Another day, another name linked

Another name has surface today linked with the Bluebirds according to the South Wales Echo is Steven Reid on loan at QPR from Blackburn. Like Ben Watson who is also linked with City while on loan at QPR but has returned to his parent club Wigan Athletic.

He joining QPR on loan looking for first time football only managed two games and then return to his club Blackburn. He has found his opportunities increasingly limited at Blackburn and on top of that has been subject to a number of injuries. He started his career with Millwall coming through the youth ranks before moving on to Blackburn in a £1.85 million deal.

Reid has won 22 for the Republic of Ireland but this is just another rumour until Cardiff boss Dave Jones announces he is a target.

Live on TV if it is S4C

Cardiff City have sold round 1400 tickets by all reports for the short trip to Bristol City for Saturday's Third Round FA Cup game with the early 12:30pm kick-off. The game is a dreaded ”Bubble” trip meaning fans have to travel on official coaches.

The number of fans travelling have been hit by the game being a “bubble” it's not popular with fans, who likes to be herded around like cattle. If the game was not on TV the allocation would have sold out, “bubble” or not.

Cardiff fans will be able to watch the game live on S4C the Welsh Language channel with English subtitles according to the TV listings, why not English commentary. The game could also be seen live on the FA website over the internet and probably a number of unofficial sites over the internet.

Watson on Dave Jones wants list???

First name out of the trap being linked with the Bluebirds is Wigan Athletic midfielder Ben Watson according to BBC Sports. Watson has been on loan at QPR since August and has been a regular in the starting line-up scoring two goals.

This is not the first time Watson he was linked in the summer when Cardiff boss Dave Jones was rumoured to want to sign him on a season long loan. Cardiff could have a battle on their hands with QPR to wrench him away, he is rumoured to be unsettled with the London club.

The BBC report indicates some contact between the clubs but yet to go into the finer detail, but Cardiff would have to pay half of his wages while Wigan play the other half. Apparently, his wages when he joined Wigan were in the region of £20-25,000-a-week.

According to his boss at Wigan Roberto Martinez he wants to talk to Watson about is future, "We're going to speak with Ben as soon as his loan finishes and we'll decide how he feels about the whole situation.
"We had a few other clubs that approached us with the idea of having Ben.
"The most important thing is to see how he has developed since he has been at QPR and we'll make a decision then."

Midfield crisis at CCS

Cardiff City boss Dave Jones as more midfield problems with reports that Gavin Rae could be out for up to three weeks after he broke a bone in his hand against Peterborough at the weekend. With Riccy Scimeca, retired the perssure is on for Jones to find some new blood for the midfield it is only a few days before the January transfer window opens.

Other midfield problems are Stephen McPhail is out until at least the back end of January hopefully sooner and Joe Ledley is still playing carrying a hip injury, an injury that needs an operation, which could see him out for three months.

Dave Jones is likely to rest players for Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Bristol City to concentrate on the league but that should give some fringe players a chance. That could see Solomon Taiwo and teenager Aaron Wildig who is yet start a game in line for a call-up while Mark Kennedy could figure in Dave Jones plans. Kelvin Etuhu should be in the starting line up as a possible midfield option. Everyone will just have to wait and see what the manager has planned.

Chopra to Newcastle - No way

I have no idea where this story has emerged from but it gave me a laugh this morning. Newcastle manager Chris Hughton is in the market for a new striker as been well known for the last few weeks. His main target being the highly rated Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford who has been linked with a number of clubs.

The Chopra story seems to have come from a few North East papers yesterday in the Newcastle Chronicle they are saying

‘And the Chronicle understands that out-of-favour Cardiff City star Michael Chopra is also being considered for a shock return to Gallowgate’

The South Shields Gazette are also running the story reminding their readers that Alan Shearer was interested to signing Chopra in the summer but all the trouble around will he won’t he be manager left Dave Jones and Cardiff City as front runners. The Gazette reckons it would take a sizeable bid to persuade the Bluebirds to sell.

Chopra as not scored since the end of September after a loan period last season Cardiff stump up four million in the summer to Sunderland on a permanent deal. It a rumour which could die has quick has it came but one thing is for sure Chopra would love to play for Newcastle he is a fan and has said before he would love a chance to play for them.

It would be unlikely Jones and Ridsdale would want to sell unless stupid money was involved early in the season the chairman said Cardiff would properly need to sell a player in January but now City are looking to buy with the early season ticket money. Cardiff are also wait on some more investment for the Far East but it is all gone quiet on that front.

Statement from the Chairman, Statement from the Chairman

Dave Jones is the man who will lead us to the promise land according to a statement on the official website (HERE). Chairman Ridsdale said about the Cardiff manager, "Dave Jones has been a fundamental part of the progress that we have made. He has been our manager for the last four and a half years and remains so. He understands our aspirations and with his management team and players he is committed to deliver."

He has called on everyone at the club to pull together, "The best response from everyone at this club, players and supporters alike, is to stick together and remain clear as to our objectives for the season as a whole." he said.

I am not a fan of Dave Jones as manager but I also not one of those fans who would just sack a manager based on a few embarrassing games but Ridsdale and Jones have said before about players, they only sell if they could bring in better. Well surely that should be the same with the manager, ask me if there was a better manager out there than Jones yes.

The mother of all collapses

Not many fans have watched their team drop a four-goal lead in just over 45 minutes; well that is what the 2000 odd Cardiff fans witness yesterday at Peterborough. I was just glad there was no more time for Peterborough to score any more.

There have been collapses before like you are 2-1 up only for the game to end 3-2 defeat but Monday’s was on a different level. City boss Jones reckons the players were away with the fairies in the second half. Therefore, what was he doing on the touchline to stop the collapses were the players taking his instructions?

With the season tickets sales doing well surely a wander into the transfer market in January is a must, a few old names have been mention as possible targets, but until they walk through the door why plug a rumour unless it is some new names. It would be official suicide after all the talk of the season ticket money going on bring in new blood, if it did not happen. The Cardiff boss said, "I don't know what I've got to spend. I'll sit down with the chairman and see what's there.
"We need to get players in because the players, in the second half, didn't do what we expected of them.
"So if we can change it, then change it because the mentality in the dressing room at the moment was maybe they thought "two bottom teams is going to be easy" and nothing's easy at this level and I've said that many times before.
"But maybe one or two of them just decided that they think it's a bit easy and one or two, if we can do it, we'll change them."
Jones was talking about as many as six new players but would settle for four, while the fans just want to put the fear of god into the players we have.

Jones did look to be overly supportive of Jay Bothroyd after the game, for what he said it looks like he was unhappy with him coming off. He was about the player’s condition, "Don't know, don't know.
"I haven't spoken to him, don't want to speak to him, don't want to speak to any of them at the moment."

It is so depressing sometimes being City fan

I was so confident of a City win today I unpacked myself from my normal position in front of the TV watching Sky Soccer Special and listening to the radio to go and visit my sister. Once there it only took me a few minutes to badger her into turning on Sky Sports News, Cardiff two up, and Joe Ledley getting both, very nice indeed. It was soon Cardiff three up with a goal from Jay Bothroyd his first since the Swansea game and a few minutes later Peter Whittingham added to his tally of twelve goals with his thirteen.

Half-time Cardiff went in 4-0 in the lead I had to stop myself doing a jig around the room, the only thing stopping me was my knackered knee, my naff shoulder and other ailments.

Just before the start of the second half, I was so happy I gave my niece control of the remote control bye; bye to Soccer Special as the tele was turn over to Ant and Dec. I could even stomach these two dickheads with the City hopefully pouring in more goals, up came a ad break so I asked her if she wouldn’t mind switching over quickly to see the score, Peterborough had pull two back it was now 4-2, with 22 minutes left, no need to worry I told everyone.

