Ridsdale on the possible Far East investment

"Anyone for a Chinese?"

CARDIFF CITY chairman Peter Ridsdale provides his take on today's announcement of a "strategic marketing alliance" (you what?) with Malaysian group Football Focus Asia.

Click link for video interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8193833.stm

City Turn To The Far East For Finance

CARDIFF CITY have been trying to attact interest and investment from overseas for some time without great success but they have today announced an agreementin principle to form a "strategic marketing alliance" with Malaysian group Football Focus Asia.

Quite what that means, or turns out to be, is anybody's guess although Chairman Peter Ridsdale is bullish declaring, ""We think it's a massive coup for Cardiff City Football Club"

The Bluebirds are clearly hoping it will prove to be an enormous cash boost with Malaysians providing the finance to wipe out £24M debts owed to key creditors Langston and PMG but that it could also lead to shirt and stadium sponsorhip.

It is believed Cardiff have already agreed to tour the area next pre-season with the inevitable commercial buzz words about global brandings, increasing the fan base commercial and unique opportunity.

This has been work in progress for several months starting when head figure TG and his son visited Ninian Park and were believed to have been swayed by the occasion. Last week, Ridsdale and Alan Whiteley visited the Far East to progress talks which resulted in today's announcement.

Video Highlights - Cardiff City 4 Scunthorpe 0

BBC online now offer video highlights of every Championship game so here's City's weekend demolition of Scunnie.

Click Link to view (can only be seen in UK)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8192305.stm

Chuffed Chopra on his opening day goals and City win

You can listen to Chopra interview at this link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8191889.stm

How it would look if Nestle and Cadbury merge

Championship Game 1 - CARDIFF CITY 4 Scunthorpe United 0 (match report)

WE ARE TOP

OF THE LEAGUE,

SAID WE ARE TOP

OF THE LEAGUE!

Cardiff City demolished Scunthorpe 4-0 (and it could have been more) to open Championship football at the new stadium in emphatic style. Michael Chopra scored twice and was denied a hat-trick only by bad luck and a goalpost, Jay Bothroyd targeted to help make it 3-0 and game over by the interval while Peter Whittingham rounded off the afternoon with a late penalty.

Got to be honest, I wasn’t sure I was ready for a new season waking Saturday morning. Still haven’t got over City’s crushing capitulation – and tossing it all away – at the end of last season while decent summer weather in early August felt like I should be doing something else instead of football. Still, the chance to wear shorts and flip flops down the City was not to be missed.

But here we go again - a new Championship season which, on paper anyway, appears to be as wide open as Jordan’s legs. No clear favourites, no certainties to go down, anyone can beat anyone and Cardiff City appear to be as capable of being stranded below halfway as they are of being in the play-offs.

Today took us nowhere nearer knowing where our destiny lies, it was just a hugely enjoyable occasion, because if City could have hand-picked opponents to help get a flying start to the 2009/10 campaign, it’s a fair bet Scunthorpe at home would have headed the list. You can, though, only beat what’s in front of you and City did it in style reminding us all just how good a side they are and can be.

The beauty of a new stadium only across the road to Ninian Park is that we can still head to the same watering holes and Canton was doing a roaring trade both in the pubs and with those who bought tinnies in Tesco and hit the streets. Still can’t get used to those plastic glasses they now serve us which makes town more appealing for a pre-match bevy anyway.

It did feel surreal walking under the railway bridges and past Ninian Park to go to the new ground. It is just me surprised they still haven’t taken down the fences and taken away the portkabins creating the eyesore on Leckwith Road?

Bearing in mind the prices of food and drink in the ground, it was funny to see many keep on walking to Asda, Greggs, Subway and even Costco in the retail park. But is it a surprise when a hotdog and drink in the stadium cost £7 but the same in Costco with unlimited refills costs £1.47?

