|
Phil Mulryne scored for City after a Neil Cox cross but it was level at half time when a slip by Cox allowe a Udinese attacker to go one on one with Alexander to score.
Udinese upped the quality of their play in the second half and it came as no surprise to see them add goals 2 and 3.
City started
Alexander, Darlington, Cox, Loovens, Barker, Boland, Mulryne, Whitley, Parry, lee and Jerome.
Tony Warner, Neal Ardley, Rhys Weston and Andrea Ferretti were subs used for the second half.
There were impressive performances for Glenn Loovens and Jeff Whitley and solid returns from Mulryne and Darlington.
As the game went on the City strikers had little to do as the Italians took control.
Match report from NigelBlues
Weather: Cloudy, damp but mild evening
Attendance: 4,468
Away support: 0
Atmosphere: Ever so polite
A step up in opponent class and quality eventually told as Cardiff's unbeaten pre-season record was taken by Serie A and Champions League side Udinese who came from behind to record a comfortable 3-1 victory at Ninian Park but in a game which showed reasons for recent optimism may be justified.
Yes it was typical pre-season fodder, often tame and exhibition-style lacking the real passion, excitement, entertainment and atmosphere that only league and cup games provide. Certainly, it was never the slightly cringey pre-match billing of a "Carnival of Football".
However, it gave City a worthwhile and tough run out which showed they have come a long way in a short time but still have much progress to make. Considering the trauma of recent months, the occasion and opposition, it has to be said that this was certainly acceptable.
A newly rebuilt defence which is to be further built too showed promise. Midfield is terrier-like but lacked flair which Jason Koumas can provide. Attack however still needs strengthening and, perhaps, better support. Much like Alan Lee's Beatles-stylee moptop, it lacked any telling cutting edge. These, I'm sure, are areas Dave Jones and the team will work hard to address.
It was all change in the home changing room as a traumatic summer meant the loss of several players including fans favourites Danny Gabbidon and James Collins and others like Jobi McAnuff. It was also "time to go, time to go" to Mr Robin Leonard Lawrence - wahoo! - as the combination of the club's perilous finances, under-achieving and performing on the pitch plus endless wait for any real activity towards a new stadium brought many things crashing down.
Add in some boardroom blood-letting as Directors disappeared along with more than a few staff, some players which the club are still trying to rid themselves of and five others taking significant pay cuts for longer contracts and it was as dismal a summer as any in living memory but how the club have worked to turn that around in the heady last three weeks in a Ninian Park revolution.
New manager Dave Jones, who has quietly but ever so quickly won supporter approval, had a squad of 19 for this game with 9 new faces, 3 more were watching from the stand and there's talk of even more to come. It's not just the numbers that the quality and experience of the new faces that is most pleasing with players coming from abroad, Championship rivals and the Premiership. Some signings were prized captures where City beat off clubs arguably bigger and better at present, it must have been an excellent hard sell. I dread to think what we would have been looking at, by contrast, if we still had Lennie around.
Suddenly - and whisper it quietly - expectations have changed from undoubted relegation material to "do you think we could we can shock the Championship?" and "what are the odds of making the play-offs??". An incredible transformation.
City's starting line-up showed how the changes have taken hold. Warner, Darlington-Cox-Loovens-Barker, Mulryne-Boland-Whitley-Parry, Jerome-Lee. That was 5 new faces, 2 (Lee and Warner) getting another chance and Paul Parry as the solitary Welshman.
More new faces on the bench too with Andreas Ferretti and more in the Directors Box with Koumas, Darren Purse and Kevin Cooper watching on. And before City head to Ipswich for the first Championship game on Saturday, it's pretty certain they'll be joined by others.
Ninian Park had less radical change. City's new kit looked very good - a definite improvement - but with the outgoing Puma gear virtually given away all summer meaning half crowd wore Puma shirts, tops and jackets, it'll take a long time for Joma to appear prominently. The new pitch was excellent, you could play billiards on it. The only other differences were a huge Echo sign outside the Grandstand and a tree peering over the top of the Bob Bank.
Udinese flew in especially for the game and flew out immediately afterwards. Last season was probably the best in their history finishing 4th against the odds and making Champions League for the first time but success came at a price as their manager and top performers were snapped up by bigger, more powerful rivals so they came to Wales with a new boss and 17 new players making our changes seem irrelevant. Plenty of nationalities but predominantly home nation personnel and two World Cup winners in France's Candela (who played) and Argentina's Sensini (who didn't).
The Bob Bank was closed, the Family Stand had little more than one hundred in it but the Grange End plus Upper and Lower Grandstand were well populated so the crowd announcement of 4,468 including no away fans - unless you count Giovanni and a couple of other local Italian restaurateurs - caused mild surprise.
