"Cardiff City Football Club suffer yet more misery in the month of November" was an all too familiar title under the management of Dave Jones. Now I'm not, and never have been one to criticise unnecessarily, and you won't find me starting now; but in this case the facts speak for themselves.
Under the guise of Dave Jones, Cardiff City won less than a quarter of their games in November which some may say ultimately cost them dearly, given that one season resulted in missing out on the Playoffs on goal difference; and last seasons failure to gain automatic promotion went down to the last but one game. "If only...."the fans would say, and in some ways this would be justified given that if the club had won just a few of those November games, then Premiership football may well be a reality right now.
This is all conjecture of course, and in many ways utterly pointless, given that Cardiff didn't gain promotion and are still playing Championship football. So now, one year on from another fruitless November, how has the club that couldn't buy a win this time last year, gone on a ten match unbeaten run resulting in the Manager of the Month award going to Malky Mackay? Just what's changed to bring about such a turnaround in fortunes allowing every Cardiff City fan the chance to smile in November for the first time in 7 years?
I believe it comes down to a simple theory. Mackay seems to have birthed a new culture at Cardiff City Football Club. A culture that runs from the media team to the tea ladies, and this culture is based on a foundation of pride. No longer will Cardiff City have players on the pitch that don't believe in the cause, no longer will there be players that are just collecting their appearance fees, no longer will the fans be left literally pulling their hair out with frustration at a slow, lethargic start and most importantly no longer will Cardiff fans be left wondering just what the manager is thinking when he is standing statue-like on the touchline seemingly immune to the emotion of the occasion.
Mackay's new culture has brought about not just a breath of fresh air, it's more like a lungful. The whole club, from top to bottom seems to be running on a new wavelength and it's absolutely delightful to see. The football isn't always pretty but let's be honest, who cares? Not one fan that I know of would be prepared to sacrifice a ten game unbeaten streak to watch "tidy football". This is an era of pride in the club, pride in the shirt and pride in the cause.
The club has a squad of players that are all pulling in the same direction, all fighting tooth and nail until the final whistle, all fighting tooth and nail to keep their place. It's so hard to get into the starting line-up at the moment that even Robert Earnshaw the hometown favourite, can't get a game. It's been a pleasurable surprise to see just how hard the players are working for the shirt now.
So long live King Malkay, the curse is dead and one thing's for sure, i don't miss it.
Cardiff City Stadium
Home of the Bluebirds
Sunday 11 December 2011
Monday 17 October 2011
Its not just the rugby team thats trying....
Unusually for me, this blog was extremely difficult to begin. Difficult because we are at a point in the season where the initial excitement of a new manager and new players (most of them) have faded, the league is shaping up with us upper mid-table and their is no new "Bellamy-gate" transfer sagas to interest even the most cynical of transfer rumour readers.
In fact, on the face of it everything seems to be well....just normal. Now for a Cardiff City fan this is not an experience we are well acquainted with. It has been some five or six years since mid-table mediocrity was the norm for this club and even then it was always tinged with disappointment from the "We are a Champions League outfit" club who sit with their heads firmly in the sand. In fact i can't remember what it was like for us to be in this position at this stage of the season.
Think how things have changed since that fateful day in May when Reading FC taught us how to play football and denied
us a shot at Swansea in Wembley. New manager, new staff, new squad and a new Chief Executive. If we had been here; that is 9th in the league with 4 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses last season, there would have been bedlam in the papers and on the stands.
There seems to be a quietness around the club. The stands these days are (sadly) nowhere near as raucous as they once were, the stadium is not the intimidating fortress Ninian Park once was. The unreasonable expectations have been replaced with a feeling of resignation, that this season despite Malkys protests, will in fact be a season of reorganisation and "bedding-in" of the new players. The Playoffs seem a million miles away right now to a lot of fans and the seemingly quiet loan transfer market is not helping matters.
However, is this the right way to look at it? I'm going to stick my neck out here and say no.
In so many ways this club is better off now than it has ever been before. Here's 5 reasons why i think so:
1) The debt has been restructured into shares and the historical debt is no longer the millstone around the clubs neck it once was.
2) The board are commited, professional and above all open about the dealings and plans for the club and the Malaysians whilst not splashing the cash, definately seem to have a plausible plan for the clubs long term future.
