HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums.

“I feel more optimistic than I have in a long time”, “We have a proper football manager and that is more important than anything. We have players getting stuck in and there is more passion amongst the squad”, “We are moving in the right direction with players who are now playing for the shirt.”

Saturday’s scoreless stalemate at home to Brighton left City third-bottom in the division but fans are confident that they will move up the table. They point to a record of three wins, two draws and three losses under new manager Neil Warnock coupled with some much-improved performances.

“Results may not be going our way but performance levels are through the roof compared to where they were. It’s actually now enjoyable watching City again against the dross of the past 18 months”, “There is now a togetherness in the team and Warnock is getting the best out of certain players.”

“We trust Warnock and as fans we couldn’t have asked for anything more. I’m just pleased to be enjoying my football again and would like to see him here as long as possible”, “We will be fine but this is the toughest Championship in years. It won’t be easy and there will be ups and downs.”

Neil Warnock

“Under Warnock there is no chance of getting relegated”, “I honestly believe he will get us to mid-table by May but he needs time and is not a miracle man”, “He has inherited a squad of rubbish and it does not take much of a brain to see it”, “He is the best manager we have had in a long while.”

“Warnock took over a team doomed for League One. Players did not look interested and we were being easily thumped. Players are now fighting for the shirt and signings like Bamba and Hoilett are doing the job”, “Have people not noticed that most of the team bust a gut for this manager.”

The 68-year-old took charge of his 13th different league club at the beginning of October. “He came into a very unbalanced team with no confidence to say the least. We were rock bottom of the table and he could only sign free transfers”, “Many managers would have struggled with these players.”

Fans widely believe that they will push on with new signings after the January window. “This isn’t Warnock’s team and he has said that nothing will change until January. He has also identified who he needs”, “If he can bring in his own players in January we will be fine come the end of the season.”

“Warnock has earned the right to have more slack with his successful track record. He will keep us up if he is left alone and given time”, “In Warnock’s favour is the perception that he will not take any messing from [owner] Vincent Tan. Fans value that after previous bosses have been timid yes men.”

The Warnock Way

“We have moved from the possession, passing theory of [former manager] Paul Trollope to the very direct, stop tossing around with it methods of Warnock”, “He has set us up to stop opponents from scoring and nick a goal or two from set plays”, “What matters is what happens in two penalty areas.”

“This is the Warnock way. Don’t string passes together, a waste of time. Get the ball as near to the opposition goal in the hope of winning a corner, freekick or throw. Use this to get some sort of strike on goal. Good old-fashioned tactics from someone who couldn’t give a damn about possession.”

Cardiff’s starting XI against Brighton last Saturday (above) contained the three-man midfield of Peter Whittingham, Joe Ralls and Aron Gunnarsson. They have begun all bar one of Warnock’s games with Ralls and Gunnarsson screening the back four and Whittingham trying to link with the front three.

Like many managers taking over struggling sides, Warnock has targeted defensive solidity. As well as playing two holding midfielders, both wingers have been tasked with supporting their full-backs. The team’s first clean sheet in 18 games last Saturday against Brighton was seen as a major milestone.

Whittingham’s passing is a great weapon but his lack of pace to link effectively with the front three has been criticised. Warnock has also only been able to add free agents to the squad and fans have praised the impact centre-half Sol Bamba and winger Junior Hoilett have made since arriving.

The side (above) which started their Aston Villa and Huddersfield fixtures included Rickie Lambert and Lee Peltier, respectively injured and suspended for their game against Brighton. Warnock has also switched Hoilett up front during games with Whittingham moving to the left flank in a 4-4-2.

The quality and depth of the squad is a concern. Centre-half Sean Morrison is seen as their weakest defensive link and winger Craig Noone has also been criticised. A striker is widely seen as the most pressing requirement with Lambert’s age and Fred Gounongbe’s lack of ability regularly highlighted.

“Warnock loves a set piece”, “Our opponents’ pretty possession counts for nothing when you get destroyed in the air at every set piece”, “We look physically intimidating from set pieces these days with Lambert, Bamba and Sean Morrison”, “We will be a long-ball team until we add creativity.”

