MATCHWATCH : Cardiff City (h) sponsored by Jason Bowen

[Zip]

I agree completely with Bowen’s no-risk approach. He truly believes we have a chance of the playoffs.

Although I won’t be too happy if he starts Burley and Osho in the replay now we are without Miazga and McIntyre - he surely has to bring in either one of Moore or Morrison for experience?

McIntyre will be back for the replay.

Bowen is right to give the club every chance of making the play offs. Yes it probably will be a fruitless exercise but at least he’s giving it the best shot.

Just need a Joao replacement on loan before 11pm on Friday to maximise the opportunity. Wonder also if he’ll try for an experienced specialist central defender as cover.

Hopefully Miazga isn’t out for the season. If he isn’t then I think we have enough in Moore, Morrison and McIntyre with Blackett able to switch to cb if needed. Beyond that Osho and Burley can cover as 5th/6th choices.

[Nameless]

I agree completely with Bowen’s no-risk approach. He truly believes we have a chance of the playoffs.

Although I won’t be too happy if he starts Burley and Osho in the replay now we are without Miazga and McIntyre - he surely has to bring in either one of Moore or Morrison for experience?

McIntyre will be back for the replay.

Bowen is right to give the club every chance of making the play offs. Yes it probably will be a fruitless exercise but at least he’s giving it the best shot.

Just need a Joao replacement on loan before 11pm on Friday to maximise the opportunity. Wonder also if he’ll try for an experienced specialist central defender as cover.

Hopefully Miazga isn’t out for the season. If he isn’t then I think we have enough in Moore, Morrison and McIntyre with Blackett able to switch to cb if needed. Beyond that Osho and Burley can cover as 5th/6th choices.

Except Moore is already playing with a long term injury that probably needs surgery. He’s one incident off a long rest. And Blackett may not be at the club much longer. If Moore does his shoulderon Tuesday and Blackett opts to go to Turkey on Friday we look extremely thin on the ground in defence.

[Zip]

McIntyre will be back for the replay.

Bowen is right to give the club every chance of making the play offs. Yes it probably will be a fruitless exercise but at least he’s giving it the best shot.

Just need a Joao replacement on loan before 11pm on Friday to maximise the opportunity. Wonder also if he’ll try for an experienced specialist central defender as cover.

Hopefully Miazga isn’t out for the season. If he isn’t then I think we have enough in Moore, Morrison and McIntyre with Blackett able to switch to cb if needed. Beyond that Osho and Burley can cover as 5th/6th choices.

Except Moore is already playing with a long term injury that probably needs surgery. He’s one incident off a long rest. And Blackett may not be at the club much longer. If Moore does his shoulderon Tuesday and Blackett opts to go to Turkey on Friday we look extremely thin on the ground in defence.

Well yes that’s the worst case scenario. I wish Moore had had an op on his shoulder last summer. It can’t be right that he is clearly playing on in pain when it keeps dislocating.
Will both Blackett and Loader run their contracts down? I think Blackett will still be here after the window shuts.

[Nameless]

Hopefully Miazga isn’t out for the season. If he isn’t then I think we have enough in Moore, Morrison and McIntyre with Blackett able to switch to cb if needed. Beyond that Osho and Burley can cover as 5th/6th choices.

Except Moore is already playing with a long term injury that probably needs surgery. He’s one incident off a long rest. And Blackett may not be at the club much longer. If Moore does his shoulderon Tuesday and Blackett opts to go to Turkey on Friday we look extremely thin on the ground in defence.

Well yes that’s the worst case scenario. I wish Moore had had an op on his shoulder last summer. It can’t be right that he is clearly playing on in pain when it keeps dislocating.
Will both Blackett and Loader run their contracts down? I think Blackett will still be here after the window shuts.

Luckily I think we are in reasonable situation with Blackett. We won’t expect a big fee so losinghim for nothing in the summer isn’t financially a big thing. Worst case is he demands to go now and we risk having a bad apple in the camp if we refuse. I have no idea what sort of character he is and whether he’s get his head down and carry on, you would hope so.

[The Royal Forester]

After the match someone sent a text to BBCRB that said the Ref apologized to Meite before he booked him. Did anyone else see that? If he did it goes to show that Marc Edwards (in his first year at this level) understood the reason for removing his shirt and that Refs can be human.

[bcubed]

After the match someone sent a text to BBCRB that said the Ref apologized to Meite before he booked him. Did anyone else see that? If he did it goes to show that Marc Edwards (in his first year at this level) understood the reason for removing his shirt and that Refs can be human.

He certainly spoke to him and in what looked like a sympathetic way. I guessed he was saying I have to do this you know.

