Five seasons in the Championship and five mid-table finishes. Fantastic to be at this level but after a lifetime following Cardiff City through more than a few promotion charges and many more relegation battels, it's a strange, near apathetic, feeling.
It's therefore hardly a surprise, but depressing reading nevertheless, to see a succession of newspaper and sports/football websites predict the predictable - another mid-table season beckoning with most saying 12th place ... exactly where City finished last season.
Those brave rallying cries after last season and the Cup Final talking of City's Premiership challnge have quickly disappeared. Even Peter Ridsdale talking up the current squad being better and stronger than last season just 4 weeks ago is something he's wisely not mentioned since.
While pre-season, including holding Alax and beating Celtic, while going unbeaten is very encouraging, it hardly papers over what many City fans see as the cracks or realities. Brpadly speaking, going through the squad and side, that is best summed up as;
- We are no better and no worse than the side that finished 12th last season so why should it be any different as things stand?
- A couple of new summer signings may have promise but none of our new faces are inspiring while, in a couple of instances, they seem to be here to fill out our meagre squad in my view.
- We've known the key areas we needed to address this summer and have either failed to do so, taken gambles or adequately adequately addressed things only.
Looking at the areas where we did need to act;
* A commanding goalkeeeper was required. The Jury's out on Heaton who looks a great shot stopper with excellent reflexes but hasn't truly been examined yet while Enckleman is out of favour and you have to question why we signed him at all if he's just here on Premiership style wages to be a back up?
* Cover for left back - looks like we're gambling on Kennedy and Commuinges as utility men to cover a number of positions.
* Central midfield - We just haven't replaced Aaron Ramsey, as promised, and are under-resourced. Unless/until Scimeca rediscovers his former full form and fitness - and question marks hang over that - then Rae and McPhail (who bring a new meaning to blowing hot and cold) will continue to have a free run.
* Forwards - We were at least 10 goals short of a play-off challenge last season and have done nothing about it yet. We needed three new players including pace, power and someone to grab us 15+ goals. The sole capture is the potential of McCormack who looks quality but, like all forwards Dave Jones has brought here excepting Chopra, I fear he will not contribute a sufficent goal return. And that also applies to Bothroyd - it's pretty damning if he tourns out to be our big summer signing - a player a rival club no longer want and who was just about to drop down a level!
In summary
We know we have quality in the side, the nuts and bolts are in place and City are very organised and disciplined but lack that spark where it matters to break through the pack.
Here's hoping we can kick it onto the new dimension both Ridsdale and Jones have faithfully promised ever since that Cup Final with words that now haunt me and should be haunting them.
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