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City's Under 18s are at home to a Charlton side with a fine record this season this lunchtime at Leckwith - kicks off at 12.30 if anyone is interested.
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5 City players in the u17s Welsh squad.
https://www.faw.cymru/en/news/cymru-squad-announced-u17euro-qualifying-round/
A very young Academy side is currently getting tonked 3-0 at Millwall.
DVP game tonight v Crystal Palace live on the official website. 7pm kick off.
http://cardiffcityfc.co.uk/video/live
3-0 Wootton, Bamba and Nelson.
A few points:
We have another in our legion of long throwers - Ciaron Brown. Not sure if he's ready for the first team though - looks like a bit cumbersome somehow.
There were a good number of times when players would try and wriggle away from a foul and play on rather than immediately going to ground - they'll never succeed with that attitude.
As has been mentioned before the teams below the seniors are always looking to pass. Bamba looked the most uncomfortable on the ball. Despite this we scored from two set-pieces.
There have been a few players over the years who have been shunted around the field in a futile attempt to find a place for them; Cameron Coxe tonight played left wing. Hopefully this was just to accommodate other players but I'm not sure what the future is for him here.
I hope Laurence Wootton's family was there to see his goal tonight - would've been a nice moment for the Wootton clan. (This whole post was brought to you in order to make that pun. Thank you).
Thanks for that (not the pun). I watched the match online and thought we were always pretty comfortable, as we should have been given the selection of both teams. The thought occurs to me that you could, conceivably, see that back four playing for the first team on Saturday. I agree that Brown looks more impressive as a centreback than a left back, but, given the way our manager thinks, I wonder if he is currently second choice to Bennett? Realistically, I reckon we'll see the same back four as Sunday against Birmingham, but I do wonder if Nelson might just make it in (I suppose Morrison's hand injuries could give Neil Warnock an excuse for making a change if he doesn't want to say he is dropping anyone)?
I'm not as concerned about Coxe playing left wing as you are because I see it as proof he would be at home in a wing back/modern full back role, but I feel he'll probably have to wait for a new managerial appointment if this is going to benefit him in first team terms at Cardiff.
In an interview just after Ciaron Brown was called up to the Northern Ireland squad I'm sure Warnock said he was (after Cunningham left on loan) regarded as the back up to Bennett. I hope he comes good, but as of now he is a very inexperienced converted centre back and surely putting no pressure on Bennett for his place.
Another City v Birmingham match at 1 o clock today when the sides meet at Under 23 level at Leckwith - entry is free, but the game can be watched on the club website if you cannot make it.
https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...irmingham-city
Blog piece on yesterday's 1-0 defeat for the Development team in which I ask could Birmingham's change of identity work at Cardiff?
http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/
Here is a little montage of the kid Jude Bellingham's journey through the academy to the first team. He made his first team debut at 16 years 38 days.
https://youtu.be/bdv87H8EZgY
A return for this thread to report a good 1-1 draw for the Under 23s with a young City side that only included Ciaron Brown with any competitive first team experience at league leaders Watford - they were pegged back by a late equaliser after leading for a long time with an early Aaron Bolger goal.
He's been injured quite a bit this season, so he hasn't played too many matches for the Under 23s. I think he is quite Joe Ralls like in that it looks like he can do a bit of everything - he's probably best as a holding type midfielder, but he has been used in more advanced positions at times.
Good to hear Neil Harris say that he watched the first half of Saturday's Academy game,.
A hard fought 2-1 win for our Academy boys today over Ipswich in the FA Youth Cup. If anyone thinks games at that level lack intensity then today would've been an eye-opener, it went to extra time and our players were dropping with cramp on a regular basis. Me and my lad were wondering if some time-wasting was involved, especially when our 64th minute sub suddenly went down with it, but I'm sure it was all genuine. Our keeper got it too but he had come out for a lot of crosses so I didn't suspect anything untoward there.
Isaak Davies was the stand-out for us, a threat all game, so combative too. He was involved in both our goals, a nice finish for the first and a great bit of play up the right to set up the winner for James Crole. Bournemouth away in the next round.
Not surprising given what happened at Elland Road today that City's 2-1 Youth Cup win after extra time over Ipswich at Cardiff City Stadium this afternoon has been overlooked on here it seems, but I feel I must mention it because I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to watch a Cardiff side beat someone in a cup match!
Well done to the Under 18s and they now face a trip to Bournemouth in Round 4.
I think the four minutes between posting times may have had something to do with it! I was thinking exactly the same thing about all of the players going down with cramp - I tend to agree with you, but it certainly helped break the game up a lot at a time when City were defending a lead.
I was being a bit sarcastic, I'm pretty sure the sub and goalie were ok and Kieron Evans seemed to be playing better after his cramp started. It was a little over the top and, obviously, it would've annoyed me if they'd been doing it to us but overall I like to see game management at that level. I know coaches want to get youngsters into good habits but just playing exactly the same way regardless of the scoreline isn't quite sport to me.
The highlights of the cup win are on Club TV if anyone's interested.
https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/video/player/0_csy9m1wa
No point in going over the top about Isaak Davies at this stage but there are a couple of things worth noting. I saw him playing out on the wing last season and he looked completely lost, I think Saturday was the third time I've seen him there this season and he's been effective each time, on either wing. Sometimes he just uses his pace to go up the touchline but he likes to cut in too, even on the half way line. This can look slightly odd as he's running into the traffic of retreating defenders but he's obviously hoping to either link up with the centre forward or switch play to the other flank then burst forward for the return ball or cross.
The other thing about him, which I hadn't noticed before, is that he seems very comfortable on either foot. The two early shots in Saturday's game see him working himself onto his left but the burst into the box near the end of normal time finishes with an excellent cross to Crole with his right.
I guess it's this unpredictability about his play that leads to the winner. He gets in a classic winger's position but he deals with it better than most natural wingers would in that situation (I could name four off the top of my head). He moves forwards with some step overs and the full back obviously hasn't got a clue where Davies is going, or even where he should be showing him to go. Davies flicks it to the by-line and gets the half a yard he needs to pull back a perfect cross (with his right) for Crole to convert. A terrific bit of play.
Mayembe's magic was missed on Saturday but Davies stepped up to provide the match winning moments in a very encouraging performance from him.
Some reaction from coach and players here.
https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...swich-town-aet