Bluebirds must fix their leaky defence... and here’s how they could do it
CARDIFF City boss Neil Warnock is to be admired for his refreshing honesty. But his candid admission about not ‘having a clue’ over how to resolve the Bluebirds’ defensive woes certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons.
Warnock’s comments post-Burnley were doubtless tongue-in-cheek. But he also made them out of frustration after the smash-and-grab Clarets scored with their only two shots. Each goal stemmed from Bluebirds’ errors at the back.
In the previous three games Cardiff had leaked 12 goals – albeit against the super-powers of Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Warnock has always built his teams upon rock-solid foundations. The defence was the base from which promotion was built last season.
Hence his frustration at saying: “How do I fix us looking vulnerable? I haven’t got a clue if I am honest. We can’t work any harder than we do at defending. I can’t be on the pitch to tell them what to do. It was a culmination of errors really.”
But it is an issue Cardiff simply MUST fix if they are to claw themselves away from the bottom.
Here are four things Warnock can try instantly ahead of the weekend trip to Wembley to face Tottenham. None of them are earth-shattering, they might not even work... but, on the other hand, they are potential solutions:
PICK YOUR BEST LEFT-BACK
IT’S hard to fathom what Joe Bennett has done wrong to deserve the axe.
He was left trailing by a piece of Eden Hazard magic for Chelsea’s first goal at Stamford Bridge the other week – but the Belgian superstar, arguably the world’s best performer right at this moment in time, has done that type of thing to world-class defenders across the globe.
Next to Neil Etheridge and Bruno Manga, Bennett has been amongst the best Bluebirds from the promotion-winning side to acquit themselves well in the Premier League.
Warnock has always been a big admirer of Greg Cunningham, but on the evidence of what we’ve seen thus far it’s hard to see what he offers defensively or offensively that is superior to Bennett.
That’s not meant to be critical of Cunningham, but if Joe Bennett is on the books surely he has to play. He’s quick, tigerish in the tackle, has great recovery powers and the energy to get up and down the left flank.
PICK YOUR BEST CENTRE-BACK... AT CENTRE-BACK
This is awkward, because Warnock has always preferred Sean Morrison and Sol Bamba as his first-choice centre-back pairing. And last season it was easy to see why.
But he also has to fit a defender of Bruno Manga’s quality into the side, so chooses him at right back.
It’s a route Cardiff have been down before, when Malky Mackay felt he could solidify the defence by choosing a third centre-back, Matt Connolly, out of position at full-back, with Mark Hudson and Ben Turner his preferred choice in the middle.
Upon clinching promotion in May, Warnock predicted Manga may well prove to be Cardiff ’s best player in the top flight.
He is arguably the best defender on the Bluebirds’ books and has performed well filling in at right-back – but he clearly is more comfortable in the middle.
There may come a point where Warnock has to make a tough call over his captain, although you can’t see that happening just yet.
JAZZ AT RIGHT-BACK
For differing reasons, Jazz Richards has been something of a bit-part figure with regards the Bluebirds’ No.2 position, with Warnock preferring Manga or Lee Peltier.
But perhaps the time is approaching when Warnock will consider throwing in Richards. If so, it is up to the Wales international to grasp his opportunity.
Richards is the right-back on Cardiff ’s books who appears to have most of the tools required for Premier League full-back play. Defensively he can look suspect at times, but that might be down to lack of match sharpness.
Offensively, he is superior on the ball than Peltier and because he’s a proper full-back also likely to work up and down the line better than Manga.
HOW ABOUT FIVE AT THE BACK AT WEMBLEY?
Sometimes, when you are leaking goals, you just have to go back to basics. Warnock joked about picking 10 defenders against Spurs this weekend, but one credible option is to bolster numbers with five at the back.
That would enable Cardiff to play Manga, Morrison and Bamba together in the middle, with Richards, Bennett, Cunningham and possibly Callum Paterson, vying for the two wing-back positions.
With three midfielders also required, it would leave the Bluebirds light up top – but having the pace of Josh Murphy and Kenneth Zohore might offer a solution.
To his credit, Warnock has chosen not to embark upon this route thus far because he doesn’t simply want to pack the side with defenders and invite pressure from the big guns.
But given Cardiff leaked 12 goals anyway against Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal – and Spurs are in that kind of category – he might think five at the back, shielded by Harry Arter, Joe Ralls and Victor Camarasa, is the best way to deny Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane space.
Somehow, Cardiff have to devise a game plan whereby they frustrate Spurs’ superstars for 70 minutes or more. Then it becomes a 20-minute match where they can have belief in trying to hold on for a 0-0... or even sneak it 1-0. Unlikely, admittedly, but definitely a game plan Warnock will be considering.
CONCLUSION
WHATEVER they try, however they go about it, Cardiff are going to find it difficult to stop leaking goals against Premier League strikers.
You have to have sympathy for Warnock at the way Burnley snatched Sunday’s game against the run of play.
There were three errors building up to Johann Gudmundsson’s opener and goal number two came from another lack of concentration.
It sounds horribly harsh to scrutinise and pick up on these little things, but Warnock will be doing exactly that in the Premier League.
More than anyone, he knows sorting out the defence is key from here on in – and he does have a clue, really, despite what he says.
Somehow, Cardiff have to devise a game plan to frustrate Spurs’ stars for 70 minutes or more PAUL ABBANDONATO