More Ant and Dec but I was just getting a feeling something was not right, I ordered the TV back to Soccer Special with the final scores in mind and was duly greeted with the smiling face of Tony Cottee at the game reporting for Sky “It’s 4-3 and there are three minutes.” I could have done a Whoops in my pants.

It just had to happen you just knew it was written in stone somewhere ‘Cardiff City must be humiliated’ and two minutes in extra time it happen, Peterborough gone the bloody equaliser. The second time in three days the bottom club in the league has turned City over. One point out of a possible six is enough to make me cry buckets loads.

A round of finger pointing and laughter of my predicament I felt a surge of anger to the manager and the players where is the heart for my club. Most are mercenaries here for a wage even local player’s dream of moving away to so called big club, but would love to stay if Cardiff made the Premiership, there is not very little loyalty out there.

Chairman Peter Ridsdale has one big job to do now buy in some new mercenaries better than the ones we got so what will happen come January will boss Dave Jones still be here to buy, a lot of fans would like him to out but the Board will back him.

Surprisingly Cardiff have moved up to fourth in the table but it is not for the lack of trying to drop down but the loss of five points in the last two games as seen the top three teams start to pull away. The City are now six points behind Nottingham Forest while West Brom and top of the table Newcastle pull further ahead. Cardiff have six teams, maybe more snipping around their heels put pressure on City to get it right on the field.

The next league game is home to Blackpool on the 9th January this Saturday it’s FA Cup time with City making the short trip over the bridge to Bristol where Championship rivals Bristol City await.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Peterborough come back from four down to draw 4-4 with Cardiff (guardian.co.uk)

Cardiff team v Peterborough

Cardiff City boss Dave Jones shouted from the roof tops that changes would be made for this game after the no show against Plymouth, so what did we get?

Marshall
Matthews McNaughton Hudson Gerrard
Rae Whittingham Burke Ledley
McCormack Bothroyd

Substitutes
Enckelman, Gyepes, Quinn, Taiwo, Matthews, Etuhu, Chopra

Two players are dropped from the Plymouth game, Paul Quinn and Michael Chopra with Adam Matthews and Ross McCormack stepping up from the beach. Ringing changes? I am not sure but if thats the best he can do, we do need some new blood. Let's hope this tweak is good enough to win the three points.

Joan Hill, Kumar and suspenders

I enjoyed the piece in the South Wales Echo about Joan Hill the other day, I had wondered what have become of her. She works for today’s opponents Peterborough it nice to see she is still in foorball. She was Chief Executive at Cardiff back in the 90's in change of the day-to-day run of the club to the then chairman Samesh Kumar not a popular figure at the club to say the least.

Samesh Kumar, who moved on to Ninian Park in 1995 from Birmingham City much to the joy of the fans at St Andrews. He soon found it was all nice and pretty on this side of the border, Cardiff fans had high expectation. However, cash shortages and failed buy-out all tied up with bad performances had the fans on the chairmans back. He walked a way for the club in May 1999 after the club had secured promotion from out of Division Three.

One thing that I remember about Joan Hill was when she made the headlines for the wrong reasons. Cardiff were playing Rushden & Diamonds in the FA Cup first round and we had a good 3-1 win but the Sun reporter had others things on his mind. He was more interested in the blonde (Joan Hill) in the stand wearing stockings, not sure how he knew she was wearing stockings but he was a Sun reporter.

Gibson unlikely to join City

Some weeks ago Cardiff boss Dave Jones said he was interested in taking Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson on loan. However, Jones interest coincided with a number of injuries for United boss and the emergence of Gibson into the first team.

Since then he has been present in the team but Jones will have another go to sign the player on loan according to press reports to see if Sir Alex Ferguson could be persuaded to loan out his player out. If Sir Alex was to agree Cardiff could find themselves in bettle to sign him with a number of club watching from the side-lines. One thing is for sure Ferguson would be looking toward the Champointship to place him not the Premiership.

In the News of the World he said on the subject, "Why would Darron Gibson come here when he's playing for United?" said Jones in the.
"We've enquired about him in the past. I will go back to Sir Alex and ask him again about Darron.
"I will probably get the same answer as I did last time. He will chuckle down the phone and say 'Get lost!'
"Darron is in United's team at the moment and he has scored a few goals for them this season.
"I've got a good relationship with Sir Alex but I can't see him saying, 'Okay Dave, I've got no players but I'll let you have him'.
"But I'll ask because Darron is on my list.
"January is the halfway stage and we need to kick on for the rest of the season."

London Road not a happy hunting ground

Peterborough’s London Road ground is not a happy hunting ground for the Bluebirds the last and only time the Bluebirds beaten them at London Road was back in 1986/1987 season. The record of the rest of the games are pretty bad, of the eighteen times we have played them in the league home or away we have only managed to beat them a measly three times with five game being drawn and Cardiff have suffered ten defeats.

That’s the history over, this season has been hard going in the Championship for the newly promoted Peterborough’s they lost their manager Darren Ferguson who left the club my mutual consent at the beginning of November. The last three home games has resulted in two draws with Middlesbrough and Swansea and the last home game they beat Watford. On their travels today to West Brom, they lost 2-0 leaving them bottom of the table.

The Cardiff boss as promised to ringing the changes for the trip to Peterborough hopefully he would shake up the usual suspects who are living on past performance. The transfer window cannot come soon enough for

Cardiff City boss Dave Jones said, “Maybe it’s time to shake the players up and hopefully I’ll have the money able to do that.
“One or two of them did not heed the warning I gave them before the Plymouth game and football has got a tendency to kick you in the teeth.”
“I was going to make changes for Peterborough anyway.
“One or two of them might not be as good as they think they are.
“I will be looking for a response at Peterborough. This was a good opportunity for us but we have missed it.
“We were caught by a sucker punch and you could see it coming.
“They were waiting for one opportunity and when it came they took it.”

Everyone has their area of the team that annoys them, mine is the forward line, Bothroyd and Chopra are not cutting at the moment. You have to go back to the Swansea game for a Bothroyd goal and Chopra way back in the distant past of the end of September. Dave Jones goes on about the contribution they make to a game, the biggest contribution should be scoring more goals. McCormack has to start and I think Etuhu should be considered for a start as well. A bit of bench time for Chopra and Bothroyd could sharpen their minds and scoring ability.

Woeful Boxing Day

After all the excitement of Christmas Day they his always a downer and for the last ten years it has been provide by Cardiff City. During the noughties Cardiff never win a Boxing Day game not a good stat and I did not want to mention before for the game, just did not want to jinx the game. Five wins and five draws on this festive day in ten years is enough to make a grown man cry.

Cardiff 0-1 Plymouth 26-12-2009
Reading 1-1 Cardiff 26-12-2008
Watford 2-2 Cardiff 26-12-2007
Cardiff 2-2 Plymouth 26-12-2006
Cardiff 0-2 Plymouth 26-12-2005
Cardiff 1-1 Wolves 26-12-2004
Cardiff 0-1 Walsall 26-12-2003
Luton 2-0 Cardiff 26-12-2002
Cardiff 2-2 Reading 26-12-2001
Plymouth 2-1 Cardiff 26-12-2000

Plymouth came with a plan to mug Cardiff and although the stats show Cardiff dominated the game and had the most attempts at goal but it, all means nothing unless you score goals. Cardiff missed a hat full today and not even the midfield could make up for the woeful Cardiff attack who failed to score again. It did not help that the Plymouth keeper must have has some super powers for Christmas as he pull off a number of fine save to keep Cardiff at bay.