However even the most hard-bitten Ninian Park-ite, whilst bemoaning the lack of a clock/time display, looking at a “big” screen that’s too small and doesn’t show any replays and counting the embarrassing sight of meagre few prawn sandwich brigaders in the Premier Club, had to admit with the new ground being light years ahead … a bit like moving from grabbing grans in the Wynford Hotel to suddenly getting into the VIP of a superclub.

Big areas under the stand to meet/chat, better seats, better views, enormous toilets and, most importantly of all, the atmosphere/buzz as the afternoon developed was more than a match for the old place.

++++++TEAMS++++++

CARDIFF CITY were missing Kevin McNaughton but were otherwise at full strength with Ledley and Bothroyd recovered from last week’s knocks … providing your definition of full strength are 2 players who want away and a squad light by at least 2 midfielders and a striker. Mark Hudson was named Captain with Ledley’s future still uncertain but the biggest talking point was not who put the **** in Scunthorpe but who put the t**t into Ross McCormack? His prima donna antics had him destined for the bench but illness to Chris Burke saw him get a surprise start that had audible boos when announced but Ross spent the afternoon showing his talents and skills, talking with his feet, and had the faithful chanting his name long before the end.

From this season, 7 substitutes can now be named so City lined up with: Marshall, Quinn-Hudson-Gerrard-Kennedy, McCormack-Ledley-McPhail-Whittingham, Chopra-Bothroyd. Subs: Enckelman, Burke, Capaldi, Comminges, Gyepes, Magennis, Rae.

SCUNTHORPE are currently yo-yoing between the Championship and League One in the same way as West Brom do between the Prem and this level. That they do it at all with crowds rarely above 6,000 and often much lower is testimony to a well run club and the organised, entertaining football by manager Nigel Adkins.

Returning to this level after a dramatic 3-2 Wembley play-off win over Millwall, they talk openly of the “C” word, consolidation, being their aim for the season as it’s not quite acceptable to admit the real aim is an “S” word, survival. They have no star names but their strikers Paul Hayes and Gary Hooper shared 43 goals last league season so needed attention.

Their side were Murphy, Morris, Jones, Mirfin, Byrne, Sparrow, McCann, Togwell, Woolford, Hayes, Hooper.

++++++MATCH++++++

Despite Scunnie bringing the average Big Brother 2009 tv audience with them – about 250! – they were in good voice and so were City. The afternoon commenced with a minute’s applause for legendary manager Bobby Robson and it was heartening to hear City fans chanting, “There’s only one Bobby Robson” for a former England boss but that’s the respect he’s earned.

City kicked-off and Jay Bothroyd took all of three seconds to end up on the floor for the first time but the resulting sweep upfield by Scunthorpe’s Jones caught City square and Hooper was one on one against Marshall but the keeper saved his effort to prevent City going behind with 10 seconds.

Cardiff were playing the sharper football with quick feet, passing and movement but it wasn’t producing chances while the visitors tested Marshall a couple more times in the opening section of the game.

Nerves settled on 21 minutes as the crowd of 22,273 – City’s biggest home gate for over 30 years – as Cardiff forged ahead with a freak goal but from a classy move. On the wing, Ross McCormack showed all his class to turn and get away from Scunnie markers in the tightest position on the touchline from halfway, then swept forward and sent a diagonal ball across the edge of the area which Whittingham shot first time but his effort clipped CHOPRA on the back of his heel, looped in the air, over helpless keeper Murphy and in you go, you beauty.

A couple of minutes later, Chopra was so unlucky not to have doubled his and City’s tally as he cleverly turned a defender with a dropping ball 30 yards out, advanced and shot wide of Murphy seemed perfectly placed but hit the inside of his post and was clearly after rolling across goal.

City were in the groove now and while Scunthorpe looked useful getting forward, the evidence was compelling that their defence were unable to compete against the dazzling one touch football and general play of Chops, Jay, Joe Ledley, Whitts and Ross while Steve McPhail was also loving it out there and putting on some showboat pieces too.

Just after the half-hour, it was 2-0 as another smart move forward saw Ledley’s shot across goal touched by Murphy but there was JAY BOTHROYD to scramble it home at the far post and celebrate like he had scored a 30 yard blinder.

