DEFENCE CUTS
Ospreys maintain perfect start to Pro12 campaign Mistakes at the back cost us dear, admits Trollope after Cardiff defeat
CARDIFF CITY boss Paul Trollope is adamant his defence must improve after two poor pieces of play let hosts Norwich City take an unassailable two goal lead at Carrow Road.
Cardiff staged an impressive comeback after falling two goals behind but in the end, were left to rue their earlier lapses.
Just as they were against Reading, the Bluebirds were undone by a fairly tepid cross into the box and Trollope has conceded the back three is not turning into the pillar of strength that it should be.
Trollope said: “It should be a strength.
“You protect the centre of the pitch, the hard work is on the outsides.
“When the team switches you have to get out there and do certain things to nullify the wide threat.
“You’re not going to stop every cross but we should be dealing with it because we have the numbers in there, we’ve got three centre-backs, with the opposite wing-back and three central midfielders in there as well.
“To concede in that manner again is disappointing, yeah.
“It was a poor cross that ended up in the back of our net (for the first goal).
“Once you go two goals down away from home, to say you deserve a draw is a tough thing for me to say.
“The way the game went, especially in the first half when we controlled the game with good spells of organisation and shape, we felt if we could turn one of the chances we got, unfortunately we couldn’t do that at the start of the second half.”
Trollope, however, was also quick to credit the spirit of his players for getting back into the game and felt that they were hard done by for the third goal.
Josh Murphy scored with an outstanding finish but Aron Gunnarsson looked to be pulled down by Jonny Howson.
Trollope said: “Definitely (it was a foul). He’s pulled him down. I think everyone could see the flow of the game, and how it changed. So it was disappointing to concede from it, but it was a brilliant finish.” REPORT & RATINGS: Sport pullout
RICKIE Lambert was described as the final piece in Paul Trollope’s Cardiff City jigsaw. This defeat proves the Bluebirds are still trying to piece things together.
And, as defeat at Norwich made it back-to-back losses, it’s clear it’s still going to take time for it all to fit and the picture under the new manager to become clear.
As much as Cardiff have been crying out for a No 9 to make things work, it was always a tad optimistic to think that Lambert’s arrival would offer a quick fix to a long-term change.
Granted, he looked far more of a genuine attacking option for the Bluebirds in 90-plus minutes at Carrow Road than the many who have attempted the role before him, both this season and in seasons past.
And, on another day, the deadline day signing from West Brom could have been celebrating a debut double had Norwich goalkeeper Michael McGovern and the East Anglian woodwork had not got in his way.
As his second-half header hit the crossbar – with Cardiff only one down to Cameron Jerome’s early strike at the time – Lambert punched the ground in frustration.
Yet it was clear that Trollope’s share of the same emotion was greater.
The former Wales No 2 didn’t hold back at the final whistle as he approached referee Oliver Langford, incensed at the foul on Aron Gunnarsson in the build-up to Josh Murphy’s 90th minute score that effectively won the game for the hosts.
Still – and he suggested as much was clear after the match – the real frustration was with some of his own players’ performances.
Jerome’s opener and Russell Martin’s second just before the hour mark were goals conceded that were far too sloppy to befit a side playing with three centre-backs; mistakes made through individual averageness rather than any issue with the system.
And, while Anthony Pilkington twice scrambled attempts at a comeback either side of Murphy’s eye- catching late effort, it was those earlier errors that undermined the visitors.
It wasn’t just the defence. While Aaron Gunnarsson impressed in midfield, looking like Gunnarsson the leader of Iceland rather than the one who has struggled for form in South Wales, the three in the centre of the park ultimately failed to spark.
Trollope showed he is not afraid to make the calls he sees fit to piece things together, surprising many by dropping Peter Whittingham, but Joe Ralls and, in particular, Lex Immers offered neither drive nor the control to make it work between the lines. While Gunnarsson worked tirelessly and led by example, at times Cardiff still looked passive out of possession.
On the ball, Cardiff didn’t stretch the hosts enough.
While Jazz Richards linked well, Declan John needed to offer more going forward.
Getting the right balance, the right central chemistry, will be crucial for Cardiff who are trying to do the right things.
And it would be hoped that they do not continue to offer up easy chances for opponents, with Norwich hardly deserving of the comfort they found themselves here.
They had hardly got near Ben Wilson’s goal before the 16th minute opener, an admittedly delicious cross from Jacob Murphy deceiving all before Jerome had time to control and fire when in the box.
The second was a simple set-piece, Sean Morrison looking like the guilty party as Martin made the most of Wes Hoolahan’s 59th minute corner.
Trollope may ask ‘what if ’ around those events, just as he might have with regards to his new No 9 in two big chances before it became 2-0.
McGovern had clawed out a Lambert header before the Scouser hit the crossbar rather than the net after deliveries from Gunnarsson, the first a throw, the second a cross.
And there were examples of the hold up play that can see runners jump onto and can see a focal point for Cardiff attacks.
Pilkington didn’t look completely natural with his understanding with the new boy, although he did make sure he was on the end of two loose balls in the box to twice narrow the deficit.
But, undeniably, the puzzle of why Cardiff aren’t quite putting it together isn’t beyond solving.
The spirit and fitness to keep going is clear and Lee Peltier impressed again with his ball-blocking commitment and strength at the back.
Richards looks a natural in his own wing-back role and, when Whittingham arrived off the bench, there was a greater fist of things on midfield.
And as mentioned, though he will take his time to get up to speed, there is no doubt Lambert will have a far greater impact as that lone striker than those before him.
It still requires patience, including those from Cardiff players who lost a little confidence and began snatching at things as things went against them.
Keep doing the right things, start cutting out the mistakes. Piece by piece, the hope has to be that it will come for Cardiff.