Why we’re going down?

Been watching a few different podcasts lately where the presenters are revisiting their pre season predictions and making kind of half term reports on each team and all but one of them now have us going down. I’d not been too bothered by this until I listened to one half an hour ago who put forward an argument that I find very hard to argue with.

He started by going back a year to halfway through last season when he said that Birmingham were about twentieth at the time and then through the rest of the season they picked up enough points to see them end up seventeenth or eighteenth usually. He used this information to back his argument that, even at the bottom of the Championship, sides are much better organized when it comes to things like recruitment of players and managers that it’s no longer solely about what you do, you have to be aware that the teams around you are better than you’d expect and so are capable of beating good sides on their day.

He then said that, by contrast, Cardiff have stood still or worse, whereas standards, even in the lower reaches of the division have improved.

I watch us play lately and get more optimistic, but for weeks now I’ve been struggling to come up with three teams worse than us - we need seven or eight more wins I reckon in twenty one matches, but, in twenty five so far, we’ve won just twenty per cent of them.

"Cardiff have stood still or worse, whereas standards, even in the lower reaches of the division have improved"
Can't argue with that.

We are also well into the window and 2 big home matches coming up and no squad improvement.

We need minimum 4 points from these 2 games and ideally 6.

We have to compete with a Plymouth side who's new manager met his squad today.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Miron Muslic&#39;s first words to the squad �� <a href="https://t.co/tcrV5HTFLO">pic.twitter.com/tcrV5HTFLO</a></p>&mdash; Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Argyle/status/1878776080363831330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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Originally Posted by Michael Morris

We have to compete with a Plymouth side who's new manager met his squad today.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Miron Muslic's first words to the squad �� <a href="https://t.co/tcrV5HTFLO">pic.twitter.com/tcrV5HTFLO</a></p>— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Argyle/status/1878776080363831330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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****ing love that, hard work, hard work, hard work, no hiding..... And his English...wow! On the other hand, he might be full of shit, but i love it all the same. Thanks for posting.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

****ing love that, hard work, hard work, hard work, no hiding..... And his English...wow! On the other hand, he might be full of shit, but i love it all the same. Thanks for posting.

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Yeah who knows how he will be.

However plymouth are actively trying to stay in the league. Cardiff? Not so much.

Does anyone think the 3 amigos are suddenly gona stumble on a plan ?

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Originally Posted by insider

Does anyone think the 3 amigos are suddenly gona stumble on a plan ?

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Yup, apparently the three of them are attending some kind of protest march before the game on Saturday.

It’s come to the point that they need to push the boat out and do everything in their power to get the best managrr they possibly can in order to stay up.

Someone should tell them that the tens of millions received through parachute payments is only applicable when relegated from the top to second tier …. In case that is their strategy.

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Originally Posted by Michael Morris

We have to compete with a Plymouth side who's new manager met his squad today.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Miron Muslic's first words to the squad �� <a href="https://t.co/tcrV5HTFLO">pic.twitter.com/tcrV5HTFLO</a></p>— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Argyle/status/1878776080363831330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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He talks fairly positively, but can he back it up, I guess we'll know in a month or two.

Loads of what should be winnable games in the next seven weeks, will determine our fate.

We’ll be fine

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

****ing love that, hard work, hard work, hard work, no hiding..... And his English...wow! On the other hand, he might be full of shit, but i love it all the same. Thanks for posting.

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True Dennis, but as someone in the Twitter comments said:

‘Foreign Accent tax

You say that in a British accent and you sound like David Brent’

Which is exactly what I was thinking!

That said, I wouldn’t fancy addressing any audience in a foreign language :-o

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

True Dennis, but as someone in the Twitter comments said:

‘Foreign Accent tax

You say that in a British accent and you sound like David Brent’

Which is exactly what I was thinking!

That said, I wouldn’t fancy addressing any audience in a foreign language :-o

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Thinking of Ainsworth's talk with the qpr squad accompanied by the Maori guy doing the haka.

