MATCHWATCH : Cardiff City (a)

[leon]

The table doesn't lie by October,

Couldn't find the exact match but here's an early October table from last season.
It's definitely not telling the whole truth at this stage.

17 - Rotherham (13)
18 - Bristol R (22)
19 - Northampton (19)
20 - Leyton Orient (6)
21 - Crawley (21)
22 - Burton (20)
23 - Shrewsbury (24)
24 - Cambridge (23)

The season before, we were bottom of the table in late October.

It's like the last four to five seasons just didn't happen.

It’s near spot on except Orient who everyone at the time said were outperforming their results. We’re not.

Yeah with 6 out of 8 after October actually finishing in the bottom 8 at the end I'm not sure papes has filled me with confidence at all.

[stealthpapes]

if the table 'doesn't lie', then all I need is one, and there's three there.

Throw in the season before when at least one of the teams in that position in October was us.

I'll have a look at managerial changes in the last few seasons tomorrow.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Couldn't find the exact match but here's an early October table from last season.
It's definitely not telling the whole truth at this stage.

17 - Rotherham (13)
18 - Bristol R (22)
19 - Northampton (19)
20 - Leyton Orient (6)
21 - Crawley (21)
22 - Burton (20)
23 - Shrewsbury (24)
24 - Cambridge (23)

The season before, we were bottom of the table in late October.

It's like the last four to five seasons just didn't happen.

It’s near spot on except Orient who everyone at the time said were outperforming their results. We’re not.

Yeah with 6 out of 8 after October actually finishing in the bottom 8 at the end I'm not sure papes has filled me with confidence at all.

At the same time, most bottom 8 teams will be those with lower budgets and quality in the squad. We're a bad team full of good L1 players so have much more potential to climb.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

It’s near spot on except Orient who everyone at the time said were outperforming their results. We’re not.

Yeah with 6 out of 8 after October actually finishing in the bottom 8 at the end I'm not sure papes has filled me with confidence at all.

At the same time, most bottom 8 teams will be those with lower budgets and quality in the squad. We're a bad team full of good L1 players so have much more potential to climb.

Yes, exactly.

That's why we need a change of direction in coaching/tactics.

Hunt has had long enough.

[MR. CYNICAL]

When : Saturday 18th October, 3pm
Where : Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ
Capacity : 33,280



After so many years of being Championship relegation fodder Cardiff finally succumbed last season but unlike Reading after their relegation Cardiff have adjusted favourably fairly quickly (being 3rd in the table with just 2 losses in the league so far) though much of that is down to keeping together a fairly decent squad for this level - amazing what only being a minor basket-case club means.

It's been 2 weeks since Cardiff last played (a 4-3 defeat of Orient at home) so they should be reasonably fresh and raring to go. They've been a little unsure of things at home so far with a mixed bag of results ranging from stuffing Plymouth 4-0 to being turned over 1-0 by Burton so I would presume they've learned to be patient and wary of opposition by now so Reading's management team will need to be on the ball, able to motivate and and show astuteness in this one.


The threats come in the shape of international Welsh attacking midfield brothers Joel & Ruben Colwill and forwards Yousef Salech and Callum Robinson (10 goals between them all).


Referee


Lee Swabey

Previously

15 Mar 25 > Reading 1-1 Stevenage
16 Sep 23 > Reading 1-0 Bolton Wanderers


Historically

It’s the 34th trip to Cardiff in the league and it's a reasonably level time of things so far with 10 wins for Reading against Cardiff's 14.

Recent seasons have seen Reading actually not doing too badly at all in this part of Wales with just 1 defeat in the last 6 trips in all competitions though you have to remember both clubs were at various levels of basketry during this time. The downer is that that 1 defeat was on the last visit back in February 2023.



How to follow the game

1. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
2. SKY
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Get a ticket and travel
5. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
6. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

Don't think it will be on sky

[Snowflake Royal]

if the table 'doesn't lie', then all I need is one, and there's three there.

Throw in the season before when at least one of the teams in that position in October was us.

I'll have a look at managerial changes in the last few seasons tomorrow.

Well exactly. Last season the table lied for 1 in 4 of the teams in the bottom 8.

Two years running it has lied for at least one in four clubs in the bottom four.

