Back from the Game: Cardiff Away

[SpaceCruiser]

To add insult to injury the Welsh even contrived to close the M4 on the way home!

They always seem to have roadworks on the M4 and speed cameras. Definitely the most boring motorway I've been on.

Shouldn't this be in AE?

[Snowball]

Long came good, I see no reason why Church cant do the same

True.

Except I think Long was good all along. Certainly his goals per minute was excellent
and he was doing loads off the ball for the team, winning pens, getting players
booked and sent off.

I think Church avoids being clattered, and even at his best doesn't have the raw
power and speed. I see him as our fourth striker ATM and looking over his shoulder
at Williams.

[Snowball]

I think there were several times that they did open Cardiff up, I refer to where Hunt and Church were dragging the defenders around while Jobi running with the ball towards the area, Church peeling off in acres of space and Jobi not passing. Also Church's link up play was very good.

Good Point. McAnuff did find space through the centre.

And there was the time when Church was racing through on the right
and McAnuff should have fed him

But then there was the through ball that Long would win 99/100 times
and get a penalty in at least 33 of those instances. Church just got robbed.

he did link well early

[floyd__streete]

Needless to say I disagree with much of what Snowball says; Church had a very good game, moved the ball around well and performed much better than Noel Hunt who is a shadow of the player we had two years ago before his injury. I have no problem with Hunt's work ethic mind you, and ultimately he was responsible for the winner-that-wasn't.

This was a good point against an expensively assembled side and a cracking game to boot. I was delighted with how many problems we caused Cardiff - Kebe was back to something approaching his best, MacAnuff played with intelligence and the two lads in the middle were top drawer again. I have criticised Karacan recently for his wastefulness when in possession but he had a stormer last night, top drawer.

I will tell you who isn't top drawer - Federici. Quite frankly appaling error for the first equaliser, he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes as he also directly cost us a goal against Forest this season. Late in the game he also parried a tame looking Bellamy effort from an angle into the middle of a crowded 6 yard box only for Burke (IIRC) to spare his blushes with a quite astonishing Steve Stone-style miss. Federici was quite to furiously balme his defenders after his original howler which displeased me no end because he should have held his hands up.

Stone-wall foul for the equaliser. Cardiff had about 5 forwards on by the end and resorted to long ball and through sheer weight of numbers we gave away a freekick which a player of Bellamy's quality is always going to get on target. Right result really which sets us up for Friday night.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

What was the away attendance yesterday?

[Wycombe Royal]

Was the away attendance yesterday?

Was it what?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Was the away attendance yesterday?

Was it what?

Edited - What was the away attendance yesterday?

[Muskrat]

Parkin suckered the ref.

Blimey no wonder he got a free kick..

[RoyalBlue]

Needless to say I disagree with much of what Snowball says; Church had a very good game, moved the ball around well and performed much better than Noel Hunt who is a shadow of the player we had two years ago before his injury. I have no problem with Hunt's work ethic mind you, and ultimately he was responsible for the winner-that-wasn't.

This was a good point against an expensively assembled side and a cracking game to boot. I was delighted with how many problems we caused Cardiff - Kebe was back to something approaching his best, MacAnuff played with intelligence and the two lads in the middle were top drawer again. I have criticised Karacan recently for his wastefulness when in possession but he had a stormer last night, top drawer.

I will tell you who isn't top drawer - Federici. Quite frankly appaling error for the first equaliser, he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes as he also directly cost us a goal against Forest this season. Late in the game he also parried a tame looking Bellamy effort from an angle into the middle of a crowded 6 yard box only for Burke (IIRC) to spare his blushes with a quite astonishing Steve Stone-style miss. Federici was quite to furiously balme his defenders after his original howler which displeased me no end because he should have held his hands up.

.

It's a very exposed and lonely role being the keeper. You are always open to accusations (strikers peversely far less so) that your error has cost your team the game or points. Conversely you rarely get the plaudits (strikers again fair well) for securing your team points.

Because of this you have to have and maintain very high levels of self-confidence and self-belief and do everything you can to protect that. Some keepers do that by bawling out their defence no matter what leads to the goal - I don't recall Schmeichel senior holding his hands up to mistakes too often, if at all! There usually is some justification to this approach as often the goalscorer has only ended up in a position to shoot due to failings elsewhere in the team!

It is meant to be a team game but on occasions the poor old keeper appears to be left out of that concept and held carrying the can in a way that few if any other positions are! (and yes, I have held poor old Ian Harte solely accountable in the past!

[Kitson12]

(and yes, I have held poor old Ian Harte solely accountable in the past!

At least he's got the balls to come out and say sorry for making a glaring mistake.

[EASTENDER MARKY]

What was the away attendance yesterday?