Fans believe that the manager has favoured a simple style of play until he can rebalance the squad. “Tempo is more important. When you have the ball, use it quickly to take advantage of opponents out of position. Earlier this season, all we were doing was allowing teams to get back into shape.”

Cardiff 0 — 0 Brighton

“An incredibly dreary game”, “A good point from a poor game”, “There was a lack of quality from both teams. If you were a neutral you wouldn’t have known who was second and who was 23rd in the table”, “A scrappy game in which both sides found it hard to work the ball into their forwards.”

Cardiff came away from Saturday’s game the happier after a solid defensive performance against an Albion side who could have gone top of the table with a win. Brighton’s full-back Gaetan Bong’s late red card for a second bookable offence was the only noteworthy incident in a forgettable match.

“Personally, I’m very happy with 0-0”, “It was a superb performance by City, nullifying a team in form and creating a few chances ourselves. The commitment from the players was total”, “We have been physically dominant in recent games but Brighton nullified this and bettered us for skill.”

Aston Villa 3 — 1 Cardiff

“Ah, well, it was not to be today”, Despite being on the end of a defeat I actually enjoyed today. We played some very good football and in the main you could see that the players were trying”, “The score suggests a comfortable Villa win but it was nowhere near comfortable for most of the game.”

Albert Adomah opened the scoring on 24 minutes for the hosts, finishing off a Jordan Amavi cross at the back post but Lambert stroked home an equaliser for City four minutes later. The game’s pivotal moment for many Bluebirds was Jonathan Kodjia’s header on 39 minutes which restored Villa’s lead.

Although Cardiff dominated much of the second half, the win was sealed for the West Midlanders when Lee Peltier was dismissed for a second bookable offence on 84 minutes. Former Bluebird Rudy Gestede netted a third for Villa from the penalty spot on 90 minutes after Jack Grealish was fouled.

Many felt that quality in front of goal was the difference between the sides. “I wasn’t impressed with Villa but they had the strikers, as simple as that”, “We played some nice football in the first half and seemed to be running the game but Villa had two shots on goal and scored from both of them.”

Cardiff 3 — 2 Huddersfield

“Brilliant game of football that”, “I could watch that every week”, “Some good goals, great effort from both teams and, even better, some great defending from us at the end”, “A great football game and a great win from a game I genuinely expected nothing from”, “Who needs possession?”

Cardiff opened the scoring when Morrison headed home a corner on 15 minutes and Hoilett added a second turning in a rebound two minutes later. The Terriers pulled a goal back via Tommy Smith on 28 minutes before Lambert swept home Morrison’s header from a Peltier freekick five minutes later.

“Philip Billing scores a superb goal.” The visitors set up a tense finish courtesy of a stunning strike by their Danish midfielder but the Bluebirds withstood late pressure to secure three precious points. “I thoroughly enjoyed that and must say Huddersfield’s second goal was one of the best I have seen.”

“Huddersfield passed the ball nicely but struggled to cope with our no-nonsense approach”, “I have not left Cardiff City Stadium as happy as that in a long time. A real team effort, a manager showing tactical ability, a huge effort from the players and a crowd getting behind the team. So far so good.”

Goalkeepers and Defenders

“Ben Amos looks a decent keeper.” The 26-year-old is on a season-long loan from Bolton. “We won the lottery with Amos. He is just as good as David Marshall for little money”, “He had a quiet game against Brighton thanks to our back four’s good defending. He only had to make a handful of saves.”

“To be fair to Ben Amos, I have not seen him concede many goals he could be blamed for, but by the same token it’s hard to think of many outstanding saves from him either”, “I am starting to question his inability to come off the line”, “He seems afflicted lately by an inability to come off his goal-line.”

“Give me a team of committed Lee Peltiers any day”, “It’s good to see a player with a bit of bite.” The 29-year-old former Huddersfield right-back “has been a beast in recent weeks. Nothing gets past him”, “A good old-fashioned defender there to make tackles. Most of the time they are bang on.”