Scunthorpe were made to realise that there is more chance of England salvaging a result from the Ashes 4^th Test as them leaving South Wales with anything as CHOPRA blasted home in the final moments of first half added time and a terrific goal it was. Some blinding one touch passes and flicks carved up the visitors defence like a Christmas Day turkey and made them realise they were on for a stuffing. The moved completed with Bothroyd’s backheel past a weary defender, Chops shimmying past another and rifling his effort into the roof of the Family Stand net.

Half-time: CITY 3 SCUNTHORPE 0

A presentation group came out half-time just as the sprinklers popped up and gave them a drenching, the same thing happened before the start too. That’s entertainment.

The second half was always going to be a less intense affair but with strong sun and high heat, the players certainly put in a shift. Joe Ledley went off feeling a knock and he was also unwell so Rae had a half.

Scunthorpe returned with an expected response but even though Mark Hudson made some Spencer Prior/Darren Purse-esque gaffes, they never fully tested “Dai” Marshall.

Instead, all the quality and chances came from City. Best showboating moment was the rejuvenated McPhail’s back-heel flick beating a closing down forward on the edge of his box although McCormack’s majestic flicks and turns were akin to a Spanish matador as he teased players and beat them time and again.

Only a couple of big saves, blocked shots, goalmouth scrambles and more saved Scunthorpe falling to a heavier defeat. Their defence looks set for a torrid season on this evidence but City’s attacking play was a joy to watch and packed with invention and quality.

More subs followed with Chops and Jay withdrawn, Magennis getting a league debut and Chris Burke providing late torment to the visitors. Indeed, it was one 90^th minute run that saw Burke ghost past his marker yet again and dragged back into the box for a penalty.

Some wondered if Ross would get it given a result beyond doubt and Chops off but up stepped PETER WHITTINGHAM to take it like it was a practise kick rolling it one way and sending the keeper the other. Out walked the Scunnie boys … with 20,000 waving them on their way.

Superb afternoon, brilliant entertainment and what a start to the season. WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE chanted the crowd and indeed we are, with Swansea in 23^rd as well making it more enjoyable.

(Sidenote – Do we really have to persist in anti-Swansea chants that have creeped in over the last year or two? I can’t stand them. The most nauseous being the Stand Up if You Hate Swansea one. Why? I can’t even be bothered about them! It’s so small minded and we’re better than that, leave that stuff to the Jacks)

That table made fantastic reading with 8 of the opening 11 Championship fixtures ending in draws, City have already opened up a 2 point gap over 4^th … only 83 more points needed for promotion and surely City won’t blow the play-off places this time either!

A great start in which every man played very well although Whittingham wasn’t that influential, Hudson could be a concern against better attacking sides. On the plus side, Quinn had an excellent match but the plaudits today should go to our attacking talent who put Scunnie to the sword.

Photos can be seen at

http://nigelblues.blogspot.com/2009/08/cardiff-city-4-scunthorpe-united-0-in.html

Dave Jones video reaction to Cardiff City 4 Scunthorpe United 0

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8191825.stm

Cardiff City 4 Scunthorpe United 0 - in pictures

Cardiff City World and Ticket Office - my experience

I vent my spleen a lot and the poor organisation, administration, customer service, marketing and professionalism of Cardiff City Football Club and this week has given me another sharp reminder of why it is so justified.

Season Ticket Holders (and would you believe on the openiong day of the season that a number of supporters still haven't had their season tickets!!!) have been offered a half-price £19.99 to have Cardiff City World (the comprehensive audio/video section of the official website. On the face of it, not a bad offer at all.

So I thought I'd finally succumb and subscribe. I've never ever bothered before so this was their opportunity to show me it was worth my time and money.

However their amateur ways showed them up again. Here's how difficult it is to sort out this deal.


