The Bluebirds boss made three changes to the side that faced Forest last week. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas came in for Burke on the right wing, Chopra replaced Jon Parkin and Ramsey replaced Craig Bellamy as Peter Whittingham shuffled to the left in the usual 4-4-2.
Sven-Göran Erikkson made two changes to his in-form Leicester side. Jeffrey Bruma replaced Matt Oakley in centre midfield while Lloyd Dyer came in for former Turkey hero Darius Vassell - the Foxes playing a 4-4-1-1 formation with Andy King just behind former Evertonian striker Yakubu.
Leicester attack Cardiff's right side
It was fairly easy to predict where the Bluebirds were going to struggle. Dave Jones has got away with playing Paul Quinn on right back so far - and the defender has done okay - but combined with the work-shy Jay Emmanuel Thomas on the same side there was always going to be space for Leicester. Additionally, the Foxes possess a quick and agile left back in Patrick Van Aanholt and the Dutchman was a constant threat in the opening.
This was all part of an excellent opening for the Foxes, who dominated possession in the first 15-20 minutes. Their 4-5-1 system was fluid and the midfielders exchanged positions, with King pretty much joining Yakubu as a second striker when Leicester had the ball. Bruma also had some driving runs from midfield, with Richie Wellens generally being the holding player when Leicester attacked. Their initial interplay was superb and it was easy to see why they had won five games on the trot.
There were not too many chances, however, despite dangerous breakaways with Van Aanholt bombing forward. Bruma often tried to slice passes diagonally over the head of Hudson with King sneaking in behind, but on three similar occasions Hudson got his head to it and denied the free-scoring midfielder.
Cardiff switch wingers
Conversely, the Bluebirds were terrible in the opening and handed the initiative to Leicester. Their 4-4-2 looked rigid and static, and the only idea seemed to be long balls towards Chopra over the top. In fairness, the Foxes did play a high defensive line but the timing and execution of the through ball was never good enough to worry the visitors. They somehow got the goal, however, after a Seyi Olofinjana cross was slotted in by Chopra from five yards.
Deliberately or not (you never know with Dave Jones), Cardiff switched Whittingham and Emmanuel-Thomas around the time of the goal, and the Bluebirds were suddenly transformed. The pressure on Leicester's back four went from sloppy to intense and the hosts dominated the game from then on. Although the team worked better as a whole at this stage, the fact that Whittingham was there to pressure Van Aanholt meant Leicester were shut down on their left side - and with the always excellent Kevin McNaughton on the left side - Leicester created few chances after Cardiff's opener.
It was also no surprise that Cardiff's goal came from their right side. Both Bothroyd and Ramsey tended to drift towards the right when Cardiff had the ball and although Whittingham created little - being a left footed winger on the right side - Cardiff had some good combinations as they overflowed that particular area of the pitch.
Jones goes 4-5-1
Cardiff continued their domination after the break and scored a second after only seven minutes. An incredibly intelligent cross from McNaughton - who looked up and calculated the pass instead of swinging an aimless cross into the box - found Ramsey who scored from close range. Straight afterwards, Stephen McPhail came on for Chopra, meaning Cardiff went 4-5-1 with Ramsey playing in the same role as Andy King - behind Jay Bothroyd.
Clearly, Jones wanted to match Leicester's three-man midfield and protect his lead, but Cardiff functioned a lot better offensively too. With that system, the Bluebirds played as well as they've ever played this season - keeping the balls with composure and picking out intelligent passes instead of waiting for Mark Hudson to hit it long. The 4-5-1 actually allowed the players to show how good they are, and - as most fans will know - the Bluebirds' array of attacking flair available is second to none in the Championship.
Attack: Cardiff' played extremely well in their second half formation
Not surprisingly, the system brought the better out of the technically gifted Arsenal players. But whereas Ramsey was always going to thrive in his free role, it was notable how well Jay Emmanuel Thomas did. His positional sense is a real worry - he tended to drift inside from his wide position even when Cardiff were defending, leaving his full back alone with two players - and Jones needs to address his discipline. However, due to Ramsey playing as an attacking midfielder, both McPhail and Olofinjana played deeper and gave Emmanuel-Thomas more freedom to venture forward.
The 4-5-1 also worked defensively and Leicester were frustrated about the lack of space. Their attack stalled and big centre back Souleymane Bamba started a couple of Lucio-esque runs forward due to the lack of options - a stunt that was largely ineffective. Cardiff also played well on the counter and could have scored more, but held firm and recorded three well-deserved points.
Thoughts for Cardiff to consider
While both goals were actually scored before the switch to 4-5-1, Jones must realise the only way to control games is to play three central midfielders. While the squad might suit a 4-4-2 due to the many talented strikers available, the team still benefits more from a 4-5-1 and Cardiff showed their brilliance against Leicester when a more fluid system was preferred. The backline was also less exposed and Cardiff denied the opposition space between defence and midfield - a space where most team playing 4-4-2 struggle.
Additionally, having five midfielders means the wingers can push further up the field, a move that benefits both Bellamy and Emmanuel Thomas in particular. True, the argument for a 4-5-1 will weaken when Ramsey leaves the club, but the fact remains that any team holding a clear technical advantage should not play a rigid and old-fashioned 4-4-2 system. Jones might not be used to possessing teams like that, which is why we could see Cardiff revert to the old system against Hull on Saturday. It would be sad, because Cardiff have moved on from that. And its tactics have to move with it.
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