Jones surprised many by opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Craig Bellamy behind Jay Bothroyd and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Michael Chopra on the wings – a system last seen in the 1-0 defeat against Swansea in November.Two inevitable changes were made – Stephen Bywater made his debut in the wake of Cardiff’s well-documented injury problems while Emmanuel-Thomas replaced the departed Aaron Ramsey.
Ipswich fielded the same side that lost 2-0 at home to Portsmouth – preferring a 4-2-3-1 with Jason Scotland leading the line to a red-hot reception.
Cardiff’s new system
Cardiff started superbly in their new formation and created the first two chances – Bothroyd first fluffing a shot from five yards before Peter Whittingham’s curled shot was fisted away by Martin Fulop. The players found each other easily with rapid interplays and only needed a few quick passes before finding themselves in promising positions. The pressure was also excellent – particularly since Cardiff had three midfielders instead of just two – and they won the ball two times inside the opposition half, creating good opportunities.
Initially, Cardiff preferred to attack down the right side, as seen previously against Leicester. Whether this is a natural habit from the players or a deliberate strategy from Jones remains unknown, but Bothroyd clearly drifted in behind Mark Kennedy when Cardiff were in possession. Ipswich also struggled to deal with Bellamy, who often picked up the ball to run at the central defenders. It was an unusual role for him though, and he produced little but a couple of harmless long shots.
Jay-Emmanuel Thomas also showed glimpses of magic, and a five man midfield clearly frees him from the defensive work a 4-4-2 brings. The 4-2-3-1 system also meant he could push further up the pitch, and he nearly scored when a beautiful McPhail pass sent him through against Fulop. The Arsenal player really is a wildcard for Cardiff – you can give him the ball in wide areas and suddenly he’ll produce an opportunity out of nothing.
The biggest difference from the defeat to Swansea was still the central midfielders. Whereas Cardiff then fielded Danny Drinkwater and Seyi Olofinjana in those positions, they here had two ball-playing midfielders in Stephen McPhail and Whittingham. Not only did this enable Cardiff to keep possession and move the ball quicker, but the array of talented attackers thrived on neat through-balls or measured long passes from midfield. If Cardiff can make the Whittingham-McPhail duo tick, Olofinjana’s injury could prove a blessing in disguise.
Visitors denied space
Meanwhile, apart from a dangerous cross from the left hand side early on, Ipswich struggled to create chances. They used Scotland in a similar role to which he played at Swansea, where he looked to hold the ball up while holding off defenders. However, along with a solid pair of centre backs in Dekel Keinan and Mark Hudson, both Whittingham and McPhail were good at closing down space in front of the defence and Ipswich found it impossible to break through.
The Tractor Boys also relied heavily on their playmaker Jimmy Bullard to produce chances, and most of the players simply gave him the ball in midfield in a similar manner to Andrea Pirlo for Italy and Milan. However, the movement was poor and Bullard had little space to play the ball into. Teenage sensation Connor Wickham was also quiet and although right back Carlos Edwards was good at coming forward, Ipswich were poor and will have considered themselves lucky not to be down at half time.
Ipswich rebirth
No one knows what Paul Jewell told his team at the break, but the visitors really came flying out of the blocks in the second half. They had an early penalty shout before two last-minute tackles from Hudson and Keinan denied Ipswich a clear-cut opportunity. However, they eventually got their reward – Bullard hitting a screamer after picking up the scraps from Scotland.
Cardiff tried to reply by switching Emmanuel-Thomas and Chopra, but to little effect. The Bluebirds didn’t have the same composure as in the first half, and Ipswich’s excellent pressing stressed them even more when they got on the ball. Indeed, whereas Cardiff successfully found Whittingham and McPhail from the defence in the first half, the duo now faced an opponent before even getting the time to turn. Trying to solve this problem, Bellamy and Chopra looked to drop deeper to collect the ball, but Ipswich were not afraid to push defenders forward to deal with them.
Cardiff run out of ideas
The Bluebirds eventually ran out of ideas and started hitting more long balls towards Bothroyd – particularly McNaughton – with little or no movement around the centre forward. The right side was effectively non-existent and Bothroyd and Emmanuel-Thomas hardly touched the ball. This changed a little when the latter was brought off for Chris Burke, who created more with his quick feet and lively movement. However, the winger hardly had the time to stamp his mark on the game before a deflected Bullard free-kick found its way past Bywater, wrapping up Ipswich’s fifth consecutive win over Cardiff.
Dave Jones has reason to be frustrated with this loss, particularly since all their rivals bar Queens Park Rangers dropped points hours earlier. Cardiff should have been out of sight by half time and will rue missed chances, but Jones should remember the wonderful attacking football they produced in the first half through the 4-2-3-1 system. After half time, Ipswich only did what Cardiff had done earlier – applying great pressure and intensity upon the game – and Jones has no reason to revert back to the 4-4-2. The visitors simply deserved credit for their change in attitude, and a turnaround which was down to mental factors rather than tactical ones.
http://cardiffbluebird.wordpress.com
Other Reports