"A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too long. "
Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:32 am
Nathan Blake: Plenty for Cardiff City stars to work on before Leicester
Dec 17th 2012
" There will be plenty for Malky Mackay and his men to work on this week after what was a disappointing defeat by Peterborough, but a result which does not need to be dwelt on for too long."
A blip? A bad day at the office? Sure, but a defeat at home was always going to come and perhaps it is better that it was not one of the Bluebirds rivals at the top end of the table who inflicted the damage.
I earned promotion five times in my career, going up as champions, in second-place and via the play-offs and it’s very difficult to go through a whole seas.
Mackay and his men need to now take it on the chin, learn from their mistakes and make sure they do not repeat them. Keep your heads up, analyse it, learn from it then leave it behind you is the order of the business.
There were mistakes made. I thought the big one from Mackay’s point of view was how he dealt the the absence of suspended captain Mark Hudson in defence. He moved Matthew Connolly to partner Ben Turner in the heart of defence and you could tell very much that this was a pairing that had never played together before.
Kevin McNaughton came in at right-back and he’s been out of the side a while so unsurprisingly he looked very rusty in there. It was like changing two components of the defence when I don’t think that was necessary.
I’d said before the game I would have brought young Ben Nugent in at centre-half and left Connolly at full-back. It’s less intrusive really and I know Nugent is inexperienced, but i think you could have got away with that against Peterborough. I know Nugent had been out fora couple of game, but I think he would have still been on a high after his exploits when he was in the first team.
I can see where Mackay was coming from, he went with the experience, I think it was a mistake, but, of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing. If the manger was at fault anywhere else I think it has to be that the substitutions he made also dod not have enough of an impact on the game. Personally I believe Joe Mason need to be thrown into the action, but again hindsight is great, isn’t it? I don’t think Mackay will be caught out like that again mind.
A lot was said about complacency ahead of the match with Cardiff facing the team right at the bottom of the table and quite naturally that was denied, but I think we saw evidence of it and it is hard to avoid.
I don’t think you would have seen a performance like that if Cardiff had been playing someone like Leeds or someone higher up the table. I don’t think the feeling is that players believe they only have to turn up to win, but I do think there is a feeling that they do not have to play at the same level that might be required were they playing someone liek Leicester or CRustal Place. I just think that happens in football sometimes.
The other thing that concerned me was the way Cardiff played when they were chasing the game. The last 20 minutes in particular Cardiff were very disorganised, totally out of shape and I don’t really care if tghey were trying to get back in the game you just cannot leave yourself so open at the back. You must maintain discipline. I expect that is something the Bluebirds will be working on this week too.
But that result is behind them now and will hopefully be out of their system coming up to a crucial run of games around Christmas.
The next couple of fixtures look really tough, but I think that will be good for mackay and his men. I think right now they need to be facing the likes of Leicester and Crystal palace rather than the Likes of Sheffield Wednesday and peterborough. For me it is exactly what they need.
If any complacency did creep in that will be well and truly banished over the next couple of games. Psychological levels now are going to need to be up at eight or nine rather than down ar six or seven if the Bluebirds are to pick up the points and I think they are in with a really good chance.
Personally I can see then over-coming Leicester away on Saturday and that sets up a great game at the Cardiff City Stadium against Ian Holloway’s Palace on Boxing. That should be a real ding dong battle, but Cardiff are more than capable of winning it.
It has been a great season for the Bluebirds so far, the weekend can be put to bed now, and let’s move forward because there is plenty of excitement yet to come that much is certain.
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2FGT1uOTK
Dec 17th 2012
" There will be plenty for Malky Mackay and his men to work on this week after what was a disappointing defeat by Peterborough, but a result which does not need to be dwelt on for too long."
A blip? A bad day at the office? Sure, but a defeat at home was always going to come and perhaps it is better that it was not one of the Bluebirds rivals at the top end of the table who inflicted the damage.
I earned promotion five times in my career, going up as champions, in second-place and via the play-offs and it’s very difficult to go through a whole seas.
Mackay and his men need to now take it on the chin, learn from their mistakes and make sure they do not repeat them. Keep your heads up, analyse it, learn from it then leave it behind you is the order of the business.
There were mistakes made. I thought the big one from Mackay’s point of view was how he dealt the the absence of suspended captain Mark Hudson in defence. He moved Matthew Connolly to partner Ben Turner in the heart of defence and you could tell very much that this was a pairing that had never played together before.
Kevin McNaughton came in at right-back and he’s been out of the side a while so unsurprisingly he looked very rusty in there. It was like changing two components of the defence when I don’t think that was necessary.
