Saints vs Cardiff - Build up

[supersonic]

Genuinely think Cardiff will stay up, they are one of the worst 3 teams in the league on paper, but this whole Sala tragedy seems to have really given them a boost.

 

Can't see us winning this at all, it's exactly the type of game for us to throw away points by being too complacent.

[Dark Munster]

Must win game and we will probably start with Long up front, how the **** did this happen?

Because over the last 2 years the only strikers the club have brought in are either crocked or a donkey, despite our woeful lack of firepower up front. They finally realised their mistake this January, and strengthened our attack by shipping out Gabbi.

[striker]

Must win game and we will probably start with Long up front, how the **** did this happen?

 

If Ings can't go, I'd bet you that Austin starts ahead of Long. Cardiff are a team we should control the game versus, which means opportunities in the offensive end, and coming off of Long's shocker I wager Ralphy goes for the scorer. Hoepfully get a lead and then bring in Long to run around aimlessly at the end

[Saint Fan CaM]

Can honestly see us losing this 0-2. Lack of decent fit strikers, clownish defending and Cardiff are on a minor roll...it’s a banana skin all day long.

[DT]

Home loss due to lack of players

[vectraman]

2-0 to Saints, our team quality will overcome Cardiff’s limited attributes. They are a championship side who have spent very little. Hard work and effort will only take them so far....

Hopefully!!

[Gingeletiss]

Can honestly see us losing this 0-2. Lack of decent fit strikers, clownish defending and Cardiff are on a minor roll...it’s a banana skin all day long.

 

Behave......we are also on a roll. Support your team ffs.

[DT]

They'll park the bus and we won't have the guile or attacking prowess to open them up

[Highfield Saint]

The fans need to be up for this with loud and non stop support from the start.

 

Let's smash these...

 

COYR

[fanimal]

Win we stay up - lose we will go down; the ramifications of this game are huge, that is why I fear it will be an edgy affair that could easily go either way.

 

Oh how I long for a stress free open 4-0 win like in the recent past.....

[Saint Pete]

The fans need to be up for this with loud and non stop support from the start.

 

Let's smash these...

 

COYR

Yep, and we need to be patient if the goal doesn't come early on, or heaven forbid, Cardiff take the lead.

 

I don't expect it to be pretty but any win will do in this one!

 

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[doddisalegend]

2-0 to Saints, our team quality will overcome Cardiff’s limited attributes. They are a championship side who have spent very little. Hard work and effort will only take them so far....

Hopefully!!

What quality? We have a hand full of decent players (Ings, Lemina, Hoj, Romeu, Redmond, Bertrand) and only two of them are playing regularly week in week out.

 

McCarthy, seems to be going through a dodgy patch confidence wise.

 

The rest of the squad is made up of youngsters and players who weren't considered starting 11 material until recently.

 

Couple that with Cardiff most likely sitting deep, and looking to counter, away from home. Means it's another game where the onus is on us to break them down like Palace. Unfortunately Ralph's style works better against teams who like to play and we lack guile and the creativeness to break down deep laying teams.

 

Reckon this will be a tough game to win.

 

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[Useful Idiot]

The only saving grace is that Cardiff lack a bit of pace, so we might get away with pushing higher up the pitch. Only problem is that will make the game a bit congested so we'll have to play quick, sharp passes and try to take players on 1v1 to get anything. We only really have Redmond to do the latter, and neither Long or Austin are really up to playing a fast, accurate passing game.

 

Might need to get agoal from distance to open them up, as I expect we won't get much joy from pinging in crosses.

[Cabbage_Face]

Easy win for Cardiff. Down we go.

[Shroppie]

Easy win for Cardiff. Down we go.

Yawn

 

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[northam soul]

Easy win for Cardiff. Down we go.

 

Serious question - why do you post on here.

[Saint Garrett]

If Redmond plays well we'll win, if he can't get on the ball, we won't basically as simple as that.

 

Is Yoshida back? How bad is Ings's injury? Are Bertrand / Lemina back?

 

Depending on the above questions I'd probably go...

 

----------------------Gunn------------------------------

---------Bednarek Yoshida Vestergaard-------------

JWP----------Hojbjerg--Romeu------------Bertrand

------Armstrong---------------Redmond-------------

----------------------Long-----------------------------

Edited 4 February, 2019 by Saint Garrett

[saints-cris]

Have to win. Beat them and Fulham and we're almost there.

