Category Archives: Cardiff City
The play-offs have left me in something of a pickle. Which is never somewhere anyone wants to be. Unless you like pickles, you’re Eric or are indeed a pickle. None of which applies to me.
So now I’ve got your attention with such a ridiculous intro, I’ll explain my predicament. Pickle, wisely I thought, evicted there as I didn’t think you’d appreciate the phrase “explain my pickle”. I digress, I’m rooting for Reading in the play-offs. Simple enough, except they have a player who is numero uno in my list of wanted players.
So now you see my pickle. (Sorry.) Continue reading
Leave a comment | tags: Billy Davies, Cardiff City, Carrow Road, Championship, Football, Jimmy Kebe, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Play-offs, Premier League, Reading, Sport, Swansea | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Norwich City, Sport
Well who would have thunk’d it.
They only went and did it. Only departed the Championship with sails set for the Premier League. Thanks, in no small part to Cardiff doing their usual bottle job, again thanks possibly in another small part to a night on the bottle. The City sides of old would have fallen apart at the very thought of being on the brink of “one win and it’s yours”.
The mid-table mediocrity years weren’t half easier on the ticker, but few would swap it back.
But this will come at a cost. Every player and their dog will be listed as a target by the tabloids. Every agent whose fading player wants one last hurrah will be making themselves as prominent as Alan Smith’s ex-girlfriend. (Click that link. I implore you to.) Continue reading
Leave a comment | tags: Aaron Ramsay, Alan Smith, Cardiff City, Championship, Darron Gibson, Football, Football fans, Norwich City, Premier League | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Norwich City, Sport
Forty-odd games and it’s come down to this. A straight shoot-out between us and the pride of Wales. (If the Swans take exception to that, have a quick glance at the table, fellas.)
I don’t think I can take it anymore.
The ball is unquestionably in our court but it won’t be a simple winner as Cardiff are far from down in the tramlines. But by the looks of it, that icy subject of luck is on our side, Jackson’s got the bruise on his stomach to prove it.
The FA are on neither side, although come QPR’s little date with powers that be we may be re-thinking that notion. Certainly, Mr Jones and Mr Warnock, they’re not moving our fixtures to spite you. The Pompey game was moved months ago, around the same time the police decided they couldn’t afford to police on a Good Friday. They are making cuts don’t you know. Continue reading
Leave a comment | tags: Bluebirds, Cardiff City, Championship, Dave Jones, Football, Ipswich, Neil Warnock, Norwich City, Premier League, Simeon Jackson, Sport | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Norwich City, Sport
*Listening to Arcade Fire at Reading*
It’s been a bit quiet around these parts lately. All I can say is I got Tiger Woods’d. He’s put himself in my life, won me over and I can’t stop myself from going back for more. I’m talking Tiger Woods 07 on PS2. Not that.
Yes I’m back on PS2, and what.
Anyway, yesterday was the day clubs are told to save their pocket money until January. Well, supposedly. And the loan window opens again soon for those lucky enough not to be in the Premiership so it’s a bit of a false dawn.
Cardiff and QPR can bring in even more quality players to help decide which of them wins the league and which will come second.
Come on Bellars, we started your career buddy.
My old haunt, Stoke, were the best, and most surprising movers in the window. No doubt everyone who reads this has some disdain for Jermaine Pennant, but he has something to prove in this division. Eidur Gudjohnsen in a Stoke shirt? He may be 31 but he’ll certainly do a job
And Marc Wilson impresses on every outing, getting shot of Lawrence in the process is canny business. At least Tuncay won’t look so out of place now he has people who know how to kick a ball to an appropriate target.
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Leave a comment | tags: Arcade Fire, Cardiff City, Championship, Football, Harry Redknapp, League One, Norwich City, Sport, Spurs, Tottenham, Transfer Deadline Day, Van der Vaart, VDV | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Norwich City, Sport
*Listening to When the Saints go marching in – Louis Armstrong*
There is a cruel reality in football called the Scottish Premier League. Indeed, for a player to move to it and claim it to be a step up can only mean he has been left with no other option. Well unless you had been plying your trade in the Conference or had another day job as a plumber.