1. You can't sign up online - surely the most logical thing to do for an internet site.

2. You can only sign up by contacting the ticket office BUT you can't visit them, it's phone only.

3. When you phone the Ticket Office, they can't bloody help you anyway, only Jamie Dacruz can arrange it.

4. Jamie can only help you when he is available which is not when he on matchday duties, press conferences and 101 other things. 4 times I've called and been told he's not available.

Conclusion - Balls to Cardiff City World (...altho I may be stupid enough to give them on final chance next week)

Ledley to consider new deal when DJ tells Hull to put up or shut up

With no Premiership club making a move yet, could it be that Joe Ledley will sign a new contract to improve his wages until he gets his chance? Joe and his agent have been adamant that would not happen but Dave Jones in yesterday's press conference said the sands are shifting.

“Our chairman had a discussion with Joe’s agent the other day. They put something to him. they will discuss it and see if it’s right.” said DJ.





However the club are playing hard ball with Hull City over Ross McCormack clearly angered by the conduct of Ross and his agent but also Hull City and their manager Phil Brown who has been telling the press that City's asking price is too high while causing unrest with the player.

Jones was forthright, "There are ways of going about business and I think it being plastered all over the papers is not the right way ... We turned the bid down from Hull because it wasn’t acceptable. Phil is coming out saying we spent £100,000 on a player and then a year later he thinks it unfair that we are asking for that. That is our valuation. He is our leading goal-scorer, he got 23 goals last season and he’s an international player too"

And he added, "Phil has to realise if I went for one of his players, he would have a price and no matter how much I harped on about it he would not budge on the price ... just as we are not going to budge on ours."

After stating that he could not replace Ross with the same calibre of player as Hull's bid, Jones had the parting shot, "If you want him, that’s the going rate and if you don’t want to pay it then go somewhere else.”

New Season, New Kit, No Sponsor

DARCY BLAKE FOLDS HIS ARMS
TO COVER THE LACK OF LOGO!

Cardiff City will be kicking off a new season later today minus a shirt sponsor for the first time since the dark days of 1991.

The recession is affecting football this season and clubs need to adapt fast, they have been well protected until now. Cardiff City however have felt its force with no stadium sponsor, a poor response to its Premier Club seating, a very slow uptake of many commerical offerings and even with getting somone to bare their name of the kit.

Personally, I do believe many of these problems stem from the club failing to have the foresight to revamp its operations. However saying there's a lack of dynamics, vision and professionalism is something that could have been said about the club almost any time in my lifetime so what's new?

However a telling sign of the times is that the club have been unable to secure a shirt sponsor for the new season. They have been open to offers but the figure widely being touted is £200k.

Earlier this week, the club declared they were confident of new enquires locally and from Malaysia and would have a sponsor soon but I understand they are still trying to court a sponsor.

One bonus surely is that Cardiff City fans benefit from being able to buy and wear a shirt without the tackiness of the belly being covered by a logo from a local motor dealer, newspaper, mobile and finance retailer. Amen to that.

I bet I'm not the only one laughing at notices in the club shop declaring that you can return your shirt and get a sponsor logo added for free when, or if, they eventually fix one up. Nice try!

ACTUAL GCSE ANSWER ....

.... or so they claim!


Q. Name the four seasons
A. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar

Q. Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink
A. Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large
pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists

Q. How is dew formed
A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire

Q. What causes the tides in the oceans
A. The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins the fight

Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on
A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well
endowed

Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections
A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election

Q. What are steroids
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs ..................( Shoot yourself now , there is little hope)

Q. What happens to your body as you age
A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty
A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery ............. (So true)

Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A. Premature death

Q. What is artificial insemination
A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow

Q. How can you delay milk turning sour
A. Keep it in the cow (Simple, but brilliant)

Q. How are the main parts of the body categorised (eg the abdomen)
A. The body is consisted into 3 parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels: A,E,I,O and U .......................... (What the *!!*???)

