The South Londoners had as many as 10 players injured or suspended and were forced to patch up their side by giving a debut to a teenager whilst manager Dennis Wise was forced to pick himself for the first time but what they lacked in skill, they made up for in heart and effort. Sad to admit it but that was good enough to beat a woeful Cardiff side who have lost their shape, balance, confidence and totally lost their way.
As much as it hurts, I think we’ve all seen the signs in the last 6 weeks, maybe our league position has blinded us to the reality that there were problems at the club. Regardless of what Sam Hammam may say publicly, his squad just is not big, strong or experienced enough to maintain a play-off challenge and has needed help.
Meantime, Lennie only wants to bring in players if he can get them at the lowest possible price or late on in the January transfer window even though every other challenging, most with less resources than us, have been splashing out and bringing in quality loan players in the past couple of months. We’re standing still and, now, going a little backwards at the same time as those who really want to make a determined challenge are doing something about it. The cracks that were papered over and now fully exposed and horrible to see.
However, one problem that nobody saw coming was that so many of our key players, including the real star performers of the team, have lost form individually and collectively. Are they tired, feeling the strain, fed up or is it just coincidence? Only 3 or 4 players could be excused from criticism from an appalling team effort. Confidence has dipped, the lack of talking on the pitch and players would by example was truly frightening, we just caved in. All things considered, it feels like complacency has temporarily affected the club, both on and off the field of play. As for today, nobody minds City losing and can accept defeat if we gave it everything, this fell substantially short of that. It was pitiful.
The line-up was worrying to me but should still have been good enough to see off Millwall with Alexander, Weston-Gabbidon-Vidmar-Barker, Langley-Boland-Kavanagh (Capt)-Whalley, Thorne-Earnshaw. Gary Croft was dropped for Rhys Weston which seemed very harsh. Crofty has been one of our better players recently and appears to have been made the scapegoat for the Darren Huckerby inspired hammering at Norwich last week.
In midfield, King Kav was welcomed back as Captain for his first City appearence in 6 weeks after being injured with Eire. The defenders have been out of form but midfield looked more worrying on paper, no wide flair with Gray back at Palace and no John Robinson, it lacked width and balance.
Millwall came to Ninian below halfway but 5 points below City and with just one away win all season. Poor early season form saw Mark McGhee sacked with Dennis Wise taking over assisted by Ray Wilkins in mid-October and mediocrity has been the theme, the Lions hadn’t won any of their last 6 matches. With their injuries and suspensions denying them key players, it really should have been a home banker.
They fielded Tony Warner (a Yul Brynner look-alike according to the missus) in goal, a back four of Elliott-Lawrence-Ward-Livermore, Tim Cahill-Dennis Wise-Sweeney-Roberts in midfield and Chadwick-Neil Harris in attack. Marvin Elliott, a teenage debutant midfielder was asked to fill in at right back (somehow City never picked him out as someone to target) whilst at right back, David Livermore is usually in midfield too. Dennis Wise was forced to pick himself for the first time in midfield alongside Peter Sweeny (another teenager who recently started getting experience). In attack, Nick Chadwick is on loan from Everton whilst Neil Harris has never quite hit the same form since suffering a spell out of the game after thankfully recovering from cancer but remains a threat.
Kicking off at 12:30 for Sky tv, their had more torrential rain much of the morning which eased off before kick-off but they will still some downpours during the match. The crowd was a healthy 14,610 all things considered on the last Saturday before Christmas which included just 200 Sarf Londoners, the ’joys’ of compulsory coach travel when it was live on telly making the rest, hoolies included, stay away.
Cardiff got off to the worst possible start in their quest to improve their worsening defensive record by going behind down inside 4 minutes with more appalling lapses of concentration. Neil Harris tested Neil Alexander within the first 30 seconds before the Lions won three quick corners, all taken by different players.
For the third of them, ANDY ROBERTS hit a curling ball into goal. It was nothing special or too threatening and with Neil Alexander under it, no problem either. Except Alexander somehow missed it altogether and Willie Boland, covering the far post, had gone AWOL and run out, the ball going in exactly from the spot he had left. I can only imagine he had assumed he had assumed ’Scotland’s No. 1’ had taken the ball too.
The opening half-hour was abysmal. Millwall didn’t particularly have much to offer expect hard work, honest, huff and puff and would have been overjoyed at how easy it was out there for them. In mathematical terms, City’s performance could be best summed up as “1 paced + 1 dimension time times
no width, no ownership and no responsibility to affect the game = NOTHING AT ALL“. Defenders lacking confidence and with midfield unable to do much and all playing far too closely together meant there was nothing for Earnie and Thorne to pursue.