Not sure podcasts or forum posts will determine our fate this season.
Probably going to be the performances and results on the pitch.

Our recent performances have shown a bit of steel at the back , lets hope it continues.
Riza may not be a household name, but who is to say a household name would be an improvement.
The football I am watching at the moment is quite enjoyable, particularly away from home. Better than its been for a long long time.

The Plymouth guy has made a rather rousing speech which will lift his players initially. I liked it .How many times will that work if they continue to lose ? Have Plymouth got the quality in their squad to lift themselves out of the bottom three. Its the unknown quantity of football.

Even if we do get relegated , would it really be the worst thing that could happen to the club?
New stadiums... well grounds to visit:-) , hopefully be closer to the top than the bottom ??
Tan leaves .... Be careful what you wish for ...:hehe:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy the Jock

Riza may not be a household name, but who is to say a household name would be an improvement.
The football I am watching at the moment is quite enjoyable, particularly away from home. Better than its been for a long long time.

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Riza is clearly making mistakes but at least the fans can see the process and ideas.

Bulut was stubborn as a mule, so defensive and didn't even push when we went behind. At least we make attacking subs now.

I prefer Riza even with all his faults.

I think the large majority of City fans believe Plymouth are a side we'll finish above, but the impression I get from watching that speech by their new manager and on hearing of some of their work in the transfer market is that they're pulling out all of the stops to try and stay up. Oxford are the same, Hull and Luton moved decisively to bring in new manager in the case of the former and offer the job to the man that they anr in the latter and both seem to be spending big to try and stay up. Portsmouth are staying pretty stable in terms of their manager and January recruitment, but they can point to eye catching recent home form where scoring goals has been no problem.

At City, I've heard we're "relaxed" about the lack of progress with new signings and that was a word I heard a few times about attitudes at the club when we were spending more than two months deciding that we'd give the manager's job to the guy we named as a caretaker boss.

I'm sorry, but when a club with a recent history of relegation struggles which is run by people who've proved over the course of a decade and more that they aren't very good at running football clubs are telling me they're "relaxed" about things, I start to wonder if a " it can't happen to us" mentality has taken hold and I get concerned for that club - especially when it's the one I've supported all of my life.

I was listening to the City phone in last night where they were saying it's looking like we're stuck with Kanga for the season - Hertha saw us com ing a mile off with that one and so we've spent the first sixty per cent or so of this season with just one effective striker at this level and he's got a chronic injury which means he's not available for every match - if we emerge from this season, and the last four years, without being relegated it'll be down to luck more than judgment.

Home form will be the downfall. Plymouth, Portsmouth, Luton, Derby and Hull fans at home generate some hostile, backs to the wall mentalities and can be difficult places to go when it comes to the crunch.

No-one will be worried about coming to Cardiff.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

I think the large majority of City fans believe Plymouth are a side we'll finish above, but the impression I get from watching that speech by their new manager and on hearing of some of their work in the transfer market is that they're pulling out all of the stops to try and stay up. Oxford are the same, Hull and Luton moved decisively to bring in new manager in the case of the former and offer the job to the man that they anr in the latter and both seem to be spending big to try and stay up. Portsmouth are staying pretty stable in terms of their manager and January recruitment, but they can point to eye catching recent home form where scoring goals has been no problem.

At City, I've heard we're "relaxed" about the lack of progress with new signings and that was a word I heard a few times about attitudes at the club when we were spending more than two months deciding that we'd give the manager's job to the guy we named as a caretaker boss.

I'm sorry, but when a club with a recent history of relegation struggles which is run by people who've proved over the course of a decade and more that they aren't very good at running football clubs are telling me they're "relaxed" about things, I start to wonder if a " it can't happen to us" mentality has taken hold and I get concerned for that club - especially when it's the one I've supported all of my life.

I was listening to the City phone in last night where they were saying it's looking like we're stuck with Kanga for the season - Hertha saw us com ing a mile off with that one and so we've spent the first sixty per cent or so of this season with just one effective striker at this level and he's got a chronic injury which means he's not available for every match - if we emerge from this season, and the last four years, without being relegated it'll be down to luck more than judgment.