Q. What is the fibula
A. A small lie

Q. What does 'varicose' mean
A. Nearby

Q. What is the most common form of birth control
A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium ................(That would work)

Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarean section'
A. The caesarean section is a district in Rome

Q. What is a seizure
A. A Roman Emperor .................................................(Julius Seizure, I came, I saw, I had a fit)

Q. What is a terminal illness
A. When you are sick at the airport ......................................(Irrefutable)

Q. Give an example of a fungus. What is a characteristic feature
A. Mushrooms. They always grow in damp places and they look like umbrellas

Q. Use the word 'judicious' in a sentence to show you
understand its meaning
A. Hands that judicious can be soft as your face .......................(OMG)

Q. What does the word 'benign' mean
A. Benign is what you will be after you be eight

Q. What is a turbine
A. Something an Arab or Shreik wears on his head

McCormack bid turned down ... but deal still expected

McCormack tries to strangkle Chops!

Sources in North Yorkshire today confirmed that Hull City's initial bid for unsettled Cardiff City striker Ross McCormack was turned down by Peter Ridsdale. Their bid was believed to be worth £3M.

However Cardiff City have lost patience with McCormack and his agent for their poor behaviour and it is believed they will accept a cut price deal enabling them to bring in 3 or 4 new faces quickly.

Hull share their optimism and believe a deal will be struck after the weekend with the clubs understood to be close to 'splitting the difference' between Hull's initial offer and Cardiff's demand for £5M.

Hudson makes his Mark as new Captain

Centre-half Mark Hudson was today announced as the Cardiff City skipper for the forthcoming season. Dave Jones broke the news top him today and he will get the honour of leading out the Bluebirds as City kick-off the Championship campaign with their first competitive fixture in the new srtadium against visitors Scunthorpe United.

Hudson as Captain for Charlton last season
ironically next to Roger Johsnon, the player he replaced at City

"This is a fantastic honour for a new boy like me to be made skipper" said the 27 year old signed last month for a reported £1.075M.

Joe Ledley was skipper at the end of last season and had the armband in last weekend's final dress rehearsal against Sevilla but with his future at the club remaining very uncertain, Hudson got the nod.

Hudson was Captain at Charlton Athletic last season. They got relegated. GULP!

Guess The Nationality

Welsh???
American?
Swiss?
Spanish?
French?
Italian?

<><><><><><><><><>
All wrong......... POLISH!


Don't believe it?


Okay, take a look...


<><><><><><><><><>
V
V
V

So, what were you thinking?

Video of the Week - ATHLETE, Super Human Touch

Video of the Week has taken a back seat recently and it's back with this excellent pop single for indie songsmiths Athlete, the lead track from their forthcoming album Black Swan.

I've always enjoyed Athlete's music and probably delight in them being a massively under-rated although acknowledged group but their music is way ahead of similar artists who have enjoyed far more major success.


Athlete TV on MUZU.

Is McCormack's nose growing or are his pants on fire?

"Oh shit, I've been sussed"

If he wasn't a City player whose behaviour and respect for the club and fans weren't completely beyond the pale, you'd have to laugh at how two faced and ridiculous Ross McCormack has shown himself to be.

When he accepted a 4 year deal doubling his pay to £12,000 weekly at the club last month, McCormack went out of his way to telephone Chairman Peter Ridsdale and thank him for doing the deal. He went on record saying how, "“I want the opportunity to go that step farther than we did last season, along with all the lads, I’m really pleased to have sorted things out.” and bragged about how his commitment was underlined by signing a deal with no release clauses.

Before the ink ran dry, Ross then phoned Peter Ridsdale to inform him that he wanted to talk to any Premiership club if an approach was made but while he denied leaking a story about a tranfer request to Sky Sports, or askign for transfer, his agent remained mysteriously quiet.

As Portsmouth and Hull showed interest, Ross openly stated he would be happy to talk with either but his antics had now undone all the good work and respect earned with City fans and he was roundly booed and abused in a friendly at Swindon Town.

The player did appear to get his head down as no deal emerged and received a warm ovation in the Sevilla friendly last week but he was taking a rest before Round 2 showing his true colours this week.

On Tuesday, Hull Daily Mail carried an exclusive interview with McCormack in which he again confirmed he would like to link with them but that Cardiff were pricing him out of a move.

