It’s funny, lose 2-1 last week and it feels like the roof is falling in and there’s no hope, lose 2-1 this week and things look a lot more hopeful. Of course, football is never so simple as that and there’s a few local difficulties to consider when assessing what the season may hold based on our first three league games.
Having spent too much of last week going on about our home form, I’ve resolved to keep as quiet as I can about it this time around, so, after a few brief points about it now, I’ll not mention it again in this piece.
Firstly, although the sample size is very small, it looks like what has held true in our last two seasons in particular will apply again – we’re a better side away than at home. Second, Erol Bulut has a reputation as a counter attacking manager and this has been borne out in our two away games while we were loath to throw people forward against QPR until we went a goal down.
For me, it needs to be born in mind the quality of the teams we’ve played in our first two away games and that has me thinking his approach can work away from home once we get out of this run of very testing fixtures (we’ve got Ipswich away next and don’t forget we faced the runaway Champions in our final away match of 22/23).
It’s too early in the season for any game to be must win, but next weekend’s visit of a Sheffield Wednesday side without a point yet looms large – if we can’t win it, let’s at least have a go from the start because we’ve spent at least two years proving that playing like an away team in front of your own fans is not working.
Right, having got that off my chest, I’ll say that we went to the team I think will probably be crowned Champions this year and it took a goal in added time to beat us. Not only that, having only had grim defence to offer in the second half at Leeds, this time City carried a genuine attacking threat in the second half and, if Leicester could, rightly, feel unlucky that they were only level at half time, City could justly claim to have shaded the second period.
In saying that, I’m pleased that Erol Bulut chose to point to not just the great chance we missed at 1-1 well into the latter stages of the game, but also the occasions when, in a strong few minutes soon after the break, we wasted very promising situations with a variety of wrong options and a lack of precision in passing – you get the feeling Leicester would have been punished more by some of the better attacking sides in this league in the third quarter of the game.
Nevertheless, there were the signs of better things to come today and, although we got something out of the Leeds game, this was a better, more complete, performance than that one- as I mentioned earlier, there are grounds for encouragement from our two away matches.
Erol Bulut rang the changes with illness victim Perry Ng, Ebou Adams and Karlan Grant dropping out as Mahlon Romeo, Jamilu Collins and Joe Ralls came in – Callum O’Dowda moving forward to a winger’s role to accommodate Collins’ return at left back (he looked more like the player who made such a strong start to 22/23 today).
The manager resisted the temptation to include yesterday’s signings Manolis Siopis, a twenty three times capped Greek midfielder on a free transfer from Trabzonspoor (he’s signed a three year contract) and Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Runarsson on a season long loan – Runarsson has twenty four caps for Iceland.
The match settled into the pattern most would have predicted with plenty of possession for the home team and City content to keep their shape in an attempt to frustrate their opponents. This plan largely worked in the opening twenty minutes or so apart from when Kelechi Iheanacho’s fine shot from the edge of the penalty area hit the inside of the post but bounced back into play with Jak Alnwick well beaten.
Little was seen from City as an attacking force before added time in the first forty five minutes, but Aaron Ramsey did well to get a left footed cross over from the byeline which Ike Ugbo, having got up highest to meet it, may feel disappointed not to have hit the target rather than put it over the bar.
Then when Josh Bowler got past a couple of players to find Ugbo, he didn’t notice the completely unmarked O’Dowda to his left and the whole thing petered out as an early example of our inability to take the right option often enough.
City got to the half hour mark unscathed and were beginning to frustrate the home players and supporters when they fell behind to what was either a wonder strike or some weak defending depending on which team you supported.
It would be wrong to be overly critical of Ugbo, but he’s stationed on the near post in the six yard box for a reason – to head away under hit corners played towards that area – the talented Jay Bothroyd is remembered by City fans for his attacking prowess, but he was also very good in this defensive role. Not so Ugbo this time though, he made poor contact with his header and the ball headed gently towards the corner of the penalty area only for Portuguese teenager Marcal to smash in a fifteen yard shot which was still rising as it hit the net.
Alnwick had no chance with that one, but, within a minute, he came to his side’s rescue with a fine save to deny Mavididi. This was the prelude to Leicester’s best spell of the game as the corners mounted up and where City had been pretty calm in their defending, they were now looking flustered. Little wonder therefore that they would have been grateful to see just one minute added on at end of the half, but it was enough to give those City fans there to see it in the flesh a moment they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
Just occasionally in his fine career, Aaron Ramsey has shown an ability to score with screamers from around the thirty yard range, well, when Rambo received Ralls pass, it seemed to me that he was further out than that – this was more like thirty five as he powered in a right foot shot that keeper Hermansen did not get within yards of for his third City league goal spread over a period of more than fifteen years (my thanks to the reader who pointed out that there was also the header he scored against Chasetown in the FA Cup on his first start for the senior team).
