Bluebirds show their play-off credentials as winning run goes on
CARDIFF City are absolutely motoring.
On Wednesday night, they beat a star-studded Bournemouth side 2-1 to enter the play-off places for the first time this season thanks to goals from Sean Morrison and Kieffer Moore.
Here, we take a look at the big talking points from the game...
SO HARD TO BEAT
WHEN Mick McCarthy took over, Ipswich Town expert Andy Warren told this website the first thing he would do is make Cardiff City tough to beat again.
The Bluebirds had developed a soft centre under Neil Harris this season, something City fans have not been used to after generations of priding themselves on being resolute and disciplined.
It was hoped that McCarthy would adopt a Neil Warnock-type strategy of prioritising the fixing of the leaky defence and the attack, in turn, would take care of itself.
That’s exactly what has happened. Cardiff look so hard to play against again.
The back three are working in sync, Sean Morrison was immense at the Vitality Stadium, the goalkeeper, whether that be Dillon Phillips or Alex Smithies, is playing out of his skin and the two holding midfielders look reborn.
The foundations are solid again and while it is easy to get carried away with City’s impressive goal tally under McCarthy, we must first and foremost recognise how hard this defensive unit has been drilled and Cardiff are reaping the rewards.
“They played with three centre backs, I believe, with Neil (Harris) and they have been coached at it, they understand it,” McCarthy said after the match.
“But they all want to defend. They all want to keep the ball out of the net and they are all good at it.
“It’s working well for us.” Jonathan Woodgate’s assessment seemed to tally up with that view, too.
“They’re a difficult team to play against,” said Bournemouth’s boss. “We can’t give teams like that a lift, especially in the first half.
“It’s hard to turn it around then. It’s really difficult, especially against a Mick McCarthy team who are resolute behind the ball with the big three centre-backs who are difficult to play against.”
A HUMBLE APOLOGY
ADEN Flint’s time at Cardiff City has been a rollercoaster.
He started as a kingpin under Neil Warnock, fell out of favour under Neil Harris, was shipped out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday and had a horrendous hamstring injury which required surgery.
I, like many, have criticised Flint in the past, and often with good reason, he has not been flawless on the pitch during his time here.
But if I am ready enough to criticise I must be prepared to climb down when it is appropriate to do so and that is exactly what I’m doing here.
When he was brought back in for McCarthy’s first game, there were more than a few eyebrows raised, mainly because Flint had been out for so long and no one really knew where he was in terms of his rehabilitation or fitness levels.
But given the City fan base had big question marks over him, it was a bold call from McCarthy, which, of course, he was unafraid to make.
Flint was shaky in that first game at Barnsley, at fault for at least one of the goals, but since then he has been nothing short of excellent.
He occupies the middle of this back three with great stature and presence. He wins practically all of his aerial duels, but an area of his game I’d not picked up on before is just how adept he is at nipping in from behind and stealing interceptions when the striker’s back is to goal.
That is where this system helps him, too, and serves accentuates a big asset of his. That gamble, if it doesn’t pay off, comes with the security of two other centre backs being in behind him.
I always felt there was something there with Flint, he suits Cardiff down to the ground if they can get the best out of him.
This back three has a perfect balance to it, it had to in order to deal with the very real threats Bournemouth posed.
Literally and figuratively, Flint is central to that. He is a big voice on the pitch and though he is not quick, he reads the game far better than many give him credit for.
I’m sure many City fans, like me, are happy to be proven wrong and good on him.
Because make no mistake, he has a big part to play if City are to stay in these play-off spots for the remainder of the season.
PLAY-OFF CREDENTIALS
SHOWCASED
UP until this point, there was an almost tongue-in-cheek optimism from Cardiff City fans about their chances of reaching, and staying in, the play-off spots.
It was whispered in hushed tones, because, pressure-wise, being in the chasing pack is a far more comfortable place than being in the top six.
But Bluebirds fans will have woken up on Thursday morning with an extra spring in their step.
Beating a team like Bournemouth at this stage of the season is about as convincing a way to showcase your play-off credentials as possible.
They didn’t smash and grab or nick a dodgy decision, either. Cardiff bossed the majority of the first half and were deserving of their two-goal lead at the break.
Bournemouth came hard at the end when they had to throw caution to the wind, with nothing to lose, but it’s no
less than was expected. They have some top players in that squad and they were always going to pose a threat.
Dillon Phillips made a number of top stops, but many of the chances were from range and Cardiff, while having to hold on, will feel deserving of all three points.
So, 14 games to go now and Reading, in fifth place, are just two points ahead having lost their last two matches. Momentum is so crucial at
this time of the season and Cardiff will now no doubt have the Royals in their sights.
For Cardiff fans, this is now the time to believe.
KEEPING THE SHIRT... WHAT IS IT WITH CARDIFF CITY AND GOALKEEPERS?
THEIR tradition of having excellent number ones has been staggering over the last decade.
Just when we thought we solved the goalkeeping problem last summer, letting Neil Etheridge leave to allow Alex Smithies to take the gloves, Dillon Phillips has thrown a sizeable spanner in the works.
He has been sensational since he was given his chance in the Bristol City game. He made two excellent penalty stops in the win over Preston last weekend and was top class against Bournemouth too.
Smithies is a top operator at this level and a big earner at the club. However,
you get the sense that McCarthy will keep picking Phillips and you cannot blame him given his form in recent weeks.
It does leave the manager with a happy selection dilemma though.
Smithies had to wait so patiently while Etheridge donned the No.1 shirt for so long. He got his chance and grabbed it under Neil Harris, but it looks as though he now will have to play second fiddle to Phillips for the time being.