PLUS BLUEBIRDS’ BIG VILLA WIN
AFTER the gluttony of Christmas, there is a hunger about Cardiff City that bodes well for a new year under Neil Warnock.
Throw in the resolution shown here in this win over Aston Villa, and Bluebirds might well have the right to enter 2017 with far more optimism about the 12 months ahead than they have done for some time.
Yes, the beginning of January can often be a time where predictions or promises about the year ahead can be a little unrealistic.
And, ultimately, this was a result that only kept Cardiff above the Championship drop zone by three points, albeit with a game in hand on others after that postponement at Brighton.
But after the fog on the south coast, it is clear as day this patch of South Wales has the man at the helm they need to ensure there will be no nervous glances at the bottom three and no panicking about 2018 starting in a division below.
And though this was only the second win in seven games, a reminder that there is still much to do, it was hard not to get caught up in the attitude, energy and atmosphere that this win brought. Joe Ralls’ goal only added three points to the tally, but it felt to signify something more, something to look forward to in the year ahead.
It is not the first time this has happened – Warnock’s opening-game victory over Bristol City had a similar feel to it – and there will need to be a consistency if they are to make strides forward after throwing away recent points because of late goals, poor finishing and naïve errors.
But Warnock admitted he has no issues that this current squad are good enough to get away from trouble. The question seems to be what the new year ambition of Cardiff as a club will be in terms of whether Warnock can inspire displays like this over a longer period.
The advice with New Year’s resolutions is not to get too ahead of yourself, and so perhaps how the Bluebirds build in the months ahead should be saved for another day.
Because this performance alone is worth plenty of discussion in its own right, from the delightful, disciplined destruction of Sol Bamba’s presence in midfield, to the latest surprise newcomer as Brian Murphy followed Kenneth Zohore in taking his chance to impress.
All led by the new year hunger of Aron Gunnarsson, starting 2017 as he finished 2016: tearing about the pitch, refusing to take a backward step or a moment’s rest, leading either through screams of encouragement or instruction, or his ‘follow-me’ midfield display.
Having been at it from minute one – something Villa boss Steve Bruce bemoaned his players for woefully failing to do – Gunnarsson was still at the 100mph heart of things in the final minutes, racing back to divert a ball from danger as a late Villa counter threatened to follow the likes of Barnsley and Brentford with late spoilers.
That the Bluebirds showed the resolve to hold onto the win their efforts deserved was a positive Warnock could not stop smiling about.
He wasn’t afraid to add that the returning options at the back allowed him to bring Matt Connolly off the bench to help ensure things were shored up, but the defence started at the front to make sure Cardiff got their win.
Granted, Zohore should have taken at least one first-half chance when he was put behind the Villa backline, while Kadeem Harris was also guilty of spurning a good opportunity.
But it never really felt as though Bruce’s side would be able to punish Cardiff, knocked out of their stride so much early on that it felt too little, too late, when they did call Murphy into action and find him equal to the shots from Agbonalhor and Ross McCormack.
When they did try and find space, they too often found Bamba blocking it. Jack Grealish will not want to see the big man any time soon.
Still, Cardiff won’t always be able to rely on spurning chances. Zohore will get better, says Warnock, and will get more goals, which he will need to to truly cement his current standing as Cardiff’s No.9.
But the fact his name was again sung by the home faithful showed how his hold-up play is being appreciated, bringing others into the game and making Cardiff look like more of an attacking threat.
For a player who once looked ambling, it says something about Warnock’s motivation of the big Dane that he was prepared in the final minutes to sprint the length of the pitch, going from defending his own box at a corner to making sure he occupied defenders as the busy Kadeem Harris broke.
True, Bruce could have wondered if his own players would have had the same hunger had they not played that extra game after Boxing Day, but he admitted that they were unable to match the fight of Cardiff.
It was something in the performances of plenty, from Joe Bennett against his former club to Joe Ralls, whose goal came after getting the right touch at the right time in something of a goalmouth scramble.
The home supporters in a noisy stadium noted it and appreciated it, just as much as they would have appreciated an entertaining fixture.
What they will appreciate more is more of the same, and a bit of transfer backing for Warnock to continue shaping optimism for better times ahead.