So for Cardiff born Joe Ledley to move to Celtic in the summer and claim it to be a move in the right direction tells its own story. On his induction at Parkhead, Joe may as well have begged for mercy in front of the cameras as he rolled out the usual ‘Celtic are a massive club and I get to play in the Champions League‘ lines whilst holding back the harsh reality of the situation.
It can be further compounded by the fact that Joe arrived back at Cardiff Airport, less than a day after being filmed grumpily ambling through Glasgow Airport to take a look around. Not all that impressed then Joe? Ultimately it was a case of ‘Celtic?.. Does anyone else want me? No… I guess it’s Glasgow then…’.
Indeed when it became apparent that he would not remain a Cardiff player after that play-off final defeat to Blackpool (still feels like a dagger to the heart to say that), it all looked so rosy for Ledley. Roma were sniffing around, apparently willing to take a punt, with Premier League Everton and less desirable Stoke City also considering the compensation required to give Joe his chance at the Premiership.
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Leave a comment | tags: Cardiff City, Celtic, Champions League, Championship, Everton, Football, Joe Ledley, League One, Roma, SPL, Sport, Stoke city, TNS, Wales | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Sport
*Listening to Rhett Miller – Question *
Aren’t you glad this season’s over with? Barring the lottery though of course, consisting of Steve’s Cardiff (probably) going up and any one of four from the top please, Rachel – of League One. The general concesus is that this season has been exciting. And it has. Sort of. The same way that Total Wipeout is. Low on quality but some cheap thrills due to the ineptitude of others.
Norwich 1 – 7 Colchester for example.
But it has been a season where Darren Fletcher makes the Team of the Year. Many appreciate him, I am not one I have to add, but few could argue- convincingly- that he is a star. Or anything that resembles a star. I can’t imagine any kids on the playground appreciate being given the name Fletch when playing as Utd.
Wigan have done their bit though, providing us with scores that, in rugby terms if not football, were pretty close. Only an unconverted try and penalty behind Chelsea, fellas. Not many teams can have had their opponents goals scored written out in letters more times than Martinez’s somehow-still-merry men.
They have to be team of the season, and Martinez manager for somehow retaining his job despite these hammerings. This a close run award with Rafa, nearly achieving that impossible Football Manager task of finishing in the bottom half with a top-four club and not getting sacked.
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4 comments | tags: Championship, Cricket, Football, League One, Martinez, Norwich City, T20, Wigan, World Cup | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Norwich City, Sport
*Listening to: Fenech Soler – I Need Love*
I can’t imagine that anyone has got over the midweek Champions League wonder match between Arsenal and a beautiful Barcelona side at the Emirates Stadium, and a first half hour Barca exhibition in particular – if you have you are no football fan I know.
It took just thirty seconds for the Catalan’s to get into their stride, with an instant eye for goal, Barca’s array of attacking brilliance was simply breathtaking. Quick pin point passing combined with technical ability and unquestionable pace ensuring Arsenal looked like talentless schoolboys, shellshocked that someone was dominating them at their own game.
And that is what would have hurt Arsenal the most on Wednesday night, not just the fact they were simply outclassed in all areas of the pitch, but the way Barca did just that. Even the Gunners most highly skilled players like, Fabregas, Arshavin and Nasri looked a cut below at times.
Yet aren’t Arsenal seen as the most enjoyable highly technical team to watch in the Premier League? If that is the case, then the UK elite has quite clearly fallen behind that of the Spanish La Liga. But then again, on
the basis of Wednesday night, no-one could keep with Barcelona.
More impressive to me, is the Catalan’s construction of their side over the past few seasons. There is no big money sheikhs behind Barcelona, looking to buy all the best players in the world (on paper) hoping to throw them all into a team on outrageous wages, looking for it to stick and become the best in the world. It simply does not work – a slight dig at Manchester City and Chelski there (and Real – Ed).
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2 comments | tags: Barcelona, Cardiff City, Champions League, Championship, Fenech Soler, Football, Messi, Ramsey, Xavi | posted in Cardiff City, Football, Sport
