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GAMEDAY – Cardiff at home
Blues face Cardiff City tonight hoping to build on promising performances away to Middlesbrough and Preston to bring an end to a winless run at home.
Cardiff City
Cardiff lie one place and three points ahead of Birmingham City, having beaten Brentford with an injury time winner on Tuesday. The Bluebirds are unbeaten in three but have conceded two goals in each of their last four games and their away win to Bolton at the start of December was their first away win in the Championship since August.
Cardiff are hoping to name an unchanged team for tonight.
Blues
Jonathan Grounds is an injury doubt meaning Shane Lowry might be called upon to make his debut at left-back. Jon Toral could start in midfield in place of Andrew Shinnie but it’s to early for any of Clayton Donaldson, David Cotterill or Paul Robinson to come back into the squad.
Blues know that they must be on the front foot tonight and settle the crowd early on with good play and hopefully a goal or two – unlike the last home game where they conceded in 37 seconds. Chances have been forthcoming in the last couple of games but Blues have struggled to finish them.
Ref
Keith Stroud takes charge of tonight’s game. He’s been in the middle for 24 games so far this season, showing a massive 102 yellow cards and sending off 7 players. His last Blues game was the 1-1 draw with Ipswich in September in which he booked four players including David Cotterill for Blues.
Suspension Watch
6 Yellow Cards: Maikel Kieftenbeld
4 Yellow Cards: David Davis, Jonathan Grounds, Stephen Gleeson and Paul Caddis
3 Yellow Cards: David Cotterill
2 Yellow Cards: Jon Toral and Neal Eardley
1 Yellow Card: Tomasz Kuszczak, James Vaughan, Michael Morrison, Paul Robinson, Clayton Donaldson, Jonathan Spector, Andy Shinnie and Demarai Gray.
The cutoff date for 5 yellow cards to attract a suspension is November 30, 2015
The cutoff date for 10 yellow cards to attract a suspension is April 9, 2016
Tags: Cardiff City, Jonathan Grounds, Shane Lowry
38 Responses to “GAMEDAY – Cardiff at home”
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As well as a win tonight i’m hoping for a good turnout from our supporters, there’s nothing worse than being on tv & half the ground being empty. KRO
If we break 15,000 tonight ChrisG we’re be lucky , on sky Friday night before xmas and our poor Home form will only see the ground half full ime affraid but i would take the win more than a big crowd any day of the week .. The days of 25,000 plus won’t come back until ownership is sorted and premiership football is back, A word used on here by some fans is that’s the ” reality ” unfortunetly… The top four are pulling away so a win is a must to get above Cardiff and within striking distance of Ipswich and Burnley in 6th and 5th respectively. Kro
Can’t argue with you there Dave really. I was watching sky sports 100 club yesterday & they were doing Emile Heskey, I hardly recognised stans from the days he played there with almost full stadia. Anyway got my tickets booked for Derby & Forest away in jan, lets hope we’re still in the mix & showing off some new signings. KRO
You’re right about the top 4 pulling away Dave. At the moment, they’re still in sight and if we can get 6 or 7 points out of the next three games, that’ll stand us in good stead. But, we need to start that charge tonight, because defeat could put us mid-table by tomorrow evening, if other results go against us.
But, Mr Rowett and the lads already know that and hopefully, we’ll start the game on the front foot. That’s the best way to get the crowd going, the first goal is imperative. Unusually, I’m not going to even try to guess the result tonight. I don’t want to put the mockers on it.
If recent home form is anything to go by, we’ll lose 1-0 or 2-0. I’d love that not to be the case and seeing us conquer Cardiff 3-0 or 4-0, but pessimism rules with me.
All I ask is for a performance tonight, I just hope we don’t play like we have being doing
The only way we will win is if we get the first goal. Much as I would like to see a great attacking performance they have got to make absolutely sure they don’t concede because going a goal down is a killer.
Get that first goal.. and you’ll feel the whole ground relax. Just take it from there.
