FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

[Woosnam]

Poor management tonight, with the wrong team, many of whom were playing out of position, and wrong tactics.

[bluesp]

7th, at worst 8th after 10 games - anybody not happy with that?

[Michael Morris]

6 games in this block of fixtures.

12 points from those six games is promotion form.

We got 12 points from the first 4 games.

So anything tonight or Saturday is a bonus.

[LA Bluebird]

It's weird how people only complain of tactical blunders when we lose, no city manager has ever made a bad sub when we have won.. Almost seems as though people on here know absolutely nothing about football and just base their opinions on whether we win or lose.. cant be that though.

Agree on Grant though, he looks bereft of confidence going forward. I would imagine the Tanner and Wintle subs are down to minutes.

I think plenty of people on here have been very complimentary of Bulut during the last month and his tactics and the in game changes he's made.

Tonight a win maybe wasn't on the cards but now it's the second time he's replaced Tanner who was our main attacking threat with Ugbo and we've completely lost shape and offered less going forward afterwards, and Adams being on the pitch after half time with two full back options on the bench (even if you think it wasn't a strange decision to even roll the dice and start him there) can only be described as absolutely bizarre.

Doesn't mean anyone has lost faith in Bulut or doesn't think he's the best manager we've had in forever, but we're here to discuss the games.

[Trigger]

Winnable one that, thought they looked a shadow of the team they were second half of last season down here.

Started reasonably enough but they slowly got higher up the pitch and we never quite got momentum back. Looked flat all over, could definitely do with the likes of Bowler and O'Dowda to provide some rotation going forward and O'Dowda LB if needed.

Still we seem good at CCS again so hoping we can bounce back Saturday.

[2b2bdoo]

Frustrating, Adams at right back was odd and not needed, we lost our balance because of it.

We go again, lots of dissapointing performances. Was hoping for a big game from Etete, the service was poor but he needs to do much more.

[D. Advocaat]

Defeats are going to come this season, but Adams at right back was such a big tactical mistake. You would hope Bulut is forced into answering why bench a recognised right back in favour of starting Adams.

Cardiff were constantly under pressure down their right flank. Which forced the most direct attacking threat in Tanner to play more defensively throughout his time on the pitch. Tanner arguably at fault for losing out to Engel which lead to the Boro opener. But that opportunity came from a weak Adams clearance.

Hooking Tanner when a goal down made no sense and the change to Ugbo didn't correct the problem on the pitch which was Adams.

Once he finally addressed the issue the damage was done and Cardiff were forced into chasing the game which always opens up the opportunity to concede on a counter when there is an over commitment up top...

Onto the next one, but this tactical blunder cannot go unnoticed.

P.s. how long until O'Dowda and or Bowler are fit again. Watching Grant continue to struggle and fail to take on his man tonight was hard to watch.

Absolutely right, and disappointing that despite bringing on attacking players to try and get back into the game, we were hanging on at the end with only one team looking like scoring. There was no effective response to going a goal down.

[Moodybluebird]

Most other teams don't win 5 in a row very often either?

That's a very good point. Of course it's disappointing when we lose but some people just can't take defeat and waste no time in castigating the players and the manager despite us winning four in a row, a statistic that seemed highly improbable after the carnage of the previous season.

[Der Kaiser]

Need Collins or at worst O'Dowda back quickly to prevent that defensive lineup seeing the light of day again.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

We should never have let Simpson go.

[superfeathers]

Bulut out

[Dave Blue]

That's a very good point. Of course it's disappointing when we lose but some people just can't take defeat and waste no time in castigating the players and the manager despite us winning four in a row, a statistic that seemed highly improbable after the carnage of the previous season.

All the more surprising that this happened tonight. Not the defeat itself, we are more than used to that, but the manner of it. It was just so feeble.

[Tuerto]

We lost the midfield battle. Boro were much sharper in that department. They got on Siopis early as he's the 'out' ball and they squeezed us well when we were in possession. Bad night.

[AdrianAlston]

I thought Goutas, McGuinness and Alnwick were very good and kept us together.

We are the best we've been for 2 years which is down to Bulut but some of his selections are beyond bizarre as are some of his substitutions.

His use of Colwill is also bizarre.

[Moodybluebird]

All the more surprising that this happened tonight. Not the defeat itself, we are more than used to that, but the manner of it. It was just so feeble.

Players are not robots you know. They don't go into a game with a bad attitude, certainly not with this manager in charge. They've just won the South Wales derby, had an improbable away win against a very good Sunderland team, backed it up with a workmanlike performance against Rotherham but came up short against a rapidly improving Middlesbrough. No excuses, we just got beat and some players under-performed but 16 points from 10 games is a lot better than I was expecting.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

This is football

In a few games players who performed badly tonight will put in a shift and make us think wtf didn't he play like that against Boro ?