 

We really need Bertrand and Hoj back for this one. Anything other than a win is a bad result for this.

[Secret Site Agent]

Easy win for Cardiff. Down we go.

 

I see Cabageface has Hisenburg's/Glasgows Avatar. Another one of his log ins?

[Gingeletiss]

Serious question - why do you post on here.

 

Because he is a Mod sanctioned troll.....

[Cabbage_Face]

Serious question - why do you post on here.

 

Why do you? Why has me saying Cardiff will win easy and we are going to probably be relegated annoyed you such?

[Cabbage_Face]

Because he is a Mod sanctioned troll.....

 

This crap again. Differing views are not trolling.

[saintoaks]

Nice and positive, that's the spirit..

[egg]

Because he is a Mod sanctioned troll.....

 

I wish people wouldn't quote the idiot, defeats the purpose of having him (at least that particular log in) on ignore.

[ErwinK1961]

Going to be a horrible, niggly, tight, nervy game - exactly the sort of game we've struggled in at home over the last 2 and a half years.

 

Can't see us winning it.

[BARCELONASAINT]

If I was a Cardiff fan i would be feeling quire positive about this game. They are suddenly a united side because of the sala disaster. They will be thinking keep REDMOND starved of service and they (Saints) then offer little threat going forward.....and talking of forwards, what Saints forwards should they be frightened off? If as is likely INGS is out we have little threat from our forwards. They will says keep them quiet and the fans will get on their backs and they have struggled at home for the last 2 seasons.

 

We are much more organised under RH and i believe we have a better team, but we badly lack a real goal threat.

[macca155]

Of course this isn't a must win game. There are13 games left for goodness sake. 7 of those are more than possible wins.

 

On top of this there are 5 other teams in the brown sticky stuff with us. It is perm one from 6. On top of that Saints have the easiest run in and are unbeaten in 2019.

 

This sort of scenario usually means 35 points is enough.

 

Remaining unbeaten is crucial. Saturday's game is not must win but certainly avoid a Cardiff win and we seem quite good at that.

 

Ralph will play it safe with hopefully some names to have a run out.

McCarthy

Valery

Bendarek

Stephens

Vestergaard

Targett

JWP

PEH

Romeou

Redmond

Austin

Hopefully subs will be

Gunn

Yoshida

Bertrand

Lemina

Gallagher

Armstrong

Long

 

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[100%Red&White]

Of course this isn't a must win game

 

Well, it's pretty much a 'musn't lose' game - we can't afford to keep dropping points to clubs around us in a relegation scrap. We're a bit hard to call with injuries to key players and Cardiff will come off the back of a very good weekend result and look galvanised over the tragic Sala story. Think they're bringing around 3,000 and unlike our lot they'll be noisy and if it's still close towards the end I fear our knees will buckle as they attack towards them. If they can stop Redmond I feel it may be a long afternoon up front for us.

[macca155]

Well, it's pretty much a 'musn't lose' game.....

 

Yep that is crucial. Keep them in the mix.

 

Obviously want a win and I think Saints will edge it as long as they ride their luck and be brave.

 

On reflection I'd have Gallagher up front. He has to be an option now if Ings is injured. Chaz is better off the bench.... a relative statement obviously.

 

 

 

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[scott_saints]

If we lose, we could still stay up pretty easily. It's not a must win game. It's a game that would be really useful to win.

[nta786]

If we lose, we could still stay up pretty easily. It's not a must win game. It's a game that would be really useful to win.

 

I don't want to be pessimistic but if we are losing to Cardiff at home, suddenly that panic and fear creeps in and relegation doubts appear closer

I suspect Burnley and Newcastle would prefer us to be one of the teams that also inflicts Cardiff further into the mire in the way the bottom 3 slowly become cast off from others.

[charliemiller]

Cant see us losing this the way Cardiff play will be perfect for RH to push the CB up and compact the play , they wont score against us and will spend the match playing the long balls they play over CB heads , and they dont have pace to exploit it .

 

Nope cant see us losing this 2 or nil to Saints is my prediction , we are a different team now in many ways eventually the whingers will realise this .

