HarryFromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s game at the Cardiff City Stadium by delving into their forums.

“Over a quarter of the season gone, we have already played and beaten four of the top six and two of last season’s relegated teams away from home. I am really starting to believe that a top-two finish is more than achievable”, “With so little between so many teams, this is a difficult league to call.”

“Millwall may have been poor but overall it has been a cracking season for Cardiff.” Bluebirds head into Tuesday’s game third in the table but there is quiet apprehension in their camp. Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to the Lions was the fourth game in succession in which they have failed to score from open play.

“We are grinding out results from some average performances and when we do play well we are murdering teams”, “We need to cut out the odd shocker and we will be right up there”, “We have a top-six team who can go the distance. Top two will all depend on how we keep momentum going.”

“My worry is that we seem to do well against the big teams or teams who are in the top 10, but struggle a bit when we play teams that are mid-table or in the bottom half of the league. We are really up for it when we are deemed the underdog, but struggle a bit when we are the favourites.”

“We need to show we can consistently beat the mid-table sides and not just the top ones”, “We may get promoted this year, we may fall short, but this to me is the season we got our club back. We are not fully there yet, but we are a club on our way and to you sir, Mr Warnock, I raise my glass.”

Neil Warnock

“The decision to appoint Warnock as manager is becoming one of the best the club has made in a long time. He has made a team that has pride in itself”, “He is king at recognising the strengths and weaknesses in a squad and making alterations to a team in order to maximise its capabilities.”

“The key motivating factor? One Mr Neil Warnock and his exceptional management style”, “For me it’s not about how good we are, it’s more about getting the buzz back into the club. Thanks to a certain Mr Warnock we are well on our way”, “He’s a master at turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse.”

The 68-year-old took charge in October last year and has won fans over by using his motivational and man-management skills to encourage the side to play positive football without fear. He has also gone about strengthening and balancing the squad by signing and improving unheralded players.

“Neil encourages good players to go out and play their natural game”, “He knows his stuff and works his magic on new signings where others fail”, “He has the ability to make players who are very average and not setting the world alight into much better players who give everything to the cause.”

“A typical Warnock team has a tiny fraction of what Wolves and Boro spend but still beats them on their own patch”, “The QPR fans who told us to ‘expect underwhelming signings which work’ on the day he was appointed have been proved right”, “The confidence fans have in him is unprecedented.”

An Unbalanced Home Formation

“We have a tough-tackling and committed style of play. We put so much into the game closing down opponents”, “Neil wants us to get the ball upfield as quick as we can. If we lose it we press the hell out of them”, “Teams know how a Neil Warnock side is going to play so they can have no excuses.”

“Warnock knows that confidence is everything”, “We are probably the team in the division who play with the most risk. How many times does Neil drop in the phrase ‘giving it a go’?” Cardiff play a high-energy game with an emphasis on playing on the front foot and taking the game to the opposition.

“The Middlesbrough formation worked successfully, we looked very solid at the expense of being threatening going forward”, “We were the better team on the day and had the better chances. Boro couldn’t lay a glove on us and our keeper had nothing to do”, “The 3-4-3 shape worked perfectly.”

Warnock has typically played with one striker this season, but he switched from a 4-3-3 to playing three at the back with Lee Peltier and Joe Bennett as wing-backs in their last two games (above). This stifled the hosts successfully away at Boro but came unstuck on Saturday at home to the Lions.

Midfielder Aron Gunnarsson and striker Kenneth Zohore were absent with ankle problems. Warnock countered Millwall’s physicality with three strong centre-halves in Bruno Manga, Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison but the two-man midfield of Craig Bryson and Joe Ralls struggled to control the game.

“We needed to hold on to the ball for a few seconds so we could release Hoilett or Mendez-Laing, our only danger men. If we got the ball we aimlessly pumped it forward because we lost the physical battle in the middle of the park”, “The three centre-backs seemed to get in each other’s way.”