Today’s team was the best eleven available to boss Dave Jones with injury Stephen McPhail the only exception who would be in the team if fit. There is little competition from the rest of the squad really, what is needed an injection of new blood via the January transfer window. Jones must give McCormack a start because Chropa is not doing the business, a bit of time on the bench could help him. Some fans will shout look at the table we are still fourth in the table, but all I can see is the gap growing between the second automatic promotion place and us. (Depending on the outcome of the Leicester City late kick-off we could end the night fifth)

Losing to the bottom club today was bad enough but having lost to Plymouth they have moved off bottom to be replaced by other opponents for Monday, Peterborough. Surely lighten cannot strike twice.

So what did the managers have to see about todays’ offerings,

City manager Dave Jones, "These are the type of games you have to see out and we had the chances to do that yet we never showed the creativity we are capable of and we have been caught by a sucker punch.
"This division is a difficult one but we should still have been good enough to win and it is very disappointing to lose a game like this.
"You could see it coming and three individual errors led to the goal. They were waiting for one opportunity and when it came they took it.
"There is no reason why we couldn't have taken a win as we warned the players that it would not be easy, but when you miss chances like those we had early on then it causes problems.
"Passes were over-hit, chances missed and we just didn't do it today and we have to quickly correct that.

Plymouth boss Paul Mariner, "We worked very hard for that result but the signs have been there for a couple of weeks.
"The players want to get this club out of the mess we are in and we knew we would get a resilient performance from them but three points is a wonderful result.
"The away support was remarkable and I felt we created a few chances in a very tight game but we needed that little bit of luck.
"To keep a clean sheet against such a high-powered attacking force as Cardiff have is a magnificent effort.
"We haven't scored for a long time but you have to go back to the basics and that is what we have done today."

Cardiff team v Plymouth

Marshall
McNaughton Hudson Quinn Gerrard
Rae Whittingham Burke Ledley
Chopra Bothroyd

Substitutes
Enckelman, Gyepes, Kennedy, Taiwo, Matthews, Etuhu, McCormack

No real surprise with Cardiff City boss Dave Jones team , McNaughton gets the nod ahead of Kennedy

Boxing Day the weather is nice ... Come on City

Boxing Day football you just have to love it. It can only get better if you are at home. Has a rule crowd’s increase this day for the only reason it is Boxing Day. Even if you are in the middle of an awful season, the biggest league crowd of the season is usually Boxing Day.

It is a tradition with lots of people to go to a game on Boxing Day just because it is a tradition. Thinking back to my younger days Boxing Day was a fun football day in the morning there would be a funny game over your local park, two local kids’ teams playing a friendly, maybe a pub team against another pub team or mums against dad’s fancy dress optional then down to Ninian Park for the afternoon.

People who would never show an interest before in what was happening with your term would all of a sudden want to go to the game, a wife who week after week belittle your affair with football in general, dons your share shirt on Boxing Day and wraps up warm and goes to the game. The girl friend that spends her Saturdays shopping now is holding your hand walking down Sloper Road while your friends snigger at you. Kids who look out of the window on a match day and prefer to stay in with Facebook or the latest console game are shouting for you to get a move on.

Do not get me wrong I am not one of the elitists fan going on about part time supporters, a fan is a fan and the more the merry in my book.

Cardiff is expecting a record crowd today and that could but the biggest Boxing Day crowd since 1970 Swindon Town, 24,812.

The top three

Interesting day tomorrow it a case of top v bottom with some of the Boxing Day fixtures. Leader of the pack Newcastle are away to Sheffield Wednesday where home advantage will not count for much has Wednesday have not won at home since October 17th. In the proceeding, ten games managed two draws; an upset looks to be well off the card here with the North East club looking to increase their ten-point lead over the rest of the division.

Second place West Brom are home against second from bottom Peterborough in the battle of the ‘seconds’ placers. Peterborough’s form of later as been on the up win their last game against Watford and have picked up a number of good draws. West Brom are at home but only collected one point from there last two home games, drawing with QPR and losing to Cardiff City. Could there be an upset at The Hawthorns tomorrow?

Third place Nottingham Forest along with Newcastle are the form team in the Championship, Forest started slow drawing the lot of games, but recently they have push ahead and haven’t lost since mid September. Watford on the other hand is into the game off the back of two defeats the kind of form that has kept them in mid table.

Predictions
Newcastle to win, West Brom to draw while I predict a defeat for Nottingham Forest.

Cardiff City and Christmas Day games

Having a chat with my dad about all things Cardiff City like we normal the subjuct of Christmas Day fixtures came-up. I had heard about Christmas Day games before and but surprised at Cardiff’s last Christmas Day game was only back in 1954 I thought it was more a 20's/30's thing. My dad said they were a regular thing back in his day younger days, and I just love the idea of a game on Christmas Day. Some of the crowds were impressive, 1950 32,778 – 1952 36,146 - 1954 22,895 could Cardiff full the stadium on Christmas Day today?

So using the stats book The Definitive Cardiff City F.C by Richard Shepherd (ISBN 1-899-46817-X) I started to educate myself on the subject. The first reference to a Christmas Day game was against Croydon Common in 1911; both clubs were in the Southern League Division Two at the time. Who the hell were Croydon Common you might be thinking, a quick internet search came up with not much but they begun life in 1897 as an amateur church team competing in local leagues they turned professional in 1907 on joining the Southern League but disbanded in 1917.

The game end with a victory for Cardiff 4-0, J Burton, Featherstone, Abley, and G Burton scored the goals for the City on that Christmas Day. The very next day Boxing Day Cardiff where off to London for the return game, two games in two days it would not be heard of today.

The following Christmas 1912, it was a local derby with Pontypridd with an estimated 11,000 crowd. Cardiff played a Christmas Day/Boxing Day double header with Merthyr Town in 1914 both games drawn. What was different about this year Cardiff played three games over three days when Plymouth Argyle paid a visit to Cardiff on the 27th. Could you see any football team playing three games over three days these days? The City’s first away game on Christmas Day was to Boxing Day’s visitors Plymouth Argyle, the game ended with defeat for Cardiff.

List of games
1911 Cardiff City 4-0 Croydon Common Southern League Division 2
1912 Cardiff City 1-1 Pontypridd Southern League Division 2
1913 Cardiff City 1-1 Merthyr Town Southern League Division 1
1914 Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Cardiff City Southern League Division 1
1919 Merthyr 1-1 Cardiff City Southern League Division 1
1920 Coventry City 2-4 Cardiff City Division 2
1923 Sheffield United 1-1 Cardiff City Division 1
1924 West Ham United 3-2 Cardiff City Division 1
1925 Cardiff City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion Division 1
1926 Newcastle United 5-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1928 Leeds United 3-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1929 Bristol City 2-0 Cardiff City Division 2
1931 Luton Town 2-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1933 Coventry City 4-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1935 Southend 3-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1936 Torquay United 1-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1937 Mansfield Town 3-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1940 Swansea Town 1-3 Cardiff City War League
1941 Cardiff City 1-2 Swansea Town War League
1942 Swansea Town 3-1 Cardiff City War League
1943 Cardiff City 5-1 Lovells Athletic War League
1944 Cardiff City 3-1 Swansea Town War League
1945 Bristol Rovers 2-2 Cardiff City War League
1946 Leyton Orient 1-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1948 Brentford 1-1 Cardiff City Division 2
1950 Cardiff City 2-1 Coventry City Division 2
1951 Swansea Town 1-1 Cardiff City Division 1
1952 Newcastle United 0-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1954 Cardiff City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion Division 1

Game that caught my eye from the list a trip from hell Newcastle on a Christmas Day 1926 and again in 1952 even if you travel on the train (back in them days there was a Christmas Day train service) it would be a nightmare lucky there were no Boxing fixtures after these games. Would there be any Cardiff City fan travelling to these game even in the 50’s it would be a hard slog
Other games of note West Ham, Leeds, both defeats and away from home .