Under more flack, he took the unusual step of issuing a comprehensive denial and pledge on the official Cardiff City website "I'm happy here and I want to stay. I don't know where those quotes have been dug up from. Everyone seems to think that I don't care about Cardiff and I want to leave, but that's not the case. I'm happy here, so is my fiancée, and we're looking for a new house. I'm upset at these reports. I'm happy and not planning to go anywhere."

He did, though, add a caveat that, "Everyone knows the situation. I had a conversation with the chairman and said that if a Premier League club came in for me, I'd like the chance to speak to them."

Ross however has reached the stage where the more his opens his mouth, the more he embarrasses himself. Hull Dail Mail found themselves gobsmacked by his claims and today responded to his denial in emphatic fashion.



Reporter Jon Mattos felt compelled to set the record straight and leave nobody under any illusions about his source for the story.

The interview was conducted by sports reporter Jon Mattos, who said at no time was any of the conversation explicitly termed off the record. "This was an open conversation and Ross co-operated entirely. We chatted for about 20 minutes, he was very pleasant and we even talked about his friendship with Darryl Duffy and the new stadium at Cardiff. At the end of the interview we wished each other well and at no time did I attempt to manoeuvre Ross into saying something he didn't want to say."

I wouldsay this was probably the final straw but that's likely to be this weekend when McCormack will be involved in the Cardiff City vs Scunthorpe Championship opener where sections of the support will surely let him know their feelings about the way he has conducted himself.

After that, all signs are McCormack will leave the club early next week for Hull City for a £3.5-£4M fee. Whether it's a dream to join a club who already look doomed to relegation in 9 months remains to be seen.

Four days to go and still we don't know how Cardiff City will shape up

Whatever Dave Jones and Cardiff City planned for this summer, you can bet they never counted of having the immediate future of their two biggest value players unknown and be at least 3 or 4 men short of their ideal squad with no new face in midfield at all ... but such is life with The Bluebirds.


The one certainty is that PAUL PARRY has left the club officially signing for Championship rivals Preston North End for £300,000 on Monday afternoon. Dave Jones hinted an immediate replacement would join the club but the wait continues for that.

Parry shared his thoughts with BBC Radio Lancashire after completing the deal and you can listen to the interview at this link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/8183875.stm

However the biggest talking point of the past 48 hours was another chapter in the Ross McCormack soap opera. In the space of 1 month, Ross signed a new deal, bragged of his commitment to Cardiff until 2013, rang Peter Ridsdale for a casual chat to find out where he was playing, asked to leave for a Premiership club, denied asking for a transfer, lost penalty taking duties after his third successive miss and now after being quoted in the Hull Daily Mail that Cardiff were over-pricing him to prevent him going, he's denied ever saying that too.

Clearly Cardiff need to shift Ross fast or get the player to get his head down and work. The situation is unhealthy and undermining preparations for the big kick off.

This isn't dead by a long way as rumours today are very strong that a transfer to Hull will be completed by next Monday for upto £4M and that Cardiff will be bringing in 4 new players.


More details and information to follow but this is a quick catch up as I've been away since Sunday.

Dave Jones reviews City loss to Valencia

Click the link to see the video interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8180047.stm

Ex-City stiker Thommo fined a week's wages for having a beer during a game

Ex-Cardiff City man Steven Thompson -released by Dave Jones in January as he didn't think he would help our play off challenge yet he took Burnley into the Premiership - has received a "fine" for having a pint during a match.

Like this story!

Burnley striker Thommo’s beer during a game!

BURNLEY striker Steven Thompson has revealed how a pre-season prank has cost him a week’s wages.

Unable to curtail his sprint at Portland Timbers PGE Park in the final game of the Clarets’ tour of America, the former Rangers and Cardiff City front man gatecrashed a pitchside beer garden.

Thompson, who scored Burnley’s second goal in a 2-2 draw that night, hurdled a barrier before landing next to the table of a spectator, who was enjoying a pint while watching the game, until the 30-year-old appeared on the scene and helped himself to it.

