CARDIFF CITY (0) 2
Thorne 80
Gabbidon 86
BOLTON WANDERERS (0) 1
Ricketts 53
CARDIFF CITY finished a mixed bag of pre-season form and results with a perfect morale boost by overcoming Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers thanks to a blazing finish capped by two outstanding goals fit enough for higher levels of football.
Lennie Lawrence has hinted for some time that the starting line-up for this game would be the side who would start the serious business of league action at Oldham next weekend so there was more interest in this line up of;
Goalkeeper: Scotland's No 1 Neil ALEXANDER
Alexander has had an excellent pre-season and produced a superb personal display against Bolton with several stops, every shot held and a couple of classy saves. Margetson will accept that he must sit on the bench and wait. It could be a long wait if Alexander continues likes this and I expect that he will.
Defence: WESTON GABBIDON YOUNG CROFT
Chris Barker cost £600,000 (well over the odds) will have to settle with the bench too. I am sure that was not in Lennie Lawrence's plans but Gary Croft has deservedly played his way into the side having out-performed Barker for the whole of pre-season. Barker is good for the team but Croft is better. He is much improved and fitter than when on loan last season. He contributes to the team going forward, Barker hasn't and that's decisive with this formation. Barker has been solid but is perhaps taking time to settle, we undoubtedly haven't seen his best.
The other three in defence were no surprises with Spencer Prior suspended at the start of the season. As a unit, they have looked solid throughout, Prior may struggle to get into this team. Gabbidon was again the pick. He looked totally at ease and pure class competing not only against Premier Division forwards but World Cup stars too in France's Djorkaeff and Nigeria's Jay Jay Okacha. Defence has been the most satisfying aspect of pre-season.
MIDFIELD: WHALLEY KAVANAGH BOLAND
All good players with different attributes but, as a group, they have much to prove. They all seem to be adapting to 4-3-3 and all appear frustrated at the lack of an option outside them when moving forward. Whalley has an outstanding left foot and a key reason why Cardiff have more balance. We look an excellent passing side but are short on incisiveness and penetration going forward. Boland, even when not at his best, still runs about 3 miles more than anyone else for the cause.
Graham Kavanagh disappointed again. He played deeper today, falling back too deep at times (shades of last season) and seemed content just to knock the ball sideways or backwards as a link man. He displayed little vision, Earnie was noticeably a couple of times after working to create space only to be ignored whilst Kav knocked it to a shirt at his side. Kav looked frustrated too, he can't hide his feelings, can he?
We all know Kav playing well is vital, he scores outstanding goals and more than we should expect from a midfielder but equally, he does go missing. In a three man midfield, we need King Kav to be at his best, he must improve.
FORWARDS:
EARNSHAW THORNE CAMPBELL
They did ok but that's all you can say. The current system or their differing attributes but mostly likely, both, causes problems. In 6 pre-season games, Thorney scored 2, Campbell got 1 (against Merthyr) and Earnie barely had a shot although he was largely rested. Until the final few minutes today, City were more than 4 hours without a goal and did not have a single shot on target in the previous 2 matches - albeit against quality opposition. That's my big worry.
Overall, we don't look like a team who will concede many goals and, especially against Div 2 teams, we'll always have the quality to grab one so we'll do fine. I remain worried about the quality and standard of performances and, although I am a cynic, have seen little or nothing to convince what we are doing is right. I do believe that footballing entertainment could be less so our extra class will matter. I want to be wrong but I expect a real struggle at Oldham, a team who have built over the summer and who are capable of matching us over the season. We must raise our game. Time will tell.
4-3-3 doesn't seem to suit us, it lacked balance when we got results at the end of last season too and I hoped we would have developed from that. I personally think Cardiff City and their players would be more effective with a 4-4-2 system using a wide man (someone such as Bristol City's Scott Murray - we really should have gone for him or someone similar) to service two forwards, I'd go for Thorne and Earnie.
It surprised me that Lennie never tried it in any pre-season game as these matches are surely about experimenting as well as fitness but with a squad of almost 40 and all those millions spent, it's quite shocking that we don't seem to have the players to give us any width whatsoever. That's not good.
