As for the game itself, a 2-2 draw, one particular moment and act of indefensible stupidity was the biggest talking point and turning point for us Cardiff followers. The mindlessness of Stephen McPhail getting himself sent off. What in God’s name was the useless moron doing??!!! After getting sent off in last month’s derby game, an early shower that essentially cost us the game, this time the Irishman decided to repeat and top his stupidity by getting a second yellow card for kicking the ball away in the presence of the most card happy person since Mr Clinton set up his famous chain of shops. We were 2-1 up at this point and our 4-4-1-1 formation (it may have looked like a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 on paper, but in reality it was anything but) that was making us the more comfortable side in the game was thereafter ruined. We had dissolved the threat their pass and move 5-man midfield had offered early on by alternating Chopra and Bothroyd to drop back and tuck in. With the crowding their midfield provided, our best chance of getting into their third came from long punts up to Bothroyd, and hoping that our pacy players Chopra, McCormack and Routledge would feed off the scraps and conjure/create. To be fair, this was the right tactical approach to adopt. Our central midfield players (Ledley instead of Rae today) have been swallowed up and spat out by so many packed opposition midfields recently that we couldn’t rely on them in this big local and big play-off position deciding game. Bizarrely, when our central pairing did get on the ball as Swansea’s attacks lost some pace and purpose after their goal, they carried the ball with no urgency whatsoever. Ledley in particular was guilty of this and it was as if the pair had been told not to get anywhere near the round thing.

Similarly, although the situation rectified itself as the game progressed (and when it became a back to the walls job after McPhail’s red card), initially there was no bridge linking our midfield to the defence, let alone our attack. Although they were forced deep and told to buckle down in order to withstand the inevitable heavy pressure from the attacking Swansea 6, there was a gaping gap somehow left for Swansea’s opener as Pratley adopted a position that neither the midfield or defence were willing to close down. Our goals came from a sumptuous Ledley strike and a penalty that Chopra won and McCormack converted. Substitutions saw us change to a 4-4-1 post-dismissal as Chopra and Bothroyd were taken off for Rae and Parry (who started up front alone but was essentially ploughing on rocks and ended up switching to a LM position with McCormack). A welcome return was the bringing on of Scimeca too, although it remains to be seen whether he can regain the fitness and form that madehim our talisman a few seasons ago.

Here’s how the boys in blue fared for our fourth 2-all draw of the season.

Peter Enckelman was rarely called into action until the final 20 minutes and pulled off a number of essential saves to keep the scores level. Kevin McNaughton was as swashbuckling as ever but his marking was non-existent for their equalizer. Roger Johnson put in his usual shift of hard tackling and atrocious passing, and Gabor Gyepes did a little less of the bad distribution and a little more of the brave defending. Mark Kennedy put some grit into a position that was definitely more RB than RWB. Their opener came from his side and although it was a whole yard offside, he has to take a portion of the blame. Wayne Routledge was and always is the boy most likely to. Carried a threat until late in the game and Bessone simply could not handle him in the first half as he resorted to rugby tackling and constantly getting Routledge to bury his head into his nipple region. The Argentine really should have been dismissed. Joe Ledley scored a fantastic goal but he was slow and clueless on the ball and had a few lazy moments in the second half when he would remember to pick up his man about two seconds after the Jack in question had passed him. The sooner Stephen McPhail is booted out of the door the better. Two derbies and two sendings off this season barely even begin the first chapter. He has been so woeful all year that he genuinely offers not one thing to the team. Ross McCormack was quiet and withdrawn, clearly not happy at the position he was being forced to operate from. The defensive duties that came with his LM position really aren’t part of his game and as a result we lost the threat of the free-scoring Scot. Jay Bothroyd still doesn’t look fully fit and he didn’t have an effective afternoon at all. Michael Chopra would run forever and displayed that in this game by chasing an unlimited amount of lost causes. Did well to win the penalty early in the second batch of 45 minutes, but could have done better with a spooned chance in the first half. Gavin Rae offered more of an attacking threat than normal and kept his position well in the deepest depths of midfield. Paul Parry looked half-arsed and unfit and if John Toshack was watching then I’m sure he won’t be too disappointed at not being able to pick him anymore. Riccy Scimeca had no time to be judged.

The FA Cup draw also took place this afternoon and we drew Reading at home. It’s one of those cup ties. And my lack of articulation really does describe nothing and everything at the same time!

Our attack-minded formation - which saw us retain the ball and use it for a change because rather than having to rely on our deep-lying CM to support the attack, Routledge offered us at times a fourth forward and there was always an option ahead of the man on the ball rather than on the side or behind him as is normally the case - was formulated to play against Reading’s similar tactical set-up. After Bikey’s semi-harsh sending off though, Noel Hunt was summoned to floss his privates in the changing rooms with a lot more space to manoeuvre than he would have been afforded come the ref’s (another crap one who had no control over the game and its lack of discipline) final peep, and consequently Reading packed the midfield: Something we detest and cannot muster anything against. Their 4-4-1 hand forced us into a 4-4-2 and multiple dead-ends. We were like Stevie Wonder in a maze. Although the 4-3-3 we started with was both obvious and visionary, switching to a 4-4-2 was more unfortunate but equally required. We needed to get something from a game we threatened to throw away after conceding an equalizer on the break and a second after some quick Reading thinking and continuing with 4-3-3 would have offered them more of the ball than comfort allows. Some of our build-up play was patient and canny (for example, some of the booing when we passed it around the team was a bit silly and impatient because on the few occasions it happened we actually seemed to end up with something to show for our retention like a FK or CK!), but then it also became sloppy and brainless as the game died a slow and inevitable 2-2 death. They closed the space, we went direct, and yeah I think you’ve all seen similar games with your own teams. It’s never pretty, it’s never productive. Yet teams still persist with trying it. Why?!

Peter Enckelman - I cannot express how relaxing it was to have a goalie who can do the basics. Other than that, the lightbuld-topped Finn was barely troubled and at fault for neither goal. 5

Miguel Comminges - His delivery was woefully inconsistent and caused many-a-fan to do that thing when we throw our arms down in a guillotine fashion, spin around and give those watching the game with you a half exasperated, half gurning chimp look. 5

Gabor Gyepes - Impresssive and solid. Did make one howler mind when he let a Reading attacker slip through his grasp but quickly remedied the situation. 7.5

Roger Johnson - Awful. Makes you pray that Dennehy is half-good so we can drop this clown ’til he learns how to pass. 1.5

Mark Kennedy - One of those games where you struggle to remember Kennedy doing anything. Actually, he almost scored! Which would have been rare gem! Other than that, it’s all escaping me. Which might be a good thing seeing as he’s a full-back. 5

Wayne Routledge - The best thing is, he looks like he has come here to play! Sometimes when Routledge has the ball the opposition simply can’t peel it off his foot. It’s stuck like adhesive-flavoured chewing gum. His goal was a work of art, a sublime finish to cap a wonderfully crafted move. Routledge faded in the second half mind, but his injections of pace, cracking delivery, stretching the opposition and finding yards that no one else in this division possibly can meant that Routledge of the First Half lingered long in the post-match pint memory. On this showing, if I was offered the chance to secure the signing of anyone who’s name is Wayne followed by the first two letters of their surname being Ro, it’d definitely be the best poster-boy for blue eyes since Mr Sinatra, ..utledge! Not that bald potato who plays for Manchester United, that’s for sure. 8.5

Gavin Rae - Second-best in every possible department as has been the case for the entire season. 3

Stephen McPhail - His set-piece delivery was of a decent standard, but he’s still garbage when it doesn’t involve kicking a ball that has no motion. 4.5

Ross McCormack - Did little else other than score the penalty. A rare quite night, though showed one or two flashes of his genius. 7

Jay Bothroyd - He was certainly one of our most involved players, and clearly relished having three runners that were willing to go in behind him or with him. Got booked needlessly after trying to poke the ball away from the Reading GK during a standard hoof upfield. Everyone knows it’s a foul, so why bother? Cracked one in from long range, but that was as far as his goal threat went. Altogether, one of those showings where if we had been on the backfoot and playing crap I would probably give him a rating of 3 due to the lack of a goal threat. As we drew and he didn’t do anything else offensive, I’ll give him a 6.

