Cardiff (H) - Match thread

[IlsonDerby]

Interesting how since Blackburn we’ve gone ahead in every match we’ve played including the loss. It’ll be interesting to see how we respond to going a goal down when it happens. 

[HorsforthRam]

Great first half performance. There is much more confidence and something else in this team. There were times I was thinking “pass it back to the keeper” but we worked it from one side to the other and launched an attack. The fear seems to have gone….

Once Ozoh departed, we struggled to hold on to meaningful possession and the substitutes screamed “parking the bus”. I do always feel anxious when we have hardly any possession but Cardiff were awful in the final third. I think we need to try and work on how we offer a little more threat in those situations as a better team will surely create a chance in those circumstances (against us). 
 

All in all, very pleased with progress and finally seeing some exciting football!! Well done Warne and Co 

[MadAmster]

Possession stats thus far, in reverse chronological order:

Cardiff 36%, Bristol 36%, Watford 35%, Boro 29%, Blackburn 53%.

I would argue that we haven't played badly in any of these games. Blackburn possibly the worst performance of the season so far due to getting undone by 3 counters in 15 2nd half minutes, apart from that we were every bit as good as they were, IMO.

It seems we are slowly mastering the art of away performances, especially at home. Now to get the required results away from home as well as at PP. If 9 points from each 5 game sequence is to be the norm, we'll get north of 80 points come May. That would be an incredible return and one that even the most optimistic of fans didn't even dream of 5 games ago. It's still early doors but I think we can consign any thoughts of bottom 3 to the dustbin.

What a gem we have in Kenzo. Apart from the goal he came up with some exquisite passes. Ebou never ceases to amaze but I think even he can never out-amaze that miss. Not many players can do that.

[Duracell]

46 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

Possession stats thus far, in reverse chronological order:

Cardiff 36%, Bristol 36%, Watford 35%, Boro 29%, Blackburn 53%.

I would argue that we haven't played badly in any of these games. Blackburn possibly the worst performance of the season so far due to getting undone by 3 counters in 15 2nd half minutes, apart from that we were every bit as good as they were, IMO.

It seems we are slowly mastering the art of away performances, especially at home. Now to get the required results away from home as well as at PP. If 9 points from each 5 game sequence is to be the norm, we'll get north of 80 points come May. That would be an incredible return and one that even the most optimistic of fans didn't even dream of 5 games ago. It's still early doors but I think we can consign any thoughts of bottom 3 to the dustbin.

What a gem we have in Kenzo. Apart from the goal he came up with some exquisite passes. Ebou never ceases to amaze but I think even he can never out-amaze that miss. Not many players can do that.

It’s tempting to play this game, but this won’t happen. The current league table is more of a form table of 5 games - in, say, February, you can pull out a form table over 5 games and the team that’s bottom could well be in the top 6 if they have a mini-purple patch.

We can’t move the goal posts because we’ve had a good start. The players, the squad, the budget and the coaching staff is still the same.

The danger is that if we start to regress to the mean and have a bad run of form, it will quickly start to feel like we are failing. It’s going to happen: we will get injuries and have to start players who aren’t good enough, and we will have a run where decision go against us and mistakes are punished.

Lower mid-table still has to be the aim and would still be a considerable achievement given our resources and where we were two years ago.

[ariotofmyown]

39 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

Cardiff 36%, Bristol 36%, Watford 35%, Boro 29%, Blackburn 53%.

That is also linked to @IlsonDerbys good shout that we've gone ahead in every game since Blackburn too.

We are set up well to take leads then keep it tight. Although some of the best football we've played this season was after going behind at Blackburn and dominating possession.

It's been a great start to the season though, surely above most people's best case scenarios.

The 4 games before yet another international break are interesting. Can we pick up any points in 2 tough away games vs Sunderland & Sheff United and can we keep the home wins going in winnable games vs QPR & Norwich?

We then have a long run of easier games: Millwall, Oxford, Hull, Stoke, Coventry, Plymouth, Preston, Swansea, Sheff Wed. Followed by a very tough December.

Also, although it's obviously early days for the table, we play 7 of current top 9 away in the first half of the season (minus WBA and ourselves), as well as Luton who have started slowly. This could mean a first half of season with plenty of home wins, but not many point away. The home/away form could then change a lot after Xmas.

[Crewton]

12 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

That is also linked to @IlsonDerbys good shout that we've gone ahead in every game since Blackburn too.

We are set up well to take leads then keep it tight. Although some of the best football we've played this season was after going behind at Blackburn and dominating possession.

It's been a great start to the season though, surely above most people's best case scenarios.

