3-4-3 / 3-4-1-2

[Rjk]

If you had to stick with this formation, with 3 at the back, attacking wing backs etc - what would be your ideal Cardiff team using only players from the last 20 years, (at their peak for us)?

[dembethewarrior]

Alexander

Loovens
Hudson
Bamba

Giles
Whitts
Koumas
McNaughton

Rambo

Chopra
Bothroyd

[Rjk]

Alexander

Loovens
Hudson
Bamba

Giles
Whitts
Koumas
McNaughton

Rambo

Chopra
Bothroyd

interesting.
it's a tricky one, as some decent players are going to miss out.

I hate McNaughton as a wing back though, and a whitts and koumas midfield duo would be great with the ball but terrible without it

[Rjk]

mine would be

Marshall

McNaughton Gabbidon Connolly

Ramsey Medel Kavanagh Giles

Whitts

Bothroyd Moore


Ramsey at wingback is a bit of a stretch, but I was struggling for options there, and he did play at right back for us.

Twin towers up top for Ramsey and Giles to aim crosses at.

breaks my heart not to have mcphail in there, he'd be on the bench

[the other bob wilson]

Some left field selections here which need the players concerned to be at their very best to merit inclusion;-

Marshall

Blake
Gabbidon
Vidmar

Giles
Ramsey
McPhail
Ledley

Whitts

Bothroyd
Bellamy

[Rjk]

Some left field selections here which need the players concerned to be at their very best to merit inclusion;-

Marshall

Blake
Gabbidon
Vidmar

Giles
Ramsey
McPhail
Ledley

Whitts

Bothroyd
Bellamy

I get Blake in the back 3, that could have been his thing

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

In that sort of formation you need a ball winner and dirty dog

Boland or Bonner

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I get Blake in the back 3, that could have been his thing

Darcy or Nathan ?

[Rjk]

Darcy or Nathan ?

I'm assuming Darcy

[the other bob wilson]

I'm assuming Darcy

You assume right, Nathan would be interesting in that position, but you only have to listen to his podcast to realise he probably wouldn’t have bothered to turn up if he was picked to play at the back - he’s from a different generation anyway.

Right wing back isa bugger to fill. Apart from Giles, I don’t think we have anyone from the time you talk of who could be called a proven performer at wing back and I don’t like playing him on the right, but no one else sprang to mind for me - think a young Ledley would have made a decent wing back though.

[Rjk]

You assume right, Nathan would be interesting in that position, but you only have to listen to his podcast to realise he probably wouldn’t have bothered to turn up if he was picked to play at the back - he’s from a different generation anyway.

Right wing back isa bugger to fill. Apart from Giles, I don’t think we have anyone from the time you talk of who could be called a proven performer at wing back and I don’t like playing him on the right, but no one else sprang to mind for me - think a young Ledley would have made a decent wing back though.

yeah I struggled with RWB. personally I would go for a winger who can defend a bit rather than a defender who can attack a bit

[fugsyphil]

At their peak you have to play Robbie Fowler, Bellamy, Trevor Sinclair and Jimmy Floyd or are we only counting peak whilst at cardiff

[jon1959]

Marshall

Hudson
Medel
Gabbidon

Ramsey
Gunnarsson
McPhail
Ledley

Whitts

Bellamy
Bothroyd

[dembethewarrior]

interesting.
it's a tricky one, as some decent players are going to miss out.

I hate McNaughton as a wing back though, and a whitts and koumas midfield duo would be great with the ball but terrible without it

Super Kev is not a wing back I agree but I'm not thinking of many we've had that could play rwb, my memory is shit as well.

Swap Rambo and Koumas, I dunno, I just wanted them 3 in the team as they're my 3 favourite midfielders I suppose I could slot Kav in there but now you're asking me to take one out and I don't want to.