Michael Chopra - Provided an awesome assist for Routledge’s opener, won the penalty with some tenacious annoying little bastard battling qualities and was full of running, clearly relishing playing in such an attack-minded system. There aren’t many better than Chopra in the division when it comes to running at goal with the ball at his feet and his eyes trained on the goalie, and although he struggled to maintain such penetration as Reading parked the team bus in front of the goal in the second period he was still more than willing to salvage something for the team from this game. Probably deserved the PK goal more than McCormack did, but after the Sunderland striker missed his last one and what with Kevin Doyle getting further ahead at the top of the scoring leader board there was only ever one candidate to resume spot-kick duties. 8

Eddie Johnson - I’d say he did nothing because he wasn’t given enough time, but if he had stayed on the pitch at Ninian Park after the match had finished and everyone had got home I’m sure he’d still struggle to do anything. His presence on the pitch can maybe sum up today’s youth - lost without technology. I mean, he has no I-pod to detach himself from the world with, and scoring goals is so easy on Pro Evo, but in real-life, maaaaan, it’s tough shit. 4.5

Darcy Blake - Has no quality whatsoever and in his last two appearances at Ninian Park (in two different positions, CM and RB) he has flattered only to deceive. The archetypal young footballer: Confident, fast, as persistent as a fly at your lunchtime sandwich and has battling qualities that would put the deputies of William Wallace to shame. But these attributes can only carry you so fr in the game especially seeing as most will fade of evaporate in the next few years. His distribution is as bad as Roger Johnson’s and he has a tendency to panic when put on that thing we play the game with. Do they use balls in the academy? 3.5

The chief soccer writer in the local press - so oft banned by the powers that be at Ninian Park - went for the sort of safe mocking tone and derision that metaphorically slaps the players rather than giving them the sort of ass-kicking you’d give someone with no hands and the controller glued to their lap on Tekken. And other than calling McPhail ‘anonymous’ and complaining that he sat far too deep (things he’s been doing for the last 3 years nigh-on every game), Terry Phillips only went as far as saying he needs a rest. He doesn’t need 40 winks, that’s for sure: A human sized catapult aiming for anywhere other than the city of Cardiff would be far more appropriate. Sell him to another Championship outfit for all I care, he’ll never come back to haunt us. He can’t pass, he wants far too long on the ball, he NEVER scores, and he’s just not very good. I wouldn’t be too upset if we even got rid of him on a free transfer, as stupid and reactionist as getting rid of a first-XI midfielder for no fee may seem.

Another writer, Steve Tucker, offered a far more accurate summary of the game - typo’s included as per - and the piece definitely doubled up as an allegory for our season so far. His criticism of Johnson, Roger was especially pleasing to read. Many City fans overlook Johnson’s major errors that seriously blight his and the team’s game because he’s the epitome of badge-kissing, flailing arms in the air to ‘pump’ up the crowd, crunching-tackle making modern footballer. Perhaps by being brought back down to earth (which could start tonight if Gyepes takes his place - by the by, I’m gonna guess that all the noises about Bothroyd and McCormack, Doyle’s competitor for top-scorer crown, returning tonight are mere mind games). Nevertheless, his refusal to include Tom Heaton in the list of our duds is a point which I entirely disagree with. Heaton, along with McPhail has been our most useless player so far this campaign.

So thoughts now turn to tonight’s game with Reading. The wank Yank begs for another chance. Pfft. We’re told of how we aspire to be like [insert name here], a team that has just dropped down from the EPL. And positives are still be clinged upon in spite of the fact we’re yet to truly play well this season. Yes, we might be in 6th but that says far more about the awful standard of the league this season. If someone other than Wolves, Reading or Birmingham scrambles their way out of the division this season then the Derby County of 2007/2008 will seem like world-beaters. No lie.

Anyhow, 3-1 Reading tonight. Oh well.

However, matters took a fascinating and fabulous turn upwards at witching hour yesterday. Wayne Routledge - he of Crystal Palace fame and Tottenham Hotspur failings - has been secured on a 2-month loan from Aston Villa. For whom he has featured seven times this season, and is only being restricted from appearing more by the majorly talented Ashley Young and James Milner. This is a cracking signing because Routledge was arguably only in the form he became noted for when he was the big fish in a small pond and when playing regularly. This was his spell with the team we beat on Saturday, Crystal Palace. Not only will the wee wing-wonder offer much-needed cover with our brittle squad - no team in this division has less bodies - but penetration, urgency, genuine touchline running, skills and class. A mate text me this most exciting news as it broke last night and I received the message on the dancefloor of a popular Cardiff nightspot. Clwb Ifor Bach, for those of you who are familiar with the city or want some advice on a place to visit after pub-closing time in the Welsh capital on a Wednesday, Friday or Saturday night. Forging a rather poor link, the song playing at the time (which I promptly began dancing entirely out of tune with owing to my newborn orgasmic excitment) of me receiving the top night-shaping SMS was Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’. The Routledge signing, coupled with the glorious capture of Michael Chopra XV days ago means I’m starting to have some of that for those in charge of our club. Which feels, well… bloody odd!

Right now I’m more in love with the club than Dean Martin (Dino Crocetti) was with Naples. I’m in Florence this weekend to watch a Serie A game, so as gutted as I am to be missing out on the away-day to Plymouth Argyle, a tie that drips with even more flavour now given that it will include Routledge’s debut, I have sufficient compensation with the talents of Mutu, Gilardino, Montolivo and Frey to enjoy! And in spite of being in such a wonderful and beautiful city, my companions and I will certainly be seeking out a ridicuously over-priced British themed pub in the hope of watching the mighty Bluebirds carry on their march to promotion. It’ll have all the usual gimmicks I imagine - dusty football memorabilia from the 1970’s, dim lighting, bottles of Newcy Brown that have been lukewarm and on the shelf for far too long and an arrogant bastard who’ll tell you how you should see the world and words of politics, football, so on and so forth. With regards to the latter, maybe there’ll be someone else like that in the pub other than me… Arrivederci!

For the second week running, the Bluebirds have been involved in a game refereed by an appalling official. Last week it was Lee Probert, this week it was Jon Moss. Here is the list of games he has officiated this season. As you can see, the majority of these have been in Leagues One and Two. Now everyone has to work their way up in order to get to the top, but clearly refereeing too many games at a lower level has left Moss’s lips trigger-happy. Or blowing-happy, crude innuendos withstanding. Although we benefitted from the most farcicial decision (our first goal came from a penalty won and scored by Chopra - the foul was non-existent), nobody likes to see a referee having a bad game. What if we had been on the receiving end of that decision? I for one would have been fuming. Although luck seems to favour and go against you in equal measures throughout the season, I can understand the annoyance felt by a certain angry Yorkshireman and the Palace fans, and such cheap decisions do tarnish victories: Albeit very minimally seeing as 3 points is always welcome! It wasn’t just the penalty incident or the trigger-quick nature that made Moss’s performance woeful, but also some of the blatant fouls he missed and common sense decisions he failed to apply to the game (Yup, he was bad on all levels). I won’t bother throwing my hat into the ring for the ‘Knock The Respect The Ref Campaign, Campaign’ (even if arguably I have given my misgivings about the state of refeering over the past 8 days), but it does seem that performances since the introduction of this initiative have worsened.