The 4 games before yet another international break are interesting. Can we pick up any points in 2 tough away games vs Sunderland & Sheff United and can we keep the home wins going in winnable games vs QPR & Norwich?

We then have a long run of easier games: Millwall, Oxford, Hull, Stoke, Coventry, Plymouth, Preston, Swansea, Sheff Wed. Followed by a very tough December.

Also, although it's obviously early days for the table, we play 7 of current top 9 away in the first half of the season (minus WBA and ourselves), as well as Luton who have started slowly. This could mean a first half of season with plenty of home wins, but not many point away. The home/away form could then change a lot after Xmas.

I broadly agree, though I think Oxford and Coventry will be stiff tests in that run of easier-looking games.

[MadAmster]

21 minutes ago, Duracell said:

It’s tempting to play this game, but this won’t happen. The current league table is more of a form table of 5 games - in, say, February, you can pull out a form table over 5 games and the team that’s bottom could well be in the top 6 if they have a mini-purple patch.

We can’t move the goal posts because we’ve had a good start. The players, the squad, the budget and the coaching staff is still the same.

The danger is that if we start to regress to the mean and have a bad run of form, it will quickly start to feel like we are failing. It’s going to happen: we will get injuries and have to start players who aren’t good enough, and we will have a run where decision go against us and mistakes are punished.

Lower mid-table still has to be the aim and would still be a considerable achievement given our resources and where we were two years ago.

I did extrapolate but didn't say we WOULD gain the extrapolated number of points.

[MadAmster]

14 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

That is also linked to @IlsonDerbys good shout that we've gone ahead in every game since Blackburn too.

We are set up well to take leads then keep it tight. Although some of the best football we've played this season was after going behind at Blackburn and dominating possession.

It's been a great start to the season though, surely above most people's best case scenarios.

The 4 games before yet another international break are interesting. Can we pick up any points in 2 tough away games vs Sunderland & Sheff United and can we keep the home wins going in winnable games vs QPR & Norwich?

We then have a long run of easier games: Millwall, Oxford, Hull, Stoke, Coventry, Plymouth, Preston, Swansea, Sheff Wed. Followed by a very tough December.

Also, although it's obviously early days for the table, we play 7 of current top 9 away in the first half of the season (minus WBA and ourselves), as well as Luton who have started slowly. This could mean a first half of season with plenty of home wins, but not many point away. The home/away form could then change a lot after Xmas.

I had a record last season of seeing 7 wins and a draw at PP. I'm over for QPR, Swansea and Sheff Wed. 9 points there 😉

Cardiff were no pushover and they are bottom. IMO they are all hard games in to SBC. Lose at Sunderland, draw at Sheff U and wins v QPR and Norwich IMO.

[Chester40]

2 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

I had a record last season of seeing 7 wins and a draw at PP. I'm over for QPR, Swansea and Sheff Wed. 9 points there 😉

Cardiff were no pushover and they are bottom. IMO they are all hard games in to SBC. Lose at Sunderland, draw at Sheff U and wins v QPR and Norwich IMO.

7 points from those 4 games would be an unbelievable return.

[FlyBritishMidland]

Another decent performance.  The movement of the midfield and attack was superb.  And some of the link up play involving Yates was so quick, one touch football.  Kenzo, what a quality player.  For all the talk or Warne wanting athletes, he blows that myth out of the water.

Losing Ozoh disrupted us and we lost midfield a bit in the 2nd half.  At that point I’d have brought Phillips on instead of Osbourne.  We’d have had a bit more flexibility to stay the same or go to a back 3.  That said, I wasn’t worried.  The team look so well organised without the ball that the opposition are largely restricted to passing sideways and long range efforts.  And then they still have to get past JWZ.  I think the team have confidence in him and that allows them to play without fear of losing the ball.

[Sparkle]

Despite Adams miss he was a split second from a yellow card and a red on the goalkeeper which would have been a disaster for our midfield with Ozoh injury 

[Sparkle]

I thought Harkness needs to get up to speed because he looked stand offish and contributed little especially when the likes of Wilson Tompson and Barkhauzen don’t have a place on the bench 

[silverback]

Jacob Z 9...... Made 2 massive stops one from them one from nyambe looking a bargain

Nyambe   8.......brick wall solid ran out of gas last 10min should have been subbed

Elder 8 ....assist and sooo close from the short corner.....was subbed late on as ran himself into the ground

Cashin 8...... Almost scored a howler, but the block later and Cruyff turn, more than made up for it

Nelson 8 ......sold as a rock, but would love to see him on the score sheet more from set plays

Ebou  9 ......What a talent engine of a challenger tank, late miss just stopped MOM for me