[scott_saints]

I don't want to be pessimistic but if we are losing to Cardiff at home, suddenly that panic and fear creeps in and relegation doubts appear closer

I suspect Burnley and Newcastle would prefer us to be one of the teams that also inflicts Cardiff further into the mire in the way the bottom 3 slowly become cast off from others.

Don't get me wrong - this is a game we really should be winning and will be super helpful if we do. If we lose though, we probably still won't be in the relegation zone. So for me, it's not a must win. I guess I just don't like the term.

[Dusic]

IMO its not must win to stay up but it is must win if we want to somehow get into April in a relatively comfortable situation.

 

We are in the middle of four games versus direct rivals and haven't won either of the first two.

 

If we don't win then, given the respective fixtures in the next 5 or so, Cardiff will likely go ahead of us during that period.

 

Its as big as the Huddersfield game in December IMO - and that totally changed the fortunes of both teams.

[SuperSAINT]

IMO its not must win to stay up but it is must win if we want to somehow get into April in a relatively comfortable situation.

 

We are in the middle of four games versus direct rivals and haven't won either of the first two.

 

If we don't win then, given the respective fixtures in the next 5 or so, Cardiff will likely go ahead of us during that period.

 

Its as big as the Huddersfield game in December IMO - and that totally changed the fortunes of both teams.

 

Agree & our problem is really that we really struggle to win games.

 

We're much better under Ralph, but this game against Cardiff is one of archetypal teams who we struggle to beat at home.

[hasper57saint]

Agree & our problem is really that we really struggle to win games.

 

We're much better under Ralph, but this game against Cardiff is one of archetypal teams who we struggle to beat at home.

 

But I see our main problem as we draw too many.It's 9 now and just look at the teams above who have also lost the same amount or more but they are nowhere near on the draw numbers.WE just have to find that killer instinct and finish teams off earlier.

[Charlie Wayman]

We have to play Bertrand, Yoshida & Hojberg fit or not, injured or not, knackered or not. This is a 12 pointer - win we stay up, lose we go down, draw and we'll all die of boredom. Odds are we'll draw for the 10th time this season. It seems we are finding it nigh on impossible to beat the teams around us home or away which as somebody observed the other day which makes us no better than them in a nutshell.

 

Surely Long has played for the last time? So we're likely stuck with Austin up top, so lots of long aimless balls into the 18 yard area in the hope that he is standing close enough to one to reach it with his head.

[VectisSaint]

IMO its not must win to stay up but it is must win if we want to somehow get into April in a relatively comfortable situation.

 

We are in the middle of four games versus direct rivals and haven't won either of the first two.

 

If we don't win then, given the respective fixtures in the next 5 or so, Cardiff will likely go ahead of us during that period.

 

Its as big as the Huddersfield game in December IMO - and that totally changed the fortunes of both teams.

 

It wasn't of prime importance to beat Palace or Burnley, and to get points from both is OK (drawing with Palace was disappointing, while getting a point from Burnley could be seen as a bonus). But ist vital to beat Cardiff, they are the team below us and beating them will open up a gap (5 points) while losing will mean we are 1 behind, a true 6 pointer. Beating Cardiff, Fulham and Huddersfield are the most important things to do to avoid the drop. Beating Burnley and Palace would only have been important if we were targeting finishing higher than 17th. In my view Huddersfield are already down and another 3 point gap will confirm Fulham as well. We need to start to firm up the 3rd spot and beating Cardiff is the way to do that, irrespective of other games. 5 point gaps are difficult to close, and with goal difference you can make that effectively 6. I don't like the idea of must win games but Cardiff is really. We are actually pi king up points regularly now can't see Cardiff bettering us by 6 points in 12 games.

[vectraman]

What quality? We have a hand full of decent players (Ings, Lemina, Hoj, Romeu, Redmond, Bertrand) and only two of them are playing regularly week in week out.

 

McCarthy, seems to be going through a dodgy patch confidence wise.

 

The rest of the squad is made up of youngsters and players who weren't considered starting 11 material until recently.

 

Couple that with Cardiff most likely sitting deep, and looking to counter, away from home. Means it's another game where the onus is on us to break them down like Palace. Unfortunately Ralph's style works better against teams who like to play and we lack guile and the creativeness to break down deep laying teams.

 

Reckon this will be a tough game to win.

 

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There isn’t a single Cardiff player that I wish Saints had.