Rank order and ratings out of ten.

Joe Ledley - Wow. A goal and a commanding performance. I’d continue rubbing my eyes but I’m afraid of them falling out. Ledley’s great performance (well, decent first half, great second half) was epitomised by the fact that his channel saw 90% of the ball when we were in possession in the second half. Seeing Peter Whittingham reduced to anonymity was staggering given his showings in the last few weeks when he has been one of our best players. But Ledley was so full of confidence - he played with a broken finger injury sustained in the second period - that it would have been foolish to try and work our way through on the right flank. Let’s hope this isn’t/wasn’t an anomaly. 9

Kevin McNaughton - An outstanding showing and return to form. I was tempted to mark McNaughton lower as he was partly responsible for Palace’s goal after colliding with Heaton. However after seeing the replay, Heaton and Kennedy were mainly at fault, and who can blame McNaughton charging back like a madman to try and clear the danger when you know that the only person left to deal with it is the horrendous Tom Heaton? That blip aside, McNaughton was up and down, up and down, up and down. But with tactical precision and urgent effectiveness combined. Jon Oster got no change from him and he tormened Palace’s left side when attacking. 8.5

Michael Chopra - Slotted home one pen with ease, missed another which was far too simple for the keeper to save. Chops was guilty of giving the ball away as we hung onto our narrow one goal advantage, but he redeemed himself by tormenting the Palace defence and keeper all afternoon with a performance that saw him harrass and hassle, tease and tangle. At the moment, isn’t doing enough to suggest that McCormack and Bothroyd will be held at arm’s length upon their respective returns. 8

Mark Kennedy - (Over?)Keen to impress against the side and manager that released him, Kennedy looked good other than a 5 minute spell that saw him lose his head. This spell included a hopeless lunge that meant he missed the ball completely and allowed Scannell and Ifil in to score Palace’s goal, and two pieces of cluelessness that involved a slow backpass and getting caught on the ball. Other than these moments Kennedy was strong in the tackle, held his position well and was as untroubled as you’d expect a senior pro to be. 7

Gavin Rae - Although the midfield struggled creatively as Palace kept Beattie back in a 5-man swamp-a-thon, when Rae did get on the ball (usually by winning it back himself) he looked to make things happen. Hardly dominant or comfortable mind, and its apparent more than ever that we need a midfielder with an engine/an eye for a goal/the ability to pick out a pass. 6

Paul Parry - Came on as a sub and almost scored via a deflected power-smash. His attacking influence was not as resplendent as normal but this was because Parry did his bit for the team in tracking back, holding the ball up and mucking in. Great to see characteristics such as these to his game when normally we focus solely on the attacking impetus he gives us. 6

Eddie Johnson - Ran, flicked on and worked hard. But another striker given the opportunities he was presented with today could and probably would have bagged a brace. Skied one effort over the bar hopelessly to the disbelief and howling laughter of all in the stands, and was gifted three occasions to run with the ball at his feet against the opposition defence. Johnson wasted them all as he proceeded to slow down when in sight of goal, lose control of the ball, and then pass it sideways after everyone Palace could muster had got back. I still can’t work out if he’s more comfortable when facing or facing away from goal. Neither, by the looks of it. Won the penalty in stoppage time but a goal is never going to materialise. 6

Peter Whittingham - Was practically given a free role in the first half as he dug mole-hills all over the park to pop-up and terrorise. His performance verged on the anonymous in the second half, but this was primarily caused by Ledley’s growth in stature. Always looks to make things happen though, even on the quiet and sloppier days such as this one. 5

Roger Johnson - Gave the ball away far too often with his useless heading and passing. This is why Johnson will never become a Premier League regular. 5

Darcy Blake - Had a bit of the Headless Chicken Sydrome after coming on to replace Rae in the centre of the park, and shows no signs of tactical awareness. This is because Blake has one of those never-say-die attitudes and does his best to encapsulate the meaning of the word bravery. When we need our formation to tuck in and shut out the gaps this could prove to be an undoing. Perhaps full-back is his true position after all, a position he played heroically and masterfully for the Wales U21 side recently. 4.5

Stephen McPhail - Can’t shoot. Can’t pass. Wants (and more worryingly, NEEDS) far too long on the ball. Can’t stand his ground. That is all. But that is enough. 3.5

Darren Purse - Was given nightmares by the young Scannell in the first half and got barged off the ball on far too many occasions, couldn’t pass to a colleague and was unusually casual and sloppy when clearing his lines. A very disappointing performance. 3

Tom Heaton - I want to split up his surname into the two most obvious compounds so as to form a pun about the him feeling the heat and not being only to take it. Heaton is so atrocious however that I don’t even feel that I can joke. Not only did we witness the several several goal-kicks that he cocks up every Saturday afternoon, this week we were aksi treated to a mistake that led to Palace’s goal. Marvellous, ruddy marvellous. If Tom Heaton is a ‘keeper, the prefix to the occupational word in that sentence must be Zoo. 2.5

Anyhow, Loftus Road is one of my favourite grounds - Its compact nature makes for a cracking atmosphere (when the home fans can be arsed contributing) and its location ensures that you have all the amenities any hungry and thirsty football fan can need pre-match. Even if yesterday involved having to spend two hours in one of the hideous Walkabout chain pubs, but hey - beggars can’t be choosers. It is a shame for the Loftus Road small-fortune-every-week paying band that they don’t have a team to match their grand and stylish stadium, chairmen and ambitions. Damiano Tommasi - once of Italy and Roma fame and Scudetto-winning glory - was woeful and clearly displayed why he no longer pulls on the famous giallorossi strip. The attackers were impotent and seemed to have had some alien system thrust upon them in which they were then told to strut their stuff and work things out for themselves. As a result, they became easy for our defence to pick up and offered little. In fact, the goal they scored was one of only two efforts that I can remember all match. One of those days indeed.

Their most impressive player by a country mile was throw-in taking centre back Fitz Hall. He didn’t just have Eddie Johnson in his pocket, he’d taken him back to his house, put him in some comfortable clothing, given him a pipe and slippers and got Mrs Hall to cook him dinner. Cardiff tried and tried despite the bias of the ref and despite having five players stricken with illness up until the day of the game (Roger Johnson, Darren Purse, Gabor Gyepes, Joe Ledley and Gavin Rae). Looking at it from this perspective, any other team could have put five past us. But fair play to Jones because after the sending off of Purse everyone expected him to haul off the flawed Yank and go 4-4-1. However, Ledley was instead given the chance to keep Purse company in the showers and we adopted a 4-3-2 formation which went beyond hinting at our intentions and obvious chance of winning the game. This tactical setup was clearly designed not to isolate and frustrate our goal threat Michael Chora on his debut but unfortunately the strikers were marooned for large parts of the game simply because of the wastefulness of our midfielders and full-backs when they were on the ball. If this had been even more than 10% sharper I would have been sat here slamming the keys on my laptop in praise of a heroic victory in the face of strong adversity. Correspondingly, had a certain Scot been playing I might also be in an entirely contrasting mood. Michael Chopra and Eddie Johnson understandably failed to forge a link in their first outing together having only met two days ago and this also proved to be a primary shortcoming. Mind you, I don’t think Eddie Johnson’s own brain and body have linked up yet so perhaps we should learn to walk before we contemplate taking on Usain Bolt.