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We can't get rid of Kanga? 🤦

Feels like we have been sleep walking for a few seasons and now we are just tucked up in bed, face mask on, white noise playing on the headphones.

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Originally Posted by Father Dougal

Yeah who knows how he will be.

However plymouth are actively trying to stay in the league. Cardiff? Not so much.

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don't be daft

Newsletters, Murals, meetings, all very nice. All those sides around us at the bottom of the table who are strengthening their squads to do anything to avoid the drop have obviously got their priorities wrong..

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

We can't get rid of Kanga? ��

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Well. Hertha don’t want him back.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Been watching a few different podcasts lately where the presenters are revisiting their pre season predictions and making kind of half term reports on each team and all but one of them now have us going down. I’d not been too bothered by this until I listened to one half an hour ago who put forward an argument that I find very hard to argue with.

He started by going back a year to halfway through last season when he said that Birmingham were about twentieth at the time and then through the rest of the season they picked up enough points to see them end up seventeenth or eighteenth usually. He used this information to back his argument that, even at the bottom of the Championship, sides are much better organized when it comes to things like recruitment of players and managers that it’s no longer solely about what you do, you have to be aware that the teams around you are better than you’d expect and so are capable of beating good sides on their day.

He then said that, by contrast, Cardiff have stood still or worse, whereas standards, even in the lower reaches of the division have improved.

I watch us play lately and get more optimistic, but for weeks now I’ve been struggling to come up with three teams worse than us - we need seven or eight more wins I reckon in twenty one matches, but, in twenty five so far, we’ve won just twenty per cent of them.

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I’m still seeing some fans say things like “if we can pull 7 points clear we can do this and that”

Seems a belief that things will just get better

He speaks very well, especially as it’s not his native language. Who knows if he’ll be a success but they will also have been boosted by the win over Brentford on Saturday.

We had such an awful start it was always going to be a struggle from then on and we can’t afford any further 5/6 game runs without winning

I thought Oxford and Portsmouth would struggle but Portsmouth have gone very direct, have Colby Bishop back up front and it’s working for them , in their home games at least.

Oxford certainly had the new manager bounce with Gary Rowett, who knows if they can maintain it. We need to keep picking up points and hope we drag a Preston or Derby into trouble

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Well. Hertha don’t want him back.

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Yes I’m guessing he would have been gone by now if we could send him back, we didn’t even play him in the Cup game so it’s not like we kept him just for that game. It looks like we were hoping they would take him back, there’s a reason they don’t have to and now we’re stuck with him and can’t bring in anyone else- but who knows, it’s not as if anyone from the club would communicate with the fans about it

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Originally Posted by Trigger

Thinking of Ainsworth's talk with the qpr squad accompanied by the Maori guy doing the haka.

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Yes! :hehe:

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Well. Hertha don’t want him back.

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Presumably we could still free up a place in the 25 man squad by just leaving him out. We'd still be paying his wages so it would be a waste of money, but it already is!
Or can we sub-loan him to Kortrijk?

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Presumably we could still free up a place in the 25 man squad by just leaving him out. We'd still be paying his wages so it would be a waste of money, but it already is!
Or can we sub-loan him to Kortrijk?

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You’ve done a good job of covering all of the bases there I’d say. That said, I think the possibility of us coming to some sort of agreement whereby Hertha take him back this month cannot be discounted, but, whatever happens it looks like City (Vincent Tan) are going to end up paying most, if not all, of his wages for the rest of the season. This could mean a planned loan signing will have to be shelved, but it’s hard to feel much sympathy for them because it’s a mess of their own making.

Tonight is the ideal time (and match) to show some positive intent. Watford are no great shakes and are eminently beatable. If Cardiff City have any aim to beat the drop and find three teams worse than them, 4 points from this week is an absolute must.

Even if we win all our remaining home games our record at the CCS will look poor BUT we must stop making it a fortress for away teams!

