First the Maiwand Lions, next the team in the Beeb’s back garden?

By: Martyn | September 19th, 2009

City ended a two-game losing streak with a fine single-goal victory away to Puma-buddies Reading. Although it’s too early in the season and too short a losing streak to have determined the period darker than the lighting in a Ridley Scott film, it didn’t half feel like a relief to return to three-point collecting ways. It was a man born and raised on the banks of the River Clyde who secured City the *M4 derby* bragging rights (hey… don’t you underestimate the fan-banter that goes on at Membury services Burger King franchise), Chris Burke. Stephen McPhail went all Carl Douglas and did his best to squander our chances, but thankfully his actions didn’t cost us. He really is a div. Stephen, not Carl – I bet he’s lovely.

Admittedly, the Royals look as though they aren’t sure whether they’re boiled, scrambled or fried at present, and whether Brendan Rogers is given time to rectify the malaise afflicting the club will be an issue for sometime-monomaniacal John Madjeski to decide. They attacked with great rhythm and shape on occasion (Ronaldinho-thwarter David Marshall, pink jersey compounding with the outfield yellow to give City a Battenburg feel, kept us in the game with a string of handy palm-beaters), but at the back it was little short of a shambles. Perhaps Cardiff could even have nicked one or two more, but ultimately we’ll let bygones be bygones what with the unexpected goal frenzies we’ve already been blessed with in the first two home clashes! From our point of view, the longer the Berkshire side flounder the better, as this keeps them away from competing with us for one of those promotion spots.

Later on this afternoon, we tackle the mighty morphin’ QP Rangers! Expect the R’s to be a tad fresher than we given the size of their bloated multi-national squad and their midweek match’s postponement. The Shepherd’s Bush representatives are led by pseudo-manager Jim Magilton, although he’ll become as culpable as a real manager once the board decide that enough is enough and it’s time for the next puppet. Now Rod Hull is sadly no longer with us, I’m sure Emu’s on the prowl for a bit of cutter.

In their last outing, QPR stumbled to a 1-1 draw with newbies Peterborough United. Trying to fathom how Magilton will set his side up at The Cardiff City Stadium may be somewhat stifficult given the fact that this was an insipid performance and Magilton likes to tinker. If the Ulsterman sticks with the same XI that served him so pathetically against the Posh however, City will meet a side who do have the potential to hurt us. You’ve got pace in abundance, tricky technical dribblers, a useful target man and a set-piece specialist, not to mention a defence that resembles four Mario’s on one version of Tiny-Huge Island in the Nintendo 64 classic!

Unfortunately, Radek Cerny has a clean bill of health at the moment so he’ll continue between the sticks. I preface that snippet with ‘unfortunately’ because the deputy custodian is one Tom Heaton: the Manchester United loanee spent last season with the Bluebirds and save for some top-drawer stops, spent most of the time leaking silly goals and showing more of an affectation for lines than Danniella Westbrook. The right-back berth will either be filled by the no-nonsense and versatile Antiguan & Barbudan Mikele Leigertwood, or Chopra’s BFF, the equally physically imposing Peter Ramage. Damian Stewart and Arsenal graduate Matthew Connolly might retain their positions at the centre of defence, continuing Magilton’s bizarre overlooking of the really rather good Kaspars Gorkss. Nevertheless, Stewart did a sterling job at Ninian Park last season and narrowly missed out on inclusion in my list of most impressive opposition players at our former ground. At left-back, expect the tactically indisciplined wing-back Gary ‘Cafu’ Borrowdale to feature. Our wingers should have a field day if Borrowdale charges forward as often as he normally does. He has the potential to be the biggest donkey of a no. 29 seen down the City since a certain lanky striker did his own brand of justice to the shirt number… As I touched upon in the previous paragraph, one thing stands out about QPR’s defence, and that’s the sheer size of it! Extras in 300, the lot of ‘em. Therefore, Cardiff will have to be at their best in the pass-and-move department in order to get repeated territory acquisitions.

Rangers have a plethora of creativity in the midfield, and do their best to bolster the aesthetics of Championship-level football by playing two natural wingers. Wayne Routledge needs no introduction but I’ll bless him with one anyway; a fantastic little player. Sure to be the subject of much barracking from the South Wales massive, Routledge is perceived to have snubbed the *sensible* option of joining us in order to take the big bucks on offer at Loftus Road. To be fair to him, QPR are a side who have the potential to do well in this division in the next few years, he’s a London boy, and surely anyone offered sacks more money to live in the same municipality as their friends and family would be mad to turn that down in favour of a similarly sized club three and a bit hours away from home paying him less?! Alas, the often-OTT abusing of players happens rather regularly in these parts, but I’ll be loath to complain if a bit of grunting forces Routledge into his shell and aids a City victory.

On the other side, Hogan Ephraim has stacks of potential but a paucity of end product, so his position could be taken by former Jose Mourinho-Porto-pick, Akos Buzsaky. Either way, let’s hope that Mark Kennedy is not left to try and counter this pace or it could be curtains as far as three points is concerned. In the centre, Ben Watson will start his second game after joining the club on loan from Wigan Athletic. A dead-ball specialist, the ginger terrier will relish the battle with fellow young starlet Joe Ledley. He’ll be joined by the intriguing prospect that is Alejandro Faurlin. The impressive in stature Argentine was signed in the off-season for £3.5m from Primera B Nacional side Instituto. While in today’s global culture such transfers are no longer as exotic or enigmatic as prawn cocktails in the 1980s or The Man From U.N.C.L.E was during the Cold War, the ball-spraying youngster with the sweet left foot from Santa Fe may be too hot for the likes of Gavin Rae to handle.

If Magilton perseveres with a 4-4-1-1, expect Adel Taarabt to line up in the support striker role. Interestingly, the seemingly lost-in-the-gargantuan-Spurs-youth-system man is a practising Muslim and will come into this game on the back of a month of fasting. Does it affect the professional footballer’s game? The rent-a-quote manager of Internazionale certainly thinks so. Hudson and Gerrard must be careful not to get sucked out into following the lightening-quick and technically-top Algerian. The temptation will be greater than the power of a giant-sized vacuum cleaner given the likelihood that the pair of them will have just one sitting forward to marshall between them, and the fact that Taarabt running at you may be a rather bewildering sight. Nonetheless, keeping close together and not straying too far forward as a defensive unit will hopefully render QPR’s counter-attack impotent and close down the threat he possesses.

Likewise, given the ability QPR’s front 6 have with the ball, it’s imperative that we shut down the potential by exerting pressure on the potentially cumbersome backline (thus cutting the supply), and by exploiting the probably vacant channels in the R’s half. The CB-pairing’s main task will involve the lively Jay Simpson, a mighty fine player still on the books of Arsenal. Not just blessed with great strength, the goalscorer has an arsenal (puns have never been so easy) of weapons at his disposal that make his game more than just having to deal with Steven Gerrard’s sweaty cousin trying to spoon him. Nonetheless, he’ll be the obvious target for Cerny’s punts in order for him to feed the ball-running midfielders. At 5ft11″ however, our 6ft+ central pairing have the edge in the vertical stakes, so guile will naturally be a large part of the Carling Cup hero’s game. If he has as sharp an eye for poaching late goals as the sadly-deceased Ray Jones did down in Glamorgan, City could be left licking their wounds again if possession doesn’t translate into conversion.