Johnson and Chopra is never set to be the full-time partnership hogging two columns on the team-sheet, and the onus is on whether McCormack and Chopra (for those of you less well informed, the difference between the pair is the difference between Coke and Pepsi - very, very minimal to the point of being identical) can play in the same team. Before seeing it in motion and action, I’ll say that it can’t work. We’d essentially end up with a forward-less formation, no focal point for the side and two players fighting to be the same talisman and occpying too many of the same AMF positions rather than feeding on the scraps. If Dave Jones finds a system that can accomodate and suit their playing needs and abilities, yet a system that ensures we have two strikers at the same time, I will be impressed and eagerly anticipating seeing us fans and the team reaping the rewards! The easy option will probably be benching the least fit or prolific of the pair and pairing the other with Bothroyd. Only time (or McCormack’s return and Chopra’s goal return before then) will tell.

Our perfomers in rank order.

1. Roger Johnson - Considering that he had been suffering with the Leon Trotsky’s in the week and hours preceding the game RJ gave the performance of a lifetime. He put every last ounce of energy in him into this game and to lose after conceding from a set-piece - something we would not have done had we had an extra man in the box, but thanks for that Mr Probert - was a blow to the cocky young centre-back more than anyone. Regardless, I couldn’t find a single flaw in his performance yesterday and even though McPhail shares captain duties with Purse, performances like this justify Johnson’s cause emphatically.

2. Gabor Gyepes - Slotted in straight away and didn’t put a foot wrong. Relished using his physicality against strikers who weren’t accustomed to roughing it up. Once again, Dave Jones continues his incredible feat of buying phenomenal centre-backs for mere pennies. If he could buy strikers of equal ability we would be in the Champions League! If the same finesse and Midas-touch applied to buying midfielders too, we’d be winning La Orejona!

3. Paul Parry - Came off the bench with a point to prove having been neglected in midfield and up front in favour of Whittingham/Ledley and Eddie Johnson respectively. Parry showed a willingness to run at defenders with the ball, something that many had expected Chopra to do and something that brutally failed to materialise. Chopra was forced to feed off the scarce scraps that Eddie Johnson managed to win in the air and so our main defence pant-browning was utilized entirely ineffectively. To be fair, Chopra would not have been able to drop back so deep because of the fact that we decided to put the American international in the side and he needed a sidekick, so seeing Parry come on and strike some much-needed waves of fear into the opposition’s defence was a relief. Whittingham was shackled in the centre of midfield so the long ball had become the order of the day. It may have been ugly to watch but given the circumstances - and uselessness/lack of creativity in the CM - it was probably tactically necessary. I like what Dave Jones is doing at the moment (even if I disagree wholeheartedly with his reluctance to drop Ledley) by constantly switching between Parry and Whittingham for bench and first team duty. It’s keeping the pair of them on their toes and gently oozing the best out of them.

4. Michael Chopra - In my last post I penned a long list of strikers I considered possible loan signings. I didn’t consider Chops as I thought his stubborness to cement himself as a part of the EPL furniture would deny any Championship club the chance of his signature. So what a pleasant surprise it was to see the former City favourite return and pats on the back to those at the club responsible for his return - at last, some ambition to actually clamber out of this league!! Chopra looked jaded and not up to the demands of a 90 minute game up-and-at-’em FLC game, but that was to be expected. He didn’t shy away from the challenge though and his penchant for tearing down the wing with the ball glued to his feet kept us travelling fans wishing and believing for the duration of the rain-soaked game. Although Chopra is a player who scores in spells and then endures frustratingly arduous spells of not scoring, there’s no doubt that he will become an integral part of this side over the course of the next two months and I’m confident he’ll net us at least 3 goals. Which will be more than Eddie Johnson would manage if he played in this league for the rest of his career.

5. Peter Whittingham - His stinging creativity was stifled after being forced to tuck in with a 3-man centre-midfield, and his delivery was pretty much cack. However, Whittingham had one of our better chances, a blistering strike that whistled over but skimmed the bar, and played his part in our best give-and-go move of the game. The move in question involved he, McPhail and Rae, and it was Whittingham’s movement and pinpoint passing that set the eventual (but McPhail squandered) chance up. Clever passages of play like this were evidenced at times, hence how Whitingham’s performance bordered on the respectable.

6. Darren Purse - Looked at ease before his ludicrous sending off. Way back in 1960, Helenio Herrera told an assembled press thong at Birmingham Airport, “You in England are playing in the style we continentals used so many years ago, with much physical strength, but no method, no technique”. A harsh but very true appraisal (?) that still resonates today. Now having been raised in Britain and therefore exposed from a young age to the famed physical side of the British game, I’d like to think I understand it and appreciate it to an extent. Nevertheless, I’ve always had a soft spot for the more glamorous and intelligent side of the game and have regularly watched La Liga and Serie A games and marvelled and enjoyed the differing styles of play a lot more than one can when watching British football. However, bonehead/bonebreaker or not, Darren Purse’s beefy tackle on Lee Cook was not a sending off offence. It was the type of challenge that epitomised the point Herrera was making - an attempt to halt (not half) their pacy and creative winger. But many similar challenges go unpunished in English, Spanish and Italian league games week in, week out. Every bald-headed centre-half needs to personally say hello to the opposition’s main outlet as soon as they can and the challenge didn’t border on the brutal. Mr Lee Probert however clearly interprets the game differently to the rest of the world.

7. Gavin Rae - One of the players taken ill during the week, Rae actually gave a better performance than he does when spending the week before a game in perfect health: Perhaps being rudimentary is the way to find the player the Scottish Ranrs shelled out money for! Praise - looked to support the attack, got stuck in, boundless energy - aside, Rae’s maor flaws were still on display far too much for my or anyone other City fan’s liking: Second to most loose balls, not alert to impending threats or where the ball might fall, and he and McPhail still looking like they’ve never met.

8. Joe Ledley - Hauled off before he had the chance to make any real mistakes, Ledley veered between linking up and supporting the attack in a mature and penetrative manner, and giving the ball away cheaply.

9. Kevin McNaughton - Some absolutely shocking passing blighted what was otherwise an alright performance. It didn’t matter where he was on the pitch, his passing was atrocious.

10. Miguel Comminges - The less said about his performance the better: It was the usual sloppy and deer-in-the-headlights tripe. Eventually sent off for two yellow cards, the second of which proved to be the icing on the cake for Probert’s showing. Gesturing innocuously towards the linesman in French was enough to get Comminges his marching orders. Such is the consistency of ref’s in this country, the likes of John Terry and Steven Gerrard remain on the pitch every week despite trying to referee the game themselves; let alone gesturing and swearing at the officials in English! In his post-match interview, Dave Jones tried to avoid laying into the referee as he knew it would land him a fine and touchline ban. He skirted around the issue despite the interviewer trying to goad him into releasing the perfect soundbite. As the interview dragged on, fireworks began filling the London night-sky behind interviewer and interviewee. With perfect comic timing, Jones noted that they weren’t fireworks, the noise was actually the ref being shot. As hilarious a quip this was, a suspension (not a demotion, never understood those - why he inflict him on a lower league?!) for Probert would suffice!