Unable to operate on the deck, the Bluebirds tried to go long to wingers Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, but this played into the hands of the Lions, who comfortably handled everything that came at them in the air. Isolated striker Danny Ward was also dwarfed by Millwall’s centre-halves.

“Our front three were isolated as we started with a back five which bypassed the midfield two of Ralls and Bryson. We could have dropped one of the centre-halves for Lee Tomlin or Loic Damour”, “That formation might work on the road but we need something different playing at home.”

Assuming the same personnel are available, most Bluebirds would like to see a version of the line-up above start against us in their preferred 4-3-3 shape. Playing either the creative Lee Tomlin or more combative Loic Damour in midfield will involve their mobile front trio more readily in the game.

Solid Foundations But No Goals From Open Play

“They say start from the back, don’t they?”, “Promotion from this league is won with a tight defence. This team is starting to look like Malky Mackay’s team, dull but hard to beat.” Fans are happy with a resilient backline. “Our trio of centre-halves compare very well with every team in the division.”

“The biggest problem we have had is due to being overrun in midfield.” Fans have criticised the side’s midfield balance. Sol Bamba played a holding role in a recent Birmingham loss but his erratic distribution contributed to a toothless display while the more creative Lee Tomlin lacks consistency.

“Four games and only one goal, and that was a penalty. It needs to be sorted quickly or we will fall away”, “When Derby came and kept a clean sheet a couple of weeks ago, I felt City had been found out”, “We are lacking up front”, “If we can keep it on the deck, we give our frontmen a chance.”

“With teams defending deep against us, our threat out wide has been nullified lately”, “Other teams have figured out that Hoilett and Mendez Laing are our main threat and they are going all-out to shut them down, putting two defenders on one of them every time they come down the flank.”

“Our attacking play is concerning. We have not clicked in an attacking sense for a long spell now.” Striker Kenneth Zohore is seen as handful for defenders but he has struggled to find the net while Danny Ward is industrious and mobile, but many feel he is not suited to the team’s style of play.

Cardiff 0 — 0 Millwall

“A terrible game, two poor teams on the day”, “A frustrating and disappointing performance. Teams are coming here to kill the game and hope to score on the break”, “Overall it was frustrating, but 0-0 was probably a fair result”, “Just like Birmingham did to us, Millwall out-Warnocked us today.”

“A pretty scrappy start and signs of a midfield battle already.” Millwall established the pattern of the game from the early exchanges and both sides were reduced to a series of half-chances. “We didn’t seem capable of breaking Millwall down”, “Our team had no Plan B today and that worried me.”

“It was a tough game today and we looked very average”, “Millwall were much stronger than us and they sat deeply when they defended. They forced the pattern of play and we didn’t have a solution”, “When teams defend deep against us our threat out wide has been nullified”, “Two points dropped.”

Middlesbrough 0 — 1 Cardiff

“Yes, I will take that win without a doubt”, “This should prove we are genuine contenders for at least top six”, “We have been doing this all season. Nobody has a divine right to win. In the end it’s about who can take their chances and we took ours”, “Those three points could be very important in May.”

A Joe Ralls penalty six minutes before full-time after Boro winger Adama Traore fouled Mendez-Laing won City the points in a game which typified many of their tenacious displays this season. Beating a team managed by former Swansea boss Garry Monk added to Bluebirds’ delight.

“We absolutely eclipsed their team with the three centre-halves shutting down Boro attacks time and time again”, “Boro fans were annoyed by their sideways and backwards passing”, “We were the better on the day, had better chances and should have scored three. Our keeper had nothing to do.”

Birmingham 1 — 0 Cardiff

“That was so poor”, “We looked clueless tonight”, “From the top down that was an embarrassment from all involved, totally shameful. Fair play to Birmingham, they made us look like mugs. In every passage of play we were too slow, we made basic mistakes, and we were outrun and outfought.”

