Balon D'or Nominees 2014

A Game of Inches

Football can be a mother**ker sometimes as we all know. Just as it can make you higher than Afroman with joy one week it can frustrate you into a week-long grump the next - spitting your dummy out and drop-kicking your cat (poor Diego). 

This weekend was a mouth-watering one for me with the Bluebirds going to Millwall live on Sky following two back-to-back wins, then there was my personal return to football action for Llantwit Fardre FC reserves after a few weeks on paternity duty. AND, for fun, the fate gods had even laid on an ‘El Clasico’ on TV that evening.

So, in the early hours of Saturday morning while changing nappies and surviving sleep deprivation, I dreamt of another gnarly City away win.

While my five year old climbed into our bed and onto my face asking me to read a Lego book at 7AM I dreamt of scoring a goal on my return for Llantwit, of FC Barcelona beating Real Madrid and then a Chinese takeaway and beer to top off a day of glory.

What transpired though was a rather grim reality on all three fronts. 

Firstly there was Cardiff City falling on old habits, playing like a bunch of pussies at Millwall. 

After their last two games they should have been confident but there was no answer to the physical battle from the hosts. 

Granted, If Adam Le Fondre had taken his chances in the first-half it would’ve been different but he didn’t and Millwall went on to bully the points out of City.

The game was dog ugly but the margins were slim.

Russell Slade, who it turns out is NOT the messiah, now has the task of stopping the players sulking about this set back and picking them up for another war against Leeds this weekend.

Do the Bluebirds believe they can get promoted? Slade needs to reboot a few of the lads brains.

Coinciding with Cardiff’s defeat was me ending up withdrawing from the Llantwit Fardre squad for the game that afternoon to help out at home – There were to be no goals. 

Then there was FC Barcelona rolling over for a tummy tickle in the ‘Clasico’ and add to that a lack of Chinese takeaway that evening and you've got a pretty weak day all round. 

As a final kick in my ballbag, that night the baby didn't feel like sleeping leaving me walking around Sunday like a goth zombie. 

I love football. 

Cardiff City 2 Nottingham Forest 1 - NEW DAWN!

The new dawn has begun with a pleasing grubby win against a Forest team unbeaten and flying high in the table.

It seems there’ll be no more f**king about as new coach Russell Slade means business. With training sessions doubled in the week, and suggesting he will demand blood from the players, things are certainly changing at Cardiff City.

Although many fans turned their nose up at his appointment (including this blog!) questioning his CV, Russ has made a solid start. 

There's a long way to go of course but this opening performance was full of his buzzwords: ‘Character’, ‘Togetherness’ and ‘Desire’. City fans need this medicine after putting up with almost a year of the previous regimes hair-fairy prima-donna ego s**t. 

The ante had even shot up in the technical area with Russ prowling his zone with authority barking orders and hairdryering the officials, opposition and even his own players at every opportunity. 

After an age of Solskjaer sitting detached in the home dugout emotionless day-dreaming, this was a welcomed site. 

We even got to hear Russ call the lino a ‘F**king bottler’ which was a personal highlight of mine.

The work continues as City face another ruck against Ipswich tomorrow night and then Millwall away on Saturday. 

Good Luck Russ!

International (Blog) Break

This week our daughter Gwen was born. 

Blog action will return here following the 'International Break'.

(By then I might have washed the puke off me)

Stay tuned. 

Hopefully, when I return to the pitch in a few weeks, I will get chance to do the Bebeto baby rocking celebration! *

* = wishful thinking 

Cwrt Rawlin FC 4 v Llantwit Fardre 2nds 2

The Fardre 2nds perplexing losing streak now spans three matches, with the latest coming this weekend in Caerphilly (see above) against Cwrt Rawlin FC, as we exited the cup with but a shrug and a whimper.  

With our latest opposition currently ripping s**t up in our league table, it was to be a tough game. Perhaps the kind not suited to an ageing hungover team on a bad run carrying injuries. 

In a classic 'game of two halves' scenario we stormed into a slick 0-2 lead leaving the hosts in a bit of a tizz at half time with their panties in a right bunch. 

With the game appearing to be the game of Cwrt Rawlin's lives though they upped the ante after the break, running around ALOT and asking questions of our desire to hold onto the lead and stamina to see it through.  

Before we could blink it was 2-2 with our Goalkeeper Sir Ian Sweeney losing his mind and then having to go off injured due to severe stress. 

Fardre morale dropped like a stone (a massive heavy one) as the hosts surge continued taking them into an incredible 4-2 turnaround. 

So, after snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Fardre 2nds can now concentrate on resurrecting our form in the league table. 

Who's up next? Cwrt Rawlin FC away :) 

Brighton 1 Cardiff City 1 - Refreshing Ugly Points

Caretaker Managers Scott Youngy Young & Danny Gabbs Gabbidon are steering the CCFC ship rather pleasantly through choppy seas picking up another point on route to a three game unbeaten run.

As new manager in waiting Russell Slade waits in the shadows for the nod on his looming appointment the temporary coaching team continue to get team selection and tactics bang on the money.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last night’s result simply wouldn’t have happened with the Norwegian probably making his default ring of team changes and playing nine up front. Youngy and Gabbs though are showing us they aren’t mugs and for once the football and results are doing the talking.

Digging deep and suffocating the life out of away games is the way to climb the Championship table and add home wins to that and you’re on the right path.

With the quarrelling between City top brass and Leyton Orient over new Manager Russell Slade’s employment looking like dragging on until at least 2017, the temporary coaching brotherhood may need to carry on their productive ugly magic. 

At this point a nod should also be given to big Ken for that header.