Championship Game 18: PLYMOUTH 2 CARDIFF CITY 1

Circumstances meant I could not travel to Devon today so I settled for the live Sky tv viewing which made me grateful I had stayed at home. Cardiff lost 2-1, thanks to an appalling first half display and two defensive suicidal goals in the closing moments of the first half, they pressured 2nd half although Plymouth remained dangerous on the break, Chopra pulled one back but we never got close to equalising so City fell to their second successive away loss and third defeat in 4 games yet stayed 6th and in the play-offs thanks to sides around Cardiff also slipping up.

This was a poor spectacle. If Cardiff and Plymouth are the 6th and 7th best teams in the Championship and City stay in the play-off zone despite hardly ever impressing all season long, it was a good advert for watching something else instead!

City were without Joe Ledley (who was sitting in the Soccer AM studio instead) but he was replaced by new loan man Wayne Routledge, one of four City players on loan to the club which must be a record for us. City lined up Heaton: McNaughton-Purse-Johnson-Kennedy; Parry-Rae-McPhail-Routledge; Johnson(Eddie)-Chopra.

Argyle had useful forwartds in M'Penza, Gallagher and ex-Jack Fallon who proved too much for our defence and ex-City men Chris Barker giving his usual solid show at left back, the £500k signing from City in Steve MacLean who has done nothing in Devon (saem as South Wales) while their record signing Simon Walton could not get in the 16 and turned down a loan to Crewe in the week. How on earth did they spend £750k on him, £7.50 would have been too much.
Wind apart, we are far too regularly starting games too slowly. Nathan Blake on the radio was suggesting some on our players must have still been on the M5 on the bus 15 minutes into the game. City rode their luck and seemed to be settling into a game where they played into a strong wind that was impacting on the match but then cocked it up completely in the five minutes before the interval.

How many more soft goals are we going to give away? Both today's were diabolical and the whole back four need to take blame. Johnson (allowed himself to be beaten without challenge) and Purse (allowing M'PENZA to get around him and hook a shot without challenge either) on the 1st, Kennedy, Purse and McNaughton for the 2nd with Heaton looking a complete novice) for the 2nd scored by GALLAGHER. No alertness and completely dozy, shocking.

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City won a number of second half corners, none carried a threat but CHOPS showed quality finishing to bring City back into the match. However a speculative Rae effort aside, that was pretty much it and all the old faults were there to see.

Rae being anonymous and McPhail playing too deep and ineffectively, the pair being invisible is now past a joke. We'll see the best of McPhail now we have Chopra some say, how long do we need to wait? I'd give Blake a chance yesterday, probably at the expense of Rae who I wouldn't even know was on the pitch these days if it were not for his wayward shots. And just what has happened to Paul Parry? Retired for Wales, he plays as if he's done the same with City lately.

At the back, it's time to give Gypes a chance. Purse and Johnson haven't looked a good unit for some time and neither are playing that well but Purse is always the more vulnerable of the two. His lack of pace and agility regularly catches him out and he's unable to atone for his errors as Johnson can/does. It's not clicking, make a change.

City may also have new injuries on their lengthening list? McNaughton didn't appear for the second half (giving Blake 45 minutes but in defence) while Heaton limped out for the final couple of minutes giving Enckleman his first league show this season.

Not all gloom and doom though. Routledge is going to be a joy to watch and it's two in two for Chops but no matter how much they work on him, I'm more and more sure Eddie Johnson will fall short. It's getting absurd we bombed Thommo and brought in a lesser version of him on treble the money (or more). Nice flicks 35 yards from goal but no presence whatsoever in and around the box, he's nowhere near sharp enough to grab goals. It's crazy we've got a Premiership international player on silly money and have to work night and day just to get him towards bare minimum standard. He will score eventually but he'll never get enough.

Massive week ahead now, time for the boys to show they want it really badly. Too often second best today against an average side. The fact we're in the play-off with 28 points off 18 games (normally only good enough to be in the Top 10) tells you much about the dearth of quality even if it is exciting.