The West Midlanders won their first game under new manager Steve Cotterill when Che Adams hit the only goal of the game on 19 minutes with a low shot following a clever run. The Bluebirds were lethargic and lacked any rhythm throughout the game, failing to register a single shot on target.

“No bite, no shape, no nothing”, “Birmingham are doing to us what we have done to other teams this season and we don’t know how to deal with it”, “Absolutely shocked by that, speechless”, “We are embarrassing, second best to everything. It’s as though we haven’t turned up, shocking stuff.”

“This is just so poor.” With Gunnarsson unavailable after the latest international break, Neil Warnock started centre-half Bamba in midfield in the starting XI (above). “As much as Warnock has done well, tonight was his fault. Bamba should have been taken off at half-time. It was his worst game for City.”

Goalkeepers and Central Defenders

“Neil Etheridge has great spirit and commitment, he comes off his line with pace and is a good shot-stopper.” The 27-year-old summer signing from Walsall “is prone to the odd moment of madness like most keepers and his kicking can be wayward, but he has a good presence and is confident”.

Neil Etheridge

“As well as being a good shot-stopper, Etheridge has become noticeably better when coming out for crosses and corners. Sometimes he gets it wrong but he likes to come off his line”, “A solid keeper who has earned the number one spot”, “He has done a great job and saved our backsides at times.”

“Bruno Manga finds the game fairly straightforward at this level and that comes with the risk that we will make a mistake.” The 29-year-old ex-Lorient man “is comfortable with the ball at his feet but he gets bullied by bigger strikers”, “A player of genuine class and style who goes under the radar.”

“A man mountain”, “I like Manga but he has one lapse in concentration in every game that can cost us”, “He is a threat going forward and looks good on the ball but can flatter to deceive. He is just as likely to make an amazing break from defence as he is likely to make an error leading to a goal.”

“Sol Bamba is at his best when given one simple job if curbing an opposition threat.” The 32-year-old former Leeds centre-half “tends to get drawn out of position and good teams can exploit this with third man runners”, “He transformed the team after arriving in January and has been great so far.”

Bamba gets sent off against Town

“Bamba is a great ball-winner in that deep holding midfield role but he can’t pass a ball. He got in good position to make breakaways only to pass to a Birmingham player multiple times”, “He was so solid and composed in defence at Boro, showing terrific character after a shocker at Birmingham.”

Sean Morrison

“Morrison is a rock.” The 26-year-old ex-Reading man “is immense in the air, winning everything and he is fast becoming a big favourite, He is absolutely dominant week after week in the air”, “He was a bit shaky against Fulham’s quick and mobile strike force but have everything to keep them out.”

“Our best defender in the air”, “Morrison is a threat from Gunnarsson’s long throws, so teams crowd him out rather than blatantly fouling him”, “He isn’t the best on the ball but holds his position well”, “He’s an unsung player who is a vital part of the reason we are currently so high in the league table.”

Central Midfielders

“Joe Ralls does the simple things well but we need more from him. He has a beautiful left foot and needs to use it to create and score more goals.” The 24-year-old youth product “is an efficient passer but he doesn’t have a physical side to his game and we lost the midfield quite early against Millwall”.

Joe Ralls

“Ralls isn’t a Peter Whittingham with his passes but he uses the ball well and while he doesn’t tackle he closes down well”, “We are seeing a more refined and creative side to him”, “He gets knocked off the ball too easily and runs down dead ends. However, he never gives up and always wants the ball.”

“Loic Damour is one hell of a player, his fitness levels are amazing.” The 27-year-old July signing from French side Bourg-Peronnas “harries opponents into mistakes and hurried passes. He dishes it out as well and has a nasty edge to him. He’s the perfect foil for Ralls, who benefits from such a dynamo.”

“Much as I love Damour’s energy, he does have a dodgy temperament. He looks to be easily wound up and teams will pick up on that”, “He’s probably our most aggressive midfielder”, “An ugly player who gets stuck in and appears everywhere, getting forward and forcing teams on to the back foot.”

