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In the second leg of the Play Off with Reading (Dave Jones' last match in charge), Jay Bothroyd ducked out of a challenge with Reading keeper Federici in which he could have been clattered and a week or so earlier players had been out drinking the night before a very important match. For me, incidents like that went to the heart of why I wanted Dave Jones to go when he did - I loved watching his team's when they were on song and Bothroyd is the best all round centre forward I've seen at the club, but it was a flakey team with flakey players, some of whom had very large egos. One of the reasons Malky Mackay's first is one of my favourite seasons was that there was a reconnection with fans and that we had a group of honest grafters, quite a few of whom could play as well.
You don't recall the feeble football when the Jacks beat us at home? Was it Scunthorpe who we somehow beat but played poorly. For that 4-0 win at Leeds, the season was littered with poor performances. Had we managed half of the performance we gave at Elland road that side would have been champions.
That team didn't go up because they weren't good enough. The football it played was all too often poor as well. I remember long conversations on here about us playing a boring long ball game when we were outnumbered in midfield.
No one is saying it was great every game but as a whole it was still far more entertaining than negative, safety first football. We won twice as many as we lost and regularly scored 2s, 3s, 4s. Plenty of goals from open play, not relying on set pieces.
Yes we could mix it up and go long to Bothroyd, but he was terrific at bringing others into a play. It certainly wasn’t aimless hoofball with no one around an isolated striker like we have seen with Warnock or Slade and Malky for large parts.
Let’s be honest Eric youve always had an axe to grind with Dave Jones for some reason.
The transfer business was awful cos he didn't address obvious holes in the squad. I'm not gonna slag off individuals but it didn't take a football genius to see what needed addressing this summer and Warnock for whatever reason has again looked at players character around the dressing room (maybe!) whilst ignoring whether they could fill the gap that was needed.
You assume incorrectly, as usual. When I said plenty, I was referring to the people I've spoken to either in person or via text since Friday night, the comments I've read on social media feeds from friends who were at the game and the comments of other fans on social media who I don't know personally but were also at the game. Of the many people I know personally who remain active City fans, I've yet to see or hear anything from any of them that suggests they were impressed with their team's performance on Friday night. Indeed, the polar opposite is the case.
I’m totally fine with us playing a chosen brand of football - variation of tactics/styles is a key part of the game, and when we win I tend to gloss over the how, but at the moment because we’re not winning more than 50% of our games it’s particularly tough to watch.
As for a comparisons between our recent managers chosen brand of football, for me Dave Jones is head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of the product on the field and that 4-0 win at Leeds is my favourite ever performance.
I’m sure there were games at the start of our promotion year under Warnock where we played attractive stuff (Leeds at home if I remember correctly) but they’re not indelibly printed in my memory.
I’d love to have seen that Dave Jones team get promotion - but defensively we weren’t good enough. I think if that had been sorted we’d have stayed up comfortably as well
I'm glad I'm not the only one with my opinions. My problem with Jones is that we could play some superb stuff, blow teams off the park, then go for ages looking awful, void of ideas, look clueless and he'd do nothing about it. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he should have got us promoted. We got to a cup final but did poorly in enough games to finish mid table. Missed out on playoffs when we were miles clear. Lost to Blackpool after we had no plan B for an already crocked Bothroyd. Failed to get the best side I've seen in that 2010/11 season promoted. That team should have gone up automatically.
Malky and Warnock got inferior teams to the Premier League. It's fine being able to play some really good football from time to time but we didn't do it enough under Jones. Others are suggesting too that history has tended to be rewritten about Jones and Mackay, so I'm not alone in thinking that. I've never suggested that Jones wasn't a good manager for us. For me he was ultimately a frustrating one. Flat track bullies was a phrase I remember TOBW using. Fantastic when conditions suited us. Struggled if things didn't go to plan and we didn't know how to change things.
I don’t buy into this Malky had an inferior team at all. Warnock yes. Malky, no way. He has plenty to spend in the promotion season. Even the freebies he brought in were obviously signed by us because we were offering the best wages.
He also had the benefit of some of Jones best signings in Whittingham, Marshall and Hudson.
Jones had to wheel and deal far more than Malky ever did.
Also, Jones has a good team in 10/11 but the squad was weak. Koumas had his problems and barely featured and when injuries started racking up we had to make do with loan signings like J Lloyd Samuel and Stephen Bywater.
Finally, no credit is given to Blackpool for that play off win. They were fantastic going forward on the day and were a bloody good side in the 2nd half of that season. Very unlucky not to stay up. Certainly gave it a better go than either of our attempts.
I'm a fan of Cardiff City and I also think we're a dreadful team to watch. It's not upsetting, it's just a shame and I look forward to it changing. I'm not going to stop going because a football day out is a lot more than just the 90 minutes on the pitch, it's about seeing your friends and having a laugh. My advice to you is to stop taking it so personally when someone says that your team isn't perfect
Ah. A good old fashioned 7 pager consisting of 75% waffle and 25% decent reading material.
For what it’s worth, I agree with the OPs summary of Fridays game, and Hartleys opinions on Jones.
I’ve also never encountered a more tunnel visioned happy clapper than dml1954.
If we lost 10-0 at home without a shot on target, he’d find a positive!
We'll agree to disagree on Blackpool. Our tactics that day hindered us by not having a plan B for Bothroyd. In the same way as we'll never know what would have happened against Portsmouth had Ramsey started, we'll never know what would have happened had Jones not thought Kelvin Etuhu was a target man. What is certain is that Etuhu was dreadful in the position he was asked to play.
How many first team players did Jones leave Malky? Imagine had we kept Bothroyd and Chopra (though by the end of that season Chopra was a busted flush).
Anyway, I can't be arsed debating all of this yet again. We have different views. I disagree with yours.
Generally agree.
Ignoring the interlopers, I think everyone needs to accept we are all Bluebirds (to a greater or lesser degree) otherwise why would we even be on here? Critiquing the style of play is not in any way disloyal or traitorous. If there weren't different opinions what would be the point of the board? Mostly, I think folks who express opinions that critique the team are expressing a frustration that we are not better and have a desire for us to be so. There is no malice behind it. The ridiculously silly taunts from certain people about disloyalty are totally misplaced.
For a while now I feel almost as though I'm on auto-pilot when it comes to the City. For the past 3 seasons I have seriously considered not renewing my season ticket but my wife has persuaded me to do so. Make of that what you will . The reasons for my hesitation have been because of the way that the game has changed over the years - not necessarily in what happens on the field but what has happened off it. In particular I find it difficult to reconcile the way that money dominates football with my views on life in general (I won't elaborate). Linked to that are the constant fixture changes. I'm old school Saturday 3pm. I hate to admit it, but the way the way we play becomes largely irrelevant come kick off time. That is hypocritical I know, but winning is what makes me happy on my journey home after the game. Loyalty it is then.