Don't panic says Blakey

Don't panic says Blakey :thumbup:

I’ve won promotion a few times before, with Bolton, Cardiff, Wolves and Blackburn and by and large it’s always the same. It’s nerve-shredding, no-one is going to hand you it on a plate. You have to go out and TAKE it.

I know a lot of Bluebirds fans appear to be panicking a little, as a result of events of the last few days, but there really is no need.

Cardiff still have the upper hand. Win the remaining five games and there’s nothing Fulham can do about it.

The players have got to stay calm, focussed and relaxed. It’s when you start worrying that you begin making stupid mistakes and give goals away.

Whilst I felt Cardiff were poor against Wolves in every sense, like Neil Warnock I still cannot believe they didn’t win the game at Aston Villa. That performance gave me great encouragement.

We had real chances in front of goal, their keeper pulled off four brilliant stops. If Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s early strike had been an inch the other side, instead of hitting the post, I’m convinced Cardiff would have won that comfortably.

These are the fine margins we’re talking about, but Cardiff played well enough in defeat to convince me they can go to Norwich this weekend and edge it 1-0.

Then they’ll sweep past Nottingham Forest at home the following Saturday. Whilst that is happening, Fulham have two London derbies - Brentford at home and Millwall away. They could easily slip up somewhere there, you know, putting the momentum firmly back with the Bluebirds.

Look, credit to Fulham. To go 20 games unbeaten is a remarkable feat and the only reason they didn’t get in the top two sooner was because of Cardiff’s own formidable run. Fulham would go win, win win, Cardiff would respond with win, win, win.

It was almost like who would crack first? Well it’s been Cardiff, but that creates a new pressure for Fulham.

Suddenly they’re second, in the position the press and public at large think they should be in. Will they be able to hold their nerve? How do they deal with staying there when Cardiff City will be right on their coat tails, just waiting for that one blip?


Another thing lots are saying is that Warnock has to make changes, freshen up the side, give Cardiff a new dynamism.

No. I don’t agree. If they’d been awful at Villa fair enough, but they weren’t. They played really well and deserved better.

Cardiff have made their name this season through being strong and powerful, defensively resilient, and good on the break with Mendez-Laing, Junior Hoilett and Kenneth Zohore.

They should stick to that system and personnel for me, no need to tinker.

The analogy I will use is England and Harry Kane. He’s this so-called world-beating centre-forward, yet Kane goes to the Euros and completely bombs. Suddenly people are saying Daniel Sturridge or Marcus Rashford or Jamie Vardy should be playing.

Changing the personnel doesn’t solve the problem, winning a football match does.

Aron Gunnarsson has come in for a lot of flak since his return from injury , even though I think he’s done okay.

But there’s a lot of pressure on him. He’ll be thinking ‘I’ve come into a winning team and suddenly we’re losing. Are people going to blame me?’

It takes six games to get up to match sharpness. Gunnar has had three after his absence, so it’s understandable he isn’t quite at the level Warnock would want.

Many are questioning why Gary Madine was bought for £6m and what he brings to the table, but put yourself inside the mind of a centre-forward for a moment.

Madine is accustomed to being number one striker, but was clearly signed as competition for Kenneth Zohore, who then upped his own gaame.

Because Zohore is rightly first pick, Madine has had to get accustomed to being on the bench, getting the odd 10 minutes here or there. It's strange for him, as a striker you can’t get into any kind of rhythm like that.

Continued. : https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...otion-14520115

Until I read this I was not panicking.
Now I’m worried.
We were not good at all against Villa and got done by a weak side.

We need to get at the opposition

Is this the same Blakey that said a few weeks ago that Wolves would bottle it and finish 4th and we would win the league ? You gotta laugh really :hehe: Always liked Blakey but he dors talk bollox at times.

Nathan's quote:----
"Another thing lots are saying is that Warnock has to make changes, freshen up the side, give Cardiff a new dynamism."

Blakey, we're not actually saying to make changes, what we are saying is "Go back to what we had before, ieno Gunnerson, back to how we were when we went on an 8 win run

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Originally Posted by soulsurfer3

Is this the same Blakey that said a few weeks ago that Wolves would bottle it and finish 4th and we would win the league ? You gotta laugh really :hehe: Always liked Blakey but he dors talk bollox at times.

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That's what happens when your job is to say stuff. You've got to come up with something. The more "outspoken" the better.

Was he pissed saying all that?

We were fine BEFORE we tinkered with midfield, it's the changes that have disrupted our flow.

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Originally Posted by James fox

Aron Gunnarsson has come in for a lot of flak since his return from injury , even though I think he’s done okay.

But there’s a lot of pressure on him. He’ll be thinking ‘I’ve come into a winning team and suddenly we’re losing. Are people going to blame me?’

It takes six games to get up to match sharpness. Gunnar has had three after his absence, so it’s understandable he isn’t quite at the level Warnock would want.

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Why bring him with 8/9 games left then FFS?

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Originally Posted by City123

Why bring him with 8/9 games left then FFS?

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Did he play any reserve games?

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

Did he play any reserve games?

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No idea, but I can't remember seeing anyone talk about him playing for the DVP side

Blakey said:

"We had real chances in front of goal, their keeper pulled off four brilliant stops. If Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s early strike had been an inch the other side, instead of hitting the post, I’m convinced Cardiff would have won that comfortably".

I don't think you can disagree with this. Grealish's goal was a so-called "wonder goal" because luckily for him whilst it hit the post, it went in. Mendez-Laings effort hit the post and came out. Fine margins indeed. Their goalie made world class saves on the night and basically kept them in the game.