3) The squad is now a lovely blend of experience (Hudson,Whittingham,Earnshaw) and youthful vigour (Taylor,Kiss and Gestede).
4) The manager is enthusiastic, positive and driven and has inspired a new ethos of hard work into the team.
5) The fans are finally all in the same boat. We no longer expect the unachievable and we dont suffer critics gladly. Everyone's pulling in the right direction.
Yes these may be times where we're not witnessing demolitions of teams left,right and centre. We're not expecting to score three or four goals a game anymore BUT neither are we expecting to let three or four IN to our goal anymore. We are now in the era of good old fashioned hard work and grit.
Yes we may grind out results, yes we are drawing more games than we're used to and yes we've lost some games but you know what, who cares? We can now expect that we are supporting a team that is prepared to fight for every single point, to put their bodies on the line and will not give up until the fat ref blows.
Please Bluebirds, this is seriously a fantastic time to be there. The club is at the start of a great journey, one which will have it's good times and it's bad but above all we need to remember that one day we will make it and when we do we can sit back and say "You know what, i never stopped believing".
In fact, on the face of it everything seems to be well....just normal. Now for a Cardiff City fan this is not an experience we are well acquainted with. It has been some five or six years since mid-table mediocrity was the norm for this club and even then it was always tinged with disappointment from the "We are a Champions League outfit" club who sit with their heads firmly in the sand. In fact i can't remember what it was like for us to be in this position at this stage of the season.Think how things have changed since that fateful day in May when Reading FC taught us how to play football and denied
us a shot at Swansea in Wembley. New manager, new staff, new squad and a new Chief Executive. If we had been here; that is 9th in the league with 4 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses last season, there would have been bedlam in the papers and on the stands. There seems to be a quietness around the club. The stands these days are (sadly) nowhere near as raucous as they once were, the stadium is not the intimidating fortress Ninian Park once was. The unreasonable expectations have been replaced with a feeling of resignation, that this season despite Malkys protests, will in fact be a season of reorganisation and "bedding-in" of the new players. The Playoffs seem a million miles away right now to a lot of fans and the seemingly quiet loan transfer market is not helping matters.
However, is this the right way to look at it? I'm going to stick my neck out here and say no.
In so many ways this club is better off now than it has ever been before. Here's 5 reasons why i think so:
1) The debt has been restructured into shares and the historical debt is no longer the millstone around the clubs neck it once was.
2) The board are commited, professional and above all open about the dealings and plans for the club and the Malaysians whilst not splashing the cash, definately seem to have a plausible plan for the clubs long term future.
3) The squad is now a lovely blend of experience (Hudson,Whittingham,Earnshaw) and youthful vigour (Taylor,Kiss and Gestede).
4) The manager is enthusiastic, positive and driven and has inspired a new ethos of hard work into the team.
5) The fans are finally all in the same boat. We no longer expect the unachievable and we dont suffer critics gladly. Everyone's pulling in the right direction.
Yes these may be times where we're not witnessing demolitions of teams left,right and centre. We're not expecting to score three or four goals a game anymore BUT neither are we expecting to let three or four IN to our goal anymore. We are now in the era of good old fashioned hard work and grit.Yes we may grind out results, yes we are drawing more games than we're used to and yes we've lost some games but you know what, who cares? We can now expect that we are supporting a team that is prepared to fight for every single point, to put their bodies on the line and will not give up until the fat ref blows.
Please Bluebirds, this is seriously a fantastic time to be there. The club is at the start of a great journey, one which will have it's good times and it's bad but above all we need to remember that one day we will make it and when we do we can sit back and say "You know what, i never stopped believing".
Monday 26 September 2011
Why it's time for us Bluebirds to shine....
Funny that of all the animals they could have chosen, the humble bluebird was the one that Cardiff City Football Club chose. Think carefully about that bird for a few seconds, what images does it conjure up? Surely of all the things a bluebird can mean, then happiness, positivity and good times are the most often thought of. After all, there's apparently bluebirds flying over, the white cliffs of Dover eh? Trust me i am going somewhere with this.
Cast your mind back if you will (or if you can) to a time not so long ago. I'm talking about 6 short years ago when all at Cardiff seemed lost. The club had just sold it's iconic captain Graham Kavanagh (amongst many others) and it was revealed that far from being on the verge of starting the new stadium the club was in deep, deep debt and on the verge of administration. Unfortunately this was a pattern that seemed to be all too familiar for the next three of four years despite on the pitch success.
