Another tie, just not one of the thought-deprived xmas gift variety!

By: Martyn | March 15th, 2009

There have been some exceedingly pleasing results from a Cardiff City perspective in this Premier League-forsaken league in the past week. All together now in your best James Alexander Gordon voices, if you will:

Barnsley 1-1 BIRMINGHAM CITY
PRESTON NORTH END 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
READING 2-2 Charlton Athletic
READING 0-1 Ipswich Town
SHEFFIELD UNITED 2-2 Blackpool
SWANSEA SHITTY 1-3 Whiner Warnock
WOLVES 0-0 Ipswich Town

So did we seize the opportunity and take advantage of those around us floundering? Pfft, you knows we didn’t. A gutless 2-0 defeat to a bunch of birds used primarily to see how safe coal mines were back in’t day was all we got from the long trip to Norfolk on a cold Tuesday evening. The game will perhaps best be remembered for yet another Konstantopoulos error. That boy is to ‘keeping what Judas Iscariot was to loyalty.Jones stuck up for the beleaguered keeper. And then went and signed Stuart Taylor. Titter, what’s our Dave like, eh? When it comes to the net tenders, he’s a bit like Samantha and members of the opposite gender in Sex and the City. Not that I’ve ever watched SATC or anythin’, *cough*.

Earlier today, we failed to triumph/fully capitalise yet again. This time it was a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate that saw 2 more points fritter away. The shared digit scoreline was predictable and my and many others belief in this was only reinforced once the game got under way. Players from both teams made carrying the ball forward akin to stroppy teenagers doing chores, and the majority of opportunities were speculative, half-arsed long range pot shots. More often than these however were the defences coming out on top. Decent decision making in the final third was in short supply, and casual Sky Sports viewers must surely have been channel hopping or nipping off to the nearest Setanta-screening premises. Clearly the threat of succumbing to defeat was etched in the players brains and bodies, and thus fear and lax passing were the only available menu options. Cardiff in particular adopted the sit and contain policy which was going swimmingly until a chink developed and the until-then profligate Nicky Maynard ditched that preface and scored a neat goal. Thankfully, Adrian Basso feels obliged to make errors when Sky Sports cameras and those hairy sound things are in the South-West (see Bristol’s televised game earlier on this season versus Wolverhampton), so ta very for reverting to type Adie and giving rotund Ross the opportunity to allow the real no. 44 to stand up after a hiatus!

Those on show (not ranked)

Stuart Taylor – A solid début that included some tip-top saves.

Kevin McNaughton – Tucked in nicely defensively, but didn’t exploit the space afforded to him in attack often enough.

Gabor Gyepes – Solid as ever, he gets his swede on so many hanging balls that brain damage surely awaits?

Roger Johnson – Strong and dominant, and almost scored with a bullet header early on. Must take his share of the blame for the positional shambles that was the first goal however.

Tony Capaldi – Tidy and composed. His long-throws were an asset, although he offered little in his link-up’s with Parry other than in the opening stages.

Peter Whittingham – Tucked in to play centre midfield for a large bulk of the game, thus giving us a 4-3-3 formation and countering the threat posed by Gavin Williams. However, when on the ball, Whittingham’s game was characterised by poor decision making and woeful distribution.

Joe Ledley – Poor vision, poor passing, poor positioning and the recipient of a quite needless booking. Not a match DVD his agent will be mailing to potential suitors.

Stephen McPhail – What is he? Is he a defensive midfielder whose job it is to sit there and block, or is he a creative playmaker? He’s ruddy useless at both and his ineptitude permeates the entire team whenever he’s involved, so why does Dave Jones keep him around the place?? Alas, if only Plato and Aristotle were alive to simplify such a predicament… That, or have a go in the midfield themselves. Erm, come back Gavin Rae all is forgiven?

Paul Parry – Started brightly, but FADED… FADED… faded. He’s like one of those bands with second album syndrome.

Jay Bothroyd – Looked slightly jaded and was never really at Ashton Gate. Lax marking when defending Bristol corners could have proved costly and anonymity in attack led to his withdrawal.

Michael Chopra – He buzzed about for a bit but there was nowhere near enough of a threat in terms of quality or *real* desire.

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Ross McCormack – Was MIA after his introduction save for a few depressingly slow FK’s that tickled Basso’s tummy-wummy. But all of a sudden, he became goal poacher extraordinaire for our late equalizer and thus wins the Pippo Inzaghi Award for worthwhile contribution!

Eddie Johnson – The Eagle had been looking impotent and crowded out, but a headed chance gave him belief and thus followed some excellent carrying of the ball, a shot, a GK spillage, and McCormack netting! Cue raucous EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE chants as the American perhaps only rivalled in the most loved Yank stakes by Obama worked his magic for the second game in a row! If he keeps this incredible run of form up, perhaps one of these hilariously monikered sides will pick him up!

Chris Burke – A late injection of energy in attack and did his bit defensively too by offering great positioning and strength to fend off the Reds last forage forward.

So then, the result both managers would have liked beforehand, and a result I am satisfied with as a fan of the team higher up the league. Next up is a must-win game mind, the re-arranged match against Watford at Ninian Park. I’ll let you concoct your own sting in the tail/Hornets puns.

Elsewhere on Planet CCFC.

- Gab bigs up Jay
- Rick Parry may be falling down in the football world, but Paul ain’t
- A comedian amongst the Norwich City programme staff
- Chopra’s fears hopefully not realised
- Taylor gives Leeds the finger