Cardiff - V - Wednesday

[airborne_rat_of_s6]

Hopefully they are unsettled and we manage to nick it.

[MrsHall]

UTO. UTO.

[N0rtherner]

Thank you Snoots!

 

It's marvellous really, Saturday mornings with the OMDT read and a lovely cup of coffee, even got the kid to be quiet in an almost reverent manner when I told him I was reading about today's match... in retrospect, almost fell quiet as if I'd read an obituary.... no, no, let's have none of that. We march on, bring it on Cardiff!!

 

Looking forward to getting the new season underway, let's have a crack at the mountain we've got to climb, can we get back the siege mentality in face of adversity?

 

UP THE OWLS!!

[theowlsman]

Starting this season in particular without a recognised, proper, leader of the front line, is complete wrecklessness. 

 

We’ll get a hard earned and deserved 0-0 draw.

 

 

[bladeshater]

Come on the Wednesday

[109Waddle]

It’s only just dawned on me that we’re going into the first few games of the season with the same defence as last season 

 

Borner needs to turn up today!

[Essix Blue]

Sorry if I’ve missed something, but where’s the young kid we got from Citeh?

[striker]

The new season starts proper, along with a feeling of nervous excitement.

 

Despite their finish last season, not concerned by Cardiff, they are a decent championship team on their day, but nothing to fear and this season, more than ever, it's all about us. 

 

We are low on quality, banking on attitude and a team ethic. What we have added to the team is some pace, hopefully this will have a transformative effect on what has been our rather pedestrian tempo in recent seasons, particularly up front. Looking forward to seeing some.movement and options for Bannan and Brown.

 

Think being away suits us to keep a solid shape and play on the counter attack. QPR away towards the back end of last season perhaps the blueprint of what Monk wants.

 

We need points on the board, however they come I don't care. Head says draw, heart 0-2 Wednesday win.

Edited September 12, 2020 by striker

[gurujuan]

We have to hope for a QPR away type performance, with a similar strike pairing. On one of the rare occasions the three at the back system shut up shop. If it’s another one of those games where we leak goals, then we need to ditch the system, or the manager

[TheEnchanter]

Come on Wednesday! Lets smash these up. 

[mcmigo]

Cardiff are a good team, and well drilled by an excellent manager.

as has been said, a tough opener for us. A 2 0 defeat today but still 45 more games to go with hopefully a forward or two added next week.

[VictoryBell]

Great yarn, Snoots! I'm sure something like that actually happened to me but the years have shrouded the past in mist (and I mean anything before 5pm yesterday).

 

Looking forward to only being 15 points away from automatic promotion, this evening

[WalthamOwl]

Excellent OP as always. Even though we are desperate for wins from the off, a draw would be a decent result today imo. Monk has said we have to be full on in every game. Let’s hope we see that today. Come on Wednesday!!!!

[Owls_fan_since_1983]

Come on Wednesday

 

Lets go for a win 

[Bulldog]

Cardiff 6/5 to win. Easy money (unfortunately )

[Bouncing Owl]

I’ve thought 1-0 defeat for a couple of weeks.

 

But, it maybe a good time to play these. They lost to Northampton last week with a good side out, they’ve got injury problems and Mendez-Laing who is one of their top players has had his contract terminated. There’s trouble in the camp.

 

We may get something today but I am pessimistic for the season overall. 

[Brissy-owl]

None stop effort for 90 mins, no lapses in concentration allowed, got to be 110%, win win win, come on Wednesday show us and everyone else -12 will not punish us! 

[Pressman 1]

Quietly confident today pinch it 1-0 from a set piece then shut up shop 

[Brommers]

8 hours ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

 "Bit gloomy eh Stubbs"

 

 "I'll say ,Sir.  Four matches to win before you even get to zero points, some task."

 

 "I meant the weather!"

 

 "Oh ,right. Yes. Well, yes, Sir"

 

 "I'm not bothered about the twelve point deduction."

 

 "You're not?"

 

 "No, of course not. Bit of adversity. Making of a team isn't it. Hardship and what not. Builds the spirit."

 

 "Or crushes it, Sir"

 

 "What rot! Crushes it indeed. Never heard such tosh. Character building, that's what it is."

 

 "Really,Sir"

 

 "Yes really. Did I ever tell you about the time I was in the Boys Brigade and Major underwood took us out into the sticks for a game of 'wide'?"

 

 "No Sir."

 

 "Well, he bundled us onto an old bus, Winter this was. Dark early doors, you know. Sun dipping over the Tor as we trundled out there.  Anyway off we went , right out onto the moors, it was bleak Stubbs. Bleak. Dark and foggy. Well we had to play this game you see. Bit like hide and seek the gist of it. Except you had to get back to a rendezvous point without them seeing you. Understand? The seeker that is."

 

 "I understand the concept,Sir"

 

 "Well anyway, the Major Counts to 20 and we bound off and hide, about 15 of us.  I got myself a great spot. Small outcrop of rocks surrounded by thick bracken."