11. Stephen McPhail - His shooting is so bad, I quite often feel like gouging my eyes out just so I don’t have to witness ever again one of his astonishing attempts. He must have the worst goal-scoring record for a player in his position that association football has beared witness to. Hopeless trigger-feet aren’t the only blotch on his copy-book - sloppy passing and being overrun are more pressing and drop-worthy negatives.

12. Eddie Johnson - Utter garbage.

13. Tom Heaton - Didn’t have a save of note to make so only called into action when it involved kicking. Oh Lord, have mercy on us City followers… Has now wasted almost 100 kicks for us this season. Needs to be heavily fined until this improves because he is costing us goals at both ends.

Now I’m certain that some lazy hacks have put 17 and 17 together and come out with 35 when linking the club with Bolton’s Vaz Te. I’ve seen this lad on numerous occasions (on the TV admittedly) and never has he strayed above an ‘alright’ verdict. In fact, the last time I saw him play was against Sporting CF in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup last season. Representing his club in a game against a team from his own nation, you’d have thought the also-ran-but-not-quite-and-probably-never-will striker would have been fired up to make an impression. He was dire. Think a more sulky Eddie Johnson. Although I’ve already established the critical nature of the striking situation (a mess created by Bullshit and Bullshitter’s farcical recruitment policy and actions this summer - you can’t just buy food for Monday-Saturday and expect grub to magic itself out of thin air on the Sunday), someone of Vaz Te’s calibre - awful goal record, forgettable loan spell at this level already with Hull City, potential and probable rustiness after 5 years of bench-warming and very infrequent involvement - is not the man to come in and help us. The club has to aim for and reach the best they can and it’s no good using the high fees or not enough time excuses - If we’d addressed and found the solution to the problem when we had the opportunity to do so all summer, we wouldn’t find ourselves in the sweetcorn-littered brown stuff.

Even if we don’t manage to recruit someone in time for Saturday’s game at Loftus Road at QPR, I’m certain that Eddie Johnson will not feature anyway. Jones will more than likely resort to a 4-5-1 formation in an attempt to maintain our unbeaten away record, salvage a point against a side rejuvenated by their ex-City representing caretaker manager, and keep the fans off his incompetent back for an hour or two. Heaton-McNaughton Johnson Purse Comminges-Ledley McPhail Rae Blake Whittingham-Parry is what we’ll see. This is probably the wisest formation Jones could adopt in fairness as starting the bumbling Eddie Johnson is not particularly wise (let alone bringing him in in the first place) and as its going, any new striker brought into the squad will probably be still learning his new colleagues names, let alone their style of play and that of the team’s.

Terry Phillips suggests several striking transfer candidates in this post - I’d say that some are obviously more suited to our needs than others and some are more realistic in attainability than others. Other candidates I’d add to the list having been overlooked or deemed unrealistic by Phillips would be Sherjill MacDonald (WBA), Heidar Helguson, Zoltán Harsányi (Bolton Wanderers), Zavon Hines, Freddie Sears (West Ham United), Richard Cresswell (Stoke City), Marvin Emnes (Middlesbrough), Henri Camara, Tomasz Kupisz (Wigan Athletic), Andy Carroll (Newcastle United), Manucho (Manchester United - perhaps slightly unrealistic seeing as he’s highly rated and was at Panathanaikos last season but why the heck can’t we try getting him in ’til January seeing as he won’t be featuring for his paymasters otherwise), Rade Prica (Sunderland), Felipe Caicedo (Manchester City), Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea), Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Jay Simpson (Arsenal), Dean Windass and Caleb Folan (Hull City). We’ve already missed out on fellow FLC gems such as Leroy Lita (Reading-Norwich City) and Stern John (Southampton-Bristol City) and I’m praying that Warren Feeney (Dundee United) can’t be recalled. Of course, this time you’d like to think the club applies some method to the madness and seeks detailed reports and character descriptions from various informed people on any prospective signing. While we are looking at what clubs have on offer Dave and Pete, why not see which midfielders are going as well? We sure as anything need some quality in that position and arguably given the form of our current central pairing the situation in that department is equally as urgent! Money isn’t the only thing that talks in football - squads sufficient in decent depth do too.

I should really reserve judgement or opinion about who I’d be content with so as not go in with the attitude or feeling that we missed out on someone who may well have never been a (realistic) target, or because we might recruit someone entirely unknown by us fan numpties and who turns out to do a magnificent job for the club. However, blogging isn’t for those who enjoy getting splinters up the arse, so one (or two?) of Vassell, Sears, Manucho, Camara, Folan, Vaughan, Creswell, Prica, Emnes, or Murphy would satisfy/pacify me and aid the squad. Preferably an experienced marksman over a young gun, as that list no doubt illustrates. However, should someone I consider unsuitable like Vaz Te arrive at the club I will offer him my support as I give to any player that pulls on the blue shirt in spite of what I offer in the previous paragraph (as much as Eddie Johnson is an awful player and signing, booing him when he comes onto the field of play is stil incredibly moronic by the minor element that persist in doing it). Continued failings will result in me venting my initial disillusions and discrepancies with the deal, although blame as with most of the dud deals of the past few years will firmly be attributed to Dave Jones. After all, you can’t blame a dog for biting you when its owner is just plain negligent. Likewise, berating said dog rather than the owner isn’t going to help the dog’s relationship with you or soothe the animosity towards you.

Seeing as Aidy Boothroyd got the chop at Watford, Jones is now the second longest serving manager in this division behind Coppell at Reading. Now as much as the stability pleases me, the fact that our manager continues to show his deficincies and flaws (transfer market, picking and persisting with out of form players, awful PR) says more than anything that the only reason he is still in a job is down to cowardice or tightened purse-strings by the board. Therefore, terming this as an achievement is like congratulating someone on staving off an impending execution for years, even though they know it’s gonna happen sooner rather than later and always when rather than if.

Don’t get me wrong, we have played far worse than that down the years. Equally, we’ve conceded goals far worse than that too. One in particular springs to mind at Pride Park 3 seasons back when City failed to clear the ball from their box on 4 occasions (air-kick’s, deflections, colleague blocks, you name it…) and then surprise surprise, Derby bundled it over the line - I never could look Jermaine Darlington in the face again after that. Not that he’d have the slighest clue who I was anyway, but I made the stand regardless! Where was I, that’s right, trying to play down my perhaps exaggerated conclusions from yesterday’s game. Well while it wasn’t exactly running onto the pitch to rip up your season ticket in front of the skulking and shadow-of-the-dugout lurking Dave Jones (very apt for Halloween Boxing Day) inducing stuff, there still hasn’t been a performance by City this season that’s had any of us fans beaming like lottery winners, boasting like the illegimate lovechild of Ron Jeremy and a racehorse, or acting like ADD kids after necking a multipack of Red Bull in world-record time. And while we might be in 6th place in November after a brief fling with the spot behind the automatic promotion zone, there’s still a feeling of deflation within and around the club. Compounded now of course by injuries to our only two strikers worthy of mention.

I’d say that maybe we should all just go out and buy a certain D:ream record and try and look on the bright side of life, but with McCormack out (full stop - it doesn’t matter how long for, him absent and potentially halting his goal scoring form is bad enough) and the club’s astounding awfulness when it comes to signing strikers on loan (Iwan Redan and Eddie Johnson make me nauseous), I wouldn’t be surprised if playing the song gave the listener spells of dizziness, headaches, before just failing to play altogether or getting stuck two stanzas in: Are things going to get better? I’d get all nostalgic for the days of Steve Thompson and moan about the lack of depth (which is still valid) but I’ve got ITV1’s The Championship on in the background and Thommo has just missed two sitters for his new club Burnley, so perhaps we are better off without him!

