that's why the atmosphere is so bad at home.

Yea I agree it's not the most exciting to watch but it's effective and you can see it's not just the players passing side to side for the sake of it, it's done with a clear plan In mind to knacker out the opposition so our subs can come on and take advantage of tired defenders

What will be interesting will be the sqaud after the next 2 windows. BBM inherited this squad. Added Trott and Osho and loaned Kellyman. We know owning the ball is his thing, but what else does it look like?

Does he want a Salech-type striker or does he want more mobility? We barely cross it.
What do the wide attacking attackers look like? Imagine if we had a Karlon Grant level wide forward, who is a forward, not a midfielder, looking to pass it.
Is it 2 sitters or one
defend first full backs or attacking

I think he has performed minor miracles. It will be interesting to see what reinforcements we get.

What will be interesting will be the sqaud after the next 2 windows. BBM inherited this squad. Added Trott and Osho and loaned Kellyman. We know owning the ball is his thing, but what else does it look like?

Does he want a Salech-type striker or does he want more mobility? We barely cross it.
What do the wide attacking attackers look like? Imagine if we had a Karlon Grant level wide forward, who is a forward, not a midfielder, looking to pass it.
Is it 2 sitters or one
defend first full backs or attacking

I think he has performed minor miracles. It will be interesting to see what reinforcements we get.

The stats will disagree but we need a decent striker who's sharp in the box and quick off the mark. I'm not a Salech fan and have said so since he came here, but I doubt few will agree considering his goalscoring record. Yesterday's bench told us what BBM was expecting - a strong defensive effort from Stevenage and a final 30 or so minutes with the introduction of pace as the opposition began to tire.

What will be interesting will be the sqaud after the next 2 windows. BBM inherited this squad. Added Trott and Osho and loaned Kellyman. We know owning the ball is his thing, but what else does it look like?

Does he want a Salech-type striker or does he want more mobility? We barely cross it.
What do the wide attacking attackers look like? Imagine if we had a Karlon Grant level wide forward, who is a forward, not a midfielder, looking to pass it.
Is it 2 sitters or one
defend first full backs or attacking

I think he has performed minor miracles. It will be interesting to see what reinforcements we get.

The stats will disagree but we need a decent striker who's sharp in the box and quick off the mark. I'm not a Salech fan and have said so since he came here, but I doubt few will agree considering his goalscoring record. Yesterday's bench told us what BBM was expecting - a strong defensive effort from Stevenage and a final 30 or so minutes with the introduction of pace as the opposition began to tire.

Subs definitely sparked us into life. I rate Salech although he did miss a few good chances last night. Must be so frustrating with the lack of crosses and guessing when the crosses will come in. He is good with his head with the right delivery.

What will be interesting will be the sqaud after the next 2 windows. BBM inherited this squad. Added Trott and Osho and loaned Kellyman. We know owning the ball is his thing, but what else does it look like?

Does he want a Salech-type striker or does he want more mobility? We barely cross it.
What do the wide attacking attackers look like? Imagine if we had a Karlon Grant level wide forward, who is a forward, not a midfielder, looking to pass it.
Is it 2 sitters or one
defend first full backs or attacking

I think he has performed minor miracles. It will be interesting to see what reinforcements we get.

The stats will disagree but we need a decent striker who's sharp in the box and quick off the mark. I'm not a Salech fan and have said so since he came here, but I doubt few will agree considering his goalscoring record. Yesterday's bench told us what BBM was expecting - a strong defensive effort from Stevenage and a final 30 or so minutes with the introduction of pace as the opposition began to tire.

Subs definitely sparked us into life. I rate Salech although he did miss a few good chances last night. Must be so frustrating with the lack of crosses and guessing when the crosses will come in. He is good with his head with the right delivery.

I’m a Salech fan also (at this level) but I don’t think he’s actually that great with his head.

Yes of course he can win a ball and score with his head but he’s not or will never be close to Keifer Moore in my opinion.

He’s also still only 23 and I think his overall game will improve also with time.

It's interesting to see that Salech has had more shots at goal than any other player in league 1 with 72 shots but only 24 on target and 11 of those scored,

This is why I pull my hair out when I hear people complain about us moving the ball from side to side because you can easily see it is intended to wear out the opposition so that they tire out around the 70 minute mark where we can then unleash the bomb squad from the bench to rip apart tired players, our late goals scored stat proves this point perfectly

I agree and a few on here constantly moan about his style and disrespectfully call him the tinkerman. One or two on here in particular don’t understand the modern game and still believe we should lump it upfield where in fact 9 times out of 10 we’d lose possession.

He’s been proved right with his changing of the starting 11, keeping the squad fresh and competitive.

What will be interesting will be the sqaud after the next 2 windows. BBM inherited this squad. Added Trott and Osho and loaned Kellyman. We know owning the ball is his thing, but what else does it look like?

Does he want a Salech-type striker or does he want more mobility? We barely cross it.
What do the wide attacking attackers look like? Imagine if we had a Karlon Grant level wide forward, who is a forward, not a midfielder, looking to pass it.
Is it 2 sitters or one
defend first full backs or attacking

I think he has performed minor miracles. It will be interesting to see what reinforcements we get.

The stats will disagree but we need a decent striker who's sharp in the box and quick off the mark. I'm not a Salech fan and have said so since he came here, but I doubt few will agree considering his goalscoring record. Yesterday's bench told us what BBM was expecting - a strong defensive effort from Stevenage and a final 30 or so minutes with the introduction of pace as the opposition began to tire.

Subs definitely sparked us into life. I rate Salech although he did miss a few good chances last night. Must be so frustrating with the lack of crosses and guessing when the crosses will come in. He is good with his head with the right delivery.

I’m a Salech fan also (at this level) but I don’t think he’s actually that great with his head.

Yes of course he can win a ball and score with his head but he’s not or will never be close to Keifer Moore in my opinion.

He’s also still only 23 and I think his overall game will improve also with time.

I agree not at K Moore level.

What will be interesting will be the sqaud after the next 2 windows. BBM inherited this squad. Added Trott and Osho and loaned Kellyman. We know owning the ball is his thing, but what else does it look like?

Does he want a Salech-type striker or does he want more mobility? We barely cross it.
What do the wide attacking attackers look like? Imagine if we had a Karlon Grant level wide forward, who is a forward, not a midfielder, looking to pass it.
Is it 2 sitters or one
defend first full backs or attacking

I think he has performed minor miracles. It will be interesting to see what reinforcements we get.

The stats will disagree but we need a decent striker who's sharp in the box and quick off the mark. I'm not a Salech fan and have said so since he came here, but I doubt few will agree considering his goalscoring record. Yesterday's bench told us what BBM was expecting - a strong defensive effort from Stevenage and a final 30 or so minutes with the introduction of pace as the opposition began to tire.

Subs definitely sparked us into life. I rate Salech although he did miss a few good chances last night. Must be so frustrating with the lack of crosses and guessing when the crosses will come in. He is good with his head with the right delivery.

I’m a Salech fan also (at this level) but I don’t think he’s actually that great with his head.

Yes of course he can win a ball and score with his head but he’s not or will never be close to Keifer Moore in my opinion.

He’s also still only 23 and I think his overall game will improve also with time.

I agree not at K Moore level.

Also agree, but Keiffer Moore wasn’t at Salech’s ‘level’ at the same age and Salech can/will improve with age/experience

I agree with OriginalGrangeEndBlue that Salech still lacks in certain aspects. He’s doing well as ‘top scorer’ in League One, but questions remain as to what level his ‘ceiling’ is