I just did it for a bit of fun tbh didn't really think of how it would all work in a game situation

[the other bob wilson]

To be fair, I picked Vidmar based on what he did for Rangers, so my selection is a bit hypocritical, because players like Fowler and Hasselbaink didn’t even enter my mind - think Sinclair could have been a good right wing back.

[Citizen's Nephew]

To be fair, I picked Vidmar based on what he did for Rangers, so my selection is a bit hypocritical, because players like Fowler and Hasselbaink didn’t even enter my mind - think Sinclair could have been a good right wing back.

If we're going for 'could have been' - what about Noone? Genuine question, why does Giles get into most of these sides? What am I not seeing when you consider the other players we've had over the last 20 who have proven themselves?

[Rjk]

If we're going for 'could have been' - what about Noone? Genuine question, why does Giles get into most of these sides? What am I not seeing when you consider the other players we've had over the last 20 who have proven themselves?

0.5 assists per 90 minutes so far
40% of all assists in this team this season.

[Citizen's Nephew]

0.5 assists per 90 minutes so far
40% of all assists in this team this season.

OK, I get that, but there are other players over the last 20 years who surely would be better if slotted into that role? For me, Giles is the best of a bad bunch this season. He'd definitely not be in my all-time starting 11 even at those formations. He's a noob!

[Rjk]

0.5 assists per 90 minutes so far
40% of all assists in this team this season.

but most of all there aren't too many other good candidates.
a young Joe Ledley is a good call.
Declan John seems like he might have been a better wing back than a full back or winger, bit probably not as effective as Giles has been.
Joe Bennett was good there as well. Probably a decent case for famous diarist Mark Kennedy as well

[Citizen's Nephew]

but most of all there aren't too many other good candidates.
a young Joe Ledley is a good call.
Declan John seems like he might have been a better wing back than a full back or winger, bit probably not as effective as Giles has been.
Joe Bennett was good there as well. Probably a decent case for famous diarist Mark Kennedy as well

We just cross-posted!

[the other bob wilson]

but most of all there aren't too many other good candidates.
a young Joe Ledley is a good call.
Declan John seems like he might have been a better wing back than a full back or winger, bit probably not as effective as Giles has been.
Joe Bennett was good there as well. Probably a decent case for famous diarist Mark Kennedy as well

All left sided though, strange how we struggle to find good right backs as well as right wing backs.

[the other bob wilson]

If we're going for 'could have been' - what about Noone? Genuine question, why does Giles get into most of these sides? What am I not seeing when you consider the other players we've had over the last 20 who have proven themselves?

We haven’t got a great deal of candidates though have we when it comes to natural wing backs because we barely ever played with them until 2021. I can remember Joe Bennett playing there at Huddersfield a few years back and scoring twice and he also scored the winner at Rotherham in the snow last season, I think he could have had a good career playing there, but he was a full back first and foremost. I can’t think of anyone I’ve seen in the timescale Rjk talked about who could be described as a natural wing back, but Giles seems to be one - he looks more at home there than where McCarthy was using him.

[Citizen's Nephew]

We haven’t got a great deal of candidates though have we when it comes to natural wing backs because we barely ever played with them until 2021. I can remember Joe Bennett playing there at Huddersfield a few years back and scoring twice and he also scored the winner at Rotherham in the snow last season, I think he could have had a good career playing there, but he was a full back first and foremost. I can’t think of anyone I’ve seen in the timescale Rjk talked about who could be described as a natural wing back, but Giles seems to be one - he looks more at home there than where McCarthy was using him.

You're right. I remember that Bennett game when he scored two. There was a lot of discussion at the time about the WB role and the way forward.

[Citizen's Nephew]

You're right. I remember that Bennett game when he scored two. There was a lot of discussion at the time about the WB role and the way forward.

Just realised I whooshed myself with an unintentional pun.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

RWB - Just getting in under the 20 year wire: Disco Des! Although I think he was only RWB at Newcastle. Or Jordi Osei-Tutu, although that's based on about 40 minutes of action.