As for the match, City produced an entertaining opening 45 minutes in particular, looked second best in the second half during which Bolton scored their goal and had the chances to kill the game. It was only when The Trotters withdrew 5 players on 64 minutes and City made changes too that Cardiff got on top and scored those spectacular goals.
City unveiled their new Puma away shirts which Sam reckons will be loved by the fans. Unfortunately, for many of them, it wasn't Burberry! Instead, they had to settle for Brazilian themed yellow shirts with 2 green stripes on the shoulder. Our regular blue shorts and socks does not blend with them, it is ill thought for the fashion department at Ninian Park. We need powder blue like Brazil use too (or even green), it is a mismatch. The shirts looked good however and will sell well in large quantities. Could they possibly out sell the home shirts?
Trying the Bob Bank for a change, I had one treat and one piece of tackiness. The tackiness was noticing the exit to the Directors Box adorned with a huge "Sam Hammam, you'll never walk alone" sign. It's true as we all know Sam never walks alone ... he has a bodyguard! We all love Sam but he does make me cringe with that sort of stuff. For a man who declares that Cardiff will lead and not follow, that's the most blatant piece of copying that I have seen.
The treat was a City fan - he must have been on day release from a mental hospital - abuse French World Cup player Yuri Djorkaeff for the opening few minutes. He followed the Allez Le Blue wonder up and down the Bob Bank terracing continually tormenting and shouting comments. The linesman nearest us spent as much time looking around to see who it was as he did watching the game early on. Djorkaeff eventually responded with a gesture (the wrist shaking one as opposed to the two fingered variety) as he came to take a corner. That had everyone laughing but inspired the looney to do even more, he won the battle of the wills as Djorkaeff didn't come over to take any corners after that.
Clearly one of the reasons why France performed so badly at the World Cup was because Djorkaeff had to be used instead of Zidane but I thought he was quality watching him close up. He found space with ease and always carried a threat, he personally had 7 or 8 shots in the 64 minutes that he played. If Kav and himself swapped sides yesterday, we'd have won comfortably.
The other World Cup player on view, Jay Jay Okacha, was anonymous, snuffed out of the game by City's defence. I didn't even realise he was playing until he was withdrawn. More noticeable was Bolton's other striker, Michael Ricketts, a man mountain who was far bigger than I'd realised before. He looked more like an opponent for Lennox Lewis than Scott Young.
Neil Alexander produced an outstanding stop on 20 minutes as Djorkaeff broke through and hit an effort towards the top corner than Alexander beat away. They came close on other occasions but City were matching them on play and looking particularly useful on the left with Whalley and Croft linking well and Earnie making himself available enjoying the challenge of taking on Bruno N'Goty, double his size and physique.
Croft sent some useful crosses over but City failed to convert their rare openings into shots at goal until they carved the best chance as Whalley sent Peter Thorne clear into a one on one against Jussi Jaaskalainen but a combination of casual shot and quality keeper saw his effort pushed wide for a corner when it should have been 1-0.
Chances were few and far between but Cardiff acquitted themselves well. The lack of width is a constant worry but against quality opposition who are far ahead of anything we will play in the league this season, it was more encouraging. City looked more convincing than the previous occasions I had seen of them pre-season.
It just left the Bob Bankers to find a place under cover for our half-time drink. Most of us on the terracing who were promised a transfer to the seats if it rained as was announced several times over the tannoy in the first half by some safety guy with the most boring voice do exactly that when the downpour arrived.
HALF-TIME: CITY 0 BOLTON 0
The second half woke up with the lightning pace of Andy Campbell who opened his legs (oooh err missus) and burst past more than half of Bolton's team on an electifying 60 yard charge that left him clear of the last man and bearing down on goal. Campbell had a hot scoring run last season but also missed as many chances and does lose composure sometimes which he did again as he caught the ball under his feet, half stumbled and the ball was taken away from him after he had done the hard work to get all the way there.
