Significant Stats from a Strange Season

[The Lone Gunman]

Erol Bulut’s Cardiff City side has now gone 30 league games without beating an opponent by two or more goals, and it’s been no less than 31 matches since the Bluebirds last scored three or more goals in a Championship fixture. Those stats are genuinely odd when you consider the team has been sitting in a comfortable mid-table position for almost the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

By contrast, City have been defeated by two or more goals on 12 occasions in the last 30 league games, including by the likes of Swansea, Millwall and Plymouth, while opposition sides have managed to score three or more goals against the Bluebirds on seven occasions during that period.

For context, the only team in the top five divisions of English football who are currently on a longer run of league games without a victory by two or more goals are relegated Rotherham United (32), who sit rock bottom of the Championship.

If my calculations are correct, City’s current run of 30 league matches without a victory by two or more goals is the fourth-longest during a single season in the club’s entire Football League history. The only campaigns in which the Bluebirds had longer runs were:

1) The dreadful 1997/98 season, when a City team managed at various intervals by Russell Osman, Kenny Hibbitt and Frank Burrows finished 21st in the old Third Division (now League Two), having drawn a staggering 23 of their 46 matches. That side played 31 league games without registering a victory by two or more goals before beating Mansfield Town 4-1 in mid-February.

2) The 1961/62 relegation campaign, when a City team managed by Bill Jones dropped into the Second Division after finishing 21st in the top flight. That season included a dismal run of 33 league games without a victory by two or more goals between mid-September and late-April.

3) The woeful 1980/81 season. After beating Orient 4-2 at Ninian Park in late-August, Richie Morgan’s Bluebirds went the rest of the campaign without recording another victory by two or more goals - a club-record run of 38 league games. The side eventually finished 19th in the old Second Division and avoided relegation only by virtue of having a better goal difference than Preston.

As for the current run of 31 league games without scoring three or more goals, I believe that is the joint second-longest sequence in a single season in the club’s history, tied with the 31 games recorded by the 1997/98 side.

The identity of the Cardiff City team that holds the current record of going 32 matches in a single season without scoring three or more goals in a league game is a surprise to say the least. Amazingly, the 2008/09 promotion-chasing City side managed by Dave Jones and featuring the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra failed to score three goals in a game until beating Barnsley 3-1 at Ninian Park in the first week of March. However, the comparison with the current Bluebirds team ends there, as the class of 2008/09 had won 2-0 on six occasions by that stage and hadn’t been beaten by two or more goals by anyone apart from Arsenal in an FA Cup replay.

Plenty of City fans are seemingly incredulous that there are those who would like to see the back of Erol Bulut considering the team’s current position in the Championship, particularly following last season’s struggles, but I think the stats I’ve highlighted above underline the reasoning. In general, the sterile, unadventurous style of football Bulut and his side have favoured for much of this season has been tedious to watch to put it mildly, and I don’t think anyone could realistically argue otherwise. After all, even some of the very worst sides in the club’s long history managed to win the occasional game by two or more goals, or score three goals in a game once in a while.

Whether the manager’s boring football is reason enough to terminate his contract is obviously a matter for debate, but the fact remains that a decision on his future will be made by an old man in Malaysia (if it hasn’t already), and no amount of stats or anything any of us say about Bulut is going to make so much as a scrap of difference to Vincent Tan’s thinking.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Erol Bulut’s Cardiff City side has now gone 30 league games without beating an opponent by two or more goals, and it’s been no less than 31 matches since the Bluebirds last scored three or more goals in a Championship fixture. Those stats are genuinely odd when you consider the team has been sitting in a comfortable mid-table position for almost the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

By contrast, City have been defeated by two or more goals on 12 occasions in the last 30 league games, including by the likes of Swansea, Millwall and Plymouth, while opposition sides have managed to score three or more goals against the Bluebirds on seven occasions during that period.

For context, the only team in the top five divisions of English football who are currently on a longer run of league games without a victory by two or more goals are relegated Rotherham United (32), who sit rock bottom of the Championship.

If my calculations are correct, City’s current run of 30 league matches without a victory by two or more goals is the fourth-longest during a single season in the club’s entire Football League history. The only campaigns in which the Bluebirds had longer runs were:

1) The dreadful 1997/98 season, when a City team managed at various intervals by Russell Osman, Kenny Hibbitt and Frank Burrows finished 21st in the old Third Division (now League Two), having drawn a staggering 23 of their 46 matches. That side played 31 league games without registering a victory by two or more goals before beating Mansfield Town 4-1 in mid-February.