Would today’s fans be willing to stand at for roadside waiting for a coach/midi bus on Christmas morning wait for a trip anywhere for a game? Forgoing Christmas at home with the family and a turkey dinner not sure I would but for a away game to Newcastle

A few stats, the number of game played 29 excluding any played during the First World War.
Home 9 - Away 20
Biggest win 5-1 Lovells Athletic 1943
Biggest defeat 5-0 Newcastle 1926
Total Wins 8 - Draws 7 – Defeats 14

Morris loaned to Newport and player linked with City

Cardiff City have loan out 19 year-old defender Aaron Morris for a month to high flying Newport County who currently top of the Blue Square Southern League. Morris has only had one appearance for Cardiff in the League Cub against MK Dons earlier in the season coming on for the season half. Cardiff City boss Dave Jones made it known during his web chat with the South Wales Echo he was hoping to loan out some of his younger players.

A rumour in one of the national newspapers is linking Cardiff with Bristol Rovers midfielder Chris Lines. City boss Jones reported be planning a £250,000 bid for the player who is out of contract in the summer. Lines (24) has scored six goals so far this season and came through Rovers youth system player over 100+ game.

Boxing Day football lovely jubbly

Unless someone trips up on a turkey drumstick tomorrow, Cardiff will be close to full-strength for the Boxing Day fixture with Plymouth. The postponement of the Leicester game has played into the hand of boss David Jones nice giving players some more time to overcome niggling injuries.

Peter Whittingham and Joe Ledley should be back to bolster the midfield and defenders Kevin McNaughton and Gabor Gyepes can be add to his plans according to reports. Cardiff also has defender Darren Dennehy back in the squad after his loan spell with Hereford. Kelvin Etuhu could also be on the fit list and in contention for the Plymouth game at the Cardiff City Stadium on Boxing Day after he limp out of the West Brom game.

Only two players will be on the unfit register Miguel Comminges who had a training ground accident when Jay Bothroyd fell on him in training and Stephen McPhail who is undergoing treatment.

Cardiff are going into the game unbeaten in the last three game while the visitors have not win or got a point since the beginning of November losing five in a row. On paper, the three points look certain to be ending the way of the City but this is a crazy league nothing should be taken for granted.

Cardiff with have hoped for a full house Boxing Day but the weather could have a say in that.

Darcy Blake who is on loan from Cardiff with Plymouth is ineligible to play and will soon be returning to Cardiff has his loan deal is about to end.

Dennehy back at Cardiff

Young Cardiff City defender and Republic of Ireland Under-21 player Darren Dennehy has returned to the Welsh club after the completion of his loan stay with Hereford United. Dennehy has been with the Second Division since the summer and made a total of ten appearances it’s his second loan with the club he had a shorter stay last season.

Since arriving at Cardiff he has yet to play a game for the Bluebirds and now he will have to wait and see what kind of a further he will have at Cardiff and boss David Jones. They was a lot of hope when he join the Bluebirds from Everton he was offered a Premier League contract by Everton boss David Moyes but he felt joining Championship side Cardiff would be better for his career development.

Boxing Day transport lucky for some

Some good news Cardiff Bus will be running a bus Service City wide on Boxing Day which will be great for Cardiff City fans. Normally there is no bus service it will be a reduced service, Cardiff Bus timetable.

City fans from the valleys and surrounding areas are out of luck, there will be no trains service to Cardiff has Arriva Trains Wales will not be running trains and no service from Stagecoach the main valleys bus provider. Fans from futher also suffer with the same transport problems.

With an expected full house at the Cardiff City Stadium, will the stands hold up to the extra weight of all those festive full supporters’? The average weight gain over the whole Christmas and New Year period is 6lb of that as much as 3lb is gain on Christmas Day.

Player linked, One going, Three coming back??

Cardiff City are been linked with midfielder Martin Woods from Championship rivals Doncaster Rovers. The rumour is from Skysports.com who is leading this story and is also saying Middlesbrough is looking at the player.

Woods is a first team player who is currently sideline with a groin injury according to the Doncaster official website. On the unofficial Doncaster Viking Chat messageboard they run a ‘Man of the Match’ competition and Woods is eying for top spot and the fans rate him highly. He will be no free transfer of loanee; Doncaster will be looking to cash in on one of their biggest assets in the January transfer window if they have to. He was in the Doncaster at beat Cardiff early in the season and has scored five goals so far this season.

While one player is rumoured to be coming in one looks to be on his way out has manager Dave Jones has confirmed Tony Capaldi could sign a permanent deal with Leeds. Since joining the Division One club Capaldi has played a lot of football although he missed the last game he has impressed the management and could be on his way. Leeds look odds on to win promotion so a move could see the Cardiff defender back in the Championship next see.

Of the other three City players out on loan the future Darcy Blake must be sorted soon has he is due back at the Cardiff City stadium at the end of the month. Cardiff will have to wait and see what Plymouth decides to do, will they look for a loan extension until the end of the season or will they be looking for a more permitted arrangement.

Warren Feeney is on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and will be return and at Hereford Darren Dennehy is also due to return from his loan stint with the Second Division club.

End of season payday

Cardiff City fans should take a bit more of an interest in the Premiership not just because we could be playing there next season but because of the future Birmingham City with a end of the season payday on the cards.

With money tight, well until promised investment kick’s the survival of the Midlands club at the top table could see Cardiff having a wind fall at the end of the season. That this time Birmingham are riding high in the table with a nine unbeaten run under their belts

In ‘The Mole’ section of the Sunday Mirror there was article reporting Cardiff could well see a £833,333 windfall coming the way of the Bluebirds.

The move of Roger Johnson to Birmingham in the summer for £5million had a clause that would see the club receive £333,333 if they stay in the Premiership. First thing that came into my mind reading the article what an interesting figure to come up with.

So why is the guy in the paper saying the club would be getting a £833,333 windfall, where is the other £500,000 coming from? Well he is putting down the ex-City striker Cameron Jerome who left Cardiff for Birmingham back in 2006 in a £3million deal. This is what was written

'And maybe Birmingham have forgotten, but when they signed Cameron Jerome for £3 back in 2006 they agreed a £500,000 bonus if they retained Premier League status during his first four years at the club.'

I do remember there was talk of the deal rising to a potentially £4million but clubs are not too forthcoming with details of these kind of clause’s. That the time the South Wales Echo the deal was said to be going to be paid in three stages - £3m guaranteed, plus £500,000 if Birmingham City are promoted within the next three years and another half a million pounds if they are then not relegated within three years.

Game called of so it's Christmas shopping - thank u Mr Ridsdale

Can you believe it today’s game has been called off. I thought our new state of the art new stadium had under-soil heating I remember seeing a picture’s on the old stadium website showing them being laid. I feel sorry for the Leicester fans that were making their way to Cardiff to watch a game of football.

Laying somewhere under the pitch a lot of lovely piping running up a down the pitch and into the boiler room but that’s as far as it goes has the club decided to save a few quid and not to buy the boiler. This penny-pinching idea of whoever will cost them dearly and I hope chairman Peter Ridsdale is on the phone sourcing the bloody boiler with the cold snap hanging around, could the Plymouth game be at risk Can you believe it today’s game has been called off. I feel sorry for the Leicester fans that were making their way to Cardiff to watch a game of football.