“I kind of fell over the billboards at the side of the pitch and there was a cafe right on the side,” Thompson explained.

“I landed on this person’s table and I don’t know what happened, I just instinctively grabbed this guy’s pint and had a drink.

“It shows you how bad a game it was that it got the biggest cheer of the night.

"It was just a bit of fun and it went down well, it was a bit of light-hearted banter, and the guy was really decent about it. He was laughing.

“The manager did say I was fined a week’s wages though for being the first player he’s ever seen drinking during a match.

“I think that will be a first and last and one and only!”

In their final pre-season friendly before the big Championship kick-off in 7 days, Cardiff City failed to score for the third successive game, Ross McCormack managed to miss his third successive penalty as the Bluebirds conceded their first goals with Valencia recording a comfortable 2-0 victory despite their superstars not even including their star man David Villa, David Silva and two other Spanish internationals.

Friendly games against glamorous opposition are usually keenly anticipated but the reality is very different. Pre-game, Canton and its watering holes were flat. Cardiff City added to the flavour by not bothering to opening the main gates on the walk to the new stadium forcing punters to trample over freshly seeded grass verges.

13,010 punters including 200 or so Valencians meant a half full crowed at the dully named Cardiff City Stadium which now had the just as dull “CCS” abbreviation. After a night of heavy rain and a morning drizzle, fans in the Ninian Stand discovered they needed both a jacket and a pair of sunglasses to deal with conditions.

The club are starting to get things right – the (not so) big screen is now in situ, tv’s and shelving for food/drink are now under the stand, Ali and his p.a. also seem to have got their acoustics set up correctly at last too but you can always rely on City to do something stupid – this time, it was the brainless decision to shut the gent’s toilets bang on half-time for 5 minutes so a cleaner could empty paper bins in there. Why the hell didn’t they do it in the first half???

If the game was intended as a dress rehearsal for next week’s opener versus Scunthorpe, they were surprises as the unsettled Joe Ledley wore the Captain’s armband after much speculation it would go to Mark Hudson, the equally unsettled Ross McCormack found himself on the sub’s bench, Anthony Gerrard got the nod ahead of Gabor Gyepes while the bench worryingly also included Cameroon born French based no mark, no paced jailbird Vincent Pericard – a striker(!) whose barren scoring run is just about its fourth year. If that’s the limit of City’s ambitions, we may as well forget thoughts of a realistic play-off challenge before a ball is kicked in anger. Some say we should give anyone in blue a chance but I’ll stick with making exceptions when it matters.

In fairness, the first half was competitive and a very tasty affair with the Spaniards employing some strong arm tactics which weak local ref Lee Evans (no doubt soon covered in sweat) did little to abate but the destiny of the encounter was shaped early as Valencia went ahead with a soft goal on 7 minutes.

Questions have to be asked about a static defence as Valencia progressed down the right, sent in a far post ball unchallenged and there was the giant ZIGIC – 6’7” apparently but looking more like 7’6” – to steer a controlled header back across goal which tucked inside the far post.

At this stage, the visitors were in control and moved the ball with ease but Cardiff, to their credit, hit back strongly and played some excellent football at time. Joe Ledley was in great nick, you had to wonder whether he was excelling as Captain and trying to show City his commitment to the cause or whether he was trying to impress any scouts who may have been there. More than that, I swear I saw Steve McPhail make a number of forward passes … it wasn’t a mirage, I tell you.

You felt an equaliser was imminent but, in the final analysis, Cardiff failed to test the Valencia keeper all half (or, indeed all game!). However they were living on their nerves in the opening period as balls were flying in and around their box, City players never far away from a final connection, Cardiff’s wide men causing problems and Joe, Ross McCormack, Chopra and Hudson all going close. Their biggest let off however was a blindingly obvious penalty as McCormack was upended deep inside the area but Lee Evans bottled it … his decision, like his namesake, was laughable.

