Bluebirds need to step up the pace of their play
I WROTE a letter to the Echo in December outlining the frustrations of watching Cardiff City play at home.
I mentioned among other things that the fans need to see goalmouth action and a team playing on the front foot, especially with home advantage and such a brilliant and supportive fan base.
I am now very concerned that we are losing many fans who would otherwise love to be supporting their team, win or lose. The younger fans especially and those fans of the future will have been bored stiff with the style of play and lack of a real goal threat in recent months.
We have continued to play with little urgency, with a slow and laboured build-up from the back. This is fine if you have the skills and touch to eventually turn this into attack, but the ball rarely gets further than the wing back, who usually passes the ball back across the defence again.
An example of this could be seen in a recent game against Sunderland when we spent most of the first half playing in our own half of the field and as a result went in at halftime 2-0 down. Much the same against Hull on Saturday. We are letting other teams control the game and the tempo and allowing them to play on the front foot and visiting sides are now aware of this.
The manager has to take responsibility for this style of play as he and his coaching staff must be insisting that we continue in this way. If you look at the number of chances we create compared to the opposing teams, you would indeed be shocked and the possession statistics in the final third and lack of goal threat are there for all to see.
Our home form is very poor and we were also a little fortunate in the match against Ipswich, winning it in the dying seconds of extra time.
Our away form, however, has been excellent, with the win at Coventry recently surprising everyone. So come on, Erol, let the shackles off and let’s play with passion, drive and intensity and the fans will come flooding back or at the very least may sign up again for next season.
Barry Shiers
Heath, Cardiff
Let’s play with passion, drive and intensity and the fans will come flooding back
Barry Shiers Heath, Cardiff