Hardly the song of a bluebird is it? Not quite the positive story we were hoping for, yet not all was lost. We were about to embark on a journey that took us to the playoffs two seasons running, an F.A Cup final and the Playoff final just 90 minutes from the premier league and finally the bluebird began to sing. The new stadium was complete, the attendances had increased some 10,000 a game and the squad was better than ever. However, just as all seemed to be clicking together once again Cardiff City fell at the last hurdle and the most successful manager in some 40 years was sacked. Once again, the bluebird went quiet and the voices of disharmony and negativity were once again rife on the terraces.
Now where are we? We are sixth in the table after eight games, unbeaten in five games and all this despite losing that longest-serving manager, his staff and twelve, yes count them, twelve players. Which other club in the NPower Championship could have lost the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Craig Bellamy, Chris Burke and Jason Koumas and still make progress?
I get hugely frustrated with fickle football fans and their desire to drag the club, it's players and staff down in the mire with their constant doom-mongering. Isn't it about time for the Bluebird to shine again? If you listen carefully you can hear its sweet sweet song, drifting over the terraces like a warm bath after a hard game of football. If you insist on being one of those people who are quick to criticise and slow to praise then please, do us all a favour and don't bother turning up because to be frank, we don't need it.
This club is on the move, it's not a season of transition, it's a season of progress. Malky Mackay and his staff have got the boys playing from beginning to end and this never-say-die attitude has impressed anybody lucky enough to see the bluebirds this season. No longer will Cardiff City Football Club be seen as a club of Prima Donna's who can't play as a team, but as a battle-hardened unit who will fight for the points to their dying breath.
Now dust off your shirt, get out that scarf, wear that old hat or simply chuck on a Cardiff Coat and once again let's see those Bluebirds shining in the autumn sun.
Bluebirdblogger
Cast your mind back if you will (or if you can) to a time not so long ago. I'm talking about 6 short years ago when all at Cardiff seemed lost. The club had just sold it's iconic captain Graham Kavanagh (amongst many others) and it was revealed that far from being on the verge of starting the new stadium the club was in deep, deep debt and on the verge of administration. Unfortunately this was a pattern that seemed to be all too familiar for the next three of four years despite on the pitch success.
Hardly the song of a bluebird is it? Not quite the positive story we were hoping for, yet not all was lost. We were about to embark on a journey that took us to the playoffs two seasons running, an F.A Cup final and the Playoff final just 90 minutes from the premier league and finally the bluebird began to sing. The new stadium was complete, the attendances had increased some 10,000 a game and the squad was better than ever. However, just as all seemed to be clicking together once again Cardiff City fell at the last hurdle and the most successful manager in some 40 years was sacked. Once again, the bluebird went quiet and the voices of disharmony and negativity were once again rife on the terraces.
Now where are we? We are sixth in the table after eight games, unbeaten in five games and all this despite losing that longest-serving manager, his staff and twelve, yes count them, twelve players. Which other club in the NPower Championship could have lost the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Craig Bellamy, Chris Burke and Jason Koumas and still make progress?
I get hugely frustrated with fickle football fans and their desire to drag the club, it's players and staff down in the mire with their constant doom-mongering. Isn't it about time for the Bluebird to shine again? If you listen carefully you can hear its sweet sweet song, drifting over the terraces like a warm bath after a hard game of football. If you insist on being one of those people who are quick to criticise and slow to praise then please, do us all a favour and don't bother turning up because to be frank, we don't need it.
This club is on the move, it's not a season of transition, it's a season of progress. Malky Mackay and his staff have got the boys playing from beginning to end and this never-say-die attitude has impressed anybody lucky enough to see the bluebirds this season. No longer will Cardiff City Football Club be seen as a club of Prima Donna's who can't play as a team, but as a battle-hardened unit who will fight for the points to their dying breath.
Now dust off your shirt, get out that scarf, wear that old hat or simply chuck on a Cardiff Coat and once again let's see those Bluebirds shining in the autumn sun.
Bluebirdblogger
Monday 19 September 2011
A funny new smell at Cardiff....
So here we are again, another few weeks have passed and choosing to look at the positives of which they are many more than there are negatives I'm going to choose one word. Unbeaten.
