Home is not where the heart is for Cardiff City and West Ham
Wed May 02, 2012 6:59 am
" Home is not where the heart is for Cardiff City and West Ham "
2nd May 2 2012
WHEN is home advantage not actually an advantage at all? Such a scenario, it would seem, is about to be played out in two blood and thunder clashes between Cardiff City and West Ham.
At stake is the small matter of a Wembley play-off final and a shot at the £90 million Premiership dream.
Win your home leg and park the bus on your travels – that would be the likely plan of attack for most clubs.
But, when it comes to the Bluebirds and the Hammers, success, it would seem, is easier to find on the road.
A look at the facts, figures and form of the two teams, shows just how close this one is to call – too close in fact.
Since Sam Allardyce’s side cruised to a 2-0 win at Cardiff City Stadium in the wake of the Bluebirds’ Carling Cup final heartbreak, the two teams have followed identical paths into the rollercoaster ride that is the Championship play-offs.
Following that match on March 4, the Hammers, who were sitting pretty in second place with a four-point cushion ahead of eventual title winners Reading, looked odds on to secure automatic promotion.
The Bluebirds, by comparison, appeared physically and mentally drained after slipping out of the play-off spots into eighth place.
But since that Sunday afternoon, the two protagonists’ results have been identical.
Five wins, seven draws and just one defeat – a total of 22 points from a possible 39 that has proved good enough for a top six finish but not quite sufficient for the ultimate goal of automatic promotion.
Intriguingly, of those 13 matches, the major successes have come away from the respective homes of Cardiff City Stadium and Upton Park.
If we begin by looking at City, we can see the ability to win on the road is the main reason a play-off bid that looked like it was heading for the buffers eventually found itself back on course.
Malky Mackay’s side have played six games away from the Welsh capital since the beginning of March, winning four, drawing two and hauling in an impressive 14 points from a possible 18.
Significantly, the Bluebirds have won their last three games away from home at Middlesbrough (2-0), Barnsley (1-0) and, of course, on the final day against Crystal Palace (2-1).
Those sort of results, as the old saying goes, represent promotion form... provided they are backed up by the expected wins at your own home fortress.
But while Cardiff City Stadium has hardly been a graveyard of despair for the Bluebirds, the art of winning on home turf has frustratingly eluded them.
Since that Hammers clash, Cardiff have played seven matches in the Welsh capital, winning just one, drawing five and losing 3-0 to Hull.
That form has brought a return of just eight points from a possible 21 – the clear explanation for why the Bluebirds fell well short of automatic promotion and had to wait until the final day to secure their play-off spot.
The tale is strikingly similar for Sam Allardyce’s star-studded squad, who have taken just 10 points from their last seven home matches.
A run of five home games without victory since they faced the Bluebirds, including a 4-2 reverse against Reading, inflicted terminal damage to any hopes of avoiding the drama of the play-offs.
Throw in home draws against the likes of Watford, Middlesbrough and Doncaster, and you quickly see why Upton Park has been an arena of frustration rather than a fortress of success this season.
Perhaps ominously for City, though, there are signs those troubles could be coming to an end for the Hammers.
They won their final two fixtures at Upton Park, crushing Brighton 6-0 and beating Hull City 2-1, their first home wins since a 2-1 over Millwall on February 4.
Away from home, it has been a similar tale to the Bluebirds, with the Hammers claiming three wins and three draws from their last six away games, including a 4-0 demolition of Barnsley and a final day 2-1 win at Leicester City.
IT WILL come as no surprise to Cardiff City fans that the Bluebirds are officially the draw specialists of the Championship.
Mackay’s side drew 18 of their 46 league matches this season – more than any other team.
West Ham were not too far behind with 14 of their own, suggesting we are in for 180 minutes of tight, tense football over the coming week.
Both sides appear almost impossible to beat at times, with the stats showing they have each lost just four of their 23 away games this season.
Those records are highly impressive when you consider Premier League leaders Manchester City have lost five of their 18 away games this term.
Indeed, the Bluebirds and the Hammers lost fewer games home and away than any other Championship side, with nine and eight reverses respectively.
By comparison, title winners Reading lost 11 matches, although, significantly, they won 27 – eight more than Cardiff and three more than West Ham.
The Hammers will be the slight favourites when the teams commence battle at 7.45pm tomorrow, and, as we have already alluded to, they will look to win the tie at Cardiff City Stadium.
The overall results for the season show that when it comes to away form, West Ham are head and shoulders above any of their rivals.
Allardyce’s men have picked up 45 of their 86 points away from the pressure cooker of Upton Park, winning 13 games compared to 11 wins from 23 home matches.
Cardiff have also only managed 11 wins at home all season – another identical statistic that shows the type of pressure both teams feel in front of their own fans.
Thursday night is just the opening chapter of this play-off clash, and even if the Bluebirds fail to win the battle, the stats show the war for a place at Wembley will be far from over.
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z1th0DbUh9
2nd May 2 2012
WHEN is home advantage not actually an advantage at all? Such a scenario, it would seem, is about to be played out in two blood and thunder clashes between Cardiff City and West Ham.
