Is it fair for Bluebirds’ Prem opponents to be seeing red ?
We should have expected this. Another red card against one of the Premier League’s big boys has brought the spotlight back onto Cardiff City and their perceived ‘dirty’ style of play.
Tottenham Hotspur supporters – and fans of other clubs – have been quick to label the Bluebirds as ‘horrible’, with some even calling Joe Ralls a ‘thug’ for his tackle on Lucas Moura. And though Neil Warnock raged against the red card decision and Cardiff will appeal Ralls’ threematch ban, the Bluebirds are not shaking off a tag that has stuck with them for some time now.
But are they really a dirty team as some people allege? Let’s dip into the evidence...
The claims from fans
PERHAPS Joe Bennett’s horror tackle on Manchester City’s Leroy Sane in last season’s FA Cup tie, screened on BBC terrestrial television to a huge audience of armchair football fans, has had an adverse effect on Cardiff’s reputation.
Since then, every time a player in blue commits a misdemeanour, no matter how minor or major, social media is awash with criticism’s of Warnock and his style.
Think Ralls versus Spurs, Harry Arter against Newcastle and Ralls against Man City.
The midfielder was branded a ‘scumbag and a coward’ by Man City fans after the recent Premier League fixture between the sides in which a rash tackle on Ilkay Gundogan was highlighted.
Similar abuse followed Ralls’ dismissal at Wembley for a tackle that was not malicious but potentially dangerous and certainly very, very cynical.
Whatever your thoughts on whether Ralls should have seen yellow or red, the incident hasn’t helped the perception that Cardiff are a ‘dirty’ team – in the eyes of the wider footballing public at least.
What managers say
MAURICIO Pochettino agreed with Dean’s decision but stopped short of criticising Cardiff’s style, saying: “It is not my business to judge another manager or another team.”
Whereas Pep Guardiola was far more critical back in January -- albeit after a different kind of tackle from Bennett, yet one that didn’t prompt a straight red from referee Michael Oliver.
“The only thing (referees) can do is protect the players,” said Guardiola.
“They decided to play in that way. There is one man who has to decide what is correct and what is incorrect. If he doesn’t, anything can happen.”
Warnock has always been dismissive of those who criticise Cardiff’s style. He famously said the ‘Warnock Way’ is just winning and always insists his teams play hard but fair.
“What do you expect in England?” he said in response to Guardiola after the Bennett furore.
“When you are like that, you want everything to be nice and pretty and perfect. But you do not get that in England. You get different challenges, don’t you?”
The evidence and the truth
A GLANCE at disciplinary records from the past two seasons suggests claims about Cardiff being a dirty team are unfounded.
The Bluebirds only picked up one red card in 46 league games last season, Omar Bogle’s early bath against Bristol City, plus one other (Bennett’s) in cup competitions.
They received 82 yellow cards but nine teams received that number or more last season. In fact Cardiff were ranked seventh in the Championship’s fair play league for 2017/18.
In the Premier League this season, Cardiff have been shown 10 yellow cards -- four of them to midfielder Arter -- with only three teams, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea, receiving fewer so far this term.
West Ham have been shown a league-high 22 bookings collectively while Leicester (3), Everton (2) and Manchester United (2) have already received more than one red card.
And let’s not forget more players have been sent off playing against Cardiff this season than the Bluebirds have had dismissed.
Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden and Huddersfield player Jonathan Hogg saw red in clashes with Cardiff – with neither decision particularly contentious.
Conclusion
THERE were plenty of people on social media who believed Ralls’ sending off against Spurs was harsh – not least Cardiff fans, the majority of whom said it should have been a yellow.
There’s no doubt, however, Cardiff are a physical side. And there’s also no doubt the aggressive style they adopt does come with the potential for individual flare-ups.
But, isolated incidents aside, the raw evidence suggests Cardiff are no more ‘dirty’ or indisciplined than any other side in either Championship or Premier League. Those so quick to chastise Warnock’s team are contradicted by the stats.
Yet maybe Warnock wont mind that his team has developed this slightly unfair reputation.
He loves nothing more than to play the pantomime villain and prove the critics wrong. That’s what Cardiff City must do this season.