Now the eagle eyed amongst you will know that technically whilst referring to Cardiff City this season we are not unbeaten and although "technically" true (darn you Brighton!) i am not referring to our season's performance, i am in fact referring to our new, altogether MASSIVELY improved mindset under our glorious new manager, a certain Malky Mackay.
Haven't you just felt it these last few weeks? Can't you just smell it amongst the Brains Bitter and Clark's Pies? It's that rarest of smells at the Cardiff City Stadium, the smell of optimism. It's a new sense of "You know what, so what if we lose? The boys are giving 100% until the final whistle and i can't fault it". No doubt some of you more battle-weary City fans have probably lost all sensitivity to this particular smell and who can blame you? However for those of us who've braved the cold nights on the Bob Bank and cold days away clinching promotion at York City and lived to tell the tale of Wembley-woes and Cup Finals then we can just about start to smile again.
At the beginning of my article i referred to us having a new mindset and i truly believe this to be the case. Malky and his staff have instilled a new ethos at Cardiff. It's a "work hard-then work harder-then work til you drop" mentality and my word it was desperately needed. For too long Cardiff City fans have endured lacklustre performance after performance and whilst all is not perfect and we still have moments where we struggle i cannot believe the team i am watching in front of my eyes.
Isn't about time we started to open our nostrils, take a big whiff and smile and say you know what, we might not make it this year but who cares we're gonna give it a blooming good go trying.
Now the eagle eyed amongst you will know that technically whilst referring to Cardiff City this season we are not unbeaten and although "technically" true (darn you Brighton!) i am not referring to our season's performance, i am in fact referring to our new, altogether MASSIVELY improved mindset under our glorious new manager, a certain Malky Mackay.
Haven't you just felt it these last few weeks? Can't you just smell it amongst the Brains Bitter and Clark's Pies? It's that rarest of smells at the Cardiff City Stadium, the smell of optimism. It's a new sense of "You know what, so what if we lose? The boys are giving 100% until the final whistle and i can't fault it". No doubt some of you more battle-weary City fans have probably lost all sensitivity to this particular smell and who can blame you? However for those of us who've braved the cold nights on the Bob Bank and cold days away clinching promotion at York City and lived to tell the tale of Wembley-woes and Cup Finals then we can just about start to smile again.
At the beginning of my article i referred to us having a new mindset and i truly believe this to be the case. Malky and his staff have instilled a new ethos at Cardiff. It's a "work hard-then work harder-then work til you drop" mentality and my word it was desperately needed. For too long Cardiff City fans have endured lacklustre performance after performance and whilst all is not perfect and we still have moments where we struggle i cannot believe the team i am watching in front of my eyes.
Isn't about time we started to open our nostrils, take a big whiff and smile and say you know what, we might not make it this year but who cares we're gonna give it a blooming good go trying.
Monday 29 August 2011
Solid start satifies Scot Malky Mackay
So here we are, the transfer window is once again on the verge of slamming shut and the usual pre-closure speculation is rife. Will he sign? Will he leave? Will Bellamy....oh you get the idea. I for one absolutely abhor the transfer window for many, many reasons of which i won't go into today. Suffice to say i will be pleased when the clock chimes midnight on my imaginary Grandfather Clock on Wednesday night.
This speculation whilst at times fun to entertain, is what i would call a double-edged sword. Like many things in life (pot noodles, McDonald's and Chinese takeaway) it has its pros and cons but one thing that needs no speculation is that Cardiff City have made a "solid, if not spectacular" (Sorry Mr Cotterill of Pompey for stealing your original cliche) start to their life under Malky Mackay. Let us look back on his record since taking over on the 17th June 2011.
Here is a quick summary of the win/lose/draw ratio this season under the sultry Scot's leadership. Cardiff have won 5, lost 3 and drawn 4 (including the pre-season games with Charlton, Celtic, Bournemouth, Yeovil and Parma). That suggests that consistency may be a small problem with this newly formed side.
I for one was not particularly pleased when Dave Jones was sacked however i am now eating my fair share of humble pie and realise that it was indeed the best for everyone (especially apparently our very own rugby tackler, Gabor Gypes). I was pleased when we chose a manager and am generally very positive concerning Cardiff City, willing to give Malkay and his new staff the benefit of the doubt. The fact that he wasn't a "big name" did not bother me one iota i was just keen to see how he would fair in the new challenge, and how has he done?
