Another defensive men as they aim to
THE weekend win over Brentford certainly saw Cardiff City ride their luck at times, but at the same time the Bluebirds displayed a ruthless cutting edge that could well prove the difference between promotion hopefuls and promotion contenders.
Much will be made of Neal Maupay’s miss midway through the first half, which came just moments before Danny Ward bagged Cardiff’s second goal, but the performances of centre-back pairing Sean Morrison and Sol Bamba once again attracted plenty of plaudits, with both men putting in some typically solid performances.
So far, only Championship leaders Wolves have managed more clean sheets than Warnock’s side, whose record of 13 goals conceded remains the best in the division.
It’s a record that will certainly be tested when they head tonight to Barnsley, whose goal tally of 23 is only one less than the high-flying Bluebirds, but Warnock will nevertheless be confident of his side emerging with another three points.
Here are four ways his side can do it: The stats suggest the height and power at Warnock’s disposal will serve him well against a Barnsley side that is rather fond of the long ball.
Indeed, Barnsley’s total of 84 long balls per game is second only to Ipswich Town (85) as the highest in the league. As many other Championship sides will testify, the Tykes will need to produce something special to outfox the duo of Morrison and Bamba, whose power and athleticism have been pivotal to Cardiff’s fantastic defensive record.
Both will surely start once again in South Yorkshire, but questions will loom over Bruno Manga, who still didn’t look entirely comfortable deployed at right-back in the win over the Bees on Saturday.
PROTECT THE LEFT FLANK
Given Manga’s awkwardness at full-back, one could argue that the return of Lee Peltier is more timely than ever, although the decision to leave Callum Paterson on the bench certainly raised a few eyebrows on Saturday.
The simple approach would be to slot Peltier in at right-back with Joe Bennett, who impressed over the weekend, operating on the other flank.
Bennett is certainly a great option at full-back and many could rightfully make the case that his performances do not warrant him losing his place in the side.
However, while he’s not a left-back by trade, there is a real argument for putting Peltier out on the left side of the defence - for this encounter at least.
So far this season, Barnsley have concentrated 46 per cent of their attacking efforts on the right flank - the most of any side in the division.
Peltier’s average of 2.5 tackles per game is higher than any other full-back at Warnock’s disposal and has, on the whole, already produced some very accomplished performances in that position. Such versatility certainly gives his boss a nice headache.