Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

[The Lone Gunman]

In his walesonline article a couple of days ago (which I’ve only got around to reading properly this afternoon), Erol Bulut’s cheerleader-in-chief Paul Abbandonato wrote the following:

“The concerns from Vincent Tan were understandable. Frankly, some of the football produced from November onwards last season was amongst the most defensive, turgid and lacklustre many Cardiff fans have seen.

“Tan and Dalman have chosen to stick by him and it is up to Bulut to release the handbrake, stop playing so defensively, and give Cardiff fans the more adventurous, exciting football they want to see.

“When the Bluebirds are playing at home against bottom-half sides in the new season, there is absolutely no need to keep picking two holding midfield players and in effect have seven defence-minded players in the side, plus wingers who spend half the game backtracking to help out.

“When they meet one of the more fancied teams at Cardiff City Stadium, there must be no repeat of the 11 men behind the ball, tickle-our-tummies approach which we saw against the likes of Leeds and Leicester in the Welsh capital.

“The fans would much rather witness again what happened in the last half hour versus a Southampton side which went up. Go for the jugular, have a pop, throw men forward, play in the final third, rather than defend, defend, defend.

“That Rubin Colwill-inspired 30 minutes only happened because Cardiff were a goal down and, hampered by injuries, Bulut was forced to throw on the young guns. The teens and early twenty-somethings re-energised everybody, including their own more experienced team-mates, with their no-fear approach. Cardiff won 2-1. That’s what it needs to be like moving forward, particularly at home. End this negative cycle of defensive football and defeat.

“Of course, Bulut will want a defensive foundation around which everything is built, but it doesn’t need to be anywhere near as negative as we’ve witnessed in recent times.”

As far as I’m concerned, all of those observations are valid. However, they do make me wonder why Abbandonato was seemingly so desperate to see Bulut retained as the City manager considering he readily acknowledges the football during the last six months of the 2023/24 campaign was turgid, negative, defensive and lacklustre.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/erol-bulut-exciting-cardiff-city-29290977

[Rjk]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

In his walesonline article a couple of days ago (which I’ve only got around to reading properly this afternoon), Erol Bulut’s cheerleader-in-chief Paul Abbandonato wrote the following:

“The concerns from Vincent Tan were understandable. Frankly, some of the football produced from November onwards last season was amongst the most defensive, turgid and lacklustre many Cardiff fans have seen.

“Tan and Dalman have chosen to stick by him and it is up to Bulut to release the handbrake, stop playing so defensively, and give Cardiff fans the more adventurous, exciting football they want to see.

“When the Bluebirds are playing at home against bottom-half sides in the new season, there is absolutely no need to keep picking two holding midfield players and in effect have seven defence-minded players in the side, plus wingers who spend half the game backtracking to help out.

“When they meet one of the more fancied teams at Cardiff City Stadium, there must be no repeat of the 11 men behind the ball, tickle-our-tummies approach which we saw against the likes of Leeds and Leicester in the Welsh capital.

“The fans would much rather witness again what happened in the last half hour versus a Southampton side which went up. Go for the jugular, have a pop, throw men forward, play in the final third, rather than defend, defend, defend.

“That Rubin Colwill-inspired 30 minutes only happened because Cardiff were a goal down and, hampered by injuries, Bulut was forced to throw on the young guns. The teens and early twenty-somethings re-energised everybody, including their own more experienced team-mates, with their no-fear approach. Cardiff won 2-1. That’s what it needs to be like moving forward, particularly at home. End this negative cycle of defensive football and defeat.

“Of course, Bulut will want a defensive foundation around which everything is built, but it doesn’t need to be anywhere near as negative as we’ve witnessed in recent times.”

As far as I’m concerned, all of those observations are valid. However, they do make me wonder why Abbandonato was seemingly so desperate to see Bulut retained as the City manager considering he readily acknowledges the football during the last six months of the 2023/24 campaign was turgid, negative, defensive and lacklustre.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-city-29290977

my guess is Abbadonato could see that the appointment was likely going to happen anyway, so he was basically keeping the club inside.
The sad truth is that local football journalists these days are largely beholden to their clubs that they can't risk upsetting them too much, or their source of stories can dry up.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

In his walesonline article a couple of days ago (which I’ve only got around to reading properly this afternoon), Erol Bulut’s cheerleader-in-chief Paul Abbandonato wrote the following:

“The concerns from Vincent Tan were understandable. Frankly, some of the football produced from November onwards last season was amongst the most defensive, turgid and lacklustre many Cardiff fans have seen.

“Tan and Dalman have chosen to stick by him and it is up to Bulut to release the handbrake, stop playing so defensively, and give Cardiff fans the more adventurous, exciting football they want to see.

“When the Bluebirds are playing at home against bottom-half sides in the new season, there is absolutely no need to keep picking two holding midfield players and in effect have seven defence-minded players in the side, plus wingers who spend half the game backtracking to help out.