Absolutely magnificently if you ask me, (i know you're not) although the results have been mixed and bar the first half display against Bristol City we have not come flying out of the traps, i honestly cannot convey how much i am enjoying the new atmosphere around the club and the new work ethic of the players.
We are now seeing fitter, more enthusiastic players and generally a higher tempo of play at the CCS every week and as Malky said "The fans will forgive the players making mistakes, what they won't forgive is the players not giving their all". Never a truer statement has been made concerning our beloved team, Jay Bothroyd take note.
So overall, i cannot praise the new regime highly enough. Let's continue to get behind the new manager and players, shout our support and BE POSITIVE. For those of you who get sick when the rollercoaster goes up and down you better get off now, this one's only just begun.
This speculation whilst at times fun to entertain, is what i would call a double-edged sword. Like many things in life (pot noodles, McDonald's and Chinese takeaway) it has its pros and cons but one thing that needs no speculation is that Cardiff City have made a "solid, if not spectacular" (Sorry Mr Cotterill of Pompey for stealing your original cliche) start to their life under Malky Mackay. Let us look back on his record since taking over on the 17th June 2011.
Here is a quick summary of the win/lose/draw ratio this season under the sultry Scot's leadership. Cardiff have won 5, lost 3 and drawn 4 (including the pre-season games with Charlton, Celtic, Bournemouth, Yeovil and Parma). That suggests that consistency may be a small problem with this newly formed side.
I for one was not particularly pleased when Dave Jones was sacked however i am now eating my fair share of humble pie and realise that it was indeed the best for everyone (especially apparently our very own rugby tackler, Gabor Gypes). I was pleased when we chose a manager and am generally very positive concerning Cardiff City, willing to give Malkay and his new staff the benefit of the doubt. The fact that he wasn't a "big name" did not bother me one iota i was just keen to see how he would fair in the new challenge, and how has he done?
Absolutely magnificently if you ask me, (i know you're not) although the results have been mixed and bar the first half display against Bristol City we have not come flying out of the traps, i honestly cannot convey how much i am enjoying the new atmosphere around the club and the new work ethic of the players.
We are now seeing fitter, more enthusiastic players and generally a higher tempo of play at the CCS every week and as Malky said "The fans will forgive the players making mistakes, what they won't forgive is the players not giving their all". Never a truer statement has been made concerning our beloved team, Jay Bothroyd take note.
So overall, i cannot praise the new regime highly enough. Let's continue to get behind the new manager and players, shout our support and BE POSITIVE. For those of you who get sick when the rollercoaster goes up and down you better get off now, this one's only just begun.
Saturday 9 July 2011
Its fun in the sun for CCFC and the Malkaysians
So here we are again, another pre-season well underway now and the training camp in sunny Spain is about to begin culminating in a full 90 minute match against Charlton Athletic. The difficulty at this time of the year for most bloggers following their beloved local football club is finding something to write about other than endless transfer speculation and frustration but as is the norm with Cardiff City Football Club this isn't the case (is it ever?).
So much has changed in the last two months for our club, we have a new manager, new backroom staff (courtesy of Mr Taylor and the Watford Board, thanks very much!) and five new players. Balance that against the fact we lost the longest serving manager in The Championship, eight loan signings and four players out of contract and it's been quite a busy summer for everyone involved with the club. So where are we now?
Well let's deal with the new signings first....Craig Conway from Dundee United, a tricky winger and scorer of important goals (see Scottish Cup Final), Don Cowie technically gifted and tough tackling midfielder from Watford, Andrew Taylor the highly rated defender/midfielder from Middlesbrough, Aron Gunnarsson, a midfielder with huge potential and an even bigger throw from Coventry and not to mention the return of the Golden Boy Robert "Earnie" Earnshaw. Did i mention that all of these were free transfers as they were all out of contract? (well that's technically not true as we have to pay compensation for Gunnar due to his age).
It seems Mr Mackay has been extraordinarily busy along with CE Gethin Jenkins and it doesn't appear to have stopped there, Cardiff are also linked with highly rated but controversial striker, David Goodwillie also of Dundee United and a certain Joe Mason up and coming striker from Plymouth looks to be signing in the next day or two too. This is certainly a period of huge change for the Club and coming on the back of the highly prestigious award of Family Club of the Year it seems to be going in the right direction once again for the club.