Ozoh 7......thought he  was a bit lacklustre after the brizzle showing but stopped Colwill playing whilst he was on

Goudmijn 9.....super finish and his passing akin to Liam Brady in his pomp, well done scouts for unearthing this gem

Jackson 9 .....relentless running had a hand in the goal. was a constant irritation for their back 4

Yates .....9.5 MOTM .....So much selfless running /hold up play/flicks and touches, another surprising "find". Just needs to get on the goal sheet and would have been 10 for me

Subs .....did what they had to but nothing spectacular

Warne.......not at sea in a much higher league as some expected, tactically sound today 

Overall we restricted their front line and the speed and accuracy of our counters   was a joy to behold 

 

Onwards to the Prem ⚽ COYR

[Eoghan1884]

I actually do not understand why Swansea let Yates go. Swans fans said it’s because they now play possession based football but Yates has one of the best football IQ’s I’ve seen in a rams shirt for a long while and he has a ridiculously good range of passing. His flicks and tricks round corners and through lines are amazing. Also think once he scores his first goal they’ll flow for him. 
 

If you’re involved with Swansea though he’s woeful, you were dead right to send him away for the season and definitely shouldn’t recall him in January. Yous should also sell him to us for next to nothing in the summer. 

[DE56Ram]

Just resurfaced with a ⚽️🍻🤕

I loved our movement and interplay for 60 minutes, some delightful flicks, one-twos and two back heels in one awesome left sided move. Wow 🤩 

The Dutch kid Kenzo is an amazing footballer but big shout for Yates interplay again 🤩⚽️⚽️

Elder fabulous again 👏

Ozoh getting the hammy upset our endeavours and we went to a back 5 and their attacking changes did kind of ensure that we had to defend for long period last 30 mins.

still lots to take from that last 30. Our defensive shape was excellent and we still had willing runners when we broke.
Adams was amazing to get up the pitch for the chance he created near the end. The Cardiff keeper was closest to a red as he was way outside his area. What lungs and legs he has! Eboouuu 🖤👏

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🐏👍

If we’re to be competitive at Blades and Black cats without David then I think we’ll see Nat Phillips in holding midfield role 👍

loving this new competitive Championship Derby side well done PW and the recruitment team 👏

 

[Tyler Durden]

36 minutes ago, Eoghan1884 said:

I actually do not understand why Swansea let Yates go. Swans fans said it’s because they now play possession based football but Yates has one of the best football IQ’s I’ve seen in a rams shirt for a long while and he has a ridiculously good range of passing. His flicks and tricks round corners and through lines are amazing. Also think once he scores his first goal they’ll flow for him. 
 

If you’re involved with Swansea though he’s woeful, you were dead right to send him away for the season and definitely shouldn’t recall him in January. Yous should also sell him to us for next to nothing in the summer. 

“The striker was admittedly always going to find it tricky to fill the Joel Piroe-shaped hole that opened up last season, and despite netting nine goals in all competitions, he hasn't quite managed to fully win over the critics.

"Luke Williams has made no secret of the fact that he's looking for more firepower in this window. If Yates does manage to get another chance to shine up front next term, he needs to take it.”

[EulogyForEvolution]

I said that I didn't think Elder could play left back at this level. 

I'm so glad to be proven wrong. He's been excellent in the last few games.

[Jimbo Ram]

For the second week running I couldn’t follow the game as we were out with friends. Perhaps I should do it more often 😊 Sounds like another decent performance. Hopefully Oz isn’t out for too long 🤞

[Will Hughes Hair]

21 hours ago, dajstrawb said:

Forget the goal. What a stupendous 45 from Goudmijn

What a treat it’s going to be, watching this boy all season!

My only gripe yesterday was getting back to the car to hear Eric Steele tell the world we need more from Kenzo!

After controversially calling Eric short after walking past him at the Carlisle game, I’m going one further today by suggesting he might well be short and short-sighted 😂

[Leeds Ram]

Loved the first half and thought at times we went through them like a knife through butter. If Ozoh hadn't have gone off it would have been 2 or 3-0 i think. Osbourne didn't look great but i guess that can happen and we looked gassed out after 70 minutes. But crowd stuck with them, we dug in and looked comfortable. 

Cardiff look prime relegation fodder tbh. I thought they were playing walking football with no energy, passion or tempo.  They don't have the quality to play the way they want  to and ultimately despite having a lot of the ball did f*** all with it. I thought it was interesting how their fans also still seemed to think we were terrible and it's a game they should have won. Similar thoughts by Bristol so maybe us being such underdogs is going to really help us get a grip in the division