Cardiff City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[eamonn]

Cardiff are a dreadful team, not just generally but home and away v us they've been dreadful, there's no chance they'll finish above us imo. Fulham are too far behind imo so there's two teams and I'm sure one of the number below us won't catch us up, I'm thinking Norwich as long as they don't beat us as their last four league games are horrendous.

I think that's going to be the bottom three Norwich, Cardiff and Fulham.

I agree. Norwich look woeful. 1 win in 11. Three months since they scored more than 1 goal in a league game.

They looked boss against Citeh at the weekend. And by all accounts, had by far the better chances at West Ham tonight before losing to a set-piece and a breakaway. Annoying that West Ham's three 2-0 wins in a row have come from parts of the game where they built up momentum and scored two quick goals.

A couple of observations on players tonight - can anyone confirm how many times Joe Bennett touched the ball? I know we used the right flank a lot more but even when it was on the left, you could tell he hadn't played in a long time as there were a couple of times where he mis-read Gabby's intentions.

Wonderful to see Albrighton so involved and looking to do something positive every time he got the ball. I do think that alternating wings during games like Young used to do for us might make him even more dangerous as defenders know he'll always look to deliver with his right foot when he's trying his tricks. He's the only player that gets me excited at the moment.
Benteke's lay-offs were woeful for most of the game and then suddenly he delivered a peach of a back-flick to Gabby. The common criticism of him invariably messing-up when having to think about what to do probably valid as he should have just walloped it first time.
I don't think Weimann could have done much more with his chance at the death. The ball came very quickly at him, through a defender and connecting with the outside of his boot as best as possible was the right thing to do. Just a shame it didn't spin a little away from Marshall. It was great reflexes but it was also quite central and I'd have expected most decent goalies to save it.

[DeKuip]

All those ads on tele inviting us to "Visit Wales"... and when I do I find adverts everywhere telling me to "Visit Malaysia"!

Horrible ground, much preferred Ninian Park.

[Isa]

Do people agree Westwood was very good second half. He never gets the credit when he plays well

He was poor first half but that's because the team was set up to be as unhelpful to him ad Delph as possible

When he plays well the team plays well. In the first half he got no help from the team, in the second half they apparently tried a bit and, bo and lehold, Westwood gets better.

Or to put it differently, when the team dominate possession and push high as we did in the second-half he looks decent. When the team are not doing this, which is nearly always, he contributes ziltch.

[mike]

I think we've certainly gone backwards. Last season was awful, only saved by a decent run at the end. What happens if we don't replicate that during this run in?

We don't need to to do that this season. Remember position is the important thing. At this stage last season we were in and out of bottom 3. Now there are 7 teams below us who need to do a West Ham and for us to keep playing as  badly as we have been to take us into the bottom 3. That is not going to happen. Having  said that it is absolutely unacceptable that we are where we are.

You say "do a West Ham" as if it's something remarkable, when actually, it means "win two games".

This time last year, 18th position was 23 points, 11th was 30.

Now, 18th is 24 points, 11th is 28, as it stands, and 5 of the teams below us currently are playing tomorrow.

I am not saying by any means that we are doomed to relegation, just that the arguments that "it's not going to happen" when there is this much of the season left, are somewhat over-confident.

West Ham have won 3 in a row. Plus a draw at Chavski. So 10 points out of 12. Without conceding a goal. How many of the clubs below us are going to manage that?

For a side that had won 2 out of 15 league games before Chavski, including 9 defeats, i'd say that was remarkable.

Yes, but all seven don't need to get that many points to go ahead of us. Five of them are two points or less behind us, three of them with games in hand. I think we'll be alright but I think it'll be nip and tuck and it takes the fun out of supporting the team when the only pleasure is avoiding a footballing cataclysm.

[mike]

Another of the so called easy winnable games gone ,it's getting scary

An easy winnable game which the majority of our supporters thought we wouldn't win.

Exactly right, Dave. Playing the bottom team is as near to an easy winnable match as you can get. However, our supporters, knowing their team, rightly didn't think we'd win it. And I speak as an idiot who thought we would.

[eastie]

A poor return over the 2 games - we have a few tough games ahead and are 4 points off the relegation zone with 5 teams below us having a game in hand - don't be fooled by 11th place - we are right in this battle to avoid relegation.

[Meanwood Villa]

Another of the so called easy winnable games gone ,it's getting scary

An easy winnable game which the majority of our supporters thought we wouldn't win.

Exactly right, Dave. Playing the bottom team is as near to an easy winnable match as you can get. However, our supporters, knowing their team, rightly didn't think we'd win it. And I speak as an idiot who thought we would.

I understand the point you're making but Cardiff aren't the bottom team.

[olaftab]

A poor return over the 2 games - we have a few tough games ahead and are 4 points off the relegation zone with 5 teams below us having a game in hand - don't be fooled by 11th place - we are right in this battle to avoid relegation.

You have brought something new  to the debate here. I never thought about this and now I am scared.

[Meanwood Villa]

I still think Weimann should have buried that chance at the end. Good save though it was, it was at a good height for him. Weimann should have smashed it in low. Bad miss for me.

100% agree. He shouldn't have given him a chance to save it. Why was he flicking it with the outside of the boot? On reflection a worse miss than Gabby's. Both are still haunting me this morning!

[Meanwood Villa]

A poor return over the 2 games - we have a few tough games ahead and are 4 points off the relegation zone with 5 teams below us having a game in hand - don't be fooled by 11th place - we are right in this battle to avoid relegation.

You have brought something new  to the debate here. I never thought about this and now I am scared.

Sunderland are at Citeh, Palace are at Everton, Fulham have got Liverpool, Stoke and Swansea play each other so both can't overtake us. We will be 13th at the worst tonight.

[VillaAlways]

Can't expect to win any game if you only  turn up for half of it. A point is great away from home if you are winning a fair proportion of your home games. Crap result considering where Cardiff are and we're right in the shit. We don't look like the same team that went on that great run last season either. Here's hoping something clicks soon.

[AlexAlexCropley]

I still think Weimann should have buried that chance at the end. Good save though it was, it was at a good height for him. Weimann should have smashed it in low. Bad miss for me.

100% agree. He shouldn't have given him a chance to save it. Why was he flicking it with the outside of the boot? On reflection a worse miss than Gabby's. Both are still haunting me this morning!

Gabby's was ten times worse, his prevarication to put it on his weaker foot took some doing

[Malandro]

As much as I want to like him, I think we would have beaten Cardiff last night if Albrighton hadn't been playing.

I know he is full of industry and motivation but I think the majority of the time he scuffs or balloons his shots and also bodges his crosses.
Perhaps some will say he's getting up to speed but I just don't think he is very good.

[Damo70]

I thought we were very good second half but as has already been mentioned, away draws are great IF backed up by home wins. I think the three games we want to go our way tonight will do so but forget our position in the table, as it stands with the points the bottom eleven teams have every one of those teams is in a relegation battle at the moment.

[l_mckay]

Missed the first 15minutes last night the traffic was a nightmare in Cardiff. Thought we were terrible from then until half time. Second half was much improved bit disappointed in how many good chances we didn't score from,but at least we didn't loose. Be nice to beat newcastle and Norwich and that would see us safe I think,can't see it happening though. When did we last win 2  league games on the spin? Reading and qpr??