It's supposed to make us embrace the wonderful game but it's never made me smile

[ccfcbluebird]

Erol Bulut admitted his Cardiff side were suffering with tiredness but was angered at crucial 'offside' goal

https://nation.cymru/sport/erol-bulu...the-bluebirds/

[bluesp]

Erol Bulut admitted his Cardiff side were suffering with tiredness but was angered at crucial 'offside' goal

https://nation.cymru/sport/erol-bulu...the-bluebirds/

I did think the first looked offside when I saw it live

[Wash DC Blue]

Worst we’ve played this season IMO.
Adams at right back was a very odd choice and it really pegged us back.

Ng has been linking up very well with Tanner so I’d like to have seen Panzo given a go on the left.

Grant was as bad as Adams, don’t think he beat his man once and lost the ball so many times.
Can’t get on his back though as he has contributed a lot over the winning run.

I think Wintle did ok (better than Ralls) but don’t get why he was playing in an advanced role when Colwill or Robinson could have slotted in comfortably.

Then the decision to bring on Ugbo for Tanner?

Ahh well, the team and Bulut deserve praise for the great run that they put together.

Hope we bounce back against Watford, but I fear a shellacking with the players that we have out.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

We're a team/squad made up of virtually free transfers and loan signings, couple with 4 injuries to players who probably would have been on the pitch tonight. Getting a team from being technically relegated to finish mid table in that situation would be nothing short of a football miracle.We're in a false position and so are 'Boro. If we are mid/lower mid table at Christmas that's success in my book.

[the other bob wilson]

We lost the midfield battle. Boro were much sharper in that department. They got on Siopis early as he's the 'out' ball and they squeezed us well when we were in possession. Bad night.

Agreed, with our lack of technique in the middle of the park and our feebleness up front (Tanner’s shot against the post apart), the last hour or so was worryingly like watching us play last season - it was our worst away league performance of the season so far, but we’ve shown we’re better than that in most of our matches, even in defeat at Leicester and Ipswich, we aren’t half getting a lot of injuries lately though.

[olderblue]

Agreed, with our lack of technique in the middle of the park and our feebleness up front (Tanner’s shot against the post apart), the last hour or so was worryingly like watching us play last season - it was our worst away league performance of the season so far, but we’ve shown we’re better than that in most of our matches, even in defeat at Leicester and Ipswich, we aren’t half getting a lot of injuries lately though.

The injuries to key players probably confirmed to Bulut that we need better options, two transfer windows down the line and Bulut will build a much better successful squad than we have now.

He’s done very well with the introduction of a couple of key players, Siopis and Goutas already and I expect more like that will follow.

It’s all ifs and ands but Grant and Tanner efforts go in on another day and it’s a totally different story.

Hopefully soon we’ll have Collins, ODowda and Bowler back in contention and obviously when Rambo is back, game on.

After the results tonight, we could be 7th or 8th in the league.

Who would have thought that after the dross we have been watching over the last few years

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

I've only seen the highlights which obviously don't give you a very good picture of the overall game. I will say though that Tanner was unlucky hitting the post and Grant shot when through on goal when Tanner had 5m of space right in front of goal (accepted that he missed a similar chance recently).

And I'm certain their goal was offside. So, irrespective of how poor we were, we weren't far off getting a result.

Also on a positive note, Bulut suggested Collins isn't far off match ready and Ramsey won't need an op - although he also said they are still awaiting a medical report so I don't know how he knows that.

[John Buchanan]

Please me and you will be rewarded; disappoint me and you will be punished. No, not an extract from 50 Shades, the only way that I can fathom some of Erol's team selections and substitutions. Adams came on and ( I thought) played well on Saturday, so he gets shoehorned into the starting line up, despite having a right back ready to go. Ollie makes a mistake and gets hooked, despite being our main attacking outlet and (I thought) playing very well. Colwill has neither really pleased or displeased his master so remains in no man's land, sometimes on, sometimes off. I like Mr Bulut a lot, but I do think he needs to sort his head out a bit in a couple of areas.

Perversions aside, I thought that, for almost half the game, we controlled things well despite not looking particularly threatening. We have a lot of key players out, it was away to a team that will be challenging for the title. We continue to improve. Heads up, march on.

[WJ99mobile]

That's a very good point. Of course it's disappointing when we lose but some people just can't take defeat and waste no time in castigating the players and the manager despite us winning four in a row, a statistic that seemed highly improbable after the carnage of the previous season.

Probably because the game was there for the taking.

We had a few chances to go 1 up with the Boro crowd on their back.

We could have won that game even playing poorly and my opinion was 3 points dropped