I thought our new state of the art new stadium had under-soil heating I remember seeing a picture’s on the old stadium website showing them being laid.There is, laying under the pitch lot of lovely piping running up a down the pitch and into the boiler room but that’s as far as it goes has the club decided to save a few quid and not to buy the boiler. This penny-pinching idea of the clubs will cost them dearly and I would hope chairman Peter Ridsdale is on the phone sourcing the bloody boiler with the cold snap hanging around, could the Plymouth game be at risk, that would be a disaster.

The cold snap has been known about for days so why didn’t the ground staff prepare for it, cover the pitch or something. Surely, they did not wait until yesterday to start worrying they must have known the boiler was not there, or did the grounds man open the boiler room door only to remember it was not there.

Today’s game will prove costly, the programmes are wasted, but I suppose they will rehash them for re-scheduled with an insert. The food most of which will be frozen and defrosted for the Plymouth game but there will be some waste. The match day walk-up fans, which could be a few thousands, plus fans who will want a refund. On top of that, thousands of Cardiff City expecting to go to the pub and watch a game of football are now Christmas shopping with their wives and girlfriends.

Statement on the Cardiff City website "Our new stadium is fitted with state of the art undersoil heating.

"Regrettably the final commissioning to ensure that it was fully operational had not been completed.

"This is due to take place in the coming week.

"We did arrange for alternative frost prevention measures to be put in place.

"Unfortunately, despite the fact that our ground staff worked through the night these were not sufficient to save today's match.

"Once the final commissioning has been completed this week it is to be hoped that such postponements will be a thing of the past."

A lot to think about for Jones

The retiement of Riccy Scimeca and injury problems to other midfield players leaves manager Dave Jones with a bit of a headache. Joe Ledley has an ongoing hip problem, which he believes need an operation to fix while Stephen McPhail is still having cancer treatment and not expected back training until well into February. Peter Whittingham is likely to be fit for the Leicester tomorrow but has been troubled with a niggling thigh problem.

Cardiff have a busy 10 day league period in the next week or so and the last thing a manager needs is players carrying niggles which can turn into full-blown injuries. Speaking about Joe Ledley to BBC Wales he said, "Joe is carrying the injury and we need to get him through for as long as we possibly can.
"He will go for as long as he possibly can, but if it's not right for him to go any longer we'll have to cope with that.
"At the moment he's playing week-to-week so he gets a few days to settle down, but three games in 10 days will be a big test for him."

Jones now deems a new midfielder signing a priority in January when the transfer window opens, Cardiff have a novel way of raising funds for new signings involving buying season tickets. A few months ago, the club asked its fans to buy a season ticket for next season by December 31 and they would have the price frozen for the next five seasons, it was reported that the take-up was slow. Now the deal is the same but now if Cardiff were to gain promoted at the end of the season fans would get a refund on the cost of next season ticket, take up on the offer as raised.

Boss Jones hopes to bring new blood elsewhere on the pitch to create more competition within his squad. The boost in the club’s finances will mean funds should be available for boss Dave Jones talking to BBC Wales he said, "We go through phases at this football club.
"This is an opportunity to push on, something we've never been able to do before.
"If can raise the money we are trying to it will give us a far greater chance of getting what we want.

Sad news about Riccy Scimeca

Image via Wikipedia

Cardiff City this afternoon announced the Riccy Scimeca has been focred to retire from football. Since joining Cardiff from West Brom for £100,000, the later part of career with the Bluebirds has been marred by injury.

He joined the City in January 2006 and was soon part of managers Dave Jones starting line-up with Cardiff. He scored his first goal for the Bluebirds soon after joining in a 3-3 draw at Luton. The 2006/07 season he started like it had finished the season before in the starting eleven, he scored his first home goal against his old club West Brom one of five he scored that season. That was his last full season for the Englishman has a series of injuries touch hold.

For the rest of the time with the Bluebirds he was to see the treatment room more than the pitch during 2007/08 he played a part in the season from March but from the bench mainly, and he missed the FA Cup Final. Last season was just as bad injury curtailing his appearances the same this season all leading today’s announcement, his every last game for the Bluebirds was the 2-0 win over his old club West Brom in which he played only the first half before coming off with a injury.

Speaking to news outlets the ex Cardiff midfielder said, "There comes a time when you have to call a halt. Whatever the temptation to go on, and to try again, you can't
Ignore what your body is telling you,"
"I've had a good career, it's been great. I feel it's better to be grateful for that rather than think about my regrets about not carrying on as a player. Facing the lads and telling them I was finishing was one of the hardest things I have done. I welled up a little bit, but that's to be expected.
"There's a feeling of relief as well but it was very hard to make that decision. It had to come at some stage. I wanted to be the one to make the decision, and it's come earlier for me than I would have liked, but that's the way it goes."
Cardiff boss Dave Jones paid tribute to Scimeca and wished him the best for the future. "We are saying goodbye to a great professional and one of the nicest men in football" said Jones.
"It's been a tough decision for him to take and we wish Riccy, his wife Laura and their family all the very best for the future."

Fans will have a chance to wish Scimeca well for his future at the Plymouth game on Boxing Day.

Deal done with the Inland Revenue

The winding up order order brought by the Inland Revenue against Cardiff City last month has been dismissed in the High Court the official website has announced. The debt with the Inland Revenue was for £1.2m but the club always insisted there was no need to worry has they were in talks to paid off the debt. So far the club have paid back around half of that sum and agreed a payment schedule which will see the rest paid off by the end of this year.

More good news on the finance side of the club with a deal done on the Langston debt. The club will start making regular payments in monthly installments to Langston from January.

A Cardiff City statement today said: “We can confirm that the High Court today formally dismissed the winding up order that had previously been brought by HMRC.
“This was as a result of amicable discussions between the Club and HMRC.
“We are grateful for their co-operation and support.”

A switch for Newcastle away

It is one of the longest away trips in the season calendar for Cardiff City fans, the trip to Newcastle. It is a distances of around 315 miles and will take around 6hr plus on the supporters coach depending on traffic. On a Saturday with a 3pm kick-off it is a tough trip, but on a Friday night, what a joke.

The Newcastle game was scheduled from Saturday February 6th at St James Park, but with archrivals Sunderland playing Wigan on the same day and time something have to give and it was the Championship game.

Therefore, the Cardiff fans have to make the long trip on the 5th a Friday night with a 7:45pm kick-off. This news is bound to hit the travailing support for the game and wreck the plans of fans who had booked ahead. Cardiff could have been expecting to have taken the up the full away support allocation if the game was on a Saturday.

There is little chance the game being on TV, Sky stopped doing Friday night football sometime go maybe they could have a change of heart for this game. While the BBC are the only other hope but there normal show games on a Saturday night or Sunday.

Christmas / New Year run in

It looked like QPR were going to do Cardiff a favour last night by beating second place West Brom that would leave Cardiff just two points behind them. However, it was not to be, West Brom got the equaliser in the last minute of extra time so they managed to scrape a point so they are now three points ahead of the Bluebirds.

The Christmas / New Year run-in fixtures have thrown up a few interesting games but even if we are playing the bottom two in the Division, nothing should be taken for granted.

Saturday, 19 December 2009 - Cardiff v Leicester, 3pm kick-off - Third meets fifth but will fortress Cardiff City Stadium play it's part in helping make sure the three points stay's in Cardiff.
Saturday, 26 December 2009 - Cardiff v Plymouth, 1pm kick-off - It is always good to be home for Boxing Day should be a full house for the game has Cardiff face second for the bottom at the time of writing. This fixture has become a bit of a regular for this time of the year either home or away in the good old days it would have been Swansea or Newport.
Monday, 28 December 2009 - Peterborough v Cardiff, 3pm kick-off - An away game to Peterborough is the third game over the holiday period and they are rooted to the bottom of the league and are likely to be in the same situation come the Cardiff game.

