Middle men could be concern ahead of big

FEW Cardiff City fans will care too much about their side’s laboured midfield display at Sheffield United.

Yet it almost caused the Bluebirds to fall to their first league defeat since New Year’s Day as the Blades enjoyed a succession of opportunities to add to Leon Clarke’s firs-half goal.

Clayton Donaldson struck a post and John Lundstram had a couple of big chances.

But, because of Anthony Pilkington’s late strike, Cardiff’s unbeaten run was stretched to 13 games and their charge for automatic promotion remains on course.

The Sheffield United 1-1 draw did cause some concern for the Bluebirds, however, with these issues needing to be addressed before a potential title decider against leaders Wolves this Friday... IT’S easy to throw a cliché over a situation and simply state that Aron Gun- narsson was swamped against Sheffield United.

Yet it would be an accurate description, with Gunnarsson at times the only Cardiff player in an open midfield region dominated by three technically – and physically – able players in John Fleck, Lee Evans and Lundstram who looked much sharper and less sluggish than Cardiff ’s midfield.

Welsh international Evans. in particular was impressive, but it was the Blades’ shape that seemed to out-wit Cardiff and leave Gunnarsson with a mammoth task. The hosts had a straightforward three versus two situation every time the ball broke into midfield, with Marko Grujic’s positioning often found wanting and Callum Paterson too high up the pitch to properly help out. The Blades snapped up second balls with the extra body in midfield and quickly found the forward runs of Clarke.

There was no doubt Cardiff missed Joe Ralls, or even Craig Bryson, who could have made their shape more like 4-3-3 than 4-2-3-1, and provided energy to cover space.

Perhaps this will be an isolated instance, for it’s not a problem Warnock has had ever since Grujic, on loan from Liverpool, came into the side.

Easter Monday night was the first time Grujic and Gunnarsson had played together, with the former signed in January virtually as the latter’s injury replacement.

Given both have featured as the sole defensive midfielder for Cardiff, it wasn’t a surprise to see them malfunction when paired together and it will be interesting to see what Warnock does going forward. SHOULD Ralls be fit to return against Wolves, you would expect him to come straight back.

And it could be Grujic who makes way. with Paterson valued for his goals and aerial prowess.

However, if Paterson does continue as Cardiff ’s ‘No.10’ against Wolves – although his performance against Sheffield United was nothing like his best in a blue shirt – he needs to drop a little deeper to cover the space that Evans, Fleck and Lundstram exploited on Monday night.

Paterson can be so effective when pushed up to support Zohore, but neither the Scot nor Cardiff’s main striker was seeing enough of the ball to make a difference in the final third at Bramall Lane.

The 4-3-3 system has worked brilliantly for Cardiff this season and should undoubtedly be employed against Wolves on Friday night.

Nuno’s side will come to Cardiff with a fluid 3-4-3 that, at times, sees them play with a square midfield four as wingers drop into narrow midfield channels. They will boss the ball and Cardiff must be compact and counter like we know they can. WHEN Gary Madine was introduced for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing at halftime against Sheffield United, most assumed the former Bolton ‘goal machine’ would join Zohore up front, with Paterson switching to the right flank in a 4-4-2.

But it didn’t really pan out like that. Junior Hoilett instead played on the right, with Zohore sometimes dropping onto the left with Cardiff’s fairly narrow 4-2-3-1 formation maintained.

Joe Bennett was asked to get forward more from left back, but was probably asked to cover too much ground.

Against Wolves, if Warnock wants to keep Paterson in the side along with Ralls, Gunnarsson AND Grujic, he could play the Scot on the right, either as a conventional winger or wing back.

Mendez-Laing might have felt hard done by to be sacrificed 45 minutes into the Bramall Lane encounter, but needs must for Cardiff in these crucial final games of the campaign and team selection for Friday night’s enormous Wolves clash will be allimportant.