I am torn between settling for a season of settling down and preparation for the big push maybe the season after next and wanting to maintain the fantastic progress we've made over the last four seasons. I'm going to be wrong on at least one of those two scenarios and i know which one i hope I'm right about but it's time to take a deep breath and smile. No transfer embargo, no false promises from dodgy Chairmen, no big ego's in the dressing room and no manager refusing to talk to the local press who on their day can be an absolute nightmare. The days of Sam's crazy gang, selling our best players and abject disappointment APPEAR to be behind us.
The King is dead (Dave Jones), Long Live The King Mr Mackay. Let's sit back and smile as we see the new team gel together and as we rush towards the new season's kick-off let's just for once dare to be positive. Support the boys and....MAKE. SOME. NOISE!!
See i made it through the whole blog and didnt mention Craig Bellamy once....
So much has changed in the last two months for our club, we have a new manager, new backroom staff (courtesy of Mr Taylor and the Watford Board, thanks very much!) and five new players. Balance that against the fact we lost the longest serving manager in The Championship, eight loan signings and four players out of contract and it's been quite a busy summer for everyone involved with the club. So where are we now?
Well let's deal with the new signings first....Craig Conway from Dundee United, a tricky winger and scorer of important goals (see Scottish Cup Final), Don Cowie technically gifted and tough tackling midfielder from Watford, Andrew Taylor the highly rated defender/midfielder from Middlesbrough, Aron Gunnarsson, a midfielder with huge potential and an even bigger throw from Coventry and not to mention the return of the Golden Boy Robert "Earnie" Earnshaw. Did i mention that all of these were free transfers as they were all out of contract? (well that's technically not true as we have to pay compensation for Gunnar due to his age).
It seems Mr Mackay has been extraordinarily busy along with CE Gethin Jenkins and it doesn't appear to have stopped there, Cardiff are also linked with highly rated but controversial striker, David Goodwillie also of Dundee United and a certain Joe Mason up and coming striker from Plymouth looks to be signing in the next day or two too. This is certainly a period of huge change for the Club and coming on the back of the highly prestigious award of Family Club of the Year it seems to be going in the right direction once again for the club.
I am torn between settling for a season of settling down and preparation for the big push maybe the season after next and wanting to maintain the fantastic progress we've made over the last four seasons. I'm going to be wrong on at least one of those two scenarios and i know which one i hope I'm right about but it's time to take a deep breath and smile. No transfer embargo, no false promises from dodgy Chairmen, no big ego's in the dressing room and no manager refusing to talk to the local press who on their day can be an absolute nightmare. The days of Sam's crazy gang, selling our best players and abject disappointment APPEAR to be behind us.
The King is dead (Dave Jones), Long Live The King Mr Mackay. Let's sit back and smile as we see the new team gel together and as we rush towards the new season's kick-off let's just for once dare to be positive. Support the boys and....MAKE. SOME. NOISE!!
See i made it through the whole blog and didnt mention Craig Bellamy once....
Monday 13 June 2011
Another season, another missed opportunity
So here we are, the season well and truly over. QPR, Norwich City and yes i can't believe i'm writing this Swansea are promoted to play in the Premier League and us Bluebirds are left assessing what is in reality a massive opportunity missed. So what happened and why are we left looking at our bitterest rivals with nothing but jealousy as they enjoy open-top bus parades and civic receptions?
I believe the fundamental problem facing Cardiff City lies in the mindset of our football club, there appears to be some sort of glass ceiling that we reach consistently and although that ceiling has no doubt risen in these last few years it's most definately still there. There have been many clubs (smaller than ours) who have managed to cross that holiest of finishing lines and reach the promised land of riches and glory a.k.a The Premier League whilst we have consistently fallen at the last hurdle. For any fan who's been to watch Cardiff for any length of time then you'll have to agree that this pyschological weakness is by no means a new thing, we have experienced last minute goals and heart-wrenching defeats time and time again and there never seems to be an extended period of time with Cardiff where things are calm and there's a confidence about the club.
Dave Jones as we all know paid the price for what was ultimately failure and was sacked and although i for one was advocating one more season for him i can honestly say i think he's achieved all he could. I thank him from the bottom of my heart as do most other City fans for taking us further than anyone has in 40 odd years but now is the time for change. We gambled last year with big loan signings and wages galore and that gamble failed. It's time for some new ideas and a new ethos at the club.
