Cardiff game

Hi guys - game coming up - welcome to the newly expanded CCS this Saturday to those making the trip across.

I see both Pilks and Hoolahan sat it out on the subs bench this week during the ROI win.

Hoolahan still buzzing around with you over there, but Pilks now with us and getting back to match fitness. Who do you think could have the biggest influence on the game when these two international teammates face each other in the league this weekend?

Always thought Hoolihan is the type of player we've lacked for a while. Pilks hasn't set the world alight across here since he arrived, but true to say that none of our guys in front of our back 4 has blitzed it so far - that's with the exception of our Kenwyne. Big guy up front who's found his fitness and form this season after a turgid strat with us last January.

Grabban was a target for us before you snaffled him, and I must say he worries me. Anyone else we should look out for?

 

Hoolahan can occasionally play very well but I personally think he's past it now. Pilkington, with the future in mind, is probably the better player to have but he has always had problems with fitness so it's hard to tell whether he'll have a good season or not. He would typically have a very good first 45 at Norwich then completely fade away in the second half. Both can be game changers on Saturday but it's hard to predict if either will; both players are inconsistent (in my view, Hoolahan is inconsistent at best these days).

Grabban's made a very good start, though a lot on here think he should've scored more. I think five in five is absolutely fantastic, considering how dreadful we were at scoring goals last year. Johnson and Tettey, our two CDMs, have probably been two of our best performers so far this year - the only two other players to have scored in the league other than Grabban so far as well.

 

Pilks is a match winner when he's on his game. Injuries have hampered him hugely here and at times he can be completely anonymous but when he's playing to his potential, he is Premier League quality.

Wes is a frustrating genius. He's always looking for a way to unlock the door and he tends to be about 2 passes ahead of everyone else, but he'll also walk himself down blind alleys and can lose the ball in some inopportune moments. I'm hoping he'll get back to his pre-Hughton form this season.

I think We (Cardiff and Norwich) have the best 2 squads in this league, it'll be interesting to see how 2 quite young managers do with clearly the best squads. Adams has done a lot of good things so far, the Wolves game was a bit of a mess but since then he's improved our attacking play and made us very solid in defence. I'm still yet to be convinced by OGS, I obviously only have an out side perspective on what's happening down your way but I didn't see much from him at the end of last season that suggested he'd be setting the world alight.

 

Hoolahan came on just before the 2nd goal for ROI...

 

Watched that match - must have missed him coming on?

 

I didn't watch the game, but I don't think he did come on.

'@NorwichCityFC · 23h

Wes Hoolahan was an unused substitute for @FAIreland as they beat Georgia 2-1 in their #EURO2016 qualifier. #NCFC'

 

Must agree with you about Ole. Along with those he inherited, he's assembled probably the best squad in the Championship but doesn't seem to know his best 11 yet. Far too much chopping and changing for the sake of it (so it seems anyway) leads to unsettling the side and supporters alike.

Despite the depature last week of captain Mark Hudson because of the addition of two CBs in Morrison and Manga, it still means he has no less than 29 players in his first team squad - that's just bloody ridiculous.

If he gets it right - and he hasn't just yet - I doubt there would be any problem at all in achieveing a top 6 slot, and auto promo should be well within our grasp.

I've watched a couple of your games this season and I've quite liked what I've seen, particulary at Ipswich. I've no reason other than to think we'll really need to take all the points off you at our place, and maybe share them at yours to finish ahead of you. How the hell we beat you at the CCS last season God only knows, but we should be in far better shape this time around - I said should be.

......and the last couple of posters are correct - both Hoolahan and Pilks did sit it out.

 

That must have been Saturdays game

 

Squad depth is going to be crazy important this season. We have huge depth at the moment, I think we have 30 players available, a few being youth products such as the Murphy twins and a couple of CBs but for the most part we have 2 fairly experienced senior players for every position on the pitch. We were discussing on here the other day that we could field 2 entire teams that should both be able to challenge for automatic promotion and that's great.

I think what Adams has done well in these opening games is sticking with a team that got the win against Watford. While I personally think the formation should be changed for the game against you guys, that consistency has helped and with Grabban on such hot form we have gotten through the sticking opening games.

However, there is definitely room for improvement. We don't need any massive over hauls but I think if Adam's tinkers with the front line we could put 3 goals past almost any team in this division.

 

More than any other side, I think Norwich and Cardiff have far and away the best squad depth in the league. Some teams will be able to rival us on the day, but I don't expect many other teams to be able to sustain a strong campaign over the course of the season.

 

Agree with this and I feel we have sufficient cover in case of injuries and considering the extra games we have to play.