2) The 1961/62 relegation campaign, when a City team managed by Bill Jones dropped into the Second Division after finishing 21st in the top flight. That season included a dismal run of 33 league games without a victory by two or more goals between mid-September and late-April.

3) The woeful 1980/81 season. After beating Orient 4-2 at Ninian Park in late-August, Richie Morgan’s Bluebirds went the rest of the campaign without recording another victory by two or more goals - a club-record run of 38 league games. The side eventually finished 19th in the old Second Division and avoided relegation only by virtue of having a better goal difference than Preston.

As for the current run of 31 league games without scoring three or more goals, I believe that is the joint second-longest sequence in a single season in the club’s history, tied with the 31 games recorded by the 1997/98 side.

The identity of the Cardiff City team that holds the current record of going 32 matches in a single season without scoring three or more goals in a league game is a surprise to say the least. Amazingly, the 2008/09 promotion-chasing City side managed by Dave Jones and featuring the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra failed to score three goals in a game until beating Barnsley 3-1 at Ninian Park in the first week of March. However, the comparison with the current Bluebirds team ends there, as the class of 2008/09 had won 2-0 on six occasions by that stage and hadn’t been beaten by two or more goals by anyone apart from Arsenal in an FA Cup replay.

Plenty of City fans are seemingly incredulous that there are those who would like to see the back of Erol Bulut considering the team’s current position in the Championship, particularly following last season’s struggles, but I think the stats I’ve highlighted above underline the reasoning. In general, the sterile, unadventurous style of football Bulut and his side have favoured for much of this season has been tedious to watch to put it mildly, and I don’t think anyone could realistically argue otherwise. After all, even some of the very worst sides in the club’s long history managed to win the occasional game by two or more goals, or score three goals in a game once in a while.

Whether the manager’s boring football is reason enough to terminate his contract is obviously a matter for debate, but the fact remains that a decision on his future will be made by an old man in Malaysia (if it hasn’t already), and no amount of stats or anything any of us say about Bulut is going to make so much as a scrap of difference to Vincent Tan’s thinking.

Great post! Fab writing. Fab research. Just having a coffee in town and that was a good read. Thanks. 👍

[North Cardiff Blue]

Erol Bulut’s Cardiff City side has now gone 30 league games without beating an opponent by two or more goals, and it’s been no less than 31 matches since the Bluebirds last scored three or more goals in a Championship fixture. Those stats are genuinely odd when you consider the team has been sitting in a comfortable mid-table position for almost the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

By contrast, City have been defeated by two or more goals on 12 occasions in the last 30 league games, including by the likes of Swansea, Millwall and Plymouth, while opposition sides have managed to score three or more goals against the Bluebirds on seven occasions during that period.

For context, the only team in the top five divisions of English football who are currently on a longer run of league games without a victory by two or more goals are relegated Rotherham United (32), who sit rock bottom of the Championship.

If my calculations are correct, City’s current run of 30 league matches without a victory by two or more goals is the fourth-longest during a single season in the club’s entire Football League history. The only campaigns in which the Bluebirds had longer runs were:

1) The dreadful 1997/98 season, when a City team managed at various intervals by Russell Osman, Kenny Hibbitt and Frank Burrows finished 21st in the old Third Division (now League Two), having drawn a staggering 23 of their 46 matches. That side played 31 league games without registering a victory by two or more goals before beating Mansfield Town 4-1 in mid-February.

2) The 1961/62 relegation campaign, when a City team managed by Bill Jones dropped into the Second Division after finishing 21st in the top flight. That season included a dismal run of 33 league games without a victory by two or more goals between mid-September and late-April.

3) The woeful 1980/81 season. After beating Orient 4-2 at Ninian Park in late-August, Richie Morgan’s Bluebirds went the rest of the campaign without recording another victory by two or more goals - a club-record run of 38 league games. The side eventually finished 19th in the old Second Division and avoided relegation only by virtue of having a better goal difference than Preston.

As for the current run of 31 league games without scoring three or more goals, I believe that is the joint second-longest sequence in a single season in the club’s history, tied with the 31 games recorded by the 1997/98 side.