It's a oxf*rd stupid rule whatever

[bcubed]

Just coming back - an odd game with an odd atmosphere. Home fans really didn’t seem that bothered about the game, very gentle

Cardiff are a hideous team. Diving, cheating, little kicks, backing in - all sorts. Whole game plan to get corners and free kicks which they got loads of - and tbh pretty embarrassing they barely threatened considering we lost our 2 cbs and half their team seemed about 6ft 4

Aluko was pretty bright actually- played well first half. We did seem to shut up shop as soon as Miazga went off and were pleased to get the draw in the end

Do think Bowen should have had Swift and co on the bench tbh

Agree
Which is why I was so surprised not a single Cardiff player was booked

Surprised ?
Astounded !!
Their 13 spent much of the game clattering into players and their 6 put in a few crunchers too. McIntyre’s first booking was milder than the cynical late tackles on Adam.

Yeh I'll give you astounded!

I'm genuinely puzzled at how many cards we pick compared to the opposition. I think refs need to see a dive before they give the foul these days. And we don't tend to fall over as easily as most.

[Zip]

We do seem to be picking up more bookings than the opposition at the moment, It happened with Forest who somehow managed to get only two players booked at our place.

[Sutekh]

We do seem to be picking up more bookings than the opposition at the moment, It happened with Forest who somehow managed to get only two players booked at our place.

Probably making up for the Derby game where nearly all their players were booked.

[bcubed]

We do seem to be picking up more bookings than the opposition at the moment, It happened with Forest who somehow managed to get only two players booked at our place.

Probably making up for the Derby game where nearly all their players were booked.

I'm sure in that case it was justified!

But seriously we are not a physical team and week in week out we play against bigger tougher some might say thuggish opposition. Yet we generally end up with more fouls and more yellows. Just not savvy enough?

[Snowflake Royal]

We do seem to be picking up more bookings than the opposition at the moment, It happened with Forest who somehow managed to get only two players booked at our place.

Probably making up for the Derby game where nearly all their players were booked.

I'm sure in that case it was justified!

But seriously we are not a physical team and week in week out we play against bigger tougher some might say thuggish opposition. Yet we generally end up with more fouls and more yellows. Just not savvy enough?

There's been a couple of games recently, where one of our players seems to have fallen foul of the other team committing certain types of offences and then ours doing it and the ref treating it like it's persistent offending.

There's Swift against Forest, it's a reasonable yellow, but Forest had got away with 1 or 2 almost identical just before.

McIntyre against Cardiff where Richards was similarly taken out but no yellow.

Sow going in hard left right and centre and getting nothing, whilst Meite's a bit clumsy and gets booked.

[royalp-we]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Bowen goes for the below rearguard in the replay:

Howe - Burley - Blackett - Richards

[Platypuss]

I notice when buying tickets for this online the system doesn’t give an option for you to load the game onto your member card instead you only have options to pick them up from the ground or print them out at home. Very odd.

I thought the same at first glance, but did find an option to loaded mine onto my ST (wanted to sit somewhere different).

[Nameless]

I notice when buying tickets for this online the system doesn’t give an option for you to load the game onto your member card instead you only have options to pick them up from the ground or print them out at home. Very odd.

I thought the same at first glance, but did eventually find the option to load mine onto my ST (wanted to sit somewhere different).

There is an option to do it, button labelled something like 'assign ticket'. It's not immediately obvious but easy to do once you work it out. I think there is even text explaining it on the last order page.

[Zip]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Bowen goes for the below rearguard in the replay:

Howe - Burley - Blackett - Richards

I would. McIntyre will be a certain starter I would have thought.

[royalp-we]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Bowen goes for the below rearguard in the replay:

Howe - Burley - Blackett - Richards

I would. McIntyre will be a certain starter I would have thought.

Ah yes, it’s a 1 match ban

[Dave the rave]

This week's Dave's i award goes to this post from URZZZZ. Printed in Saturday's i.

I'm just saying making 11 changes is too much against a fellow Championship side and whilst these players need game time, I'd rather swap a couple a game in the league rather than 11 on Saturday to keep them fresh

[Snowflake Royal]

Played Urzzz and thanks dave

[morganb]

Statement from Cardiff City regarding the racist and homophobic language incident

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/cl ... ent-270120

Basically

It is understood that the four Cardiff City supporters arrested and subsequently released prior to investigation were cited during the fixture for using what would normally be considered as unwarranted or non-sensical language. This language could be heard taking place between fans of both clubs and was of an anti-Welsh/anti-English nature.

We are extremely disappointed that Reading Football Club chose to label the behaviour as racist and homophobic (of which there has been no evidence).

[Nameless]

Statement from Cardiff City regarding the racist and homophobic language incident

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/cl ... ent-270120

Basically

It is understood that the four Cardiff City supporters arrested and subsequently released prior to investigation were cited during the fixture for using what would normally be considered as unwarranted or non-sensical language. This language could be heard taking place between fans of both clubs and was of an anti-Welsh/anti-English nature.

We are extremely disappointed that Reading Football Club chose to label the behaviour as racist and homophobic (of which there has been no evidence).

What evidence would they want ?
If it was reported then the club are duty bound to act. You don't wait until after the game to tell people to watch their language.
Is the reference to 'non sensical' language suggesting the 4 were speaking Welsh ?