Scouting Report v Cardiff City (H)

REF ROGER EAST
Stephen Daly and Andy Davies
Fourth Official Barry Holderness

Any Cardiff visitors? Who are their danger men?

Cantona's Flying Dropkick said:

REF ROGER EAST
Stephen Daly and Andy Davies
Fourth Official Barry Holderness

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Roger East - Referee profile 2011/2012 - transfermarkt.co.uk

**** Four star testing game

With the fifth best away defence in the Championship, I think Cardiff play in two banks of four (4-4-2) in their international appearances in England (that's if you count Wales as ever being a nation in the first place rather than a collection of primitive=egg-chasing tribes).

Thinking of the back four as a unit they have been together all season and Hudson and McNaughton were regulars from at least the season before. They have looked sound in the matches I have seen Cardiff play this season (West Ham twice and Liverpool)

Gunnarson (long throw-ins) and Whittingham (free kicks) are two good central midfielders (most Championship sides can only name one) and their is Kenny Miller up front. Not sure they have any wingers to worry about unless Liam Lawrence qualifies. And there is Gestede who I am sure I have seen playing wide, unless there is a player with the same name.



Featured Combatants


Alan Navarro (Brighton)

Alan Navarro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peter Whittingham (Cardiff)

Peter Whittingham - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Conclusion: Cardiff are a more difficult proposition away from home and a score draw looks the par result. The problem is with their strong central midfield presence and a back four that have been playing together all season, the Albion have got to be top notch just to get even and the right to play our passing game. On the plus side, Cardiff do not seem have lightning place or disarming creativity, so they might achieve by attrition rather brilliance. Kenny Miller is a goal poacher of quite good skill but I am not so sure about the rest of his play?

Team for Wednesday night?

How to beat them?

Long ball out wide (to the opposite side) as their back four move over. This will be most likely if we win a loose ball in midfield and they do not give away possession all that much. The trouble is if we try these long balls and they go astray the ball is given away so patience is going to be the key. I would not rule out Vicente, Vincelot, Sparrow, Harley, Noone and Kazenga all vying for that last place on the banch.