Comparing the fixtures with West Brom, they will face Blackpool away and then Peterborough home and Scunthorpe away

Great win but a few worries

Middlesbrough 0-1 Cardiff City

Cardiff City had a fine victory in the North East today against Middlesbrough and shoot back to third in the table putting pressure on second place West Brom to get something out of their Monday night game against QPR.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones has some team worries after the game with three players limping off during the game, league top scorer Peter Whittingham went off after around 30 minute and his replacement Kelvin Etuhu also left the field with 10 minutes or so left. The season loan from Manchester City Etuhu is not having the best of luck since joining the Bluebirds having spent most of the season on the treatment table. Dave Jones sent on Ross McCormack to replace the replacement to finish the game.

Kevin McNaughton was the other player who when off with a injury again another player who has been plagued with injury this season. He has only managed four games since August finishing just one game. Adam Matthews when on for McNaughton and later he help to save the Bluebirds when he headed the ball off the goal line in a goal mouth scramble.

It will be a case of wait and see if they will be fit for the Leicester home game next Saturday.

Once again, no goals from the attacking line up of Bothroyd and Chopra, which has to be a worry even if the goals are still coming from elsewhere. Chopra has now not scored still the Derby game back in the end of September.

After the game the City boss said, "I'm delighted with any win.
"It was a hard-fought contest. We played when we could and at times we had to dig deep so it's nice to come here and come away with a victory.
"We've had to work hard because we've lost that little bit of grit and little bit of grind in November but I think that coincided with suspensions and injuries and we just took our eye off the ball a little bit.
"I'm quite happy with the players that we have. We have to strengthen, we know that.
"The only problem is the chairman will think everything is fine and we haven't got to bring anybody else in and I want to bring people in because I want a lot of competition in the place.
"We got away with a few things because we defended stoutly and didn't give up - and even when they broke away people got their bodies back as you're not going to come to a place like the Riverside and have your own way so it was hard three points.
"We felt a nervousness around the place and as we're coming off the back of a good away win at West Brom but overall we defensively we worked really hard.
"The game was more open as it was but that is our strength and we were breaking on them and we put them on the back-foot as we have a lot of pace going forward who can do damage."

Team v Middlesbrough

Marshall,
Quinn, Hudson, Gerrard, McNaughton,
Burke, Ledley, Rae, Whittingham,
Chopra, Bothroyd
Subs: Enckelman, Kennedy, Etuhu, Taiwo, Matthews, Wildig, McCormack

No surprises today Ledley back with Chopra

Mystery bidder in for the City (Rumour)

Ok I know this story is out of the News of the World, but it’s the first paper I read in a Sunday morning has I have a routine when it comes to my Sunday papers, so don't shoot the massager, here we go.

Cardiff City have a reported mystery buyer coming in with a possible takeover bid, the bibber is an English based multi-millionaire. I just hope it is not leading to another David (Mr West Ham) Sullivan story. The bidder is worth a reported a £100 million+, pocket money compared to some club owners these days. Peter Ridsdale according to the paper will be meeting the mystery bidder this week. The Langston debt deal is cited has the reason for the interest and the 40+ investor will would want to see the club’s accounts before upping his interest.

The club could become involved in a bidding war if this story is true with the Malaysian’s in the other corner. The Malaysian's were only interested in investing in the begin according to Peter Ridsdale but they are rumoured to be thinking along the line of a takeover now.

A club insider told the News of the World, “He’s extremely wealthy and his financial background has been checked out.”

Of course there is nothing official on this story and they is unlikely to be, unless the club feels the story must be denied.

Bluebirds looking for another away win

Sunday will be the first time Cardiff have met Middlesbrough in the league since back in the 80’s, season 1984/85 precisely and the last the City beat Middlesbrough away in the league was March 1968. Since the 80’s Cardiff have faced them three times in the FA Cup drawing 2-2 at the old Ninian Park, but lost in the replay 2-1, 93/94. The most recent game was again in the FA Cup on route to the FA Cup final when Cardiff beat the then Premiership club 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium.

Back to this Sunday Cardiff are going into the game off the back of an excellent 2-0 win over fellow promotion rivals West Brom, The win pushed Cardiff back into third place in the league table. Bluebird boss Dave Jones will have Jay Bothroyd back after he missed the midweek win through suspension.

Cardiff are reported to have four injury worries for the game, there is the long going sage with midfielder Joe Ledley who is still nursing a hip problem but he could well start as he has been passed fit for Sunday's game.

Other player's causing Dave Jones concern is Riccy Scimeca, Kevin McNaughton and Kelvin Etuhu are all carrying injuries and could miss out. McNaughton and Etuhu have both just come back from long-term injuries while Scimeca has just broke back into the first team.

Middlesbrough lost Tuesday night at home 3-0 to Blackpool and has not won a home since the 20th Oct leaving Manager Gordon Strachan still looking for his first home win since taking over from Gareth Southgate. The North East club were third in the league but have dropped to tenth but still in touch with the play-off places.

Pressure off after Langston deal

Could it be true, Cardiff City has the Langston Corporation off the clubs back. On the Official Cardiff City website chairman Peter Ridsdale said, “On behalf of Cardiff City Football Club, I would like to thank the Langston Corporation for their co-operation in this matter and Mr Sam Hammam for helping to facilitate this agreement.”

On the BBC website he added, "Langston are happy because they are seeing some cash for the first time and we're happy because the settlement, agreement, is at a level that we believe is fair and reasonable and we can make.
"Nobody was going to invest in this football club with the threat of legal action hanging over us from Langston, given the magnitude of the debt.
"Therefore potential investors I think will see this club as an even more attractive proposition than it was before."

It is great news for the club and the fans and hopefully everyone can how push forward and we will see some new investment streams attracted to the club. There are no details of the deal at the moment but there has been so many rumours about what the club will pay and when however, the threat of any further legal proceedings have been greatly reduced.

Therefore, the end of the Sam Hammam era is in sight and well done Peter Ridsdale, he delivered the new stadium and now delivered a deal with Langston, which has been a long hard battle.

SEE THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR MORE

Ex-City player going Down Under

The former Cardiff City striker Jonathan Brown is doing a Fowler (Robbie) with much less fanfare by trying is luck Down Under. Brown was with Cardiff since 2007 as a trainee and only made two appearances from the bench in is time with the club. He was loaned out to Wrexham last season playing a few games and getting his first professional goal.

He was release in July and had a few trials but nothing came of them so he turned out for Bryntirion Athletic a Welsh Football League Division One side where he played nine games with no goals.

How he has a chance in Australia after he was invited to a number of trails with A-League teams Perth Glory, Central Coast Mariners and North Queensland Fury the retirement home of Robbie Fowler but it was the Mariners who have given him a chance.

The Mariners have offered him a deal until the end of the season with an option of a two-year contract if he can empress Down. He told the South Wales Echo, “I was invited for a two-week trial over here with North Queensland, Perth Glory and the Mariners and everything went very well.
“The Mariners were the first to offer a contract and package to me and I was keen to do the deal and settle things there and then.
“The club have been fantastic to me ever since I landed in the country and looked after me very well indeed.
“The lifestyle is just amazing and the football is of a very high standard with all eyes on the country’s World Cup hopes.
“The manager wants me to be an out-and-out winger as he sees this is my best position and I’m glad that I can express myself in that role and look forward to being part of the first-team action.”