I am off to the match with my 2 sons and my brother and his son. I Think Vaughan will get his first goal for us tonight. Also I here that Cottrell is 10 days away from a return and could be fit for the boxing day Match Think that’s Sheffield Wednesday away.
It’s getting that first goal that’s killing us at home , if we get it it will bring Cardiff out and you might see the best of us , concede it and the demons return and it’s backs to the wall , like you staffs there’s no predictions from me because it’s all about that first goal , it really is that massive and a game changer . Kro
Just another team to beat , no different to many others we’ve beaten , don’t wait until they score first go out and tear them apart , don’t wait for old age go out and have plenty to talk about in it .kro.
Very true . Kro
This is a test for GR tonight.Our woeful home form has to be addressed and it will be interesting to see if he can find a way to sort it out.
Yes agreed, it will be interesting , what formation then Bluey? Kro
Not sure because although i`d like to see us be positive we are vulnerable,like most teams,to a counter-attack and if we go a goal down it`s a real mountain to climb.I`d be tempted to pack the midfield (4-5-1) and make sure,as far as possible,we don`t concede.The 1st goal tonight is crucial kro.
Change of referee. David Coote takes over due to an injury to Keith Stroud.
I can’t see anything other than 4-2-3-1. Same team except Toral in for Shinnie and Lowry in for Grounds IF he’s out… otherwise, as was.
It would be good to set a reasonable amount of points to get over the next four games until Jan 2nd. It is a tough period and we have injuries. The need is to keep close to the top 6. The transfers start and the injured return then.
We have Cardiff H Sheff W A MkDons H and Brentford H. I think 6 points is reasonable and 7 would be good.
Great relief to get the 3points and for the confidence. However to me this game told me one major thing concerning Vaughan. Yes He is a wonderful trier and passion in bucket loads-but imo he is not for us. His touch is not good and is not a natural goal scorer. To have him as a squad player would be useful especially with Don and Cotts returning -it would give GR a useful bench. Also sadly Lowry woefully slow at left back but may fit at CH in emergencies. My man of the match without doubt_ Morrison.
Mitchell – are you having a laugh!? Really, Vaughan isn’t for us? He’s a quality player and better than anything we’ve got at the moment. His movement is first-class and you can see he played in the Premiership. How you can say Cotterill should figure ahead of him is beyond me when Cotterill is a “bottler” in my opinion. We need to sign Vaughan permanently. Him playing behind Donaldson, or perhaps even out on the wing (think Gray needs a rest). But I’ve been very impressed with Vaughan, offers us a great deal.
I couldn’t disagree more Mitchell. Vaughan was excellent. Led the line really well and won aerial challenges he had no right to win. Given recent home performances he was the difference tonight. I would like to see him paired up with Clayton Donaldson. Those two working off each other with their movement could pull defences all over the place – he would be a great signing.
Take your point but again it’s about opinions. I like Vaughans work rate and desire- but I am now looking for goals-and first touch is so important. Spoilt maybe having watched Kevin Philips etc -just want open play goal scorers. As regards Cotterill-I think fans either like him or not. He has been missed surely-however it’s about opinions and that is good. Spotlight now on lovely Newcastle.
Just another team , and just another unlucky manager , ah well .
Super blues
We battled for a win. Very little quality but we know that. Morrison and Spector held it together at the back but Cardiff missed several chances.
Everything is right with the world today , a home win , a much better performance , a goal even though it was a penalty that never was and three points to put us back in top six contention .. Like I said yesterday fair play to Cardiff because they played a lot better than teams that have beaten us at stans this season , they came out and attacker us and not putting 10 men behind the ball giving us space to play and at last on the odd occasion the home fans saw a bit of the Blues away form … Roll on Boxing Day and our trip to Hillsborough… Let’s all hope Ipswich and Burnley fall today and ofcourse the Geordies give the vile a nail for there coffin then we can all carry on enjoying our weekend and xmas coming up xxxxx. Kro&lol
It wasn’t a great performance and it was certainly no penalty… but it’s 3 points no matter what. After the game, Russell Slade was bleating about the penalty, but was strangely silent on the Morrison foul in the area earlier. The defender manhandled him to the ground and I thought at one point, he was gonna hump him. Swings and Roundabouts Sladey, take your red-tinted glasses off and get over it.