At stake is the small matter of a Wembley play-off final and a shot at the £90 million Premiership dream.
Win your home leg and park the bus on your travels – that would be the likely plan of attack for most clubs.
But, when it comes to the Bluebirds and the Hammers, success, it would seem, is easier to find on the road.
A look at the facts, figures and form of the two teams, shows just how close this one is to call – too close in fact.
Since Sam Allardyce’s side cruised to a 2-0 win at Cardiff City Stadium in the wake of the Bluebirds’ Carling Cup final heartbreak, the two teams have followed identical paths into the rollercoaster ride that is the Championship play-offs.
Following that match on March 4, the Hammers, who were sitting pretty in second place with a four-point cushion ahead of eventual title winners Reading, looked odds on to secure automatic promotion.
The Bluebirds, by comparison, appeared physically and mentally drained after slipping out of the play-off spots into eighth place.
But since that Sunday afternoon, the two protagonists’ results have been identical.
Five wins, seven draws and just one defeat – a total of 22 points from a possible 39 that has proved good enough for a top six finish but not quite sufficient for the ultimate goal of automatic promotion.
Intriguingly, of those 13 matches, the major successes have come away from the respective homes of Cardiff City Stadium and Upton Park.
If we begin by looking at City, we can see the ability to win on the road is the main reason a play-off bid that looked like it was heading for the buffers eventually found itself back on course.
Malky Mackay’s side have played six games away from the Welsh capital since the beginning of March, winning four, drawing two and hauling in an impressive 14 points from a possible 18.
Significantly, the Bluebirds have won their last three games away from home at Middlesbrough (2-0), Barnsley (1-0) and, of course, on the final day against Crystal Palace (2-1).
Those sort of results, as the old saying goes, represent promotion form... provided they are backed up by the expected wins at your own home fortress.
But while Cardiff City Stadium has hardly been a graveyard of despair for the Bluebirds, the art of winning on home turf has frustratingly eluded them.
Since that Hammers clash, Cardiff have played seven matches in the Welsh capital, winning just one, drawing five and losing 3-0 to Hull.
That form has brought a return of just eight points from a possible 21 – the clear explanation for why the Bluebirds fell well short of automatic promotion and had to wait until the final day to secure their play-off spot.
The tale is strikingly similar for Sam Allardyce’s star-studded squad, who have taken just 10 points from their last seven home matches.
A run of five home games without victory since they faced the Bluebirds, including a 4-2 reverse against Reading, inflicted terminal damage to any hopes of avoiding the drama of the play-offs.
Throw in home draws against the likes of Watford, Middlesbrough and Doncaster, and you quickly see why Upton Park has been an arena of frustration rather than a fortress of success this season.
Perhaps ominously for City, though, there are signs those troubles could be coming to an end for the Hammers.
They won their final two fixtures at Upton Park, crushing Brighton 6-0 and beating Hull City 2-1, their first home wins since a 2-1 over Millwall on February 4.
Away from home, it has been a similar tale to the Bluebirds, with the Hammers claiming three wins and three draws from their last six away games, including a 4-0 demolition of Barnsley and a final day 2-1 win at Leicester City.
IT WILL come as no surprise to Cardiff City fans that the Bluebirds are officially the draw specialists of the Championship.
Mackay’s side drew 18 of their 46 league matches this season – more than any other team.
West Ham were not too far behind with 14 of their own, suggesting we are in for 180 minutes of tight, tense football over the coming week.
Both sides appear almost impossible to beat at times, with the stats showing they have each lost just four of their 23 away games this season.
Those records are highly impressive when you consider Premier League leaders Manchester City have lost five of their 18 away games this term.
Indeed, the Bluebirds and the Hammers lost fewer games home and away than any other Championship side, with nine and eight reverses respectively.
By comparison, title winners Reading lost 11 matches, although, significantly, they won 27 – eight more than Cardiff and three more than West Ham.
The Hammers will be the slight favourites when the teams commence battle at 7.45pm tomorrow, and, as we have already alluded to, they will look to win the tie at Cardiff City Stadium.
The overall results for the season show that when it comes to away form, West Ham are head and shoulders above any of their rivals.
Allardyce’s men have picked up 45 of their 86 points away from the pressure cooker of Upton Park, winning 13 games compared to 11 wins from 23 home matches.
Cardiff have also only managed 11 wins at home all season – another identical statistic that shows the type of pressure both teams feel in front of their own fans.
Thursday night is just the opening chapter of this play-off clash, and even if the Bluebirds fail to win the battle, the stats show the war for a place at Wembley will be far from over.
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z1th0DbUh9
Re: Home is not where the heart is for Cardiff City and West Ham
Wed May 02, 2012 2:23 pm
so enjoyable to be BLUEBIRD. 
Re: Home is not where the heart is for Cardiff City and West Ham
Wed May 02, 2012 5:13 pm
Great post,excellent info
Re: Home is not where the heart is for Cardiff City and West Ham
Wed May 02, 2012 10:08 pm
Those stats show there is not that much to fear from West Ham