“When they meet one of the more fancied teams at Cardiff City Stadium, there must be no repeat of the 11 men behind the ball, tickle-our-tummies approach which we saw against the likes of Leeds and Leicester in the Welsh capital.

“The fans would much rather witness again what happened in the last half hour versus a Southampton side which went up. Go for the jugular, have a pop, throw men forward, play in the final third, rather than defend, defend, defend.

“That Rubin Colwill-inspired 30 minutes only happened because Cardiff were a goal down and, hampered by injuries, Bulut was forced to throw on the young guns. The teens and early twenty-somethings re-energised everybody, including their own more experienced team-mates, with their no-fear approach. Cardiff won 2-1. That’s what it needs to be like moving forward, particularly at home. End this negative cycle of defensive football and defeat.

“Of course, Bulut will want a defensive foundation around which everything is built, but it doesn’t need to be anywhere near as negative as we’ve witnessed in recent times.”

As far as I’m concerned, all of those observations are valid. However, they do make me wonder why Abbandonato was seemingly so desperate to see Bulut retained as the City manager considering he readily acknowledges the football during the last six months of the 2023/24 campaign was turgid, negative, defensive and lacklustre.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-city-29290977

Think if it came down to a choice between Erol Bulut and Mehmet Dalman, Paul Abbandonato would opt for the latter every time. People who hold similar opinions of our manager to us appear to be in the minority when it comes to the club’s fan base, but it’s noticeable how many Bulut supporters opt to qualify that support with something about how there should be a switch to a more enterprising and entertaining approach in the coming season.

I’d be pleasantly surprised if they get their wish because I see nothing in Bulut’s managerial career so far to suggest that his default tactical approach is dissimilar to what we saw last season. I’ve mentioned before on here that Mehmet Dalman was saying Bulut finds a way to win the sort of games we were losing in 22/23. I’d say that was true to some extent in 23/24 and it ties in with Wayne Rooney saying that Cardiff manage to stay in games where they’re second best and then nick a goal from a set piece.

While this is clearly not a bad thing and it was how we managed to attain some of those nineteen wins, for me, it hints at an inferiority complex which sees us play cautiously from the off at home to lowly teams. Paul Abbandonato is right to highlight that I feel and, as I said earlier, I reckon most supporters would agree with him - I think when the likes of you and I moan about the lack of entertainment in our games, more City fans agree with us than we may think, but they look at a finishing position of twelfth compared to twenty first and figure that it’s a price worth paying for now at least.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

Think if it came down to a choice between Erol Bulut and Mehmet Dalman, Paul Abbandonato would opt for the latter every time. People who hold similar opinions of our manager to us appear to be in the minority when it comes to the club’s fan base, but it’s noticeable how many Bulut supporters opt to qualify that support with something about how there should be a switch to a more enterprising and entertaining approach in the coming season.

I’d be pleasantly surprised if they get their wish because I see nothing in Bulut’s managerial career so far to suggest that his default tactical approach is dissimilar to what we saw last season. I’ve mentioned before on here that Mehmet Dalman was saying Bulut finds a way to win the sort of games we were losing in 22/23. I’d say that was true to some extent in 23/24 and it ties in with Wayne Rooney saying that Cardiff manage to stay in games where they’re second best and then nick a goal from a set piece.

While this is clearly not a bad thing and it was how we managed to attain some of those nineteen wins, for me, it hints at an inferiority complex which sees us play cautiously from the off at home to lowly teams. Paul Abbandonato is right to highlight that I feel and, as I said earlier, I reckon most supporters would agree with him - I think when the likes of you and I moan about the lack of entertainment in our games, more City fans agree with us than we may think, but they look at a finishing position of twelfth compared to twenty first and figure that it’s a price worth paying for now at least.

A fair assessment from you and Abbandanato, we do stay in games and are hard to beat, and I'd like to see us play more attacking and on the front foot, especially at home.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

I’d be pleasantly surprised if they get their wish because I see nothing in Bulut’s managerial career so far to suggest that his default tactical approach is dissimilar to what we saw last season

When Jose Mourinho was appointed, a Fenerbahce fan referred to him as the Portuguese Erol Bulut (minus the success!). He absolutely isn’t going to change.

[Moodybluebird]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

When Jose Mourinho was appointed, a Fenerbahce fan referred to him as the Portuguese Erol Bulut (minus the success!). He absolutely isn’t going to change.

That being the case he will have to improve our league position significantly next season to offset the "turgid and lacklustre" performances. Even then he may come under fire unless he bags a play-off place.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

That being the case he will have to improve our league position significantly next season to offset the "turgid and lacklustre" performances. Even then he may come under fire unless he bags a play-off place.

I think we will do better, he knows the league better, knows the team and the players, and what we lacked, I'm fairly optimistic for a better season all around.

A fit Ramsey, O'Dowda and the Colwills and other young players to bring in, we should all be a bit more optimistic, at this stage.