 

 "Very good ,Sir"

 

 "Yes, I thought so. Anyway...we'd been there a while. Waiting, you know, for him to leave this post that was the rendezvous point. I waited and waited. Then when I saw the coast was clear I made for it. 'cept it wasn't there. Fog you see. Hours we must have been there. One by one, by calling into the mists we found each other. Took hours. We were freezing cold. The rain started to slant in.  We called for the Major but he didn't come back."

 

 

 "Is there a point to this..."

 

 "Well, turns out the old cove had got bored looking, or forgotten what he was doing out there, he was a bit, y'know. Cracking on. Plus I think he had a bit of Shell shock. Anyway, the hours passed. We huddled and shivered against a big boulder against the wind until the Police came looking for us the next morning. And this is what I'm saying Stubbs. Adversity! That night, as little strapplings we were all in it together, you see!"

 

 "Yes, Sir, you all went in there 15 young lads and came out a team of 15 men."

 

 "Yes! Well, not fifteen exactly. More like thirteen and a half. Young Silverman didn't make it to the group. It was the police that found him, such as he was, missing an appendage or two, been mauled by some sort of beast . Kept blathering about red eyes looming out of the dark. And of course, they never found poor old Fatty Tomkins' body. Lucky he was so fat really. Probably stopped the beast coming back for anymore of us. Aye, he'd have made a hearty meal that lad."

 

 "What?!.......Sir?!"

 

 "Yes. Looking back, maybe not the best analogy. Still. Made men of the rest of us.  Toffers and Craddock became raging alcoholics of course and Spencer joined the Foreign Legion. But the point is ...adversity!"

 

"If i might be so bold ,Sir. This is the worst motivational story I've ever heard"

 

 "Yes. Perhaps you're right. Still, first match of the season and all that. Anything can happen. Get off to a good start, bang a few goals and it'll all start looking a bit rosier"

 

 "But the season kicked off last week,Sir. At Walsall. A very uninspiring game"

 

 

 "That wasn't the start of the season."

 

 "It wasn't?"

 

 "God no! That was a competitive friendly. Nothing more. Nothing to worry about"

 

 "Not even Reach up front?"

 

 "Do you know Stubbs, he covered 6 miles?"

 

 "So does a crisp packet on a windy day Sir ...and challenges about as hard"

 

 "It was just to get the lad some minutes under their belts Stubbs. All part of the master plan."

 

 "Was drawing 0-0 with a third division side part of the plan too,Sir?"

 

 "Of course it was. Canny thinker that Monk. He knows that it doesn't matter how many penalties you take in training there's nothing that can replicate a proper competitive shootout. Match situation. The pressure of the result. We might need penalties in the play offs and the Walsall plan, executed to perfection by the lads refusing to have a shot on target,  ensured we've got some decent , pressurised penalty practise in. Yes its' all coming together. Now pop the kettle on, the party starts today!"

 

"I hate it when he's like this. It only makes 4:45pm so much harder"

 

 

CARDIFF

- V - 

WEDNESDAY

 

EFL Championship

Saturday 12th September, 2020

Kick Off: 15:00

Cardiff City Stadium

***************************

 

TEAM NEWS

 

Cardiff

After losing 3-0 to Northampton Town in the first round of the EFL Cup, they were forced to release winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing on Wednesday for a breach of contract.

Star man Lee Tomlin is also carrying an injury sustained in the playoff semi-final loss to Fulham, so Neil Harris needs to pick up squad up ahead of this opening fixture.

 

As well as likely being without Tomlin, who has been directly involved in eight goals in 12 league appearances against Wednesday, Cardiff are also ruing the loss of midfielder Joe Ralls.

 

Mendez-Laing is no longer in the picture, but Harris can now call upon Liverpool loanee Sheyi Ojo in a like-for-like change.

 

Kieffer Moore is also in contention for his competitive debut this weekend after missing the Northampton loss due to being away on international duty with Wales.

 

Cardiff possible:

4-3-3
Smithies

Osei-Tutu       Morrison  Nelson Bennett

Pack  Bacuna   Vaulks

 Murphy       Moore     Hoilett

 

********

Wednesday were without four first-team players for their EFL Cup first-round tie with Walsall, which they won on penalties after a goalless draw in normal time. Liam Palmer was away with Scotland but is now back involved, while Elias Kachunga is also part of Monk's plans after not being risked last time out.

Chey Dunkley and Osaze Urhoghide are not expected to be involved, though, for an Owls side likely to go with a 3-5-2 formation of sorts for this trip to Cardiff.

 

Wednesday will be desperate to start making inroads after being hit with a 12-point deduction, but this is one of the toughest fixtures they could have asked for to kick things off.

Cardiff had the fourth best home record in the Championship last season, losing just three of their 23 matches, and we can see them edging this contest.

 

Wednesday possible :

3-5-2
Wildsmith

 Iorfa   Lees   Borner

Odubajo    Luongo     Bannan     Penney 

Brown

Rhodes         Windass

 

*********************

UTO

 

 

 

Excellent read Snoots. I thoroughly recommend you write a book, I'd certainly buy a copy.

[TheLastSleepingGiant]

Come on you Blue and White Wizards!!!