I watched the game from the Family Stand today which gave me the rare view of seeing play go up and down the pitch instead of across. I felt most sorry for Chris Barker. Richard Langley at least offered support and options to Weston coming out of defence, Barker had nobody. Every time he took the ball, there was nobody in front of him on the left, just options a few yards inside. I assume Gareth Whalley was supposed to assist but, coming back from injury, he seems off the pace at present and was anonymous throughout. Midfield were so close, all they were doing were knocking simple balls to one another, usually sideways or backwards. They seemed to forget that the general idea was to move the ball forward or take the ball on. There was nothing to commend.
It was almost 15 minutes before the ball got into the Millwall area for the first time, just a millisecond, as Boland’s cross was headed away and almost 20 minutes before City had an effort at goal and even that was a Millwall clearance the ricocheted off Earnie’s boot rather than a true shot which Warner turned behind for an unproductive corner.
Yet the first time City put a bit of pace into their game and ran at players, they scored. Richard Langley took possession inside City’s and instead of a sideways ball, he advanced (hooray!). The shock of that happening stunned The Lions and all of a sudden the right hand of the pitch opened up. Langley did well bringing the ball to the edge of the area where Weston did just as well to get forward and overlap. The rest was simple but beautiful, Langley out to Weston, Weston low cross into the heart of goal, Warner caught out and PETER THORNE turned it home at the back post under pressure to score for his 5th successive match.
For 10 minutes afterwards, City had woken up and Millwall looked there for the taking, which they would have been on most other days with City this season. Cardiff were now finding pace and energy and Millwall were stretched and just wanting to survive. Dennis Wise was feeling the pressure too as he was yellow carded for mouthing off. The next sweeping move saw Peter Thorne switch the ball to put Earnie clear, his first time shot saved by Warner’s thigh as he dived to cover the goal. A great save and it that had gone in, it perhaps would have been different.
Instead, having found the way to get at Millwall, Cardiff switched back down. As a pal of mine commented afterwards, they seemed to be ’going through the motions‘. There was nothing to praise or admire about them and an awful lot to be angry and frustrated about. As they stepped off the accelerator again, Millwall almost regained their lead close to half-time, Neil Harris let go with a low, bouncing snap shot from 20 yards which Neil Alexander did well to get down and push behind.
Half-time: Pussycats 1 LIONS 1
The best forward movement towards the Grange End, which City "attacked” (that’s too kind a description) actually came during the interval as a City streaker wearing nothing more than a “Santa is a Bluebird” blue Xmas hat hurdled the Bob Bank wall and was onto pitch ayatollahing to the crowd. His moment of glory came as he ran to the Grange End ayatollahing all the way but once he got there, he slipped on his arse (Andy Campbell style) and was pounced on by a steward. The steward gave little to overcome the impression some have that they lack brain cells by covering the streaker with his jacket over the shoulders but leaving the crown jewels dangling free on show. Perhaps he didn’t want him to get cold. That was as good as the afternoon got.
Just like the first half, City started in low gear, may have got briefly into second but that was it. They really let themselves down and us too. For long bouts of the second half, it was an even contest but boring and very poor entertainment. There were a corner or two each and a couple of crosses. The only significant efforts at goal were City’s, Warner got down well to save a low Earnie shot across goal and will have been relieved to see Chris Barker‘s 30 yard missile on the hour clear his bar but not by much.
Then, out of nothing, Millwall took the lead on 65 and once again, goalkeeper Neil Alexander will unquestionably have to shoulder the blame. Dennis Wise took a corner which went across goal. As it did, a Lions player simply scooped it back towards the 6-yard box. It was food and drink to any goalkeeper, right down to Sunday League level to be honest, but Alexander yet again refused to leave his line. It was a horror show as CAHILL couldn’t believe his luck and came in unchallenged to pick his spot, his header going past the keeper with considerable ease.
You sensed there was no way back for City this time and no way were Millwall going to allow it either.
Let’s name names. Neil Alexander is going through a major confidence crisis and he did pretty much the same this time last year, it’s a regular thing of his and it’s probably that lack of belief that stops him developing into a true top class keeper and winning his coveted Scottish cap. He is currently suffering from JohnHallworth-itis, a condition which means he gets stage fright if he has to come off his line. It seems hard to remember it now but when he first came to Cardiff, the one thing he did was command his 6 yard box and take crosses and corners galore. As others remarked later, if he’s not replaced by Margetson next time out, there something is really wrong at City.
Defensively, Gabbidon and Vidmar, the bets partnership possible a month ago, now both look ordinary and in need of change. You could argue a case for both to be dropped. something that seemed unimaginable. Watching the second half sat behind them, the lack of talking between the two of them and with Alexander was unbelievable. Certainly I think the time is right to change and freshen things, maybe give James Collins a run out (not Prior please!), perhaps move Vidmar to the left where he said he’d love to play but that would be unfair on Barker who is made to look ordinary with no outlet for him.