“Peltier is good defending but useless the moment he crosses the halfway line, frequently passing to the opposition”, “His work with the ball has gone backwards. He used to be a good defender who was able to pass to safety but now kicks it anywhere even if a safe pass is available to him.”

“Matthew Connolly played well against Brighton but offered nothing going forward, a centre-back playing at right-back.” The 29-year-old ex-QPR man covered for Peltier’s suspension last Saturday. “He reads the game well but lacks pace and was shockingly error-prone at the start of the season.”

“Joe Bennett is a quality left-back.” The 26-year-old summer addition from Aston Villa “tries to get forward when he can and looks a real class player”, “He has got stronger and better in every game he has played for Cardiff this season”, “He’s top notch and a great attitude, just what we needed.”

“That was a rock-solid challenge by Bennett against Villa, not giving much against his former team. I love that aggression”, “He has been excellent defensively but allowed Albert Adomah two bites of the cherry with crosses for Villa’s second goal. He should have done much better cutting them out.”

“All the best Bruno.” Gabon international centre-half Bruno Ecoule Manga has not featured at all lately with Warnock indicating that he and his salary may leave the club in January. “If it helps buy players in I’m all for it”, “I will miss him but it’s a wise decision to move him on. Best of luck wherever he goes.”

“Like a chain, our defence is only as strong as its weakest link and at the moment it is Sean Morrison by a mile.” The 25-year-old ex-Reading centre-back “is an extremely average defender who has always had a mistake in him”, “He dominated Huddersfield in the air, notably for Whittingham’s freekicks.”

“Morrison’s attempt to challenge Kodjia for Villa’s second goal was laughable and a disgrace”, “A centre-half, more than any other position on the pitch is where you expect to see the physical aspect of the game take place. Morrison didn’t show any authority in that moment and it cost us dearly.”

Sol Bamba

“Bamba is a quality player. He is a great reader of the game, senses danger and charges in with total commitment to win the ball and almost always does. Amazingly, despite his strength, he gives away relatively few freekicks. Unlike many of our players, his determination has been very visible.”

“He has been an outstanding defender so far.” The 31-year-old October arrival was at Leeds last season. “He comes across as nine feet tall with the speed of an Olympic sprinter”, “He is immense and his no-nonsense defending is inspiring. He is key to our success for at least a season or two.”

“This chap is quite some find for a free transfer”, “Bamba is quick, disciplined and always popping up in the right places”, “It was easy to overlook how effective he was against Brighton, winning header after header at both ends”, “A rock at all times, immense at the back and with good distribution.”

Central Midfielders

“Some players are excellent when they are on loan but seem to go missing as soon as we sign them. That what happened to Lex Immers.” The 30-year-old ex-Feyenoord attacking midfielder “impressed in the lone target man role last season. He has the engine to run the channels and hold up the ball.”

“It’s all down to Lex. His hunger, effort and commitment were there to be seen last season but have been lacking when he has featured this season. Fair enough, he needs a run in the side but he is a shadow of his former self”, “Trollope messed him about by forcing him to play in a deeper role.”

“The attacking threat from Joe Ralls is virtually zero.” The 23-year-old youth product “is absolutely terrible. All he offers is a pass backwards or sideways. He is a very flat player”, “There is no creativity or attacking threat from him in midfield”, “He’s slow off the mark and is like a headless chicken.”

“The midfield balance isn’t right but Ralls is the least of our problems”, “He does so much work that goes unnoticed and worked hard to make sure Villa didn’t overrun us when we had two up front”, “Sorry but he lacks the physical strength to impose himself”, “Ralls tackle? You’re having a laugh.”

Aron Gunnarsson

“The step up in tempo and change in philosophy under Warnock is going to suit Gunnarsson. It’s not going to be the possession-based technical battle which we rarely win.” The 27-year-old ex-Coventry man “is what you need in a relegation fight”, “He works so hard to close down space in midfield.”

“The last person I would want to leave out is Gunnar”, “Aron has all the qualities to captain the side, passion, guts and leadership. He shouts at and speaks to teams-mates and never gives in”, “He is so strong in midfield”, “His superb attacking long-throws can become a weapon under Warnock.”

