Post-Match City 0 - 1 Cardiff

[BoneDog]

I agree we could have, probably should have from looking at the highlights, won this match and looked good again at times, but the space Bellamy was allowed for the goal was blinkin shocking.

I was appalled! It was a poor mistake.

[Bert]

Just seen the goal on the FLS.

Can't believe how much space Bellamy was given around the penalty spot. Acres.

What was King doing? He should be picking Bellamy up there.

[Danno]

What was King doing? He should be picking Bellamy up there.

Same mistake vs Forest. Needs to be bollocked by Pearson

[kingfox]

What was King doing? He should be picking Bellamy up there.

What was Konchesky doing though Bert, had enough time to put his foot in or stop the cross altogether.

Bad defending in my opinion.

[Kitchandro]

I haven't seen it since but at the time it looked like bad defending all round. We let two crosses in too easily and didn't get tight to anyone. Really lazy and lacking in concentration.

[fleckneymike]

What was King doing? He should be picking Bellamy up there.

No he shouldn't. As we are all painfully aware we have 4 in midfield, for that goal we had just 1 in the middle because Lloyd was stood still on the left and Knockaert was in the middle well outside the box and Drinkwater had to move over to the left to help out Konchesky (not too successfully). King, twice, covers for Morgan who correctly pressures the play, yet in the absolute age it takes for the ball to arrive not one of the other midfielders offer any cover.

It's a similar story for all the other counter attacks, King is the only one running the length of the pitch to cover.

[Phil Bertstreet]

With Whitbread he problem is his distribution. Once a centre-back wins possession the only thing that matters is giving the ball to a colleague.Too often Whitbread doesn't do that and it was no different today.

Don't agree. Any Centre Back winning the ball should have the preferred option to play a short ball to a hungry midfielder (especially when a midfielder has just passed it to them). As I've complained in another thread, every time Whitbread or Morgan get the ball on the ground the midfielders turn their backs and trot off up field like we all used to do in Primary school. Our CB's (with no option than to play hopeful punts upfield) are then seemingly expected to conjure up defence splitting passes every time they get the ball. Poor midfield play IMO.

[Lineker's Left Foot]

So impressed after watching the highlights - of course, it didn't take into account our inept second half, but I loved City's endeavours and think we are only a couple of signings away from getting there. To be in the playoffs at Christmas is brilliant and if we start a run of some sort now, then who knows??

[ozleicester]

(viewed via stream)

Another outstanding first 20 mins, we absolutely dominated and were unlucky not to be 1 or 2 up.

I have been a Konchesky fan since he joined us, but he looks out of sorts at the moment, his first touch is lacking and perhaps needs a little confidence, his final ball also seems to be a 50/50 proposition. - Time to bring back the Schluppmeister?

Whitbread and Morgan - Solid, best centre back pair in the league

Delaet - disapointed yesterday, ball control was dodgy, and decision making was often poor.

Pretty happy with the midfield, Knocky and Dyer offer themselves and put the opposition under some very good pressure, Drinky and King had good solid games..King's couple of drives to goal were terrific and great to watch.

Nuge and Vardy both are hard workers and seem to get into the right position... but lack the killer quality (see that cvnt Bellamy). I am begining to lose patience with Vardy..but im still up in the air, the guy gets into positions so well..just doesnt finish???

The substitutions were an error, didnt mind Waggy...he tried, but he is just a sharper version of Vardy, Futacs would at least offer something different, BUT, taking off both Dyer and Knocky was just stupid. We were 1-0 down at home, surely take off a full back and one of Dyer or Knocky..but not them both.

The subs really didnt do enough to impress or disapoint as the game had gone to hoof and the weather was playing its part.

Elated by the quality of our play when we are "on"

Gutted by the fact we dont seem to be able to finish.

[Col city fan]

Just seen the highlights on Football League Show.

The time Bellamy had was criminal for his goal.

THERE'S the problem, or one of them. We've conceded too many goals like that.

[Fox92]

And, Bellamy was different class yesterday. His workrate and movement was second to none, better than anybody else's on the pitch. Good attitude towards the game. Made a lot of space before he even scored the goal as well.

[cafe]

The management of the ball issues, which Nigel highlighted after the Millwall game ,were significantly improved.

The managing to stop the opposition scoring issues must be resolved next if we are not to be 10-13 points behind the top 2 by new year.

A million pounds a year in a recession.

Hull City fans are campaigning for Pearson to have a contract extension

[Babylon]

If Jesse Lingard is the answer does anyone know what the question is?

What's the most pointless substitution in lcfc history?

[Babylon]

With Konchesky, Whitbread and Vardy being utterly shit it was like playing with 8 man.