 

Man-for-man I honestly think we have a significantly better team, though I agree it's probably clash of the two best on-paper teams in the league. The only Cardiff player who would definitely get in our starting line-up is Whittingham. Other than that, I've not seen anything of Manga, but he sounds like he may well be class so he'd probably get in. I think Sean Morrison is good and Dikgacoi is alright too, but I'm not sure they'd displace Turner or Johnson/Tettey. Pretty sure they wouldn't. Marshall is obviously the big one, and it's a tight call with Ruddy. The only other player I like is Adam Le Fondre, but I don't see him getting ahead of Lafferty, or Redmond.

Probably evens on novice managers, both have a lot to prove yet, so I'm not sure we can say anything there.

I'd say Cardiff are looking slightly more coherent and in better form as a team, though, and that's what counts, not the marginal differences in level of players. Added to being at home and having the better of us at recent encounters, I'd say Cardiff will probably just edge Saturday or it will be a nervy draw if we play well.

 

Jon Parkin scored one of the finest goals in Cardiff City's history a few seasons ago at Carrow Road. Only thing he ever did too! Have to say Norwich have the nicest colours in the league in my humble, but perhaps I shouldn't mention colours eh?
Predict a hard fought win for us on Saturday, maybe another 2-1!

 

Rob - if you'd only take Whitts from our side, you obviously haven't seen him play to any extent so far this season. Apart from his wonder strike against Huddersfield, he's not produced it at all and in the opinion of many, should be dropped.

In a similar vein, I've always rated Hoolahan. I think he'd do the biz for for us right now that Whitts is actually not doing.

There again, it's all about opinions and it's interesting to have a take on a player from the opposition's point of view rather than the more local stuff we're used to.

I can also understand and accept a certain amount of club bias in saying that virtually no one from an opposition side would get into a supporter's team. That being the case, I think you'd find a pretty healthy mix of both squads is any combined side of both our clubs.

Never going to happen though is it - the best we can hope for on our part is that Ole gets it right at our end to the extent that we possess enough to see you off.

 

All the best to the travelling fans safe trip across!

I genuinely think Norwich will be one of the teams to beat this season, but I hope we are also. Our boys will need to be on their A game for this one imo

 

Fair enough, you're right I haven't seen Whittingham since last season and he does sound like he's gone off the boil. Other than Marshall and, perhaps, Manga who is an unknown for both our teams, I really don't see how any other Cardiff first team player would be ahead of any Norwich player in a like-for-like situation. The only even remotely objective measure, player values on, e.g., transfermarkt, would reinforce that point.

What I was trying to say though, is that despite the on-paper marginal superiority, we are not playing fluidly or coherently yet (if ever) and I don't think we are playing as much as a team as Cardiff (admittedly based on limited highlights and match reports). It's not clear if we have a totally balanced team. And that's really what's important in football. QPR had, player by player, easily the best squad last season (by a margin greater than ours) and only just scraped through.

 

Rob - if you think you're not playing "fluidly or coherently yet", I'm glad you haven't seen us mate - you'd have topped yourself by now.

We are a side waiting for a solution. A selection of talented individuals who have yet to be given a positive identity by Ole.

He needs to get it together with the right combo from the players he has available PDQ. Fitting players into a system that doesn't suit their talents is costing us big time.

 

Interesting - well that's a positive from our POV then!

Sounds like neither team are the finished article by a long way, then. We are in a very similar situation with both managers still learning the ropes, making mistakes. Should be very interesting. The pessimist in me still thinks home advantage will more likely tell, but I will be very surprised if it's not a very tight game.

 

I actually think being away will play into our hands a little more. Cardiff are going to be expected to come out and have a go, and with our pace and slightly more counter attacking style, we may get a lot of joy. There wont be many teams expected to peg us back this season so it'll be an interesting test for Adams. I hope he gets the boys well up for it.

 

Look guys - here's the lowdown.

Well we've not conceded more than the single goal in any of our first five games, but on the other hand have only had the one clean sheet at home to Wigan.

On that basis, it wouldn't surprise me at all if you get the ball past Marshie - it's just a question of how we do the other end. This was supposed to be Ole's attacking, exciting new team stuffed full of potential goal scorers to turn around last season's dour stuff under Malky.

We were to get attacking flair prompted by an array of midfield talent assembled to supply the need. Midfield combos sourced from the likes of Whitts, Daehli, Dikgacoi, Adeyemi, Kimbo, Burgstaller, Eikrem, Gunnarson, Noone, Pilkington, Ralls etc etc were going to deal the cards.

Rather than cunning poker ploys, what we've actually seen to date are like games of snap played by someone with a stutter. We're second to everything and it's got to change.

Control of the middle of the park is vital if the likes of Le Fondre, Maynard, Guerra and Macheda are going to produce the goods. Kenwyne can do it it on his own, but even he needs the ball. I know it's often said on the forums, but if and when Ole does get the mix right, someone is going to get a pasting .

No offence, but hope it starts on Saturday - although I'd take a scraped 1-0 or 2-1 with a peno to win it right now.