It was Bolton who opened the scoring out of nothing through MICHAEL RICKETTS on 53 minutes. The ball found its way to him on the far right edge of City's area but there appeared no real danger until Ricketts side-stepped, found a gap and sent a powerful low shot straight across goal and in off the far post.
It was a piece of quality which excited Bolton's 40 fans(!) but frustrated Alexander who smashed the ball out of the net and almost took off Djorkaeff's head. Ricketts decided to goad the Bob Bank by cupping his ear in a "I can't hear you fashion" and got it back with both barrels blazing before responding in a John Travolta finger in the air fashion to celebrate his strike. He lived to regret it as City fans targetted him for the rest of the game.
The tannoy came on again with a "bing bong" before the safety whoever (or whatever) he was guy with the boring voice told City fans to mid their language!! Allegedly, three supporters were ejected. I don't know if they whether the fans or the club went over the top but if we're going to be thrown out for swearing, the average crowd next May could be about 200 and won't include Sam Hamman for starters!
For a short spell afterwards, Cardiff were under the cosh and chasing shadows as Bolton showed why they are 2 Divisions higher, they'll never set the Premier Division alight but they look capable of surviving comfortably this term which is surely their realistic aim.
Alexander produced 3 or 4 more good saves, helped by the ball coming close to him, but his handling and goalkeeping to do it was first class. Young and Gabbidon looked immense too as they put in a series of strong tackles and clearences, it won't have done them any harm.
Then the game changed. Bolton's Sam Allardyce withdrew Mendy, N'Gotty, Djorkaeff, JJOkocha and Farrelly (nice to know they had one British player!) were replaced by decent players such as Barness, Bo Hansen and Pedersen. Shortly afterwards, City responded with the inspirational as ever Leggy as well as Maxwell, Disco Des and Leo the Leaper replacing Croft, Kav (about time), Boland and Earnie. The changes benefited City.
After the game just looked like petering out to another 1-0 defeat, it dramatically sprung into life on 80 minutes. It was a goal from nothing as the ball broke loose in midfield, PETER THORNE noticed Jaaskalainen off his line from 30 yards and with a perfect bounce in front of him, he unleashed a looping shot which flew over the keeper and into the top right corner of goal. PURE CLASS! Jaaskalainen knew it was quality and unstoppable, he didn't even bother moving and just watched it fly by. Ninian's announced crowd of 5,604, which most thought was a lot more, erupted.
From this point, there was only one winner ... it had to be Cardiff. There's obviously something about Premier teams coming to Ninian who take the lead but end up losing late on, Bolton were about to suffer.
Inspired by the goal, Hamilton, Maxwell and Legg taking over midfield by passion alone and the forwards responding too, City were in charge, it was that sudden.
The outstanding winner came on 86 after more pressure won a corner. A fair proportion of the crowd had already left, why do they this, when will they learn? Leggy swung it to the far post, Thorne beat 2 markers to nod back across goal and then, Earnie-like, DANNY GABBIDON stamped his class on the game again with an overhead bicycle kick from 10 yards into the opposite corner amongst a melee with Jasskalainen a helpless spectator yet again.
They were two goals carved from nothing but both emphasised the capabilities of our team and players. City rode out the closing moments with no missing heartbeats or drama to claim a good win. Funny this is, most of us expected it to happen - a sure sign of how far forward we have come. Bolton will rightly claim the subs changed the match \and they'd done their work in the opening hour but no Premier team should expect to be turned over by a side two divisions lower and we did exactly that.
It just left the fans to chant, "it's just like watching Brazil" and remind Michael Ricketts of the score, bet he regretted his goal celebrations!! We need to be more Brazil-like, if only we had their shirts ... and shorts ... and wide men ... and crossers of the ball ... and David Seaman playing for the opposition ... and top totty on the terraces!!
The game was enjoyable but no thriller, the result was a brilliant outcome but it's next week that matters and, after 3 weeks, of pre-season boredom, I can't wait. Oldham, here we come!!!
After the game, Lennie Lawrence commented, "I know who my 12 players will be for the opening game next Saturday". The way 4-3-3 has shaped up with no width, maybe he'll get us special clearance to have another player!