In midfield, it’s simply a case that we haven’t the necessary resource and firepower although Whalley was totally unexceptional for the second game in succession. Good to see Kav back though, he was one player who tried and showed the way but was unable to inspire those around him. Lennie needs something extra now, the longer he waits to bring in new players, the harder he’s making it on his team in the meantime.
And in attack, Earnie has temporarily lost his way too. He’s now not scored in open play for 7 matches, probably the longest spell of his career. Is it coincidence that it’s because that’s when he starting growing his hair or, perhaps more likely, since Mark Hughes criminally underused him in the Euro play-offs. He’s not been the same since and watching him today, he still put together bits and pieces but has lost his zip and infectious enthusiasm we’re so used to seeing from him on the pitch. And that’s the most worrying thing, it’s the key players who have lost it at present.
The game seemed beyond City with 25 minutes to go and when Lennie’s options to try and change the game are to introduce Andy Campbell out of position at wide left and Bonner in a like-for-like midfield swap, then we may as well pack up and go home.
Supposedly chasing the game with the clock running down, it’s a damning indictment that City didn’t manage a single shot on or off goal in the following 20 minutes and by then, Millwall had scored again and finished things off anyway.
84 minutes, Millwall advanced down the right, City had enough players back but as Cahill crossed low, PETER SWEENEY was allowed the time and space to take the ball, side step Gabbidon and fire home low with considerable ease. Ninian Park emptied rapidly.
Those Millwall fans loved it and will probably talk about this day for a long time to come. The only talking point of the closing stages except for a Peter Thorne 30 yard shot that narrowly went over was a moment of controversy.
Millwall allowed the ball out of play for an injured City player to be treated. When the game restarted, Earnie seemed to mis-control and the ball went out for a Millwall throw deep in their own half. Wise showed his unique brand of hot-headed fire by berating Earnie and then Peter Thorne in the corner of the ground between Bob Bank and Grange End. To be honest, Wisey showed exactly the competitive spirit and fight that City are so badly missing.
Suddenly there was a surge of City fans forward on the Bob Bank terrace to lambast Wise, one complete idiot allegedly threw a coin which hit the linesman on the back and the game didn’t restart for nearly 5 minutes as the lino refused to return to his position until security was behind him so we had to wait for stewards and police to arrive. When will we ever learn? Find the fool who did it, ban him for life please.
It leaves City’s season with major problems. Only 1 win in 6games, in that time the defence with pretty much the same players has gone from 2nd best in the division to 2nd worst in the Top 15 sides. We conceded 15 goals in those 6 games and at least 2 every match. At home, we started against Ipswich aiming to equal our record for successive clean sheets at Ninian Park and have now conceded 8 in 3 games. One point in three home games must be the worst spell since Sam Hammam came to the club and I can‘t remember the lost time we lost successive league fixtures since February 2002 when defeats at Brentford and Wigan cost Alan Cork his job and put Lennie in charge..
Cardiff are now 10th, 10 points off the automatic-promotion berths and three points behind the play-offs but, for the first time, with an inferior goal difference compared to others. Next game is Walsall home on Boxing Day, it’s suddenly become a massive game to test Lennie and City’s resolve and character. All of a sudden, I CAN wait.
Merry Christmas then.
Report from FootyMad
Cardiff City fell to a defeat against Millwall with the poorest defensive display seen at Ninian Park for a long time.
The visitors opened the scoring in the fourth minute when an Andy Roberts corner went straight in at the far post and although Peter Thorne equalised on the half-hour Millwall always looked the more likely side to get the next goal.
It duly arrived in the 65th minute when Tim Cahill beat Neil Alexander to a clever chip from Dennis Wise and the Lions sealed victory with an 86th minute strike from Peter Sweeney.
City manager Lennie Lawrence clearly has a lot of work to do to raise morale before the visit of Walsall on Boxing Day.
"We have become too easy to beat. The first two goals were too simple and unless we eradicate mistakes the club will never go forward.
"Our defending has deteriorated badly and the manner of that defending has been horrible. We have lost our way at the back and now it definitely needs freshening up.
"The standards of defending are the worst they have been since I joined the club and we are shipping goals all over the place. We can still make a play-off challenge but only if I can sort the defence out."Millwall player-manager Wise was delighted with his team's performance: "It's a fantastic result and we played very well.
"It was only after they equalised when we were briefly put under pressure. We needed a little bit of luck and that first goal gave us the break we needed.
"The second goal was well worked and the third one killed them off.
"Maybe I should have played more often, but I wanted to see exactly what I have at the club, but being on the pitch does help because I can use my experience to change things around if necessary."
External reports
Wales On Sunday
Western Mail