As for the game itself, a 2-1 defeat was inflicted after some horror-show defending within the opening 10 minutes. Roger Johnson, Darren Purse and Joe Ledley in particular were all guilty and culpable. Although we pulled one back, we shot ourselves in the foot on so many occasions through wasteful finishing, Tom Heaton and Roger Johnson’s woeful kicking and passing respectively, being second to every ball, losing 50/50 tackles, sloppy passing and passing in front of Wolves rather than behind them or in behind them. We’ve now lost 2 games in the league this season, both at home, both 1-2, and both to the top two teams. Brum looked by far the better team, whereas Wolves looked very a good and confident side but still had a few mistakes in ‘em. I’m sure you’ll find a different opinion here though.

Hilariously, Joe Ledley was given the MOTM award. This was greeted by the crowd laughing in disbelieving unison. Ledley was sloppy, indecisive, tactically tactless and somewhat comatose. On the few occasions he got on the ball he looked useful and carried and personified the way a team should threaten. But when I say ‘few’, I mean that he did this about twice. In 90 minutes. And he can’t use the excuse of being at left-back as he was moved almost instantly up the field after Jay Bothroyd limped off early on. How the former Wolves man would have loved to done well against his previous club and distrusting manager but alas it wasn’t to be. All we saw of him was one brief but strong and penetrating run into the Wolves box so judging him would be unfair. Upon limping off, our no. 8 was replaced by Miguel Comminges who continues to mesmerise only by his sheer lack of usefulness. He is as my friend Michael so accurately and succinctly summed him up, Rhys Weston II. He only passes to the opposition’s goalkeeper, gets caught in possession outside our goalkeeper’s box and lacks the physical and technical qualities to succeed above Leagues One and Two. Still, he’ll be thankful that he wasn’t on the field for the two goals we conceded. Someone obviously had a fishing line above Roger Johnson’s head with the offer of a Premier League contract dangling from the end as bait. There’s no other reason for why he jumped up and totally missed the ball that put Iwelumo through, surely? Things got no better after that. Johnson failed to pass to his colleagues all late afternoon/evening, instead preferring Ikeme or the touchline. The ex-Wanderer of the Wycombe variety then capped his woeful 90 minute showing by missing a simple chance from a corner. Any watching scouts will have been ringing the manager who sent them and asking did they mean for them to watch Eddie Johnson instead rather than that lanky, gangly version of Titus Bramble in the no. 12 shirt. Yesterday was the first opportunity that some of my non-Cardiff supporting or watching friends got to see “USA!!”. Finally, they understand all the moaning that the mere mention of his name conjures! Worryingly, this was Johnson’s most competent showing in a City strip so far, and the only reason why he can be described as competent was because he showed an ability to A. Touch the ball, and B. Hold onto it. Other than that he still seems fearful of having the ball for any longer than two and a half seconds, going near the opposition box, or actually shooting and scoring. Our final chance fell to the man in question and an eyelid-drop that preceded the smash presumably help sent it crashing into Ikeme’s intestines and midriff. If Bothroyd and McCormack are out for any longer than one game, only God can help us. On the pitch personally, hopefully! I’d be more than happy to lend him my size 10’s.

Up front with Johnson was Paul Parry who put in the cross that set up McCormack’s goal. This was by no means a great Parry showing. He did relatively little and the positional change to a more prominent one up top that he heroically made his own last season didn’t seem to suit him last night. It was a tenacious performance I suppose, lots of running and aggression, and for that maybe you can’t fault him. But as for anything that bordered on quality, you were left wanting. Correspondingly, his performances on the left-hand side of midfield prior to being moved were the usual drifting in, drifting out sort with more emphasis on the latter. This tactical adjustment came of course after Ross McCormack had hobbled off. Once again, the livewire got on the score sheet. Yet this week the goal came from open play. A neat touch before powering the ball into the net as fast as any MLB bowler’s best effort. As per, when Super Ross isn’t scoring he’s giving a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde kinda showing. Silky skills, defence pant-browning runs and tidy touches are spoilt by some lousy positioning and poor final-ball’s. Mind you, all the best goal poachers are guilty of it. Pippo Inzaghi isn’t still playing at Milan because of his all-round game after all! Without Bothroyd and McCormack, third in line to the goal throne is Peter Whittingham. Judging him against Parry and Ledley who also played the same position last night would mean gifting Whittingham the freedom of the city such was the ineptitude of the aforementioned pair. But in context of Championship match-winning quality, this was one of those 6/10, did alright performances. When he wanted the ball, Whitts certainly looked like he was gonna use it wisely. Seeing the wideman involved in the game is a genuine pleasure. Some of the through-balls he provides would be the kind you could imagine a Drogba, Torres or Eto’o thriving on and finishing off. Several such balls were provided last night yet were either one inch too far ahead of the target, narrowly cut out by a last-ditch block or met with a non-run from a less intelligent colleague. The problem of course with Whittingham is that his set-pieces can be very hit and miss, and when he does one bad cross you know more are destined to follow in the next quarter of an hour. If he can truly reach any sort of consistency, it’s probable that he’d be off to bigger and better things. As it is, should I be thankful that we still have an inconsistent intelligent wideman on our books? Maybe…

On the same side as the former England U21 international forming the Anglo-Saxon partnership for the Welsh capital was Scot cap Kevin McNaughton. The Dangermouse-outfit wearing full-back grew in stature as the game went on - as he was put under less pressure by the opposition defensively, that is - in spite of numerous dollops of dithering, persistently getting ’skinned’ (playground lingo for being left for dead by the man running at then past you with the ball) and sloppy skew-whiff passing errors that blighted his game early on and have blighted his season on an all too regular basis so far this season. His fellow defender Darren Purse hardly came out of this game worthy of a The Sun Star Man rating and was at fault for the second goal. Purse ditched Ebanks-Blake in the hope that the tubby goal-poacher was offside. You just knew he wouldn’t be as Purse had awarded him so much space and time, we were ripe for a second serving of punishment. Purse improved very little after this and can have no complaints if the club judges him on performances like this error-strewn one at the end of the season.