The Iceland international “needs to release attacking players more quickly. He isn’t good enough to spray the ball around”, “To get the best from him he needs dribblers or runners to give the ball to. In the Iceland team his job is to win the ball and give it to Gylfi Sigurdsson. We don’t have a Gylfi.”

Peter Whittingham

“Whittingham is in there to make the goals. Gunnarsson is in there to stop the goals.” The 32-year-old club stalwart and ex-Villa man “is quality. There is nobody in this division with better passing or delivery”, “He also links play, keeps things moving in midfield and always makes himself available.”

He is still getting used to the new system of play. “To see Whittingham at his best he needs to be on the front foot, but with the wingers helping the full-backs against Brighton, it was an empty field in front of him”, “It’s hard to use your skills as a passer with no one to work with in front of you.”

“Warnock is asking Whittingham to get closer to the striker which isn’t his strength”, “He cannot fight and battle for every ball”, “Warnock thinks he has something to offer playing in the hole. The problem is that the striker is flicking balls on to him, but he has no pace now and can’t chase them.”

Wide Midfielders

“Why can’t Craig Noone be consistent?” The 29-year-old one-time Seagull “seems to have lost the confidence to beat the full-back to the byline”, “He regularly loses possession through a poor first touch or being tackled. Half of his dribbles come to nothing and his assists have dried up.”

“Noone was one of the standout players of our Premier League season but he has failed to replicate that form and become too predictable”, “He has the ability to tear any Championship defence apart but needs to take his opportunity and be consistent”, “The Noone debate is over. He offers nothing.”

Bluebirds have had little to say about Kieran Richardson. The 32-year-old left-sided player arrived as a free agent in October having previous played for Aston Villa. He has mostly featured off the bench. “He offers versatility in midfield or wide defence and adds much needed experience late in games.”

“Kadeem Harris has energy, enthusiasm, pace, trickery and flair to beat players and also has a good end product.” The 23-year-old ex-Wycombe man “injects energy into matches. He always tries to work hard getting forward while being as industrious in defence”, “He can be trusted defensively.”

“The selection of Harris was a tactical masterstroke by Warnock. Kadeem is an unknown quantity for opponents and his selection surprised Brighton”, “He was full of good running, getting to the byline and hooking in good crosses”, “He carries more of an attacking threat and impact than Craig Noone.”

Junior Hoilett

“We look dangerous on the counter-attack because of the pace we have in Hoilett”, “He gets better with every game as his fitness is getting sharper”, “He will become a match-winner for City in future games”, “You can tell straight away that his touch, movement and balance are on a different level.”

The 26-year-old also arrived as a free agent in October, having previously played for QPR. “Our best chance of a goal, he’s some player, he has balance, strength and touch and is a different class”, “One of those players that gets you off your feet before a ball has been played to him”, “A major asset.”

“Hoilett is not afraid to help out defensively when we are under pressure”, “He holds the ball up well and is rarely dispossessed”, “In one of his early games he ran from the opposite wing and put a huge challenge in. That’s when I thought this guy is going to be a good deal more than pace and skill.”

Strikers

“If Marouane Chamakh cannot make the squad, it makes you wonder what purpose there was in signing him.” The 32-year-old ex-Arsenal and Crystal Palace man arrived as a free agent in October. He has hardly featured and few expect to see his short-term contract extended beyond January.

“Please stop playing Anthony Pilkington as an out-and-out striker. He isn’t one.” The 28-year-old ex-Canary has historically played as a winger but has been used up front due to a lack of options in the squad. “His finishing is not natural, he has missed a hatful of chances and is always caught offside.”

“Pilkington will struggle as a striker with Championship defenders all over him, especially playing our long-ball football with him leading the line”, “He is not a target man and cannot hold the ball up”, “He has his limitations but he always shows effort. He works his backside off but he is not a striker.”

“Dear me, I would say Frederic Gounongbe is the antithesis of a Warnock striker. There’s no bite in the boy, although the nearest attacker was 20 yards from the poor bloke against Brighton”, “His hold-up play is good and he wins freekicks but he’s poor at heading and his movement is non-existent.”