Hence I think our (slightly) better quality and tactics will see us through with a win!!

I hope!

[JRM]

I must admit i find the whole Sala episode a bit odd, but a player who they had never seen has managed to galvanise the club ready for a relegation battle and they seem to have good team spirit for survival.

They've sold out so will be 3300 assuming they took full allocation. Quite a few home end seats left but should be a full house by the weekend.

I think Southampton central station is closed this weekend, not ideal as trains from Cardiff will also be diverted to Eastleigh and bus replacements from there.

 

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=204747&sid=6ecaf6c40d328fdc1dd77c8bd4ae6f88

[eurosaint]

I must admit i find the whole Sala episode a bit odd, but a player who they had never seen has managed to galvanise the club ready for a relegation battle and they seem to have good team spirit for survival.

They've sold out so will be 3300 assuming they took full allocation. Quite a few home end seats left but should be a full house by the weekend.

I think Southampton central station is closed this weekend, not ideal as trains from Cardiff will also be diverted to Eastleigh and bus replacements from there.

 

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=204747&sid=6ecaf6c40d328fdc1dd77c8bd4ae6f88

 

It could be argued that all the emotion was spent on the home game v Bompey and that they will revert to normality come Saturday !

I’m not suggesting that their misfortune should help us but like all of these sad, dramatic events they do tend to wear off fairly quickly !

Big game for us and we need to be up for it !

COYS

[scotty]

I see Cabageface has Hisenburg's/Glasgows Avatar. Another one of his log ins?

 

It's been blindingly obvious since he started using the name, also there's the minor fact that glasgow fessed up to it on the Burnley thread and asked the mods to lock his cabbage account.

[hypochondriac]

It's been blindingly obvious since he started using the name, also there's the minor fact that glasgow fessed up to it on the Burnley thread and asked the mods to lock his cabbage account.

Not sure if you're trolling here but Glasgow is original Bournemouth face and cabbage face is an entirely separate poster who has been posting for years

[OttawaSaint]

Not sure if you're trolling here but Glasgow is original Bournemouth face and cabbage face is an entirely separate poster who has been posting for years

 

Bournemouth face eh? The plot thickens...

[GarrettIvo]

They'll park the bus and we won't have the guile or attacking prowess to open them up

 

Can they really afford to park the bus? They'll quite rightly see us as for the taking, and will surely plan to attack.

 

It'll just be a matter of which shoddy defense makes the first cock up.

[DJ_TOAST]

I must admit i find the whole Sala episode a bit odd, but a player who they had never seen has managed to galvanise the club ready for a relegation battle and they seem to have good team spirit for survival.

They've sold out so will be 3300 assuming they took full allocation. Quite a few home end seats left but should be a full house by the weekend.

I think Southampton central station is closed this weekend, not ideal as trains from Cardiff will also be diverted to Eastleigh and bus replacements from there.

 

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=204747&sid=6ecaf6c40d328fdc1dd77c8bd4ae6f88

 

Cheers for the info didn't realise Central station closed on Sat, I get the train normally.

Ridiculous closing the station on a Saturday with a match on grrrr

[Cabbage_Face]

It's been blindingly obvious since he started using the name, also there's the minor fact that glasgow fessed up to it on the Burnley thread and asked the mods to lock his cabbage account.

 

 

Yeah, case closed. We got our best man on it. I've been posting on this place for years.

[Doctoroncall]

It could be argued that all the emotion was spent on the home game v Bompey and that they will revert to normality come Saturday !

I’m not suggesting that their misfortune should help us but like all of these sad, dramatic events they do tend to wear off fairly quickly !

Big game for us and we need to be up for it !

COYS

 

Any significant event can be used to galvanise a team to succeed. Now they know they can win, can they repeat it?

[SuperSAINT]

Good article from Cardiff's point of view & their selection dilemma ahead of the game this weekend:

 

Cardiff City's genuine selection dilemma, Victor Camarasa's return and where Leandro Bacuna fits in

 

Southampton are next up in the Premier League and Cardiff have some dilemmas after beating Bournemouth 2-0

 

Aside from the emotional impact of Saturday night, Cardiff City could take so many positives from a sheer footballing perspective.

 

Neil Warnock had said the Bluebirds would need to "move mountains" to stay in the Premier League after a traumatic season in so many ways.