Only Sheff Wed beating Wolves by 3 clear goals can knock us off 7th place before Xmas. The Wednesday game will take on more significance if they beat Wolves.
Hi Staffs
i didn’t shout for the handball, I shouted for the reckless studs up challenge, not in control at all, if Vaughan had have gone down rolling around and screaming like most strikers in the premiership instead of appealing for the hand ball imo it was nailed on. Sky didn’t even mention this.
But then, they wouldn’t would they? We’re Birmingham City after all. :)
Dave S, that’s a fair point you make after seeing it again this morning , the defender went in on Vaughan with legs astride and went through the middle of him and if he would have gone down screaming we might have got the penalty anyway … The gods were shinning on us with Eardley going off and Caddis coming on because who else would have took the penalty and propably missed and we would be sitting here today moaning about another draw … Slade saying that they were on a different level to us , REALLY , the reality me old China is that we are bang on level in all areas as it stands .. Donaldson and cotterill back next weekend and players to come in .. Russell Slade maybe right that they are on a different level to us , we’re move on to top six snd there be below top six .. Cheers cry baby . :-( kro
OK performance and much needed result. I was not that impressed by Lowry – hopefully Grounds will be fit for Boxing day. Despite his lack of popularity amongst many supporters I think we have missed Cotterill. His crossing and goals could make a big difference when he returns…
Granted, Cotterill does have a lot of goal assists and his set-pieces (usually) are spot-on, but I do question is overall game. If you’re putting a player in the team JUST for his set-piece ability, then I think this is a bit of a cop-out. He needs to show more, in my opinion. His work-rate is questionable, at times he doesn’t track back as he should, and he seems to tire VERY easily in games and when we’re under the cosh he has this infuriating ability to give “suicide” balls away in our own half, sometimes on the edge of our own area, and gives the opposition momentum. Undoubtedly we do miss him, not doubting that, but I feel he needs to up his game.
Agreed about the loose passes, but we have others who are equally culpable… like Gray, Kieftenbeld, Davis, Gleeson. You can almost guarantee that these players will make at least one of those passes nearly every game. It’s just sloppy play really.
Bang on Blue Steve , cotterill and Donaldson back on the bench for Boxing Day after three points and a home win yesterday will give us all the belief that all is not lost on the top six front . Kro
Cotterill may not be the best player in the world Dave, but you always feel we’re a threat from free kicks and corners when he’s in the team. You can’t in all honesty say you’ve felt confident at free kicks since he’s been out. How many have taken over the duties? Gleeson and Gray to name but two… and both have been cr*p at it. Roll on Cotts coming back.
I thought we were poor again particularly first half with some players demonstrating significant crapness: Lowry, Gleeson; Davis but a few standouts – Morrison, Spector, Vaughn
If Tesche comes back it will fit Gleeson; Vaughan and Morrison together would be good to see as would a back three of Halford, Morrison, Spector
A scrappy,battling,slightly lucky 1-0. Exactly what we needed. As for the pen it wasn`t handball but what about the challenge?
Bloody hell Bluey I agree with every word of that post including the penalty shout got the foul anyway . Kro
It’s about time Lady Luck smiled on us. It’s been a long time coming. We weren’t that good, but I’ll take a scrappy 3 points anyday, rather than just getting a point for a cracking performance. I thought, Morrison, Spector, Maghoma and Vaughan worked their nuts off… the rest were much of a muchness for me.
I do think Halford needs more game time, or what was the point bringing him in? He’s only here for a couple more weeks. A few minutes here and there is a waste of time imo.