Probably about 400-500. Decent turn out after Stevenage on Saturday.

[Ian Royal]

Good game, with probably the correct result even if it is gutting conceeding a goal that late.

Federici - 5 awful awful kick and completely to blame for their first. Made up for it a touch with a good save from a Bellamy long strike.
Griffin - 8 kept Bellamy quiet most of the game.
Harte - 7 didn't too badly at all, but got taken apart a couple of times.
Mills - 6.5 (I just don't like him much) solid, but played himself into trouble too much and I think gave away the late fk.
Ingimarsson - 7 not the same player he was, but had a good enough game.
Karacan - 8 all over the place and put in a good performance
Legs - 9 MOTM lots of tidy passing, breaking up play well
McAnuff - 7 quality player - probably my tip for our best player right now - but didn't really dominate as he could.
Kebe - 7 old Kebe, looked dangerous and exciting, threatened lots... didn't quite ever deliver.
Long - 6 look good before his injury, hope he's ok.
Church - 7 lots of really nice touches and helped make our play good, but didn't really threaten to score.

Hunt - 6 set up the goal - other than that did nothing but whinge at the ref and lose possession.
Beast - 7 showed some nice touches, looks strong, definitely a work in progress. "Feed the Beast and he will score!"

As for the Cardiff freekick. Definite foul for me, with us panicking to try and hack the ball away in a cluster. 7th minute goal, but there was at least one if not two minutes of arsing about before the freekick was taken because of the ruck and McAnuff kicking the ball away. Add in extra time for our goal and you can't complain IMO.

Oh: and I met the ledge that is Spacey, which made me inexplicably excited. Therefore BEST GAME EVER.

Many thanks to Harris for the kind lift home, meaning I could stay to the end rather than leave just after they got their first equaliser.

[LWJ]

Thought we played well in the first 20-30 minutes then Cardiff started to pick up a bit. Jobi was having a stormer to start with, but did his usual trick of fading in the second half. Only popping up a couple of times. Awful mistake AGAIN by Feds, and it showed on the team where we got dominated for a good 30 minutes of the second half. Wasn't a foul for their final goal. Legs MOTM again..


Good turnout for us i think, we had a few of us singing at the back, throughout the game. And i bought a yank to her first football match, she loved it and said we are creative with our songs.


I offically love Cardiff. Stayed from Monday through till today, 2 nights, 2 different girls, all it needed was a win.

[winchester_royal]

'What's that coming over the hill......'

Anyway, we were fukcing brilliant for most of the game. Can't believe we didn't come away with 3 points....

Oh and LOLz at the 12 year old gay boy in the Cardiff end.

[sandman]

BBCRB said Church was excellent last night and were very surprised when he was subbed.

Can anyone who was there confirm what they thought.

Absolutely NO WAY was he "excellent". Not on any normal planet.

He was better than previously, but previously he was dire, so it didn't take much.

I'm not one for knocking players and I know last season Churchy had a good one, but he's
not (ATM) remotely the same player.

Hard to know how it MIGHT have gone with Church-Long but I don't recall Church-Hunt
opening up the opposition, or either having a shot on target. They looked "laboured"
and lacking either real power or speed (compared to Long.)

Church's part in the goal is a good example. he sort of bumbled half-through and tried to get a shot away,
it bounced, he knocked it out to Kebe... and then

When Long gets the ball in the box there's excitement. When Church does (ATM) I just wonder when he'll be tackled.

You need to start showing mis-firing strikers some support. Church is low on confidence and he doesn't need your sort of negativity. He'll be a Premier League player one day and be sold for millions.

[Toon Toon Blue army]

Good turnout for us i think, we had a few of us singing at the back, throughout the game. And i bought a yank to her first football match, she loved it and said we are creative with our songs.

Pretty sure I was stood behind you then, there was an American girl in front of us anyway.

I have been to two away games in the last 2 years, Swansea and Cardiff. Both times I have got there, asked a steward where abouts my seat is, to which they replied "just stand up anywhere at the back in the middle and you'll be fine". Was great to stand for 90 minutes without any hassle. Big thumbs up to Welsh stewards who obviously have some common sense.

[Skin]

All I want to know is:
Did it 'go off'?

[Tilehurst Blue]

Stayed from Monday through till today, 2 nights, 2 different girls,

Well played to you Sir!

[winchester_royal]

Stayed from Monday through till today, 2 nights, 2 different girls,

Well played to you Sir!

It really isn't that much of an achievement in Cardiff.

[LWJ]

It is for a 17 year old with no ID with girls older than you


Anyway Toon you were indeed then, we had the St Georges flag? I might of hugged you.. i hugged the guy behind me when we scored.