FT: Shrewsbury 2 - 1 Cardiff

[Rjk]

You can't roll the ball out from a goal kick?

You can, just not from your hands.

[J R Hartley]

You can, just not from your hands.

If you're a Pep Guardiola team maybe. This is the Championship, not the Champions league and Neil Warnock does not have his defenders playing out from the back, let alone his goalkeeper from goal kicks.

Your data from the top leagues, where there is more of a possession based game, will have no bearing on the championship whatsoever.

We seen in our fateful season in the Premier League how difficult it was to regain possession after surrendering it, especially to the top sides, but no such trouble in the Championship where the ball is turned over to each other far more.

[SuisseBluebird]

Watched the extended highlights, but from what has been revealed showed the following to me:-

Zohore, Mandaz-Laing and Tomlin have got the makings of a good partnership. Tomlin's close ball control and quick thinking to pick a pass allow players like Mandaz-Laing to burst forward, and with Zohore's strength and willingness to bully opposition defenders it bodes well for creating opportunities, that further players like Hoilett, Harris, Pilkington can capitalize on.

Issue however is chances created last night many of them were snatched at, need to establish more composure to get the scoreboard ticking over.

Defensively we look a little unsteady. 3 penalties in 5 games does not make for good reading and they have all been from sloppy errors. Shrewsbury's second goal was through errors from Richards, who let the ball somehow get passed him and then Peltier and Manga failed to close down their men. Interesting to note Harris, who worked back into the 18 yard box and then just stood still and watched it all unfold in front of him.

The result of course is a poor one, but Cardiff are looking like a threat in the final third, which is hopefully going to continue on when they run out against Burton in 10 days time.

[cyril evans awaydays]

I was there last night and agree with the points made by SuisseBluebird.

Tomlin can clearly pick a pass and will create chances. I was a little disappointed though with his deadball delivery, particularly corners. Perhaps we have been spoiled with Whittingham but there was less pace on the delivery and they were easily defended. Again I might be unfair as Morrison, who is probably our most effective dead ball attacker, was not on the pitch with Tomlin and Ralls can be effective but we do have a reliance on goals from this route.

Etheridge's distribution was a little haphazard especially from goal kicks. We did play the ball from the back a bit more than I have seen recently but usually this end up with a 50 yard ball from Manga or Bamba rather than through midfield so it might be because of Etheridge's deficiencies in that area.

Shrewsbury looked a reasonable outfit and played at a pace after the break that our second half team could not easily manage which is a bit of a worry. They have been playing a better calibre of opponent than us so it will be interesting to see whether our non-league focus has been beneficial at season start.

[Sgt. Pepper]

I'm guessing that Shrewsbury are pretty much an unchanged unit from last season?
TBH, clearly I don't know.
But if so, they are likely already bonded and aware, while we are a still very much a bunch of individuals finding their feet and each others.

Either way - good on 'em they have already had one hell of a pre-season.

[uncle bob]

100/1 to win the league this year.
Could be worth a fiver EW

[the other bob wilson]

Watched the extended highlights, but from what has been revealed showed the following to me:-

Zohore, Mandaz-Laing and Tomlin have got the makings of a good partnership. Tomlin's close ball control and quick thinking to pick a pass allow players like Mandaz-Laing to burst forward, and with Zohore's strength and willingness to bully opposition defenders it bodes well for creating opportunities, that further players like Hoilett, Harris, Pilkington can capitalize on.

Issue however is chances created last night many of them were snatched at, need to establish more composure to get the scoreboard ticking over.

Defensively we look a little unsteady. 3 penalties in 5 games does not make for good reading and they have all been from sloppy errors. Shrewsbury's second goal was through errors from Richards, who let the ball somehow get passed him and then Peltier and Manga failed to close down their men. Interesting to note Harris, who worked back into the 18 yard box and then just stood still and watched it all unfold in front of him.

The result of course is a poor one, but Cardiff are looking like a threat in the final third, which is hopefully going to continue on when they run out against Burton in 10 days time.

Just watched them as well and I think you've summed them up well. All three penalties awarded against us have been in the harsh category to me, but they've all been given against defenders who should have enough experience and quality to cope better in the position they found themselves in than they did.

The second goal was a shocker as four or five opportunities to clear the danger were not taken and I'd add Gunnarsson to the list of culprits as well for getting turned far too easily at the start of the move - I think we've looked quite pacy and dynamic going forward on occasions in our pre season matches, but, from what I've seen, our defending has been iffy at times and I can only hope that the part of the team that most, including the manager, thought was good enough already start playing to their reputations when the proper stuff starts.

[J R Hartley]

4 or 5 culprits and not one of them Peter Whittgham!!!!
It will make a nice change this season not hearing or reading Whitts getting blamed for all the ills at Cardiff City.

[uncle bob]

Wish I'd had a few quid on that 100/1

[uncle bob]

100/1 to win the league this year.
Could be worth a fiver EW

Wish I'd put a few quid on that

[life on mars]

They must have been a decent side to beat Real Cardiff