BOSS HAILS IMPACT OF SUBS AS BLUEBIRDS TAME LIONS
EROL Bulut believes his substitutes changed the game in Cardiff City’s win over Millwall.
It was a poor, scrappy game, with quality lacking from both teams, and it took a header from Dimitrios Goutas late on to secure the three points for the Bluebirds.
“When we see the whole game, it wasn’t the best quality game,” Bulut said.
“We knew this because the opponent is good physically and aggressive.
“We need to have better passing options, we lost a lot of balls.
“We couldn’t play our game, the opponent didn’t allow us. It was one of those games where if you score the first goal you win the game.
“We scored it and got the three points. Second half, we were more behind the ball, staying compact, trying to get a goal with counter-attacks to score the second goal or maybe a third one.
“I think the changes were the correct time, we changed immediately in the second half.
“We didn’t face the opponent in the first half how I wanted, that’s why
I made the changes. Sometimes it’s not only enough to press the defender and stay with the defender.
“We have to work much more with our offensive players, they are working hard, but sometimes you can have a bad day, that’s why we have substitutions and we changed the players. They helped us a lot today, the substitutions.”
It was another set-piece goal from Goutas, who has proved to be a marvellous signing for the Bluebirds, which did the trick. In a game with such little creativity, Cardiff showed there’s more than one way to earn victory.
That win sees them level on points with sixth place as we enter this crucial festive period.
“We have had many goals from set pieces,” added Bulut.
“This is one of our weapons in the game, we have Macca (Mark McGuinness), Dimi (Goutas), Yak (Yakou Meite), Kion (Etete), they are good with set-pieces. I hope we can continue like that.”
The quality in that final third has dropped off in recent weeks, though. And the game against Millwall was on a knife edge. It could have gone either way.
Bulut acknowledges there has been a drop-off from his forward players, however he has cut them some slack amid this brutal period.
“We have to see the last few games, the last three or four games, we have the moments where we are good, but not enough, like we had before those games where we had a really good flow,” he said.
“The movements, the rotations were better. The last three games were not how we wanted, but players are human and day-to-day the performances can change.
We try to keep our performances high, but we have to fight.”
Goutas’ late header was tame and, it must be said, Matija Sarkic should have done better to keep it out.
Cardiff won’t care, though, after back-to-back defeats, they sorely needed three points on the board.
The less said about the first half, the better. It was an awful watch, with a painful dearth of quality from both sides.
Cardiff failed to register a meaningful shot on the Millwall goal before the break, while the visitors tested Alex Runarsson for the first time in the 45th minute, with Kevin Nisbet latching on to the end of a cross to poke an effort on goal.
The Iceland international dived to his left to keep the shot out.
Cardiff had to wait until the 64th minute to register a shot on target, but when it came it was an excellent chance.
Josh Bowler picked up a loose ball to launch a counter-attack before he fed Rubin Colwill in the box. The Welshman cleverly fed Meite and the Ivorian produced a first-time shot on the turn, but Sarkic got down well to keep it out.
The goalkeeper didn’t fare as well for City’s goal. Goutas latched on to Joe Ralls’ corner and sent a fairly tame header on goal, but Sarkic made a hash of it as it bounced off his knee and into the net to send City ahead.
Millwall tried to hit back late on through a couple of chances from substitute Aidomo Emakhu, but the Bluebirds held firm for the win, leaving them outside the play-off places on goal difference.