I’d said before the game I would have brought young Ben Nugent in at centre-half and left Connolly at full-back. It’s less intrusive really and I know Nugent is inexperienced, but i think you could have got away with that against Peterborough. I know Nugent had been out fora couple of game, but I think he would have still been on a high after his exploits when he was in the first team.
I can see where Mackay was coming from, he went with the experience, I think it was a mistake, but, of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing. If the manger was at fault anywhere else I think it has to be that the substitutions he made also dod not have enough of an impact on the game. Personally I believe Joe Mason need to be thrown into the action, but again hindsight is great, isn’t it? I don’t think Mackay will be caught out like that again mind.
A lot was said about complacency ahead of the match with Cardiff facing the team right at the bottom of the table and quite naturally that was denied, but I think we saw evidence of it and it is hard to avoid.
I don’t think you would have seen a performance like that if Cardiff had been playing someone like Leeds or someone higher up the table. I don’t think the feeling is that players believe they only have to turn up to win, but I do think there is a feeling that they do not have to play at the same level that might be required were they playing someone liek Leicester or CRustal Place. I just think that happens in football sometimes.
The other thing that concerned me was the way Cardiff played when they were chasing the game. The last 20 minutes in particular Cardiff were very disorganised, totally out of shape and I don’t really care if tghey were trying to get back in the game you just cannot leave yourself so open at the back. You must maintain discipline. I expect that is something the Bluebirds will be working on this week too.
But that result is behind them now and will hopefully be out of their system coming up to a crucial run of games around Christmas.
The next couple of fixtures look really tough, but I think that will be good for mackay and his men. I think right now they need to be facing the likes of Leicester and Crystal palace rather than the Likes of Sheffield Wednesday and peterborough. For me it is exactly what they need.
If any complacency did creep in that will be well and truly banished over the next couple of games. Psychological levels now are going to need to be up at eight or nine rather than down ar six or seven if the Bluebirds are to pick up the points and I think they are in with a really good chance.
Personally I can see then over-coming Leicester away on Saturday and that sets up a great game at the Cardiff City Stadium against Ian Holloway’s Palace on Boxing. That should be a real ding dong battle, but Cardiff are more than capable of winning it.
It has been a great season for the Bluebirds so far, the weekend can be put to bed now, and let’s move forward because there is plenty of excitement yet to come that much is certain.
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2FGT1uOTK
Re: "A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too lon
Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:16 am
I'm a huge fan of Helguson. He's been a proper warrior up there. But after Saturday...
We need someone up there with him who has a better conversion rate. Somebody like
Austin or Rhodes would have scored a Hat-Trick against Peterboro given those chances.
We still need Heider, he's brilliant up there. But its that finisher we're lacking. And its
NOT Gestede
We need someone up there with him who has a better conversion rate. Somebody like
Austin or Rhodes would have scored a Hat-Trick against Peterboro given those chances.
We still need Heider, he's brilliant up there. But its that finisher we're lacking. And its
NOT Gestede
Re: "A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too lon
Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:20 am
taffyapple wrote:I'm a huge fan of Helguson. He's been a proper warrior up there. But after Saturday...
We need someone up there with him who has a better conversion rate. Somebody like
Austin or Rhodes would have scored a Hat-Trick against Peterboro given those chances.
We still need Heider, he's brilliant up there. But its that finisher we're lacking. And its
NOT Gestede
I hate to say this (because i really do love Helguson and what he brings to the team) but i do think you're right here.
It's the same with Mason for me, i really think that his movement and the way he opens up space for other players in the team with his runs is so, so important, and of a Premier League quality already. Unfortunately he's not a natural finisher either i feel.
But i do love both Helguson and Mason.
Re: "A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too lon
Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:20 am
After that performance on Saturday by the whole team, then singling out HH is unfair, we never created enough clear cut chances for him or any body for that matter. All managers say that you can live with, one or two players having a bad day but more than that and your in trouble and that's exactly what happened.
Re: "A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too lon
Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:42 am
We did bring in a finsher in Maynard, so unlucky he got injured he could have won us that game on saturday. HH is superb, but can't rely on him to score every game he creates space for a more natural finsher would thrive in
Re: "A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too lon
Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:44 pm
I think Mason is a natural finisher, but he lacks the Physical characteristics to get himself in the positions he needs to be. He is neither fast enough to be an off the shoulder or strong enough to be a target man. I think when he hits his mid 20's the guy will be playing in the premier, but not just yet.
They all played shit except Marshall.
They all played shit except Marshall.
Re: "A result which does not need to be dwelt on for too lon
Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:23 pm
As long as this is just a blip and normal service returns for our next home game then I'm not too concerned. What does concern me is that the result was coming as, apart fron a great 2nd half against Blackburn, we've been pretty pathetic performance wise for some considerable time.
Hopefully this performance was the wake-up call needed
Hopefully this performance was the wake-up call needed