Let's start this evening with a positive attitude and get three valuable points.

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Originally Posted by Grangenders

Home form will be the downfall. Plymouth, Portsmouth, Luton, Derby and Hull fans at home generate some hostile, backs to the wall mentalities and can be difficult places to go when it comes to the crunch.

No-one will be worried about coming to Cardiff.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIIaPrMyLvA

Chilling, I'm surprised they've dropped any points at all

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

You’ve done a good job of covering all of the bases there I’d say. That said, I think the possibility of us coming to some sort of agreement whereby Hertha take him back this month cannot be discounted, but, whatever happens it looks like City (Vincent Tan) are going to end up paying most, if not all, of his wages for the rest of the season. This could mean a planned loan signing will have to be shelved, but it’s hard to feel much sympathy for them because it’s a mess of their own making.

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What sort of fella is Kanga if he his happy to just take the dollar week in week out without doing feck all. What do his team mates think, the ones who are putting in a shift.

Show some ambition kid and have some self respect and earn your next contract. Because when this one ends no one is going to want you.

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Originally Posted by Grangenders

Home form will be the downfall. Plymouth, Portsmouth, Luton, Derby and Hull fans at home generate some hostile, backs to the wall mentalities and can be difficult places to go when it comes to the crunch.

No-one will be worried about coming to Cardiff.

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No-one will be bothered about going to those places, either. Supposedly hostile atmospheres make no difference and can actually work against teams if things aren't going well.

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

True Dennis, but as someone in the Twitter comments said:

‘Foreign Accent tax

You say that in a British accent and you sound like David Brent’

Which is exactly what I was thinking!

That said, I wouldn’t fancy addressing any audience in a foreign language :-o

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He's just a poor Mike Bassett.

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Originally Posted by Michael Morris

What sort of fella is Kanga if he his happy to just take the dollar week in week out without doing feck all. What do his team mates think, the ones who are putting in a shift.

Show some ambition kid and have some self respect and earn your next contract. Because when this one ends no one is going to want you.

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I’ve heard that he’s a really nice bloke who is popular in the dressing room and I’ve been told by someone else with ‘inside info’ that he’s a lazy so and so who won’t be seen near the first team again. I’ve not a clue which version is right, I suppose his alleged laziness could be down to a complete lack of confidence and you wonder if there could bend be an off field reason for his struggles?

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Originally Posted by Michael Morris

What sort of fella is Kanga if he his happy to just take the dollar week in week out without doing feck all. What do his team mates think, the ones who are putting in a shift.

Show some ambition kid and have some self respect and earn your next contract. Because when this one ends no one is going to want you.

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There’s loads of employees throughout every industry who have the same view as Kanga. I’ll bet most of us on here know at least one if they work in a job with a good few employees.

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Originally Posted by insider

Does anyone think the 3 amigos are suddenly gona stumble on a plan ?

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Yeah right more chance of us getting promoted this season than that happening….it matters not though, seems most fans are just happy to stumble along getting nowhere losing millions of pounds of some strange man’s money…..:thumbup:

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Originally Posted by splott parker

There’s loads of employees throughout every industry who have the same view as Kanga. I’ll bet most of us on here know at least one if they work in a job with a good few employees.

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I don’t think 20,000 people give up a day and pay to watch them work though, whilst they earn a small fortune….

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Well. Hertha don’t want him back.

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Article in the Berlin press linking him with a move to Dynamo Zagreb for the rest of the season. Who knows what credibility it has though.

I think we can all lay the blame for the relegation battle which we look like losing squarely at the feet of Vincent Tann and his two business associates Dalman and Choo. Player recruitment in my mind has been nothing short of abysmal. Can't really see any quality players willing to come here and immediately thrown into a dire relegation battle. What a shambles Tann and its all your own doing. Nothing short of disgusting.

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Originally Posted by delmbox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIIaPrMyLvA

Chilling, I'm surprised they've dropped any points at all

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Its like a warm and fluffy Millwall.

Terrifying.