“Why did we buy Lee Tomlin?” The 28-year-old playmaker arrived this summer from Bristol City. “He has struggled to cement a first-team position wherever he has been in the team, despite his talent. He is a pain in the backside to play against, a wind-up merchant who gets under opponents’ skins.”

Lee Tomlin for former club Bristol City

“Tomlin has skill, a great eye for a pass. He has a great shot and ruffles defenders, a game changer”, “He’s important in games where the opposition get behind the ball and are hard to break down”, “I just don’t think Warnock trusts him in a central midfield role. I wonder if he trusts him anywhere.”

“Warnock has brought out the real Aron Gunnarsson.” The 28-year-old Iceland international and ex-Coventry man “will never let us down and we are a much poorer team without him on the pitch”, “He is technically limited but he can dictate the pace of the game when he sits in front of the back four.”

“Gunnarsson is a good player. He lacks a bit of close control and is suspect in front of goal but makes up for all that with his great industry”, “He keeps it simple protecting the back four and has energy to burn”, “Everyone will love an underdog at the World Cup, especially if they have a long throw.”

Craig Bryson

“Bryson’s energy has been just what we needed for ages.” The 30-year-old signed on a season-long loan from Derby on August deadline day. “He has a nice touch and passes well to calm things down when we need to see out a match”, “A clever player who does a lot of unnoticed dirty work.”

Luke Varney v Craig Bryson (Derby)

“What a trier. The man is everywhere, jumping for every header and closing players down. I can’t remember a player with an engine like this in midfield for a long time”, “Such a clever player”, “He was a bit too lightweight against a big strong Millwall team and was out-powered in the middle.”

Wide Defenders and Wingers

“Lee Peltier is an old school full-back. You don’t see him bombing up the flank to fire crosses into the box, he is more concerned with defending.” The 30-year-old ex-Huddersfield right-back “is a none-shall-pass defender”, “Tough-tackling, excellent reading of the game and a never-say-die attitude.”

Freddie Sears v Lee Peltier

“Peltier is never a wing-back”, “We look much more solid when he is at full-back”, “Players are even reluctant to pass to him when he is in an advanced position”, “He’s a player who won’t let you down defensively, but is uncomfortable in attack. His deliveries are flat and never into dangerous areas.”

“Joe Bennett is a good attacking full-back.” The 27-year-old former Aston Villa left-back “is a silky footballer who isn’t afraid to play the ball out from the back or get forward to assist with attacks”, “He looks comfortable with the ball at his feet and is a more complete full-back than Fabio was.”

“Bennett is now Mr Consistent and a key member our solid back four”, “Where last season he would get caught out, he has worked on his defensive positioning”, “He is the best left-back we have had in years and one of the best in the division”, “He is better going forward and he carries a goal threat.”

Ryan Fredericks (Fulham) v Joe Bennett

“Callum Patterson is strong, aggressive and physical, but comfortable on the ball. He’s quick and good in the air. He must start against Ipswich.” The 23-year-old right-sided player joined from Hearts this summer and was a bright spot in the Millwall game coming on to replace the injured Bennett.

“I tell you what, Patterson has got pace. He intercepts the ball inside his own half and in the blink of an eye is bursting towards the penalty area”, “Teams will struggle with his pace and encouragingly he looks a handful in the air”, “He’s very physical and has pace, power and a decent long throw.”

“Liam Feeney can work to instructions and deliver the balls into the box which we cry out for.” The 30-year-old former Town loanee is at Cardiff on loan from Blackburn until January. He has been a bench option in recent games. “He allows us to rotate wingers and is a square peg in a square hole.”

Liam Feeney on loan at Town

“Nathaniel Mendez-Laing enjoyed some brilliant performances early on in the season but these have been few and far between lately because how teams set up against us.” The 25-year-old right winger arrived this summer from Rochdale. “He looks like a player who can change a game with his pace.”

