Carl Curtis : Shocking performance that deserved nothing

Blackpool 1-0 Cardiff City

By Carl Curtis

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=148889

A shocking performance from City tonight, Blackpool wanted it more and that hurts to say.

There are many bones to pick from that display and Russell Slade has his work cut out to turn Cardiff City into a real promotion candidate, on that viewing it looks unlikely.

The players were not at the races and Blackpool harried and pressed us for every ball.

City lined up with the 4-5-1 that has proved useful in the last two games, Ravel Morrison got his first start replacing Matts Daehli, Joe Ralls was also recalled to the starting line up instead of Craig Noone.

City could have conceded the lead just inside 10 minutes when their right winger seized the chance to cross when Joe Ralls was sold a dummy and the cross was just inches ahead of Ishmael Miller to head home.

Less than two minutes later City had their first effort on goal when Sean Morrison headed just wide from a Whittingham free kick.

The first 15 minutes was quite an open game and Blackpool were creating some decent openings.

Manga looks like a real quality signing and has settled in really well to the back four.

Possession count was equal after the first quarter and City started to take control of the game, we needed to get Whittingham, Ravel and Pilkington on the ball, they are the creative players in the team and once we did we created our best passage of play.

Taking control of the game didn’t last long and Blackpool were soon back causing us problems.

Fabio’s last ditch tackle in the 32nd minute was timed perfectly to stop Delfonsou from putting Blackpool in to the lead. Some refs may have given a penalty but it would have been harsh.

Our midfield was nowhere near tight enough to the midfielders of Blackpool, whenever we had the ball their players were straight in our faces, in particular Perkins was breaking up a lot of our play but the same coukdnt be said of our players when Blackpool had the ball, too many times our defence were facing strikers finding space in our box and Manga’s composure saved us on the line.

Cardiff City were riding their luck and it seemed that it was a matter of time before Blackpool’s luck in front of goal changed and ours ran out.

At half time we had just one tame shot from outside the box by Kenwyne Jones on target, overall a poor first half display by City.

No changes at half time but the same pattern continued in the first ten minutes of the second half, our midfield was being pressed hard whenever we had the ball.

City should have taken the lead on 58 mins, good work by Ravel Morrison, who worked well to put Fabio in with a chance but the Brazilian shot with his left when his right would have been the better option.

First change of the game was Macheda replacing Kenwyne Jones on 60 mins.

City were enjoying their best spell in and around the Blackpool box, we had four corners in quick succession but couldn’t trouble them with any of the crosses.

And from our last corner of the four, Blackpool broke away and scored, we backed off and didn’t press the ball, it was coming and we were getting what we deserved.

After 68 mins, Young and Gabbs, threw their last dice to try and turn the game on its head, a double substitution with Ralls and Ravel Morrison leaving the field and Noone and Le Fondre coming on. The formation changed to a more conventional 4-4-2.

The next ten minutes and possession was 70-30 in our favour but still we couldn’t create anything of note.

City were very poor tonight and really didn’t do enough to get anything out of the game, Le Fondre had a chance on the 90th minute but maybe his lack of game time resulted in his shot blazing over the bar from 10 yards out, this came just a minute after Blackpool should have extended their lead but a fine stop from Marshall kept the scoreline to 1-0.

City are going to have to improve massively after tonight’s showing, it was a shocking performance from the team and unfortunately it really looked like there was more desire from the Blackpool players than City’s.