No more late-night drinking sessions before big games, no more bottling it at the last minute and no more bad blood with the local press (that works both ways). The ego's have left Cardiff City and now its time to once again to try not to get too absorbed in the silly season (yeah right) speculation and support the new manager whoever he may be.
I'll be there was the motto for last season'c campaign and as much as i hate to say it, it stands for the next 50 for me too. Support the boys and Make.Some.Noise.
I believe the fundamental problem facing Cardiff City lies in the mindset of our football club, there appears to be some sort of glass ceiling that we reach consistently and although that ceiling has no doubt risen in these last few years it's most definately still there. There have been many clubs (smaller than ours) who have managed to cross that holiest of finishing lines and reach the promised land of riches and glory a.k.a The Premier League whilst we have consistently fallen at the last hurdle. For any fan who's been to watch Cardiff for any length of time then you'll have to agree that this pyschological weakness is by no means a new thing, we have experienced last minute goals and heart-wrenching defeats time and time again and there never seems to be an extended period of time with Cardiff where things are calm and there's a confidence about the club.
Dave Jones as we all know paid the price for what was ultimately failure and was sacked and although i for one was advocating one more season for him i can honestly say i think he's achieved all he could. I thank him from the bottom of my heart as do most other City fans for taking us further than anyone has in 40 odd years but now is the time for change. We gambled last year with big loan signings and wages galore and that gamble failed. It's time for some new ideas and a new ethos at the club.
No more late-night drinking sessions before big games, no more bottling it at the last minute and no more bad blood with the local press (that works both ways). The ego's have left Cardiff City and now its time to once again to try not to get too absorbed in the silly season (yeah right) speculation and support the new manager whoever he may be.
I'll be there was the motto for last season'c campaign and as much as i hate to say it, it stands for the next 50 for me too. Support the boys and Make.Some.Noise.
Friday 4 March 2011
Pressure begins to mount on top six in Championship
Well folks, here we are at last, the home run is coming into view and i for one will be glad when this roller coaster has finished. Much like those beloved children tricked into eating ice creams and the contents of their lunch boxes whilst riding the Big Dipper at Blackpool, i can firmly state i have experienced trepidation, joy and massive disappointment as well as sickness and regret, and there's still two months to go.
A season that ended in such despair last year was surely our greatest opportunity missed? That's how i and a great many other Bluebirds felt as we trudged down Wembley Way onto the crowded tube trains to begin our long journeys home but how wrong could we have been. This season has seen Cardiff City FC become the Manchester City/Chelsea of the Npower Championship where other clubs looked on enviously as we added the likes of Bellamy, Olofinjana and Koumas to our squad. And just like the blue half of Manchester and London we have not lived up to the billing.
QPR on the other hand have taken the season by storm maintaining a stronger consistency than Michael Barrymore wrecking his career and continue the long march back to the top division in English football seemingly unstoppable. However, as we all have heard and learnt, football genuinely IS a funny old game and like Keegan's Newcastle things could spectacularly go pear-shaped any time now.
Swansea or should i say the 'Chelsea' of the division as dear old Seyi described them to the press, have continued their impressive style of football that has seen them there or there abouts these last few seasons and now on the brink of playoff/automatic promotion. The missing ingredient for them was goals and with the arrival of a certain Mr Sinclair those goals have been flying in. I wrote this paragraph of course through gritted teeth but still you have to admire what is a genuinely great footballing side.
Notts Forest, Norwich and Leeds are three massive clubs who quite frankly should be in the top six or there's something seriously wrong. OK Norwich and Leeds are newly promoted but don't let that fool you into thinking this season they're over-achieving because the reality is they are big, big clubs. Forest fell at the semi-final hurdle last season and despite a disastrous start to the season the players seemed to have switched off to Billy Davies' post-match verbal assaults on them and get back to doing what they do best, playing football.
I hesitate to predict who will finish where, but one thing i do know is that this season just proves what an immensely magical league the Championship is. Literally anyone can beat other on the day, just ask Forest about Scunthorpe if you don't believe me. This season is a real pressure-cooker, the question is who can stand the heat and who's gonna burst at the last moment. Ask me again in May.
A season that ended in such despair last year was surely our greatest opportunity missed? That's how i and a great many other Bluebirds felt as we trudged down Wembley Way onto the crowded tube trains to begin our long journeys home but how wrong could we have been. This season has seen Cardiff City FC become the Manchester City/Chelsea of the Npower Championship where other clubs looked on enviously as we added the likes of Bellamy, Olofinjana and Koumas to our squad. And just like the blue half of Manchester and London we have not lived up to the billing.