The identity of the Cardiff City team that holds the current record of going 32 matches in a single season without scoring three or more goals in a league game is a surprise to say the least. Amazingly, the 2008/09 promotion-chasing City side managed by Dave Jones and featuring the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra failed to score three goals in a game until beating Barnsley 3-1 at Ninian Park in the first week of March. However, the comparison with the current Bluebirds team ends there, as the class of 2008/09 had won 2-0 on six occasions by that stage and hadn’t been beaten by two or more goals by anyone apart from Arsenal in an FA Cup replay.

Plenty of City fans are seemingly incredulous that there are those who would like to see the back of Erol Bulut considering the team’s current position in the Championship, particularly following last season’s struggles, but I think the stats I’ve highlighted above underline the reasoning. In general, the sterile, unadventurous style of football Bulut and his side have favoured for much of this season has been tedious to watch to put it mildly, and I don’t think anyone could realistically argue otherwise. After all, even some of the very worst sides in the club’s long history managed to win the occasional game by two or more goals, or score three goals in a game once in a while.

Whether the manager’s boring football is reason enough to terminate his contract is obviously a matter for debate, but the fact remains that a decision on his future will be made by an old man in Malaysia (if it hasn’t already), and no amount of stats or anything any of us say about Bulut is going to make so much as a scrap of difference to Vincent Tan’s thinking.

It has been an odd season, but a relief after the last two, it started so well, and then a complete switch of styles.

I think the decision has been made, no one surely would wait until the last day of the season to offer an extension, so it's a no from Tan and he's out!

I did some contracting work for a while and if it wasn't at least renewed two months in advance I took it that they couldn't renew so would like the next one up, Bulut will be in talks elsewhere already.

[The Lone Gunman]

Great post! Fab writing. Fab research. Just having a coffee in town and that was a good read. Thanks. ��

Thank you kindly, much appreciated.

[The Lone Gunman]

It has been an odd season, but a relief after the last two, it started so well, and then a complete switch of styles.

I've seen you mention a complete switch of styles several times. When do you reckon this was? I ask because I never noticed it happening.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

The identity of the Cardiff City team that holds the current record of going 32 matches in a single season without scoring three or more goals in a league game is a surprise to say the least. Amazingly, the 2008/09 promotion-chasing City side managed by Dave Jones and featuring the likes of Jay Bothroyd, Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra failed to score three goals in a game until beating Barnsley 3-1 at Ninian Park in the first week of March. However, the comparison with the current Bluebirds team ends there, as the class of 2008/09 had won 2-0 on six occasions by that stage and hadn’t been beaten by two or more goals by anyone apart from Arsenal in an FA Cup replay.

I knew that was a long run, couldn't remember how long, but 32 games doesn't sound surprising at all. I remember posting about it on here a few times that season, suggesting our inability to score 3 at least once might cost us. We lost out on the playoffs on goals scored in the end.

While not in the same season, our longest run of league games without scoring more than 2 is 40, between Feb 1978 and Feb 1979. I reckon that if Bulut is in charge next season, he'd have the chance to break that record in game 8.

[Blooburd]

I've seen you mention a complete switch of styles several times. When do you reckon this was? I ask because I never noticed it happening.

wasting your time

[The Lone Gunman]

It's now 31 league games without City managing to beat an opponent by two or more goals, 32 games without the side scoring three or more goals in a Championship fixture and yet another defeat by two or more goals.

Relegated Rotherham United remain as the only team in the top five divisions of English football who are currently on a longer run of league games without a victory by two or more goals (it's 33 for them). Third on the list is mighty Morecambe, who are 15th in League Two. They are on a run of 26 games without a victory by two or more goals.

[pipster]

Why does it matter to anyone if we havent managed to score 3 or more goals in a game or have lost by 3 or more ?.

A win is a win - and if we are losing a game I would rather us concede a goal trying to get back in the game than accepting a loss.

Which is why the only stat that matters is average points per game. Us finishing 10th or thereabouts is a good season compared to where we were being touted to finish at the start of the season. If I remember correctly we were predicted to finish in the bottom 6.

[The Lone Gunman]

Why does it matter to anyone if we havent managed to score 3 or more goals in a game or have lost by 3 or more ?

It's a clear indication of the genuine quality of the side and the levels of entertainment it offers to its paying customers.

Plenty of fans were seemingly content to accept the tedious mediocrity provided by Bulut and his players this season. The swathes of empty seats every game suggest plenty were not.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Aside from all the stats being put forward to support both sides of the argument, we should all take note of the fact that Dalman and Choo both seem to think Bulut's the man for the job and should be handed a new contract.

If that's not damning...