“Mendez-Laing’s impact has fluctuated recently”, “He was one of the players of the season at the start of the campaign, but against Millwall his passing was atrocious, repeatedly giving the ball away with flicks and back heels”, “His poor touches and final balls summed up a lot of our very poor play.”

Junior Hoillett

“It is no coincidence that the game in which we play well are the one in which Hoilett is also on his game. He makes things happen more than anyone else.” The 27-year-old ex-Blackburn and QPR left-winger “is thriving in a more organised team which has more pace and movement across the pitch.”

Junior Hoillet for former club QPR v Elliot Hewitt

“Hoilett has been terrific and not just his goals and assists. He works hard and puts in superb tackles too”, “It’s obvious he has talent, but his improved fitness has also improved his decision-making and finishing”, “He had no chance against Millwall, every ball was pumped high rather than to his feet.”

Strikers

“Omar Bogle seems exactly the sort of rough diamond that Warnock can polish into a shining jewel.” The 24-year-old August addition from Wigan “is big and strong, and scores with his head and feet”, “He is strong, pacy, no-nonsense and occupies centre-halves, and he has got one hell of a left peg.”

Cardiff's Omar Bogle v Sunderland's Marc Wison

“Danny Ward didn’t stand a chance up against Millwall.” The 26-year-old former Miller “is a decent striker but one that buzzes around defenders rather than being a physical lump”, “He’s nimble but lightweight, running defences ragged. He needs more composure but overall you can’t fault him.”

“Ward is not the answer as a natural replacement for Zohore”, “He doesn’t fit in well in our current side but you cannot fault his effort”, “He runs himself into the ground and jumps like a basketball player”, “Let’s get the ball down and play it to Ward’s feet. He’s a good deal better than he seems.”

Kenneth Zohore

“Zohore is the best striker in the league on his day and that just doesn’t mean goals scored.” The 23-year-old one-time Odense player “is so fast and powerful he takes two defenders out of the game. That is why all the space has opened up for Mendez-Laing and Hoilett”, “We are lucky to have him.”

Kenneth Zohore

“Zohore has had a bit of a confidence crisis in front of goal but he still puts in a shift. He will come good again”, “He needs to improve inside the box and not be seen as someone who only picks the ball up deep and runs with it”, “Every team has sussed out how to stop him, they sandwich him.”

“Ken has to adapt and show he’s not a one-trick pony”, “We press further up the pitch this season and it’s having an effect on him. Last season he picked up the ball deeper and ran at defences. He doesn’t score with his head so crosses into the box are not fruitful. He needs the ball to his feet.”

Bluebirds’ Views on ITFC and the Game

Bluebirds have had little to say yet about Tuesday’s game, but their prediction threads are evenly split between a home win and a draw. A good proportion fear that we may frustrate them at home following the pattern of Millwall and Derby, the last two visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium.

“Three points are a must against Ipswich “, “Please God let’s work the Ipswich keeper on Tuesday”, “Ipswich will be a functional side, hard to beat, when flying earlier in the season they were clinical rather than creative. They should offer few surprises but again they are no mugs.”

“Ipswich and Bristol City are ideal for the way we play our game.” Many want to see a return to their start-of-the-season form especially with Saturday’s Severnside derby against Bristol City looming. “Most would have taken four points from six from these two home games, we need that win now.”

Websites

There are two busy Cardiff message-boards. Cardiff City Forum carries threads linking to local news articles about the Bluebirds, while Cardiff City Mad also has some knowledgeable and informative discussions.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

BobbyBell added 11:13 - Oct 30 This is a game where I would accept a typical MM away performance. Stop them playing, frustrate them and nick a winner. A point would be good for this fixture and 3 would be awesome.
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ChrisFelix added 13:23 - Oct 30 Set the team up as per the starting line up on Saturday & there will only be one result
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