And, Bellamy was different class yesterday. His workrate and movement was second to none, better than anybody else's on the pitch. Good attitude towards the game. Made a lot of space before he even scored the goal as well.

Yeah watched him quite closely and his movement was fantastic and caused most of our problems. Highlighted what we miss as so often we get the ball up the pitch and are lacking someone to pass to.

[Super_horns]

Bellamy showed his Premiership class with that finish..first time strike into the corner.

You guys were really unlucky though!

[Thracian]

What was Konchesky doing though Bert, had enough time to put his foot in or stop the cross altogether.

Bad defending in my opinion.

There were so many contributory elements to conceding this goal and all of them down to decision-making and organisation. My friend and I talked yesterday about what Cardiff did well when they took the lead and more than anything it was defending their danger area.

They did so with numbers and lots of close support for one another.

Bellamy's goal was conceded from our centre-backs' area of principal responsibility and however the job of containing Bellamy was delegated Morgan - or perhaps Schmeichel - should have been the organiser.

It wasn't one man's job to defend that area anyway - let alone that of relatively lightweight creative players like King or Knockaert - it was the team's and yesterdays calamity glaringly emphasised the weakness of zonal marking against elusive players.

The problem with zonal marking is that, by definition, there are pass-over points - the moments when responsibility moves from one player to another - seemingly from King to Knockaert as I recalled but it doesn't really matter.

The truth is that a defensive specialist should have had Bellamy spoken for in every situation close to goal and none of those specialists were anywhere to be seen.

King was the last person who should have been marking him. King has so many qualities - some of them hardly used in the limited way we play - but he and we would never claim he's the most mobile or fast-off-the-mark footballer and that's the kind you need to deal with Bellamy. Besides, as mentioned earlier, King was helping cover Morgan.

And from where he got the goal you need insurance as well. Insurance which Cardiff never failed to take out when they were under pressure but which we didn't take out.

And no, I'm not excusing King of all responsibility. I've seen him mark space before rather than dealing with an individual. You could say it's the way he plays defensively - reading the game as play develops rather than specifically looking out for individuals.

Sometimes though you have to deal with specifics and Bellamy was close enough to goal to demand that but almost our entire defence had vacated the area that needed to be defended most .

I don't believe King was unaware of Bellamy yesterday. King is probably the most aware of all our players. And if he was aware you have to ask did he opt out of dealing with the situation or did he genuinely believe Knockaert had arrived to do that?

King definitely glanced at Bellamy, but didn't make a move and eventually left him to Knockaert who didn't respond either. It cost us dearly but that doesn't excuse Konchesky's initial mistake, or why we were so light-handed and disorganised in such a vital area against such a dangerous player.

Truth is though that there will always be errors and there will always be scapegoats for any goal conceded. The real way forward is to get enough gals ourselves so it doesn't matter. But even when we made our substitutions we didn't increase the pressure on Cardiff.

Why didn't we put Futacs on to offer something different, go 3-3-4 and leave Dyer, Knockaert on as well to benefit from the space he might create?

We were losing. We needed to score. What earthly point was there in continuing to have four at the back against a team using one man in attack and clearly intent on defending their lead?

[cafe]

Thracian.Good summing up-if not a little wordy.

Precis:poor management.

[Babylon]

I'm guessing cafe is the same Hull fan that posts shit on talking balls... be warned people.

[Col city fan]

There were so many contributory elements to conceding this goal and all of them down to decision-making and organisation. My friend and I talked yesterday about what Cardiff did well when they took the lead and more than anything it was defending their danger area.

They did so with numbers and lots of close support for one another.

Bellamy's goal was conceded from our centre-backs' area of principal responsibility and however the job of containing Bellamy was delegated Morgan - or perhaps Schmeichel - should have been the organiser.

It wasn't one man's job to defend that area anyway - let alone that of relatively lightweight creative players like King or Knockaert - it was the team's and yesterdays calamity glaringly emphasised the weakness of zonal marking against elusive players.

The problem with zonal marking is that, by definition, there are pass-over points - the moments when responsibility moves from one player to another - seemingly from King to Knockaert as I recalled but it doesn't really matter.

The truth is that a defensive specialist should have had Bellamy spoken for in every situation close to goal and none of those specialists were anywhere to be seen.

King was the last person who should have been marking him. King has so many qualities - some of them hardly used in the limited way we play - but he and we would never claim he's the most mobile or fast-off-the-mark footballer and that's the kind you need to deal with Bellamy. Besides, as mentioned earlier, King was helping cover Morgan.

And from where he got the goal you need insurance as well. Insurance which Cardiff never failed to take out when they were under pressure but which we didn't take out.

