Bristol City host their Severnside rivals at Ashton Gate this weekend.
Cardiff City is many things to Bristol City, but in recent years, they have shown themselves to be a bit of a marker because losses to the Bluebirds have resulted in the dismissals of two of the previous three head coaches of the Robins, Nigel Pearson most recently, and Lee Johnson.
This Severnside Derby seems to mark a bit of a fork in the road for sentiment surrounding this specific season under Liam Manning; win, and optimism, confidence, and goodwill returns, lose, and it’s very much the opposite of all that. Of course, nobody should be speaking in such dramatic terms this time around.
Following losses to Sheffield Wednesday and QPR, City must demonstrate a performance turnaround that will hopefully result in three points rather than a third consecutive loss to their neighbours across the Severn.
The Bluebirds are two spots lower in the Championship than City despite having the same number of points but nine goals less. Glen Williams, a Wales Online writer in Cardiff, provided us with an evaluation of the visitors’ current season.
Where are Cardiff City at this moment in time? How has the season panned out, and what does the rest of the campaign look like in terms of hopes and ambitions?
Most Cardiff supporters would have accepted it at the beginning of the season if you had told them they would be in this position now. The problem is that the campaign’s surprisingly strong beginning boosted expectations, which has now left some people feeling a little irritated. However, after fighting relegation for two years, this season is definitely considered a significant improvement.
Have they taken a step forward under Erol Bulut? For better or for worse, what are the main changes he’s made?
Indeed, they have. After a few years of true austerity, they appear to have a little more motivation and purpose in addition to some additional financial support, albeit in quite tiny amounts. Bulut has expressed his desire to construct a project in Cardiff with great ambition. Cardiff’s horizons also seem to have expanded thanks to his scouting network.
What are the fundamental strengths to this team, and the underlying weaknesses?
From set pieces, they pose a serious risk. Cardiff has scored 17 goals from set pieces so far this season, more than any other team in the division. It is an actual weapon. Conversely, they rank last in the league for open-play goals this season, which is a major concern given their inability to break down teams and score goals from open play.
How’s Famara Diedhiou been getting on since his loan move?
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