Match Day Thread Rotherham United - Away

Game #38 sees our intrepid Bluebirds head off to the New York Stadium for a visit to the Manhattan of the North.... Rotherham.

After a gutsy come back in mid-week at home to promotion chasers West Brom the City face a completely different, though no less difficult challenge with a visit to a fellow struggler that is equally desperate to avoid getting sucked back towards the bottom 3 as our own charges.

The Millers form has been a little patchy in recent games but with 2 wins and a draw in their last 6 we know they'll be no pushovers, especially on a home patch that has seen them lose just 6 of their 18 matches at the New York Stadium.
Their bruising front line of ex-Bluebird Jordan Hugill, Tom Eaves, Connor Washington & Chiedoze Ogbene are sure to give our defensive line a hard time.

Earlier this season at the CCS, City came out on top with a 1-0 win in a very 1 sided game, thanks to Jaden Philogene’s 65th minute winner.

Last season’s corresponding fixture also saw the Bluebirds triumph, this time by a 1-2 scoreline with goals from Ojo and a late Joe Bennett winner, the result coming off the back of a season’s best display in a 2-0 home win v Bristol City.. hopefully there’s some omens in there somewhere!


The Luck O The Irish - Jaden Phil O'Gene pops up with a winner for the Bluebirds.

The Bluebirds are actually in their most successful spell against the Millers, currently being on a 6 game unbeaten run. This run includes their biggest ever win against Rotherham, a 5-0 triumph in 2017. Indeed, it has now been just 1 defeat in 13 matches against the Yorkshiremen stretching all the way back to 1999 (that 1 defeat being a 2-1 loss in 2015).

Away from the results, City legend and current First Team Coach Sol Bamba made his final appearance for the Bluebirds against the Millers in 2021. Sol came off the bench late on, making a triumphant return following a battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Sol would go on to play for one more season, with Middlesbrough, before turning his focus towards coaching and his welcome return to the Bluebirds fold.

Early Bluebirds Team News
It'll be almost a nailed on certainty that Cedric Kipre will return to the heart of the Bluebirds back-line after being ineligible against his current employers in midweek. Although the makeshift back 4 did a very reasonable job v WBA, the prospect of the robust Rotherham front-line will surely ensure a return for the big Ivorian.

Callum Robinson will again miss out through injury, with some doubts even being cast on his availability for the South Wales derby game after the International break.
After struggling to make an impact against the Baggies, it wouldn't be a surprise to see 'Zak Davies again relegated to the bench, but could Kion Etete also join him this time around? That will depend upon the fitess of Connor Wickham one would presume, though after another goal from the bench, and the target to become the top scorer at the club given to him, Sory Kaba must surely make the starting line up once again?
Midfield could well remain as it were, although Ojo may also find his below par mid-week performance count against him.

Prutton & Co Predict
Yet again the anti-Welsh alliance appear to be unconvinced by the Bluebirds recently improved form. Acknowledging the importance of the game for both sides, and giving a nod to the MIllers' 2 defeats on the trot, the pair still want to get splinters in their butts by sitting on the fence and predicting a 1-1.
If that does occur it wouldn't be the worst result for either team but wouldn't be ideal just prior to the enforced break.

The bookies see things going marginally in the Bluebirds favour however;
Home Win 9/5 Draw 21/10 Away Win 8/5

Fun Fact
Whilst Wales and Cardiff in particular may be able to lay claim to having many famous faces emerge from our city, alas we are trumped completely by Rotherham's most famous sons, for the home of the Millers is also the birthplace of the much vaunted Chuckle Brothers!
Let's hope for some comedic defending from them on Saturday afternoon then!!


Rotherham's "top boy" giving it large at the CCS earlier this season on sight of some of CCFC's junior Soul Crew prior to the game. Rumour is he really put the wind up 'em.

Sharing The Love
Quite a comprehensive list was posted on the home game thread so I've been scraping the barrel a bit for this one... with a couple of notable exceptions such as Mozza of course.


So, can we down the Millers and make lite of them? Will we grind them down and score a sackful?? Will our forwards earn their corn by flouring in front of goal???

All I know is, we're off to New York, I'm in the mood for a light, refreshing beer... and so it's up to you Bluebirds, Bloooooooooooooooobirds!!!

 

Another masterpiece. The Miller Lite reference being particularly good.

3 points tomorrow will be very welcome.

 

Phil O’Gene

Another classic Brizzle

 

Excellent as always Brizzle, but you forgot Ronnie Moore. I had the badge 'I saw Ronnie Moore score!' See how his form improved after leaving us;
1979–1980 Cardiff City 56 (6)
1980–1983 Rotherham United 125 (52)

 

Afraid I covered that legend on the home thread BT, even made mention of the badges from memory

 

Talking of which....where is isaw these days????

 

Brilliant Brizzle as always.

With your kind indulgence, I'd like to get in on the New York punnery before quickly retrieving my coat, by asking if the referee will have an Umpire State of Mind.

Think we're going to need to be highly disciplined against a very physical Rotherham. Focus on winning and walk away from trouble. We don't want a plethora of bans as we get to the sharp end of the season.

And one other thing...

Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds

 

From a quick skim, seems he left Hartlepool in 2016 and that's it...

Suppose once you've done Pools there isn't really anywhere else to go is there??

 

Agreed, discipline will be paramount. Fully expect them to be a carbon copy of us under Mr Warnock, in our faces, all the niggly stuff etc.

Absolutely need to keep it tight in my opinion. For me it's more a mustn't lose than a must win.

 

[QUOTE="BrizzleBluebird, post: 16580160, member: 1013632" For me it's more a mustn't lose than a must win.[/QUOTE]


My view also.

 

My view also.[/QUOTE]

I hope we don't go there with that dangerous concept as a tactic or we will lose.

 

You did indeed

 

I hope we don't go there with that dangerous concept as a tactic or we will lose.[/QUOTE]
Agree but overall a draw wouldn’t be a bad result. A big problem this season is failing to turn just a few of those games we’ve lost by a single goal into draws.
It’s also noteworthy that we’ve rarely come back from losing positions to draw (just Burnley & WBA at home) let alone win.

 

If we end up getting a draw then that's fine by me - if we go there with that intention, we'll give them the upper hand from the KO.

They're above us in the table and a draw will keep them there. Go there for all three points to change that.

 

From WoL build up.

3 years ago today.

 

TEAM NEWS
Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Romeo, Ng, Kipre, McGuinness; Philogene, Wintle, Sawyers, O'Dowda; Kaba, Etete.

Subs: Luthra, Sang, Ralls, Rinomhota, Colwill, Ojo, Wickham.

 

5-3-2 / 3-5-2 again I guess?

Probably about as strong a starting 11 as we can field at the moment.

Sawyers had more than 90% passing accuracy in the WBA game, demonstrates how he is starting to pull the strings far better in the midfield now.

 

Guessing Wickham not fully 100% fit yet. I would prefer him to Etete.

 

If he had an extra yard of pace over the ground to match his brain speed, he'd be a Prem player. As it is, him and Philogene could be season savers.

 

Agreed. Odds are we'll need all the muscle we can muster out there today.

Hope Sawyers doesn't shrink out of the game if it gets too physical.