City were keen to show themselves strongly from the off. There was no distinct pattern or shape to the game but Cardiff impressed with their work-rate, tidy defensive play from Loovens especially, Jeff Whitley's 'take no prisoners' tackling and Cameron Jerome's strength, power and pace all earning frequent, polite applause. All this however without being able to create. The Italians were quiet but efficient and while they never matched City's energy, they moved the ball better and had the chances. The only goalmouth action in the opening half-hour came from the Italians with 5 efforts at goal without City managing anything.
Udinese should have scored first within 5 minutes as a far post cross was nodded down without challenge but a shot directly in front of goal was pushed wide. Neil Alexander made a decent save from a similar effort and watched three more flew past his goal. Their most dangerous break was denied by Jermaine Darlington who came scampered across the pitch and flew into a tackle.
City's work was pleasing and drew frequent polite applause from a crowd where the kids were saying "who's no 7 Dad?" and the Dads were having to ask whoever was sitting next to them with all the new faces .... and they're weren't always sure either. The first home boo of the season took just 8 minutes though, Dave Jones - who seemed to be stuck to his dugout seat leaving Terry Burton to patrol the touchline - denied a Grange End request to ayatollah. He didn't seem to know about it, they didn't ask again.
On 31 minutes with their first effort, City took the lead that their energy and output perhaps deserved. An Italian defender dallied on the edge of his area, Neil Cox smartly dispossessed and helped the ball across the area, Lee stretched and helped it on to PHIL MULRYNE who produced a quality finish sweeping home low across the keeper. Excellent work all round.
With the game approaching half-time, City were well into the game and the Italians were rattled, the game stopping twice for handbag scuffles. Had they gone in 1-0 ahead, they would have been value for the lead despite the lack of chances but then disaster as Loovens won another aerial challenge, Cox seemed slow to anticipate the ball coming his way and then he did a Spencer Prior and fell on his arse, Udinese's main scorer Di Michele skipped away and finished with style flicking the ball high past Alexander. A poor goal to concede but best they happen here.
Half-time: CITY 1 UDINESE 1
The second half was, strangely, a non-event. Udinese made several changes, stepped up a gear and through passing and movement, took the game away from City. Cardiff worked hard and tried but were unable to match their opponents. They made three changes themselves with Warner, Ardley and Ferretti replacing Alexander, Boland and Lee. Ali on the tannoy noted the Italian changes but failed to notice City's until they were pointed out to him at one minute intervals into the second period.
City almost regained the lead shortly after the restart as Jerome showed great skill and strength to beat three defenders near a Grange End corner and cut across for Jeff Whitley who screwed wide.
The game was even quieter than the first period but the Italians finally started to show they were at a higher level than Cardiff and stroked the ball around. It was 2-1 midway through the second period with a bit of a fluke. The Italians made three subs and from the restart, tow of them combined as a far post cross by one appeared to be mishit into the ground by ZENONI and caught out a surprised Tony Warner as it spooned over him.
Rhys Weston came on for a cameo role and punted tow balls forward from 80 yards, the first on target making the keeper stop it, the second going wide. He may lack defensively but he showed what other defenders hadn't and he charged on one run deep into Udinese's half before being tackled but he then showed the other side to his game and he was comprehensively 'skinned' and found himself on his backside as a ball was cleverly flicked past him and then smashed across goal for BARRETTO to turn home from a couple of yards.
That was it. A good work out, not a thriller but the crowd still went home happy enough with what they had seen. The new faces all impressed. Darlington did very well at right back although he never really got forward all night. Cox did well and Loovens took the honours at the back. A tall, strong defender who makes time and space, wins header after header and is comfortable on the ball. "He's the new Gareth Abraham", I declared. I meant it in a nice way.
Jeff Whitley was City's man of the match and supporters will love him and his play. There were times when you could see why Sunderland fans have mentioned about his passing not being the best but what a worker, tackler and ability to break up play. He'll do well here. Phil Mulryne showed some good touches and took his goal very well indeed. Ferretti was quiet and never got in the match but he needs time.
Welcome Back football, welcome back City - it's good to see you both again.
THE COST OF BEING A CITY FAN
(In a bid to shock myself as I'm always asked how much it costs me following City, I thought I'd list how much it really costs us to watch our club over a season. I think I might even surprise myself by how much I waste ... sorry I mean spend ... following City. This will just list what I spend - some of you will spend even more.)
Match Tickets x 2: £20 (I took the missus)
Travel: £3
Pre-match food and drink: £16
Tonight's Programme: £1.50
Falkirk away programme (I didn't go): £1.80
New City pin badge (yet another for the collection) - £2
Total cost of watching a meaningless, friendly game - £44.30
External reports
Western Mail
Official Website