On the subject of gaffes, we reach Tom Heaton. Oh dear. 10 occasions last night saw Heaton waste kicks. Goal kicks and those with his ball at the feet in the box: With time to assess and pick an option. This has happened in every match this season, though admittedly on a far less frequent basis (maybe 5 or 6 wasted kicks). Alas, 1 bad kick is enough in a match, let alone an approximate 80-90 over the course of 15 games! It’s mind-boggling - just think how many goals we could have snatched had our keeper actually given the ball to either a City player rather than kick it out for an opposition throw or straight to their keeper. Any team in this division could have scored at least 1 if they had launched 90 more attacks than they have done so far. Even the likes of Birmingham City would relish more guns in their already mighty arsenal! The absolutely criminal kicking aside, Heaton continues to look shaky and shows no sort of confidence that goalkeepers normally ooze. Unless a Pritt Stick lorry crashes into the changing rooms pre-match there is no excuse in the world that can justify Heaton being rooted to his line any time a ball comes into the box. Saying that, on one of the rare occasions that Heaton did desert his line he misread the flight of the ball and was left stranded. The youngster has made 4 or 5 world-class saves this season, but in 15 games compounded with 80-90 kicking errors and being consistently and unhealthily rooted to his line, he’d have to be a goalscoring keeper to be labelled anywhere near half decent as an acquisition. The sooner we are shot of him the better. The time has come to say the same about Stephen McPhail too. I’ve always had an admiration for him despite the fact that most City fans have either been sceptical or scathing about him in the past 3 seasons. I’ve finally run out of patience now no matter how good McPhail has the POTENTIAL to be technically. He’s finished at this level. Last night McPhail must have gone home with a red-face:- Not through exhaustion, but shame, guilt and embarrassment. The final act of the game saw McPhail get caught in possession after embarking on the most futile ball-carrying mission ever seen. This wasn’t the first time that had happened in the game last night either. We saw the McPhail 360 degree turn as well. This hadn’t been aired in ages, so it had been wishful thinking to consider that the Irishman may have consigned this to a dustbin somewhere in history. As per the impotent move sees McPhail try and get comfy on the ball (he’s as one-footed as they come despite nearly being 30 years old), loses the team 10 seconds and finally sees him getting dispossessed. He displayed one or two moments of his sublime passing ability, the only drawback of this being that they were always for sideways or backwards positioned targets. The rest of his game was stained by losing 50/50 challenges all over the field, seemingly being amazed that there were other people on the pitch every time a Wolves player zoomed past him, giving the ball away, panicking, being too cautious or getting his tackles in a week later than required. His sparring partner Gavin Rae has had a similarly lousy season. Likewise last night, he was second to every ball, slow on the uptake, either too deep or too far forward (always at the wrong times), wasted a glorious chance (heading over), dozy, sloppy and ineffective.

I’m just about at the end of my tether with this team and the form it has been in this season as you can no doubt tell, yet such is the infectious love bug I’ve almost mechanically forked out £30 for a ticket to the game at Loftus Road on Saturday. The thought of not watching us still never seems an option to me. I love and hate myself for buying that grossly overpriced ticket as much as I love and hate Cardiff City Football Club right now.

But came they did, the impulse to suddenly strike and steal proved too appealing to resist, and to paraphrase a number of clichés: Nothing is impossible in The Beautiful Game (a truly horrible three words that I promise never to use again). That the urge and desire for the steal supposedly results from emotional rather than financial issues is apt because - to bang on about this topic yet again - we haven’t spent any of the large amounts of transfer money received in the summer so it truly can’t be stealing for want of financial gain (promotion)! Last night was clear as to which area of the team money needed to be spent in:- The Midfield. How is it that we could bid £2-3m for the likes of Kenny Cooper, Kris Boyd, Marlon King and Daniel Cousin yet fail to address the derelict centre midfield situation? We briefly tried to plug the gap by signing a Nigerian free agent but even that failed to materialise. There are 5 main options in this most problematic of areas: A crock, a youngster, a sulking transfer seeking Premier League diva wannabe (as someone who is narked by the price of my pint going up by 10p, the fact Stoke City bid SIX MILLION POUNDS for Joe Ledley is truly astounding and incomprehensible to me - the Director of Football John Rudge must have been on some seriously mind-altering drugs when lodging that bid!), and two shot and goal-shy big club hand-me-down’s. The way McPhail and Rae are playing at the moment is semi-understandable if not agreeable. With Scimeca injured once again, Ledley preferred out wide, Blake seemingly great to speak with on the substitute’s bench and McPhail in a clandestine love affair with our manager, both know that they won’t face the axe.

If we had invested in a quality midfield player we not only would have added much needed depth to the squad and put pressure on those floundering in the first XI, but also provided some tactical salavation for Dave Jones. A pulsating, on-form centre-midfielder might mean a two-man central midfield (in our 4-4-2) could hold its own and probe an opposing three-man midfield more than the two clowns given the shirt are doing at this moment in time. If the same problems surface against Wolves on Saturday - even though it’s amazing what the power of the Sky cameras sometimes does to players - drastic action needs to be taken; as radical as that sounds after two victories. Wolves might well pose a different problem in that they are a ‘promotion rival’, and therefore the players might spark into life and raise their game. As football players at every club in the world have a highly annoying habit of doing. Fingers crossed that this is the case (although I’ll be guaranteed to have quit moaning if we secure another crappy narrow victory over Wolves after another tepid and inept midfield display anyway!) but if not I advocate that we start against QPR on November 8th with Blake and McPhail in the centre and Parry and Whittingham on the flanks.

At times our centre midfield was drowning in a sea of Fanta last night, constantly outnumbered by opposition who didn’t really seem to care if or when they got the ball. When they did, they didn’t have the confidence or quality to use it properly despite the space our midfield gifted them. In fact, the Blackpool halfway hovering trio were almost penitent, a fumbling lousy lover consumed by too much umm’ing and ahh’ing or needles guilt. We on the other hand saw a fair bit of the branded spherical bit of leather but didn’t have the vision to use it, the mental or physical ability to pass to a colleague, or the energy to bother or care. Set-pieces on the whole were frequent but wasted.

Dave Jones claimed yesterday that it makes him “laugh” when people say he plays a 4-4-2 as the formation is a lot more “fluid” than that. Well call it what you like Dave, but yesterday our “fluid” system saw Blackpool gifted an incredible amount of time and space when on the ball as our 2 centre midfielders seemed happy to sit back and let them have a go. Jones will argue that it worked as we eventually won the game and they failed to score, but such an argument would fail to tell the true story. We could have made life a lot more comfortable if we had imposed ourselves on their jam-packed central region a little more. We were the home team in 4th position, y’know. It’s true to acknowledge that we attack with a 4-3-3 and this gives some credence to the claims of Jones about a “fluid” system. However, with McCormack still unsure of where to go or sit positionally (unless this is what DJ means by fluid!?? I suppose fluid has a better ring to it than lost) and Ledley spending the majority of games half-asleep and half-arsed, we just haven’t got the required tactical nous to switch between varying systems throughout a game. We defend with an imbalanced 4-4-2, and attack with a 4-3-3 but with 2 of the midfield 3 offering nothing due to the attack-minded ineffectiveness of Gavin Rae and Stephen McPhail. In this sense, you could even call it a 4-2-1-3!

Tactics have always been a sticky issue for Jones, but the man himself has no problem with the way we are playing right now and maybe as a fan with his team sitting pleasingly in 3rd I shouldn’t either. But looking at things from a long-term perspective, Jones needs to add extra facets to his Tactics, Systems and Formations Notebook. We may have beaten two weak teams after poor showings through either sheer luck, McCormack’s brilliance, or the discovery of some belief but a new system must be found or used that gets our midfield into the game and ensures we aren’t so swamped and stifled. Riding our luck cannot continue as performances in a similar vein against the likes of Wolves (who might adopt a 5-man midfield being the away team) and QPR (caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth may want to shut-up shop to avoid defeat and keep him in with a shout of getting the job full-time) will surely end in defeat? Or perhaps I underestimate the character, stamina and “fluid” climatic tactical discipline of this team that sees us bag so many late goals…