[2b2bdoo]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

In his walesonline article a couple of days ago (which I’ve only got around to reading properly this afternoon), Erol Bulut’s cheerleader-in-chief Paul Abbandonato wrote the following:

“The concerns from Vincent Tan were understandable. Frankly, some of the football produced from November onwards last season was amongst the most defensive, turgid and lacklustre many Cardiff fans have seen.

“Tan and Dalman have chosen to stick by him and it is up to Bulut to release the handbrake, stop playing so defensively, and give Cardiff fans the more adventurous, exciting football they want to see.

“When the Bluebirds are playing at home against bottom-half sides in the new season, there is absolutely no need to keep picking two holding midfield players and in effect have seven defence-minded players in the side, plus wingers who spend half the game backtracking to help out.

“When they meet one of the more fancied teams at Cardiff City Stadium, there must be no repeat of the 11 men behind the ball, tickle-our-tummies approach which we saw against the likes of Leeds and Leicester in the Welsh capital.

“The fans would much rather witness again what happened in the last half hour versus a Southampton side which went up. Go for the jugular, have a pop, throw men forward, play in the final third, rather than defend, defend, defend.

“That Rubin Colwill-inspired 30 minutes only happened because Cardiff were a goal down and, hampered by injuries, Bulut was forced to throw on the young guns. The teens and early twenty-somethings re-energised everybody, including their own more experienced team-mates, with their no-fear approach. Cardiff won 2-1. That’s what it needs to be like moving forward, particularly at home. End this negative cycle of defensive football and defeat.

“Of course, Bulut will want a defensive foundation around which everything is built, but it doesn’t need to be anywhere near as negative as we’ve witnessed in recent times.”

As far as I’m concerned, all of those observations are valid. However, they do make me wonder why Abbandonato was seemingly so desperate to see Bulut retained as the City manager considering he readily acknowledges the football during the last six months of the 2023/24 campaign was turgid, negative, defensive and lacklustre.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-city-29290977

He’s been consistently knocking Bulut for most of the season on X, in some cases quite harshly sometimes fairly.

He’s never come across as a Bulut fan at all which surprises me when his articles show even a small amount of support.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

we do stay in games and are hard to beat

Yet only Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday lost more games than us last season. Only Rotherham lost more games by 2 or more goals than us, while only Ipswich and (bizarrely) Huddersfield lost fewer games by a single goal.

To suggest we were hard to beat last season is a load of absolute nonsense. We were one of the easiest sides to beat in the division and one of the easiest sides to beat by more than a single goal.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

Yet only Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday lost more games than us last season. Only Rotherham lost more games by 2 or more goals than us, while only Ipswich and (bizarrely) Huddersfield lost fewer games by a single goal.

To suggest we were hard to beat last season is a load of absolute nonsense. We were one of the easiest sides to beat in the division and one of the easiest sides to beat by more than a single goal.

Ha ha Mr Miserable Grumpy Negative has woken from his afternoon nap, desperate to find fault in every post I make, it took you long enough

Unlike you when I make a mistake, in this case, rushed and use the wrong wording, I don't double down and repeat a load of sh!t for 30 replies, I acknowledge it like a grown-up and move on.

Correction we can be difficult to beat in many games and have a way of bringing out wins in others, and finished in the top half when Mr Miserable thought we would finish in the bottom eight

And he's still pretty p!ssy about it

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

Ha ha Mr Miserable Grumpy Negative has woken from his afternoon nap, desperate to find fault in every post I make, it took you long enough

Unlike you when I make a mistake, in this case, rushed and use the wrong wording, I don't double down and repeat a load of sh!t for 30 replies, I acknowledge it like a grown-up and move on.

Correction we can be difficult to beat in many games and have a way of bringing out wins in others, and finished in the top half when Mr Miserable thought we would finish in the bottom eight

And he's still pretty p!ssy about it

You're being a right dickhead now.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

You're being a right dickhead now.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

Tonight's Cardiff City news as Bluebirds 'hold the aces' in transfer scramble and Colwill's spark back after 'hard time'

Derby County hero: Cardiff hold all the aces in Ebou chase

Colwill reveals spark that reignited him after 'hard time'

Cardiff among clubs battling with EFL over spending rules

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tonights-cardiff-city-news-bluebirds-29306081?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=communities

[Dave Blue]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

Remarkable that it has taken until June to print some truth.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Interesting comments from Paul Abbandonato

He’s been consistently knocking Bulut for most of the season on X, in some cases quite harshly sometimes fairly.

He’s never come across as a Bulut fan at all which surprises me when his articles show even a small amount of support.

That’s interesting. I don’t use Twitter, never have, I don’t have an account so I don’t see what he writes on there. But his opinion pieces on walesonline have been very pro-Bulut in recent months to the point of being cringeworthy on occasions.

In my opinion, we’re in a strange situation now because, for no apparent reason, a lot of people seem to genuinely believe Bulut’s tactics are going to become more positive and the quality of the football is going to improve significantly. If that doesn’t happen (and I’ll be very surprised if it does), the reaction will be interesting.