2012 - 13 Season Preview
Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:06 am
Well thanks to the Euro 2012 finals and the Olympic Games this close season seems to have gone on forever, but this evening at the Cardiff City Stadium the new season begins with a home fixture against newly promoted Huddersfield Town.
I don’t know about you but throughout my now 48 years watching the City the new season always brings with it a feeling of hope, anticipation and excitement and for me this season is absolutely no different.
We are about to begin our 10th consecutive season at this level and as we prepare to begin our League campaign one question fills my mind, Will this be the season that delivers our promotion dream?
Most fans would agree that there are no easy games at this level and we can take nothing for granted, but having reached the playoffs for the last 3 seasons we all hope that, at the very least, we can make that 4 seasons on the trot come next May. However to put the task into some perspective only 3 other clubs Blackburn, Birmingham and Ipswich have managed that feat in the history of the playoffs at this level so a real task lies ahead.
So how well placed are we to not only maintain a promotion push and if it is the playoffs, again, can we arrive there with a squad with enough quality, depth and mental strength to see us through.
In my opinion we need to consider two questions to find the answer, firstly how does our squad compare to last season and what areas do we need to improve on from previous seasons.
In terms of our squad this summer has been another busy time with Heaton, Gerrard, Miller, Naylor, Quinn, Lawrence, Wildig, and Parkin among the players to leave and replaced by Craig Bellamy, Jordan Mutch, Kim Bokyung, Etien Velikonja, Heider Helguson and Joe Lewis. Filip Kiss has also signed on a permanent basis. Malkay Mackay is also on record as saying we are continuing to look for another 2 or 3 players.
It is difficult not to accept that these changes have added quality, strength and depth to our squad but I believe they have added enormously to our attacking potential. Not bad when you consider that last season we scored the first goal in 30 of our 46 league matches (65%) which is a record since our return to the Championship. Last season we had the highest number of players (19) scoring during the season and we also had the highest number of assists (55) in a season since our return to the Championship. Add the attacking talent of Bellamy, Mutch, Bokyung and Helguson and it makes for a potentially very exciting season ahead of us.
The only question I suppose is with all the creativity in the squad have we got a striker who will score 20 plus goals this season. It is not unreasonable to expect Peter Whittingham to be amongst our top goalscorers but I feel this season we need one of our strikers to step up to the mark and get 20 plus goals. Who will it be? Or is that player still to arrive at the club?.
Unlike last season these new players will allow MM greater options in tactics and give him the opportunity of not just replacing like for like during matches but give him the chance to change formation if things are not going well. This in my opinion is the biggest benefit we have seen in years in squad development.
If there is a concern for me it is the fact that during the last two seasons MM teams have been amongst the worst in the Championship for points lost from winning positions. Last season we lost 29 points and the season before Watford lost 37 points and this is the area where we need to improve.
Last season MM mainly used 18 players and that eventually caught up with us but I am convinced that this season we will see more squad rotation and greater use of the players available and this will in my opinion deliver huge benefits.
However we still need at least 3 players with an attacking right back, a centre half and centre forward and if MM can get these players then we will be more than a match for any team in this division. Add another 3 players to our squad now, during the loan window or in January then it could be better than the playoffs.
We will have a better idea of what type of season we will have after 12 games but before a ball is kicked hope springs eternal in this Bluebird fan and I truly believe that we will make the playoffs at the very least.
I can’t wait for the game to start this evening which will begin what I believe is going to be another great season under Malkay Mackay.
I don’t know about you but throughout my now 48 years watching the City the new season always brings with it a feeling of hope, anticipation and excitement and for me this season is absolutely no different.
We are about to begin our 10th consecutive season at this level and as we prepare to begin our League campaign one question fills my mind, Will this be the season that delivers our promotion dream?
Most fans would agree that there are no easy games at this level and we can take nothing for granted, but having reached the playoffs for the last 3 seasons we all hope that, at the very least, we can make that 4 seasons on the trot come next May. However to put the task into some perspective only 3 other clubs Blackburn, Birmingham and Ipswich have managed that feat in the history of the playoffs at this level so a real task lies ahead.
So how well placed are we to not only maintain a promotion push and if it is the playoffs, again, can we arrive there with a squad with enough quality, depth and mental strength to see us through.
In my opinion we need to consider two questions to find the answer, firstly how does our squad compare to last season and what areas do we need to improve on from previous seasons.
In terms of our squad this summer has been another busy time with Heaton, Gerrard, Miller, Naylor, Quinn, Lawrence, Wildig, and Parkin among the players to leave and replaced by Craig Bellamy, Jordan Mutch, Kim Bokyung, Etien Velikonja, Heider Helguson and Joe Lewis. Filip Kiss has also signed on a permanent basis. Malkay Mackay is also on record as saying we are continuing to look for another 2 or 3 players.
It is difficult not to accept that these changes have added quality, strength and depth to our squad but I believe they have added enormously to our attacking potential. Not bad when you consider that last season we scored the first goal in 30 of our 46 league matches (65%) which is a record since our return to the Championship. Last season we had the highest number of players (19) scoring during the season and we also had the highest number of assists (55) in a season since our return to the Championship. Add the attacking talent of Bellamy, Mutch, Bokyung and Helguson and it makes for a potentially very exciting season ahead of us.
The only question I suppose is with all the creativity in the squad have we got a striker who will score 20 plus goals this season. It is not unreasonable to expect Peter Whittingham to be amongst our top goalscorers but I feel this season we need one of our strikers to step up to the mark and get 20 plus goals. Who will it be? Or is that player still to arrive at the club?.
Unlike last season these new players will allow MM greater options in tactics and give him the opportunity of not just replacing like for like during matches but give him the chance to change formation if things are not going well. This in my opinion is the biggest benefit we have seen in years in squad development.
If there is a concern for me it is the fact that during the last two seasons MM teams have been amongst the worst in the Championship for points lost from winning positions. Last season we lost 29 points and the season before Watford lost 37 points and this is the area where we need to improve.
Last season MM mainly used 18 players and that eventually caught up with us but I am convinced that this season we will see more squad rotation and greater use of the players available and this will in my opinion deliver huge benefits.
However we still need at least 3 players with an attacking right back, a centre half and centre forward and if MM can get these players then we will be more than a match for any team in this division. Add another 3 players to our squad now, during the loan window or in January then it could be better than the playoffs.
We will have a better idea of what type of season we will have after 12 games but before a ball is kicked hope springs eternal in this Bluebird fan and I truly believe that we will make the playoffs at the very least.
I can’t wait for the game to start this evening which will begin what I believe is going to be another great season under Malkay Mackay.
Re: 2012 - 13 Season Preview
Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:41 am
Good Read that
Cant Fooking wait till tonight
Cant Fooking wait till tonight