[Hound]

if the table 'doesn't lie', then all I need is one, and there's three there.

Throw in the season before when at least one of the teams in that position in October was us.

I'll have a look at managerial changes in the last few seasons tomorrow.

Well exactly. Last season the table lied for 1 in 4 of the teams in the bottom 8.

Two years running it has lied for at least one in four clubs in the bottom four.

take Rotherham out (who went up a mighty 4 places from 17 to 13 which is barely any different and isn’t exactly lying) and it’s 1 in 7

6 out of the bottom 7 finished in the bottom 7

Where did we finish the season before? It was 17th wasn’t it? So still fair indicator

[Armadillo Roadkill]

if the table 'doesn't lie', then all I need is one, and there's three there.

Throw in the season before when at least one of the teams in that position in October was us.

I'll have a look at managerial changes in the last few seasons tomorrow.

Well exactly. Last season the table lied for 1 in 4 of the teams in the bottom 8.

Two years running it has lied for at least one in four clubs in the bottom four.

It didn't lie, it just didn't predict what would happen with absolute accuracy. Although it was pretty accurate. 75% right. That's pretty good.

And anyway, that's not the point.

Let's say you lose the first two games of the season - by a bad refereeing decision and a freak own goal. That may leave you in an unrepresentative position. By mid October those unusual things will almost invariably been evened out.

We are in the relegation zone because that's where we deserve to be.

[morganb]

Fortunately the relegation zone only counts for anything after 46 games have been played. So long as at that point we are 20th or above then there's "nothing to worry about".

In fact, the team that finished 20th is effectively in the same situation as the team who loses the Play Off Final as next season they'll both still be in League One.

[Royals and Racers]

Over 2200 tickets sold.- fantastic effort by the fans

[Snowflake Royal]

Fortunately the relegation zone only counts for anything after 46 games have been played. So long as at that point we are 20th or above then there's "nothing to worry about".

In fact, the team that finished 20th is effectively in the same situation as the team who loses the Play Off Final as next season they'll both still be in League One.

Exactly.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Fortunately the relegation zone only counts for anything after 46 games have been played. So long as at that point we are 20th or above then there's "nothing to worry about".

In fact, the team that finished 20th is effectively in the same situation as the team who loses the Play Off Final as next season they'll both still be in League One.

Exactly.

Apart from....

Finishing 7th means fans are generally happy. Finishing 20th, especially when you could have done better, is not going to go down well. And frankly, I want to see my team win and do well.

Finish higher - more bodies through the turnstiles - more money to keep the lights on, even build towards an improvement the next season.

Finish just above relegation - smaller crowds, lower revenue, long term decline.

[BarryWhiteRFC]

I know football is a results business. And I am all for giving people time. But, I do feel the performances have been dire. We just let teams get at us in the first 10 to 25 minutes of every game no matter who our opponent is. I expect the same thing will happen against Carlisle United. This is what worries me. It is every game, and Noel can't seem to address it. Eventually we have good spells, but, if we don't score in those good spells, we then drop off. It is just really frustrating.

However, I have to also add, I just do not see what Paddy Lane brings to the party. I wish we would stop starting him. Everything he does seems to be useless. Maybe it is me, maybe others see something else. I just think he is a waste of a spot in the team.

[Vision]

Fortunately the relegation zone only counts for anything after 46 games have been played. So long as at that point we are 20th or above then there's "nothing to worry about".

In fact, the team that finished 20th is effectively in the same situation as the team who loses the Play Off Final as next season they'll both still be in League One.

Exactly.

Apart from....

Finishing 7th means fans are generally happy. Finishing 20th, especially when you could have done better, is not going to go down well. And frankly, I want to see my team win and do well.

Finish higher - more bodies through the turnstiles - more money to keep the lights on, even build towards an improvement the next season.

Finish just above relegation - smaller crowds, lower revenue, long term decline.

So happy that 11 games later with 3 pivotal players sold , we want the man who helped get us to 7th sacked.

I'm very doubtful that Hunt is the "man for the job" but I don't think 11 games into a season where he's been hampered by our 3 level drip feed transfer policy is enough time to decide one way or another.

[windermereROYAL]

Looks like JP could be missing here with Norcott recalled, what could possibly go wrong?