BLUEBIRDS HAVE TO FIND GOAL THREAT
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN.......0 CARDIFF CITY.......0
CARDIFF City boss Neil Warnock watched his Bluebirds pick up their second Premier League point of the season at Huddersfield yesterday... but now has to find a way to end their goal drought.
A 0-0 stalemate in Yorkshire means Cardiff have failed to score in thier first three games after returning to the top flight and things certainly won’t get any easier from here on.
Cardiff host Championship side Norwich in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night but games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are next up in an unforgiving September schedule.
“We’re in the Premier League and that’s how it is, at least we’ve got three easy games coming up to get a goal on the board,” joked Warnock.
“We’ll score eventually,” he added with a wry smile.
“We should have won and I’m disappointed we didn’t. I was pleased with the shape but we didn’t have enough in the final third again.”
Cardiff will wait for news on Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s fitness following his match-ending first-half collision with Huddersfield goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who was also forced to leave the field.
“We won’t know for a few days, we can’t even scan it so it will be the middle of next week,” said Warnock.
“He was brave and he got to the ball before their keeper...it makes you wonder what you should do in those situations.”
Huddersfield dominated for long spells until Jonathon Hogg was sent off for headbutting Harry Arter in the 63rd minute.
After that Cardiff had their chances, but just couldn’t break their goal duck.
“Obviously at the end I am disappointed. I thought we could have won it really with a little bit more clinical finishing at the end,” added Warnock.
“I thought they were on their last legs really and we couldn’t take our opportunities so I’m disappointed.”
Meanwhile, Swansea saw their unbeaten start to life in the Championship come to an and with a disappointing 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Bristol City.
Andreas Weimann’s goal after just 30 seconds proved enough to give the Robins victory over Graham Potter’s men.
Potter, who has confirmed the signing of Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on a season-long loan, said: “It wasn’t the best of starts, that’s the first thing to say. That can happen in football, but it’s disappointing and we have to improve on that.
“I thought we recovered quite well for 20 or 30 minutes although we were not quite at our normal level. At the back end of the first half Bristol were dangerous and could have added to their lead.
“In the second half we needed to change things. We were a little bit flat in the first half it was one of those days where it wasn’t quite happening for us.
“Jeff and Matt came on and helped us. We got a bit better without being totally convincing.
“We huffed and puffed and got a bit better as the second half wore on, but the reality is we didnt do enough to get anything from the game.
“Credit to Bristol City, they were the better team.”
Bluebirds and Swans match reports: Sport on Sunday