I say good luck to the young ex-City player has it is always good to see ex-players do well, unless they are playing against the Bluebirds.

Non-City Sick photo

Photo: Marc Atkins / IPS @ Daily Mail

This must be one of the sickest pictures taken at a football game. The Millwall fan at a recent game wore a Galatasaray shirt to taunt Leeds United fan in reference to the tragic death of two Leeds fans who were stabbed to death before their side’s UEFA Cup semi-final against the Turks in 2000.
The mindless idiot and his friends can even be seen making stabbing motions towards the shirt. The Millwall chairman has promises to ban the culprits.

Broadcasting - News - ESPN 'secures FA Cup rights deal' - Digital Spy

Broadcasting - News - ESPN 'secures FA Cup rights deal' - Digital Spy

Great win for Cardiff

West Brom 0-2 Cardiff

It was a bit of a surprise the win tonight, I was happy thinking of a draw would be good and the longer the game when on at 1-0 I was feeling the game was going to end 1-1. The other surprise was Kelvin Etuhu getting the nod to join Michael Chopra in attack a head of Ross McCormack. The win means Cardiff move up to third, five points behind tonight’s victims who stay second.

It was the first time the Bluebirds have beat West Brom at the Hawthorns since 1956/57 season but it’s not like the fixture is a regular thing between the two clubs having played each other in only eight season since then counting tonight in the League. City did have a 4-2 League Cup win at the Hawthorns a few seasons back.

From what I could hear on the radio, besides the Cardiff fans in good voice and Cardiff defence had to soak-up a pressure but poor finish also helped.

Cardiff first goal came via Chris Burke 18 minutes into the game as a left-foot shot flew past Albion stopper. Baggies manager Roberto Di Matteo will have been furious with the way in which his defenders backed off, allowing Burke to run 20 yards or more unchallenged before firing into the bottom corner. It was his second goal in as many games.

Cardiff second was late into the game when West Brom’s goalkeeper head-butt Michael Chopra the referee showed the keeper a red card and he was send-off. The replacement goalkeeper could have been a hero and keep the Baggies in the game, Whittingham placed the ball on the spot, but the pen was far from his best a weak left-footed penalty was saved but unlucky for the keeper the rebound went back to Whittingham who did not miss with his second time.

West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo on keeper Scott Carson's sending off:
"Personally I have not seen what happened, the game was being developed in the middle of the pitch.
"It's disappointing, he's going to be suspended now for three games.
"I haven't spoke to him about it yet, I need to see first what happened. Then I will have a conversation with him."
Asked whether club discipline could be on the cards, he replied: "That's too early to decide now, I need to find out what happened exactly."
Responding to Carson's banishment, Cardiff boss Dave Jones said:
"I didn't see it, but the lads alongside me said he just head-butted him and you can't do that.
"No matter if Chops hasn't done anything, he's challenged for the ball - you can't do it, crazy.
"I don't want anybody to get sent off but if you do that then...if it was one of my players then I would be going absolutely ape. I'd be climbing the wall.
"He took the pressure off us."
On the performance, Jones told BBC Sport Wales:
"I felt our first half performance was superb. We could have come in two or three up and I don't think West Brom would have had any complaints.
"Second half, a lot of tired bodies out there. We limited them to long-range shooting and crossing from deep.
"So the whole back five did the job. We didn't allow them to get around the back of us and we made them hit long balls and two centre-halves gobbled everything up.
"But as a rearguard action it was superb and I think we frightened them as well because they couldn't get everybody going forward because they knew that we could break on them."

Related articles by Zemanta

• West Bromwich Albion 0 Cardiff City 2: match report (telegraph.co.uk)

Cardiff team v West Brom

Marshall
McNaughton Hudson Quinn Gerrard
Rae Whittingham Burke Scimeca
Chopra Etuhu

Substitutes Enckelman, Kennedy, Taiwo, Matthews, Wildig, Magennis, McCormack

Surprise of the night Etuhu was prefured to McCormack. Has predicted Ledley is out with Rae getting the nod

Hard one tonight for City

Not a good time for injuries and suspension when you face top of the table opposition, well Cardiff face second place West Brom tonight.

City boss Dave Jones knew on Saturday he would be without striker Jay Bothroyd after the player picked up his fifth yellow card meaning a one-match suspension. He will be missed tonight his influential on the pitch for Cardiff has been great, he might not be scoring many goals but his present in and around the penalty box has been invaluable.

On the injury list is out of sorts’ midfielder Joe Ledley who came off during the Preston game at the weekend with a hip injury, he has recently revealed he has been carrying the hip problem for weeks but was still player which has led to his poor form. He believes he needs an operation to clear up his problem and told the South Wales Echo, “I might have to make the decision myself and say ‘let’s just get it done now,’ said Ledley. “Saturday just hit the nail on the head for me.
“I’m not running right and whether it’s this week, this side of Christmas or the other side of Christmas, it needs to be done.”

Ledley was to have a scan and later a decision on his fitness was made, the outcome being he will not be travelling to join up with the team meaning he is out of today’s game.

There is a doubt surrounding Michael Chopra who was feeling unwell on Saturday but still started after insuring he was fit to play. However he was substituted in the second half after having an indifferent game it was reported he was to have a later fitness test before a decision is made on if he will play a part in tonight’s game. Anthony Gerrard also went off in the Preston game but is fit to play in tonight’s tough encounter with West Brom.

So tonight there will be changes to the starting line-up, in attack the City boss could be short on options If Chopra was out, it would leave only Ross McCormack, youngest Josh Magennis and Kelvin Etuhu who has just come back from a long lay-off through injury. If Chopra is fit who will collaborate with him up front? A Chopra/McCormack partnership has never seem to gel, while both Magennis and Etuhu have had very limited playing time this season.

Everyone will have to sit back and wait and see what Dave Jones comes up with tonight.

Out on loan

Cardiff City has four players out on loan and it is time to see how they are doing with their clubs.

Darren Dennehy joined the Bluebirds from Everton he turned down an extended contract with Everton to join the City. The main reason for him joining the Bluebirds was a better chance of first team football well he has seen none since joining back June 2008. Instead, the young Cardiff defender has spend much of his time with Hereford having had two loan spells with them.

That the moment he is out of the squad having not started a game since early October. The fans seem to have a love hate relationship with him since joining Hereford on a six months deal. He is due to return back to Cardiff in January. I have a feel Cardiff manager Dave Jones is hoping Hereford will want extend the loan deal.

Darcy Blake is a player earmarked with a bright future with the Bluebirds and loaned out to Plymouth for experience. Blake who has work is way through the ranks at Cardiff joined Plymouth in August and is due back with Cardiff in January. He look's to have settled well with Plymouth and started to get games until he picked up a straight red card against Ipswich and sat out the next three games. He made is return for the abandoned game against Barnsley and was on the bench Saturday.

Will he come back in January? Plymouth could make a offer for him, the fans seem ok with him but the same can't be said of the man who took him there manager Paul Sturrock the fans want him out. Will Blake be playing in the Boxing Day fixture? I doubt it.

Warren Feeney is on a short loan with another of our Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday and is due back at the end of the month. He has so far done very little but keep the bench warm, but for around 15 minutes on Saturday. I cannot see anything coming of the loan, unless something dramatic happens over the next few games, all the strikers at Wednesday go down with food poison.

You have to feel sorry for Feeney his career has nosedive since he join the Bluebirds not count the six games he played while on loan the striker has played only eight games in two and a half years with only two starts out of the eight.