Ramsey’s reaction to one of the best goals of his career (and he’s scored some beauties in his time) was also memorable as he ran sixty yards to celebrate in front of the City fans. You look at things like that and the way he is taking on so much off field stuff for the club and fans and it seems to me that he’s not just here to give something back to his first club, but to enjoy himself as well after years of playing in very high pressure environments.
In the early minutes of the second half when City were bossing the game for a while, Ramsey was one of those who sometimes took the wrong option, but if he is here looking to enjoy himself while giving something back to the club- , I think that only has to be to our advantage – I cannot agree with the view that he’s the best player in he division, but he can be someone who can cause a lot of damage playing in the position he is currently..
Such an outstanding goal would clearly have a contrasting effect on the psyche of both teams. Leicester seemed unsure of themselves now where there had been a quiet confidence that the game was as good as won and, to their credit, City, realising this, looked to cash in.
The closest they came to taking the lead during this good spell was when Yakou Meite, on as a half time sub for Ugbo, released Ramsey with a neat pass, but he was crowded out only for O’Dowda to then feed Ralls whose low shot was turned behind for a corner by Hermansen.
It was during this period that City rather let Leicester off lightly in terms of not making the hosts pay for moments of carelessness and, gradually, things became more even as another good save by Alnwick denied defender Callum Doyle.
Alnwick saved from Doyle again as Siopis made his City bow when he replaced Ralls for the last half an hour. Another Ramsey shot from outside the penalty area was straight at Hermansen this time and then Grant, replacing Bowler, hit the side netting when he tried to surprise the keeper on his near post.
By and large though, the sides were now cancelling each other out until a superb run past three opponents by Romeo then saw him play a defence splitting pass through to Meite.
Although I don’t know a great deal about the man from Reading, one thing I am aware of is that when he’s put clear, the defence isn’t likely to catch him and so, in essence, it became a question about whether he could get his finish right. Alas, Meite didn’t- his manager thought he took the shot on too soon and when it came, his scuffed left footed effort dribbled some way wide.
Still, City were on for a point I would have said they deserved as the game moved into six minutes of added time, only for them to concede past the ninety minute mark just like they had done at Leeds.
On the opening day, City could curse their luck as three deflections presented the Leeds scorer with the ball, but, this time, they had to accept their errors contributed to the concession of the goal. I’m not sure who it was who carelessly lost possession forty yards from goal (it may have been Callum Robinson who had replaced Ramsey), but they were struggling from then on. Although Mark McGuinness (who signed a four year contract extension on Thursday) perhaps. could have done better at this time, Jack Simpson (on for Dimitrios Goutas for some reason) definitely could have done. The referee would have had a decision to make on what looked like a possible penalty for a foul by Simpson on sub Jamie Vardy, but the ball fell to sub Casadei who netted the game’s scruffiest goal from eight yards.
All that was left was for Romeo to pick up a second yellow card courtesy of some Leicester play acting and City were left with just one point from three games – a return which I’d say is one or two less than they deserve on their performances so far.
It was another 2-1 loss for City earlier on, this time at Under 18 level as they fell to their second defeat in two at Sheffield Wednesday – the club’s Twitter account haven’t given any scoring details yet except to say that it was 1-1 at half time (I’ve since learned that Will Spiers put us ahead. only for us then to have a penalty saved, before Wednesday equalised and then won it in the second half with an own goal).
In local football, there’s been a restructuring of the Highadmit South Wales Alliance Leagues with there now being a Premier League, Championship and Divisions One East and West. It’s been a good start for the two sides in the Premier Division the blog follows with Ton Pentre winning 5-0 at Diana’s Powys and Treherbert Boys and Girls Club beating Bridgend Street at home 5-2. Unfortunately, in the Championship, A.F.C. Porth find themselves in an all too familiar bottom position having lost their first two matches by 5-1 and 8-1 at Garw and Sully respectively..
Finally, the start of the season is the time I ask readers to show their support by making a voluntary donation towards the blog’s running costs and to help towards things like book projects that I’m working on. Back in 2018, the blog would not have survived without the contributions of some of its readers as I just did not have the financial means to pay the web hosting bill I received that summer.
Since then, my finances have improved and, with me now receiving the state pension to go with my works one, I can say that there is no longer any need for anyone to donate towards running costs – touching wood, the blog will never ever be in a position again where it’ll need help from readers to survive.
So, with nothing in the pipeline in terms of new projects this year, I can say to all readers, and especially those who do still donate towards the blog, there is no need to do so this year at a time when many need every last penny to make it through the cost of living crisis.
That is not to say you cannot still make a contribution if you want to – they can be made through cash, bank transfer, cheque and PayPal. Many of you who do contribute will already have my bank details, but anyone wishing to make their first contribution can contact me at paul.evans8153@hotmail.com for more information.
As always a big thank you to all those who have made donations in the past and especially to those who still do (particular thanks go to the Owl Centre for their continued very generous sponsorship), a happier Cardiff City season than last time around to all of you!