What were our teams when we beat Plymouth and Portsmouth comfortably?

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Didn't Colwill and Tanner combine well?
Rings a bell.
Why can't we go back to those teams and tactics on Saturday?
It was the best football I'd seen us play for many a year.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Didn't Colwill and Tanner combine well?
Rings a bell.
Why can't we go back to those teams and tactics on Saturday?
It was the best football I'd seen us play for many a year.

Against Plymouth:

Marshall; Capaldi Hudson Gerrard Matthews; Whittingham Ledley Rae Burke; Bothroyd Chopra

[Father Dougal]

Didn't Colwill and Tanner combine well?
Rings a bell.
Why can't we go back to those teams and tactics on Saturday?
It was the best football I'd seen us play for many a year.

Perhaps because when teams realised what we were doing it was incredibly easy to stop and the players weren't good enough to react and do anything else?

[North Cardiff Blue]

Didn't Colwill and Tanner combine well?
Rings a bell.
Why can't we go back to those teams and tactics on Saturday?
It was the best football I'd seen us play for many a year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...pjzqt#Line-ups

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...84yyt#Line-ups

Alnwick
Ng Goutas Chambers O'Dowda
Robertson Turnbull
Tanner Colwill El Ghazi
Robinson

Robertson, Turnball, Tanner, Colwill and Robinson were all playing well, so must have the defence, as two clean sheets.

[The Lone Gunman]

Didn't Colwill and Tanner combine well?
Rings a bell.
Why can't we go back to those teams and tactics on Saturday?
It was the best football I'd seen us play for many a year.

It probably helped that we were playing the two sides with the worst away records in the division…

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Granted, but they played some great stuff Dave.
We recently lost to a piss poor Luton, whose away form was dire.

[The Lone Gunman]

Granted, but they played some great stuff Dave.
We recently lost to a piss poor Luton, whose away form was dire.

That game against Portsmouth was a strange one. 2-0 up after 13 minutes thanks a poor own goal and a scrambled effort from a corner. City played well enough in that game to win it but I didn't think we were brilliant. It was just one of those games where we got an early bit of luck, pressed home our advantage and Pompey were unable to recover.

We went into that game against Portsmouth level on points with them - 8 each. The win lifted us to 19th on 11 points. The teams below us at that stage included Millwall, Coventry and QPR.

I'm pretty sure the highest we've been in the table at any stage this season is 17th after the fortunate victory over Norwich on 02/11/2024. After that win were on 15 points, ahead of sides including Sheffield Wednesday, Preston and QPR. But to say we didn't push on from there is an understatement.

In my opinion, people tend to get hung up over the first six terrible games under Bulut (and seven games if you include the 4-1 defeat at Hull under Riza), but the fact is that we'd moved up to 17th by early-November and had a comfortable cushion over the likes of QPR and Pompey in particular. But that wasn't maintained because this team and its manager hasn't been good enough.

[Crisp White Lines]

In my opinion, people tend to get hung up over the first six terrible games under Bulut (and seven games if you include the 4-1 defeat at Hull under Riza), but the fact is that we'd moved up to 17th by early-November and had a comfortable cushion over the likes of QPR and Pompey in particular. But that wasn't maintained because this team and its manager hasn't been good enough.

This is my view too.

Yes, the first six were pathetic, but since then Riza has had ample opportunity (30+ games) to turn it around.

Given we got out of the bottom 6 at least once, there is no excuse for drifting back into the current situation.

[The Lone Gunman]

Given we got out of the bottom 6 at least once, there is no excuse for drifting back into the current situation.

When QPR came here in late-November they were bottom of the table, five points behind City. After 16 games, they'd won just one (City had won four at that stage). QPR looked in major trouble.

They are now 15th on 49 points, seven points clear of City. That's a twelve-point swing.

There are people who will tell you we couldn't possibly have expected to be in a better position under Riza after the poor start under Bulut. But, of course, that's ridiculous.

[North Cardiff Blue]

This is my view too.

Yes, the first six were pathetic, but since then Riza has had ample opportunity (30+ games) to turn it around.

Given we got out of the bottom 6 at least once, there is no excuse for drifting back into the current situation.

And the squad has improved also, we should have been pulling away with Salech's goals, Alves's supply and Mannsverk's hard work.

[Loramski]

Didn't Colwill and Tanner combine well?
Rings a bell.
Why can't we go back to those teams and tactics on Saturday?
It was the best football I'd seen us play for many a year.

It was excellent football, yes. 25 shots in the first game, 24 in the second. That was a season's worth under Bulut.

The Turnbull/Robertson partnership comes up in Riza's press conference for the Stoke game. Funnily enough, he gives a similar answer to the one Father Dougal gave you although he phrases it slightly differently. I guess there'd be a surprise element if he tried it again now but I'm not sure if either of them are fit enough to start even if he's tempted to.

It comes at around 11.00 in Riza's press conference here. (Thanks to TOBW for posting this in the match thread by the way)

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/vide...a-cc2bf408ded3

[North Cardiff Blue]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...pjzqt#Line-ups

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...84yyt#Line-ups

Alnwick
Ng Goutas Chambers O'Dowda
Robertson Turnbull
Tanner Colwill El Ghazi
Robinson

Robertson, Turnball, Tanner, Colwill and Robinson were all playing well, so must have the defence, as two clean sheets.

Riza must have been following this thread—he ended up with Robertson, Turnbull, Tanner, and Colwill. It didn’t work out, some aren’t fit, and they are low on confidence.