 

But the last two performances from his side suggest otherwise. It can be done.

 

With positive team selections and incisive counter-attacking football, the landscape has changed for Cardiff and their relegation rivals, while Warnock finds himself with some dilemmas ahead of next weekend's huge game at Southampton...

 

The first choice attack:

Cardiff fans have been calling for Bobby Decordova-Reid to feature on a more regular basis and in the past two games, he's justified those calls.

 

Reid actually dropped a little deeper against Bournemouth than we've seen him previously, into the Victor Camarasa role, so to speak — with the Spaniard still sidelined with injury.

 

But the crucial aspect is Reid's growing understanding with frontman Oumar Niasse. The Bluebirds haven't had a strike partnership to speak of until the past fortnight — at times they haven't even had a striker.

 

"Oumar needed a bit of love and since he's been here I don't think he's ever worked so hard," said Warnock.

 

"He smiles at me when I shout at him, but he's given us another dimension.

 

"It makes you think we've played two and a half years without a striker, it's not bad going really!"

 

That statement is no great indictment on Kenneth Zohore — who may yet play a part as a substitute — but it's absolutely right about Niasse, whose willingness to run the channels and provide a focal point is something Cardiff have lacked.

 

Niasse and Reid must now start, with the rest of the team filling in behind them. A 4-2-3-1 seems to suit them best, Reid flanked by two wingers.

 

"We didn't have Harry Arter or Victor, so we were quite bold in the team selection, I thought we were quite positive in how we set up."

 

Warnock's words suggested the absences of Arter and Camarasa forced his hand against Bournemouth, but Cardiff were able to create so many chances, that he must now use the game as a blueprint for the future.

 

The problem comes in accommodating both Arter and Camarasa, who most would agree have been among the Bluebirds' best players this season.

 

Can Camarasa and Reid both play in the same side, both happiest in the No.10 role? Can Warnock drop Joe Ralls, who has been resurgent of late?

 

These are questions the Cardiff boss must answer ahead of Saturday's titanic tussle at St Mary's.

 

Camarasa — who played when not fully fit against Huddersfield and Newcastle — may be eased back into the side from the bench, though he did post a video on Twitter over the weekend suggesting his recovery was going well.

 

When fit and firing he's arguably the most talented player Cardiff have.

 

Arter offers a bite and energy to the midfield that neither Ralls or Aron Gunnarsson can quite match, so you'd imagine the on-loan Bournemouth star will return after being ineligible to face his parent club.

 

With Josh Murphy and Callum Paterson likely to continue on the flanks, it's whether Warnock wants to take a risk and play Reid behind Niasse again and choose just two central midfielders.

 

Where does Bacuna fit in?

 

The array of midfield options now at Warnock's disposal means Leandro Bacuna is much more likely to make his full Cardiff debut as a right-back than in the middle of the park.

 

Lee Peltier has come in during Sean Morrison's injury absence and offered a quietly reassuring option on the right side of defence.

 

So Bacuna will find himself on the bench and ready to step in when needed.

 

Warnock bought the former Reading man for his athletic qualities, his work-rate and his versatility.

 

But as things stand — thanks to the form of the side — he'll have to bide his time.

 

The strongest team Cardiff can field:

 

Based on talent and ability, Camarasa, Arter, Reid, Niasse and Murphy must all be in the Bluebirds' strongest XI (on paper).

 

So too Aron Gunnarson, their best defensive midfielder and a crucial leader.

 

That leaves no place for Paterson, Ralls, Bacuna, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing or Junior Hoilett, who have all been starters at various points this season.

 

Morrison may also find himself out of the reckoning when he returns from injury, such has been the success of Sol Bamba's partnership with Bruno Manga at the back.

 

In truth, having the luxury of options off the bench and to chop and change based on match circumstances is something that Warnock has been craving for months, possibly years as Bluebirds boss.

 

Keeping everyone fit and having that squad of 20 or more players will be vital in the relegation run-in.

 

Despite everything, things are finally looking up for Cardiff City.

 

Source: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-citys-genuine-selection-dilemma-15777003

[Saint Matty 76]

Surprise, surprise. No sign of Ings in any of the training photos. Bertrand looking involved and Austin is the first photo in the gallery, not sure if that holds any relevance.