Tony Capaldi is at Leeds until January again a short loan period but the difference between him and Feeney, Capaldi is playing football having started in all three games since signing. Capaldi wants away from the Cardiff City in a search for first team football something he is not getting under Dave Jones now.
Speaking today, Capaldi has indicated he would like a permanent deal to Leeds and told BBC Radio Leeds: "If I can sort a more permanent deal in January I can't wait to move up. We will sit down and talk about it.
"That's the idea - a loan with a view to a permanent deal. It's up to me to put some decent performances in.
"Three games in six days, it's good for the fitness and hopefully I'll be putting in better performances in the future.
"I wanted to play and you want to come to a big club - and Leeds offered me both. When I heard they were interested, I jumped at it.
"I couldn't wait to get up here and everything's gone really well."

Three points always welcome

Not pretty football, but a win is a win no matter what, three points in the bank putting us back into a play-off place. The last time the two teams met Preston shifted six goals past the Bluebirds, which help to kill off the play-off hopes that was a massacre.

Cardiff City boss Dave Jones made some changes from the Ipswich line-up . Out when Mark Kennedy and Adam Matthews both on the bench and the injured Gabor Gyepes from the back four with Kevin McNaughton fit again along with Anthony Gerrard back from injury and Paul Quinn. In midfield Riccy Scimeca was preferred to Gavin Rae who started the game on the bench, it was the veteran midfielders’ first start since was back August 2008.

The City boss praised his players on a solid performance with Chris Burke scoring the only goal of the game not long after the start of the second half. It was the first win for the Bluebirds after three defeats and a draw but to extend the run to two wins will be tough, City face second place West Brom Tuesday night the first of two tough away games, Middlesbrough next Saturday.

On yesterdays’ game Cardiff boss Jones said, "Overall we deserved the win and after we scored we never sat back but kept pushing on because that is the way we play.
"I never felt they could open us up during normal play but set-pieces were a worry.
"All the players want to do well and you could see the difference after we scored. It was a great result and I am really pleased for them."

Preston boss Alan Irvine thought there was at least a point in the game for them and was disappointed the leave the Cardiff City Stadium with nothing. Talking after the game Irvine said, "There was not much between the teams and I thought it would end in a draw but the one moment of quality in the game produced the goal. That gave Cardiff a boost and we looked a little tentative after that.
"We have now conceded three top-quality strikes in the last four matches and Andy Lonergan had no chance today.
"We have lost 1-0 and shouldn't have done so but we didn't deserve to win the game as we never made enough chances even though Jon Parkin had two great opportunities.
"Cardiff are a very good side but if you are not quite right you lose games but today they were lifted by the goal."

It was not all happiness two players left the field with injuries, Anthony Gerrard and Joe Ledley both will have only short period to get-fit with West Brom a few days away. Dave Jones also took off Michael Chopra who has been struggling to find the back of the net, not since he scored four against Derby at the end of September. Ross McCormack when on to join Jay Bothroyd who picked up a yellow card making it five so he must take a one match suspension, he will miss the trip to West Brom.

Player rumour and pop venue

Sometimes I wish I never picked up the newspaper in the News of the World there are a few stories or rumours. According to the paper City boss Dave Jones was interested to bring Darron Gibson on loan from Manchester United but it could have hit the bluffers due to the players recent form.

Sir Alex Ferguson is reported to be keen to loan the player out in January for some first team experience but the midweek Carling Cup game against Spurs where he gave a Man of the Match performance. He scoring both goals in the 2-0 victory and then went on to score another goal yesterday in the Manchester victory over West Ham, if Ferguson was willing to loan him out he must be having second thoughts now.

A source at Old Trafford told the paper the manager was keen to loan out Darron, and Cardiff were favourites, “These goals have give him food for thought and alerted bigger teams.”

It would be unlikely Ferguson would send the player out to another Premiership club if he were to go to loan Gibson out. He was loaned to Wolves before and for most of the 2007/08 season and played against the Bluebirds in all three games that season one being the FA Cup game on the way to Wembley. Like most young players, that United he played in Cup games with a sprinkling of league games has well as international duty with Rep. Ireland.

We will just have to sit it out and see what happens in January Chairman Peter Ridsdale has said funds are there for some new blood, probably loan signings or free transfers with the cheque book shut unless money comes in via investment or the sale of a player.

This next piece from the paper might not be a rumour; I have heard it muted before that the new stadium could become a venue for pop concerts. The club would need to overcome the hostility of local people and Cardiff City Council who in the planning stages of the stadium said no to music events.

This sounds like a cash collecting operation if true to help with the clubs finances to me the report states the club are applying to ‘vary’ the conditions of the use of the stadium. The club are rumour to have had talks about a Stereophonics concert in the summer.

When the stadium was envisioned it was to be for the soul use of Cardiff City Football Club, then Cardiff Blues wanted a piece of the action and become tenants, which in my book was and is totally unwelcome. It looks like the FAW could be bringing the Welsh International Football team to the stadium, which would be great for both Cardiff and Wales.

Cardiff City team v Preston

Marshall
McNaughton Hudson Quinn Gerrard
Whittingham Burke Ledley Scimeca
Chopra Bothroyd

Substitutes
Enckelman,Kennedy,Rae,Taiwo,Matthews,Etuhu,McCormack

Cardiff boss Dave Jones maybe three changes to the starting line-up from the Ipswich, dropping Gyepes, Rae, Kennedy and Matthews.

Joe Ledley playing with a injury?

The Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale who recently criticism Joe Ledley about his lack of form looks to have hit a nerve with the player. The quote saying: "Joe Ledley is playing like he is somewhere else already," made by Ridsdale and fans displease with the Welsh International has made the player put his side to his problems to Mark Bloom and the South Wales Echo; he told the paper he needs an operation on an on-going hip problem.

Although not commenting on the chairman’s outburst, Ledley told the paper he has been playing in pain for the last three months that as restricting his movement while playing. He told the paper, “To tell you the truth I need an operation on my hip. I’ve been told that it will keep me out of the game for at least 10 to 12 weeks.
“The gaffer Dave Jones wants me to play through the injury, but I need an operation as soon as possible.
“It badly restricts my movement on certain things and it aggravates certain parts of my body.
“Nobody is going to see the best of me until that operation is done and sorted out properly. I’m not using it as an excuse for my form, it’s a fact.”
Ledley’s future is still in doubt with the Bluebirds having not signed the new contract offered to him back in the summer. Come June/July he will be out of contract with the club and will be free to find a new club but the City will still be able to claim compensation from any new club that signs him. If he is playing with an on-going injury what club would be interested in signing him when the January transfer window opens, he would fail the medical.
While in a contract stalemate, the Cardiff midfielder as miss out on thousands of pounds in wages.
Cardiff City captain Mark Hudson has jumped in the defended under-fire Ledley has the fans also hit out that is form this season but Hudson back him calling him a great player tell BBC Wales, "We're all together.
"I think we have to stick up for players like Joe.
"We all take it personally if one player gets singled out.
"We don't want that to happen as we're all in it together and that's the way every player at the club feels.
"We're all there to back each other up and it's not nice when one player gets singled out for that sort of thing.
"Joe has been a great player for the club so I think it is a bit harsh on him and he is still young with a great future ahead of him - and we're going to be there right behind him."

The Cardiff City boss as warned his players after the Ipswich game that heads could roll for the Preston game Saturday. If the story about Ledley is true with him not being 100% fit, surely he must be out for the game.

With such a lean squad, the manager hands are somewhat tied even with the promised of some fresh blood in January. There are six important games before the transfer window opens, more depending how fast Dave Jones can act to bring in some new players.