QPR on the other hand have taken the season by storm maintaining a stronger consistency than Michael Barrymore wrecking his career and continue the long march back to the top division in English football seemingly unstoppable. However, as we all have heard and learnt, football genuinely IS a funny old game and like Keegan's Newcastle things could spectacularly go pear-shaped any time now.
Swansea or should i say the 'Chelsea' of the division as dear old Seyi described them to the press, have continued their impressive style of football that has seen them there or there abouts these last few seasons and now on the brink of playoff/automatic promotion. The missing ingredient for them was goals and with the arrival of a certain Mr Sinclair those goals have been flying in. I wrote this paragraph of course through gritted teeth but still you have to admire what is a genuinely great footballing side.
Notts Forest, Norwich and Leeds are three massive clubs who quite frankly should be in the top six or there's something seriously wrong. OK Norwich and Leeds are newly promoted but don't let that fool you into thinking this season they're over-achieving because the reality is they are big, big clubs. Forest fell at the semi-final hurdle last season and despite a disastrous start to the season the players seemed to have switched off to Billy Davies' post-match verbal assaults on them and get back to doing what they do best, playing football.
I hesitate to predict who will finish where, but one thing i do know is that this season just proves what an immensely magical league the Championship is. Literally anyone can beat other on the day, just ask Forest about Scunthorpe if you don't believe me. This season is a real pressure-cooker, the question is who can stand the heat and who's gonna burst at the last moment. Ask me again in May.
Friday 28 January 2011
New Year's Resolutions as pressure builds at Cardiff
Its the end of January and Cardiff City sit second in the NPower Championship table albeit by the skin of their collective white footballers teeth. I, like many other City fans would've gladly taken that position if offered to us at the beginning of the season yet many continue to grumble and complain.
This is what annoys me most about being a football fan (apart from the serial disappointment), it's the incessant negativity and pessimistic attitude that gets my goat (or is that sheep) every time i begin a serious conversation about the prospects for this dear club of mine. Now having followed football for upwards of 20 years i feel more than qualified like the rest of you armchair critics out there to dissect the latest game and bemoan that missed pass, however when this translates into the dressing room and instead of a fortress our home stadium becomes the place of nightmares this is when it has to stop.
The facts are as follows. Cardiff are in the automatic playoff places. Cardiff are signing new players in the January transfer window. Cardiff are the closest they've ever been to promotion to the Premier League. Cardiff have one of the strongest attacking sides in the UK and one of the best managers in British football at this level. What more do we want? Unless Cardiff win every game there's a torrent of abuse from the local rag (this has increased since Dave Jones stopped talking to them over a year ago) and the fans grow ever more cynical.
Wake up, smell the Clark's pies and stale beer folks. Cardiff City are on the verge of greatness, remember this. Some ACHIEVE greatness and its a marathon not a sprint. Its time Cardiff City Football Club fans all over had a new years resolution. To be positive, positive and yes you've guessed it, positive.
Let's support the boys.
Bluebird blogger.
This is what annoys me most about being a football fan (apart from the serial disappointment), it's the incessant negativity and pessimistic attitude that gets my goat (or is that sheep) every time i begin a serious conversation about the prospects for this dear club of mine. Now having followed football for upwards of 20 years i feel more than qualified like the rest of you armchair critics out there to dissect the latest game and bemoan that missed pass, however when this translates into the dressing room and instead of a fortress our home stadium becomes the place of nightmares this is when it has to stop.
The facts are as follows. Cardiff are in the automatic playoff places. Cardiff are signing new players in the January transfer window. Cardiff are the closest they've ever been to promotion to the Premier League. Cardiff have one of the strongest attacking sides in the UK and one of the best managers in British football at this level. What more do we want? Unless Cardiff win every game there's a torrent of abuse from the local rag (this has increased since Dave Jones stopped talking to them over a year ago) and the fans grow ever more cynical.
Wake up, smell the Clark's pies and stale beer folks. Cardiff City are on the verge of greatness, remember this. Some ACHIEVE greatness and its a marathon not a sprint. Its time Cardiff City Football Club fans all over had a new years resolution. To be positive, positive and yes you've guessed it, positive.
Let's support the boys.
Bluebird blogger.
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