McCormack came on midway through the half for Jay Bothroyd who limped off early after an impact injury in a 50/50 challenge. Moments before final whistle, Joe Ledley suffered the same fate, his knock looking a touch more serious at first sight. Hope both are ok. McCormack, after being booed at Swindon last week for wanting away within days of signing a double your money contract, had a warm ovation as the crowd rallied behind him and he responded with some telling contributions. The boy needs to get his head down and he showed he was capable of that.

The programme said it was a friendly but someone forgot to tell Valencia who launched into a number of cynical and heavy challenges bringing a few stoppages for Cardiff men needing treatment. Only one player was booked, their Robbie Savage lookalike at centre-half, not that it deterred him from carrying on that way afterwards. A challenge on Mark Kennedy by scorer Zigic was so late that it virtually arrived next day, fortunately, MK managed to avoid a far more serious impact. Half-time saw Valencia ahead on goals but City ahead on points … problem is, only goals count.

Half-time: CITY 0 VALENCIA 1

If the first half was highly competitive, entertaining and full of good play, the second period was a dullathon. Valencia made 7 changes, City carried on as they were tending to underline it was a dress rehearsal for next week.

However all enterprise and intensity had now ebbed away from City and they started to look a cumbersome, unstructured unit. Midfield as happens way too often went anonymous and were being overrun. City dropped back and were penned in their own half against the Spaniard’s reserves effective for far too long, unable to do much to turn the tide. It is madness Dave Jones has not brought in any new players for the area of the park where Cardiff lack sufficient quality – maybe all quality – and it’s going to be a very long season unless it is addressed. Even the girls selling the pies can see that … and so can Stevie Wonder.

City were indebted to keeper David Marshall for a couple of very smart low saves. On early evidence, he’s shaping up to be the best goalie at the club since Neil Alexander and a short spell from Kasper Schmeicel. Capaldi replaced Kennedy then Pericard replaced Chopra. Pericard made an instant impact with his sole contribution of the half-hour run out when he try to turn in the area and went down. Ref Evans awarded a penalty, most of us felt it was to make up for the one he didn’t give first half.
Up stepped Ross McCormack who hit it low to the keeper’s right and with no great power – just as he nearly always does. The keeper guessed right, the save became a formality. After missing two penalties against Preston and Ipswich at the very end of last season when conversion of either would have seen City in the play-offs, I cannot imagine him taking another any time soon. Just after this, Ross almost redeemed himself with a superb turn to get clear but he weakly put wide when it looked simpler to hit the target and score.

City brought on Gavin Rae and Gyepes for the final 20 (for Hudson and McPhail) but the game was largely going through the motions and effectively ended as the visitors added a way too simple set piece second goal on 85. A ball was rolled back to the edge of the area, City’s defence had lined up completely inside it and JOAQUIN blazed home low again unchallenged.

Dave Jones has hinted for some time that he wants three more players and it’s very easy to see, Cardiff require a dominating midfield playmaker, a wideman and another forward (not Pericard pur-leeze). The defensive until look sound enough and will be better again when Kevin McNaughton returns. Gerrard looks a genuine prospect, Hudson had a satisfying outing but I was surprised Paul Quinn doesn’t show any appetite for getting forward.

It’s wasn’t great up front as Chopra doesn’t look as dynamic as he can be – or used to be – but there’s time to come good while Bothroyd limping out early meant it was disjointed so was understandable to some degree.

However midfield is a worry. There again, we’ve known this for a year or two, what’s new? Peter Whittingham did what Peter Whittingham does all too often. Some good touches, a decent few minutes and then you wonder where he has gone. Steve McPhail started well and completely disappeared out of the contest as well. If it wasn’t for Joe, City’s midfield would be little better than shambolic.

Next week it matters. Dave Jones surely realises he has to move fast.

Photos at:
http://nigelblues.blogspot.com/2009/08/friendly-in-photos-cardiff-city-0.html

Friendly In Photos: CARDIFF CITY 0 VALENCIA 2

How's that for a holiday snap?