For all of Blackpool’s perceived negativity, they did have chances and launched several more attacks that such a negative set-up doesn’t normally allow for. As it was, the Seasiders seemed to have admirable tactical discipline and cool heads: Hence how the two late goals really must have been a kick from a skinhead’s Dr. Martens in both groins to them. It was pleasing to see contributions from our main strikers in the eventual goals. Bothroyd - MOTM in my and many others opinion - sent a lovely ball over to Whittingham (why the hell was he on the bench in favour of Ledley?!!) to bury a header, and Ross McCormack reiterated that he is world-class when it comes to set-piece despatching. Call it tunnel vision, but the £110k we paid for this boy might just be one of our greatest ever buys (taking into account probable mark-up when we sell him and the goals he’s contributed already/will continue contributing) and certainly the pinnacle of Jonesy’s lifetime transfer dealings. However, once again, Eddie Johnson was thrown on and looked absolutely well…. something rude. Who the hell saw this boy play before we signed him? I say boy, he’s in his mid-20’s!!This was a catastrophic, desperate, wasted signing of a striker and the fans deserve to know who is responsible for this disastrous piece of recruitment. With no striking depth whatsoever, promotion could be squandered away through the mistakes of men too proud and ignorant to admit them. Yes, McCormack was a bargain. But Eddie Johnson isn’t and wasn’t. Fans of rival teams… You genuinely won’t understand how bad this guy is until you see him. I’m not exaggerating when I say he is without doubt the worst player I’ve seen in a City shirt (and that isn’t tunnel vision). Of course, I’ll happily lick his boots clean should he come good, but trust me, he won’t. For any team, ever. No matter what some might say, if this guy prospered in the MLS then it truly is a joke of a league.

Players summed up in 4 words or less each.

Heaton - Shaky, Uncertain, Wonky Kicking. 5
McNaughton - Quiet, Untroubled, Offered Little. 5
R Johnson - Wasteful But Strong, Unruffled. 5
Purse - Composed, Colossal, Kept Warm. 7
Commingues - Not Under Cosh Thankfully. 5
Ledley - Lazy, Wasteful, Wants Transfer. 3
McPhail - Did Absolutely Nothing (Right). 2
Rae - Profligate, Sloppy, Marginalised, Lost. 3
Parry - Passive/Active, Wasteful/Useful. Sometimes 7, Sometimes 5
Bothroyd - Poise, Composure, Assist, Active. 8
McCormack - One Moment Of Genius! 6
Whittingham - Inventive, Involved, Urgent, GOAAAAL!!! 7
E Johnson - Total Headless Chicken Chic. 3

Any similar victories to this in the course of the next few games and we’ll be righty branded kleptomaniacs. Then the old moral and footballing aesthetics debate will waltz in: Is seeing our team collect multiple scrappy, crappy and somewhat undeserved victories worth it just to ensure we spend one Derby County-esque season in the EPL? My priorities in supporting my local team regularly succumb to the wings of change when it comes to expectation, aspiration and realisation. Some days I fondly and vividly reach for the compartment in my brain marked ‘Nostalgia’, open it, and reminisence about the fun old Real Football days of Leagues 1 and 2 - Or Divisions 2 and 3 as they were in my formative years. Sure, the club had some serious financial difficulties (what’s changed there though? Arguably nothing except that we were more aware of what the problems were back then whereas now it’s generally hushed up and hidden), but the bond and connection I could share with my club was different then. It genuinely felt like a bond and connection. Do I long for such times once again? A little. Other days I envy those who get to dine at the top table and all the coverage, big name signings and money/numerical support they get. My dwelling on the latter days aren’t as frequent. But the way Hull City are going at the moment, having acquited themselves so comfortably in the top division - beating the oft-cited “best football team in the Championship last year” yesterday included - I’m slowly coming around to the dull football idea getting us out of this division. The BskyB once again can be the limit once we get there!

I heavily digress. Here’s what I made of yesterday’s game, with the City players ranked in performing order as per.

1. Roger Johnson -A rock at the back. Played with two different centre-backs during the game but that didn’t unsettle him one bit. Relished the role of chief communicator as those in front of him floundered and those beside him got ravaged by injury. Johnson was steady, dependable and a true braveheart. Slaps on the back and trebles all round!

2. Tom Heaton - I have criticised the beleagured goalkeeper pretty much every game this season. Actually, there’s no pretty much about it: It has been every game. He’s looked shaky, unconfident and his kicking has been little short of a joke. Yesterday however I could finally see why the England U21 stopper was signed by Dave Jones and is still on the books of the European Champions. His kicking was accurate which was a truly wonderful sight and feat given the horrendous winds that threatened to seriously tamper with the game. Not only that, he made several saves that would have graced any game at any level. Truly was HeatON yesterday!

3. Kevin McNaughton -A welcome return to the form we associate with the silver-fox! Harassed, tackled, rampaged, distributed and was the antonym of anonymous. Heralded from us City fans in the stand behind the goal via the medium of football chant on multiple occasions.

4. Gabor Gyepes -A debut at long last for the Hungarian many of us had began to believe may not even exist! He looks like a slimmer Darren Purse but his playing style didn’t vary at all. Strong, stands for no-nonsense, likes a header and made one mistake after a badly timed lunge at the ball. You won’t find many dissimilar Purse afternoons! On the whole the ex-Northampton Town man showed that he can be a valuable addition to our backline.

5. Miguel Commingues -Another player that I’m often quick to criticise but yesterday the Guadelopian was dependable, urgent, pacy and offered the team width and versatility. Epitomised the battling nature of the team in the second half with some desperate but well-timed last ditch tackles and contributed to our attacking impetus by getting into the right positions when required and keeping the team’s shape in the middle of the park. That or providing an extra option for the man on the ball. More performances in a similar vein please.

6. Ross McCormack -Scored as ever. A penalty as ever. Cleverly hit this one straight down the centre. After missing one in midweek and being faced this time with the energetic Lee Camp, thumping it down the centre was the only option the Scot should have taken. Didn’t have as big an impact on the game as he normally does and was a little more shy when it came to touches and involvement than he normally is, but when historians go back through the archives in hundreds of years time, the scoreline will read Nottingham Forest 0-1 Cardiff City (McCormack, 54). And that’s all that is needed at times to tell the story.

7. Darren Purse -Went off at half-time but looked comfortable before being taken off as a precaution due to a knock.

8. Mark Kennedy -Limped off in the first half but looked likely and alert in his brief appearance.

9. Paul Parry - Disappeared for a spell in the opening half but soon came back into proceedings in the second half. Our most creative player by a long way, looked genuinely happy to get on the ball and get involved. Would have been ranked higher had he not had that period of anonymity.

10. Peter Whittingham - Provided some sloppy and halfhearted passing after entering the field of play initially but soon got into the game and came close to adding a second. Began to torment the Forest backline after getting comfortable on the ball.

11. Jay Bothroyd - Missed a sitter in the first half with the goal gaping at his mercy and did little else of note.

12. Gavin Rae -Part of a CM that was third-best to an opposing CM who were barely second-best. No midfield was first-class, and that is why the performances of Rae and McPhail really were only conspicious in their sheer disappointment and ineffectuality. Offered absolutely nothing other than running around like a headless chicken and hoping to get lucky and be in the place where the ball had a 10% chance of dropping.

13. Joe Ledley -Lazy, useless, clueless, sloppy and had that can I be arsed anymore pout that was seemingly inked permanently on his face a few weeks back. Or, since we rejected a £6m bid from Stoke City for him. The line through his name signifies the fact that although Joe Ledley may be on the squad list and teamsheet, the player Joe Ledley left long ago. The rest will follow in January.

14. Stephen McPhail -Awful. Was overbowled, overrun, and totally absent. Offered no creativity and whenever he did get on he ball he sprayed it hopelessly into the Brian Clough Stand. I felt like not even including him in the list he was so bad but he marginally redeemed himself by winning the spot-kick. Though to be honest, what the hell was McGugan doing throwing himself into a challenge like that in the box?