And no, I'm not excusing King of all responsibility. I've seen him mark space before rather than dealing with an individual. You could say it's the way he plays defensively - reading the game as play develops rather than specifically looking out for individuals.

Sometimes though you have to deal with specifics and Bellamy was close enough to goal to demand that but almost our entire defence had vacated the area that needed to be defended most .

I don't believe King was unaware of Bellamy yesterday. King is probably the most aware of all our players. And if he was aware you have to ask did he opt out of dealing with the situation or did he genuinely believe Knockaert had arrived to do that?

King definitely glanced at Bellamy, but didn't make a move and eventually left him to Knockaert who didn't respond either. It cost us dearly but that doesn't excuse Konchesky's initial mistake, or why we were so light-handed and disorganised in such a vital area against such a dangerous player.

Truth is though that there will always be errors and there will always be scapegoats for any goal conceded. The real way forward is to get enough gals ourselves so it doesn't matter. But even when we made our substitutions we didn't increase the pressure on Cardiff.

Why didn't we put Futacs on to offer something different, go 3-3-4 and leave Dyer, Knockaert on as well to benefit from the space he might create?

We were losing. We needed to score. What earthly point was there in continuing to have four at the back against a team using one man in attack and clearly intent on defending their lead?

Best post I've read on here in the past 24 hrs

[LJS]

I'm guessing cafe is the same Hull fan that posts shit on talking balls... be warned people.

In fairness, although cafe is sometimes on the wind up over there, the reaction he gets is a bit unfair. He makes good points a lot of the time. But because those points are often critical of our current manager people don't want to listen. As much as he caricatures his dislike of Pearson to wind people up, our lot are unwilling to listen to anything which might be deemed critical of Nige.

[topharry123]

This was my first game in two years yesterday as we had to come from Texas for it ! Shame we lost, thought we played really well in the first half and were the better team overall. Seems to me that the only difference between us was Bellamy. Fantastic finish and always looked a threat on the ball or off it. Should be playing in the premier league still and he wouldn't look out of place at Man City, still not sure why they sold him as he was doing well when they let him go! Maybe it's just because he's a cock! If we could get a striker of that caliber in Jan then we'll run the table. I've no doubt that if we'd have had Bellamy from the start of the season then we'd be top now !!

[Babylon]

The truth is that a defensive specialist should have had Bellamy spoken for in every situation close to goal and none of those specialists were anywhere to be seen.

If memory serves me right (I've not seen the highlights yet so I could well be talking utter shit here), I believe Morgan was out of position in that move covering over to the left. I think he'd only just made his way back into the centre when the ball came in. I think if he'd been able to take up his correct position from the start he'd have seen the danger from bellemy, as it was I think was had concerned himself with getting back into position to start with.

our lot are unwilling to listen to anything which might be deemed critical of Nige.

On talking balls? All I read is mostly moaning on there!

[Col city fan]

If memory serves me right (I've not seen the highlights yet so I could well be talking utter shit here), I believe Morgan was out of position in that move covering over to the left. I think he'd only just made his way back into the centre when the ball came in. I think if he'd been able to take up his correct position from the start he'd have seen the danger from bellemy, as it was I think was had concerned himself with getting back into position to start with.

On talking balls? All I read is mostly moaning on there!

You need to see the highlights then.. Bellamy was literally left on his own for two phases of the play. The ball had even been cleared, to be crossed back in again and Bellamy was STILL not picked-up. With a player of his quality, that was asking for trouble. A player with the specific role of mopping up at the edge of the area would have picked Bellamy up and the ball wouldnt even have reached him.

[okie fox]

King definitely glanced at Bellamy, but didn't make a move and eventually left him to Knockaert who didn't respond either. It cost us dearly but that doesn't excuse Konchesky's initial mistake, or why we were so light-handed and disorganised in such a vital area against such a dangerous player.

King made a mistake. He was ball watching, not marking anyone, and not aware of Bellamy pulling back to the edge of the penalty area. It's the job of the central midfielder to guard against the pull back.

[Babylon]

You need to see the highlights then.. Bellamy was literally left on his own for two phases of the play. The ball had even been cleared, to be crossed back in again and Bellamy was STILL not picked-up. With a player of his quality, that was asking for trouble. A player with the specific role of mopping up at the edge of the area would have picked Bellamy up and the ball wouldnt even have reached him.

Well like I said, I might have been talking shit.

What player would that have been then a DM?

I love how EVERYTHING would have been stopped with a defensive midfielder in your world.

I think you have misunderstood Thracians post as it seems to me he's suggesting it was a defenders job to pick him up, not advocating a DM.