Bluebirds make a meal of it against the Trotters

AGAIN then, a Cardiff City performance that everyone will doubtless have their own view of.

Where you pitch this 3-2 victory at Bolton seems to very much depend on what opinions you held at the start of the campaign and those which you have shed, or kept, as the season has progressed.

If we start at ground zero then, these three points do nothing for manager Russell Slade. You did not want him at the club in the first place and you have seen nothing since to dissuade you from that view.

And, victory over the bottom club or not, why should you feel differently? To be fair, the Bluebirds made a right meal of overcoming Bolton in horrendous conditions.

The Trotters are in a place as dark indeed as those Lancashire skies. A former Premier League outfit, seemingly destined for the drop, that is if they get that far, with players not paid, massive debts and an

SCORERS BOLTON: Madine 17, Dervite 71 CARDIFF: Watt 13, Malone 53, Pilkington 80 owner itching to leave. Heck, Bolton should be there for the taking, right?

Except appearances can be deceptive. Despite their woes, Bolton had only lost once at home prior to this and even if they had only one once as well, Neil Lennon’s men were never going to roll over and accept what many might see as the inevitable.

Those who like to see a bigger picture might ponder that Cardiff last took a point away at Bolton back in 1974, and had previously not won in the league there since 1970.

But what about the present and a win which took Slade’s Bluebirds into the top six?

Well, Cardiff did not match the performance levels they had set in their encounter at home to Burnley a week earlier when they produced a far more pleasing on the eye display of football.

There were glimpses again, for sure. The goals, not one from a setpiece by the way, were an example of Slade’s men at their best.

Tony Watt’s individual effort was forged on patient build up play, Scott Malone’s perhaps fortuitous double deflection, the product of lovely inter-play with Kenwyne Jones. Rounded off with Anthony Pilkington’s emphatic, but somewhat relief-laden winner.

Those were the good points. However, again the Bluebirds laboured at times, were wasteful and, of course, were breached on two occasions by a wonder-strike from Gary Madine and then a preventable situation as Dorian Devite wriggled through to fire home and to set up that tense finish.

Ultimately what it meant was that the Bluebirds kept very much in the play-off hunt, hanging on in there if you like. A situation accepted by some, but simply not good enough for others who believe this side should be doing even better.

The sheer quality at Slade’s disposal, Peter Whittingham, Bruno Manga and Fabio on the bench for example, means Cardiff should be knocking on the door of the top two this campaign, not scrambling and fighting for the honour of extending their season next May.

Is is a persuasive argument. Naturally, it’s true the Cardiff squad contains players, not only the envy of many a Championship rival, but good enough to haunt the Premier League itself, some might argue. Many of them have already done that, however unsuccessfully, of course.

Slade himself, despite the restrictions placed on him, is never going to win over his doubters it seems.

You remain unsure of what he might have to do to win that argument anyway. Up as champions? Keep them in the Premier League in style?

The Slade backers, however, will argue the Bluebirds are progressing under their manager. Okay, they started down and out in many ways, with perhaps the only route upwards.

But, say it quietly, they actually seem to be becoming quite entertaining to watch for those various reasons, good and bad.

Personally, I am minded to give Slade the benefit of the doubt and try if possible to enjoy the ride.

As for you? Well, only you can decide on that.

Only you can know for the moment if your Bluebirds’ glass is half empty or half full... or if there is even anything in the damn thing, come to that.