MONDAY NOVEMBER 26th
CHAMPIONSHIP - Game 17/6 - at WALKER STADIUM
LEICESTER CITY (0) 0
CARDIFF CITY (0) 0
If Dave Jones really did have two games to save himself, then he's ok for a while longer and has to be satisfied with 2 clean sheets and 4 points in 3 days as City fought hard for a 0-0 draw at Leicester's Walkers Stadium in a game that simultaneously got the home side's best crowd of the season but surely Sky tv's lowest Monday Night Football Crowd this term too.
As a match and entertainment, it was shockingly poor quality. Defences triumphed but that was pretty easy when both sides showed no potency, little quality and nil composure in the final third. It can't have been easy for either side playing a game so soon after the weekend and with City fighting to keep their boss and Leicester trying to impress their new one but results are the only object for manager, players and club right now and both will fairly satisfied with the outcome.
Watching the build up on Sky, you wouldn’t know Cardiff City were playing at all, the sole focus being The Foxes Milan Mandaric, Ian Holloway and Leicester City. The main studio guest, former Leicester manager - one of 7 since April! - Mad Dog Martin Allen, a manager rumour to be dismissed for not signing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The way JFH is going lately, it's probably many Cardiff fans starting to regret he didn't do that too
With the buzz of a new passionate, charismatic boss in Holloway - after caretaker flat capped moustachioed former Bluebird head Frankie Burrows departed last Friday - and offers of season ticket holders bringing a friend for free, the rest paying £10 for adults and £1 for kids (while City fans were creamed for £24!), the crowd in Walkers was an impressive 27,241 including 300 + travelling City followers. Commendable on a Monday night in our situation and the game live on the box.
City named the same 11 that started against Ipswich - Joe Ledley over tight hamstrings - but McNaughton still not fully fit so stayed on the bench while Robbie Fowler did not travel. So it was Play It Again Dave with Schmeicel, Capaldi-Purse-Loovens-Gunter, Parry-Rae-McPhail-Ledley, Thompson-Hasselbaink. Subs-Oakes, Johnson, Whittingham,
The Foxes were only 2 points and 3 places above City and Sky kept making the point about how they boasted the Championship’s best defence while conveniently forgetting to mention only the bottom three have scored fewer. They had a striker problem with Carl Cort and DJ Campbell injured and Matty Fryatt only able to play after appealing against a red card incurred in their win at Brizzle Zity two days earlier.
Holloway’s side were Fulop, Stearman-McAuley-Kisnorbo-Mattock, Newton-Wesolowski-Clemence-Sheehan, Hume-Fryatt.
City’s start was positive, Joe Ledley chipping at home keeper Fulop after 7 seconds when he could have had a crack and won an early corner too but the came soon turned poor. Neither side able to pass and move and both resorting to high, hit and hope balls. Action was non-existent with no efforts on or off goal in the opening 15 and when both sides got good crosses in the box, Newton and Hasselbaink respectively missed good headers then Thommo almost met another long ball but failed to challenge as Fulop charged out.
Chances finally came in the second quarter and Leicester could not believe how they opening the scoring as an angled free-kick was missed by 3 City challenges in the box and fell to Stearman 6 yards out but Kasper Schmeicel produced a world class stunning save by making himself big, throwing himself at the ball star-shaped and incredibly blocked the effort. Truly brilliant.
Cardiff were playing the better of what little football there was and looked more composed but it was little better than dire, I was still on my first tinnie when the half-time whistle blew! Hasslebaink hit a screaming free-kick that curled viciously but was inches over, Thommo’s header across goal was blocked and JFH on the turn almost found a runner in the middle.
Paul Parry had an indifferent half which epitomised the game itself. Never saw enough of the ball, beat his teenage marker with his only run, had two free-kicks in excellent positions but failed to beat the first man both times with City‘s big men up and waiting then limped away at the interval after slipping heavily and being challenged at the same time.
City were comfortable, composed and will have been happy to be level but they failed to work the Leicester keeper all half and the contest as a football match was dreadful. So poor it was almost tempting to watch a programme about the Royal Family on the other side and I’d rather roast my nuts on a gas hob than do that. Watching it on telly, at least my neck didn’t have to crane watching the high balls played constantly and I didn’t have to take half day off work, spend a fortune, travel halfway across the country for that and I could head for a warm bog with a decent magazine to read while in there.
H/T: Leicester 0 City 0
With City attacking towards our fans in the second half, both sides made a change as Paul Parry did not recover from his fall and collision so was replaced by Peter Whittingham who produced the game’s best shot immediately as his 25 yarder curled and dipped but smacked off the bar. So unlucky. Leicester removed defender Mattock in a tactical switch and brought on wideman Haynes. 10 minutes later with the game making the hyperactive sit motionless, 17 year old Chambers came on as Leicester’s second sub. The next chance was an hour gone, Hasselbaink and Rae linking up, the latter almost connecting goal wards on the slide after an unusual couple of quick passes but the awfulness immediately returned as Whittingham had a free kick on the angle of the box and scuffed the ball 5 yards. Championship, you’re having a laugh!
By 63 minutes Leicester had used all their subs and gambled on youth for energy and tempo with a 17 yr old, 19 yr old and 20 yr old for fresh impetus with both sides playing their second game in less than 60 hours but City were starting to create some pressure and Cardiff fans could be heard making the noise as the home side’s followers were numbed. Whittingham hammered a free-kick just over off a deflection, two quick corners came to nought then Thommo struck our first effort needing the one green armed, one black armed Fulop to stop but it was at him and Ledley was better placed had he looked up but the home side hit the woodwork themselves as Hume hit a snap shot that beat Schmeicel hit the post and bounced behind off his head on the rebound for a corner, better than the pre-game warm up according to my brother who was there
as a ball smashed the post, hit his head and flew in!
Sixteen minutes remained and Sky Call Centres were being bombarded by viewers complaining there was no decent sport to watch when City had another let off as Gunter superbly cleared off the line meeting a close range header from a corner. Leicester were winning corners and whipping them under Schmeicel’s bar as the home side enjoyed not just their best spell but their only spell. Schmeicel knuckling one ball across goal under extreme pressure but it flew away.
With 10 to go, City made a positive change with Steve MacLean replacing the knackered and frustrated Hasselbaink who again had an overall poor game but never enjoyed any decent service all night. The striker was a fraction away from meeting a Capaldi long throw but with both teams tiring, up field went Leicester and City had another escape as Loovens was beaten near post, Gunter slashed wildly with a striker bearing down on him and got lucky.
On 87, Kasper confirmed his status as both City’s and the game’s man of the match as he sprawled across goal to push away a cross that ricocheted off Loovens and was heading for an own goal. He was excellent but there was no competition - the other 26 who played were either very average or poor.
In the three minutes added, Leicester won as many corners as they continued to finish the stronger and Fryatt missed a golden chance as he failed to react to a header back across goal which looked there for him to bundle home but it would have been harsh on City who fully deserved their point.
The result left both teams in their starting positions, Leicester 15th and Cardiff 18th, but City now have a 3 point cushion and a vastly superior goal difference over the bottom three and must take heart from staying unbeaten and collecting clean sheets and failing so dismally to do that any time recently. If only we could sort out midfield - where the Rae/McPhail combo never really showed up all night - and up front where Thommo/JFH as a duo have a similar story, maybe we could climb this table. But surely it has to change and the present personnel there don't look like sorting it out anytime soon.
As for those of us who stayed at home, Babestation started as the Sky football credits rolled, no wonder so many enjoy being armchair fans!
Costs:
Ticket:N/A
Travel:N/A
Food/Drink:£5
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