The 28-year-old ex-Westerlo man “shows none of the attributes that suggest he’s a finished article. When midfielders are running with the ball he stands facing them instead of running on the shoulder of the defender. Play reaches him and the ball is played square to a winger, killing our momentum.”

Rickie Lambert

“What a finish against Huddersfield. Oh, that is very good”, “Rickie slips the half-volley in off the post and on his wrong foot. That is a stonking finish”, “Outrageous, that is a treat”, “His finish at Villa was taken so calmly to punish a mistake by Ashley Westwood”, “He made it look simple and it was not.”

“We’re missing Rick”, “Warnock said ‘it was not worth risking him’ so it sounds like a minor problem. He will hopefully be OK for Ipswich.” The 34-year-old former Southampton striker missed Saturday’s Brighton game with a knock and City fans are keen to see his name on Saturday’s team sheet.

“It could make such a difference if he could last a full game.” Lambert has regularly been substituted around the 70-minute mark recently. “He knows where the goal is but he can’t last 90 minutes and probably won’t play a full 90 minutes again”, “We need legs around him to get the best from him.”

“Rickie is a superb player”, “Not content with getting goals, he is happy to chase lost causes, busting a gut to make something happen”, “He’s a good hold-up player and good at linking in with others but has no pace to keep the ball moving forwards. He can slow down play when we need to push on.”

Bluebirds’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“A clean sheet against Brighton and something to build on, Ipswich here we come”, “Pretty big game this one, Ipswich are a bit shaky and a chance we can get some points to take the pressure off a bit”, “Worrying times for Ipswich Town but nonetheless they have experience and some decent players.”

“I'll take a 1-1 draw.” There has been very little discussion about the game on Cardiff forums, but most Bluebirds are forecasting a low-scoring draw or a narrow away win. Saturday’s game is the first in a run against teams who are within touching distance and a draw would be seen as a good result.

Wales international Tom Lawrence played for the City on loan in the second half of last season and is highly regarded. “Lawrence is in good form for Ipswich. He has been scoring for them so he will be confident”, “Ipswich fans love him. He is far better than David Cotterill and Simon Church already.”

“I really never understood how he is a Championship striker, I have never been impressed with Brett Pitman”, “Doesn't exactly make you sweat does it.” Apart from a blasé reaction to the news that the former Bristol City striker is available, there has been little additional feedback to report so far.

I will update the forum on Saturday morning if there is any comment worth passing on and link this on my Twitter feed.

Websites

There are two busy and well-informed Bluebirds’ message boards. Cardiff City Forum is very active and carries links to many news stories affecting City, and Cardiff City Mad also carries some lively and informative discussion.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

iaintaylorx added 12:34 - Dec 9 Going to be an very ugly game I think. 0-0 bore draw I think. But Mick will set up for that and we'll get beat. MICK OUT!
1

Steve_M added 13:01 - Dec 9 Is that a different Sol Bamba to the clumsy idiot who was at Leeds?? Like with QPR the other week, lots here to show that a new manager makes everyone happier. At least in the short-term.
2

ericclacton added 13:49 - Dec 9 Good afternoon Harry. Cardiff City at home should be fairly straight forward home win, but things being very flat at the moment I think we will be lucky to pick up a point which is a bit sad. I think Mick is getting it completely wrong now, sort of making it up as he goes along, not to worry Harry there is nothing we can do to put it right, I will be watching with everything crossed and sporting my lucky python boots. Good read thank you, better than whittinghams left peg.

2

ericclacton added 13:55 - Dec 9 OOPS my gif gaffed, sorry. roll on January!!!!
0

LankHenners added 14:39 - Dec 9 Thanks Harry, seems like they're in the sort of mood we were when Mick first took over - relieved to see a group of players really trying hard and playing together as a team. Could be a horribly turgid affair tomorrow, but I'd like to think we have enough to beat them. Warnock coming to Portman Road with a team looking to get out of the relegation spots inevitably brings the horror show at home to Rotherham last season, which I seemingly had the good fortune to miss!

3

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls