From mindless optimist to hopeless pessimist in just two hours

It works like this you have to score a goal to win. 

In a tight game the team that can get away with dragging down the keeper leaving his team mate to head home is going to beat the team that fails to take their chances.

After the Slade victories over Notting Forest and Ipswich we all thought we would collect something at Millwall before beating Leeds at home. Go on admit it, you did as well. At least four points expected from these two games, oh all right I thought it would be six.

We need a like for like replacement for both Gunnarsson and Whittingham. When the Icelander went off to day his replacement Ralls didn’t quite fill his boots. Ralls is a good footballer but there are a few players in the city squad who can break up the opposition’s midfield play the way Gunnarsson does. We haven’t seen enough of Dikgacoi yet but that’s who we needed today.

If we really are promotion candidates then we need a better showing with teams like Millwall who had only won 3 of the previous 10 games.

We just didn’t have the sense of direction exhibited in the previous two Slade matches.

Why didn’t the City players make more of a fuss over the manhandling of Marshall before the goal? I know it won’t any difference but it give the officials a chance to wonder if city are owed one.

Ravel showed he can unlock defences and on another day might have been awarded a penalty when his cross was handled … maybe on a day when Cardiff players make more of a fuss with the referee when they have conce3ded a goal after a foul on the keeper.

So pressure is now really on Slade. If we lose to Leeds on Saturday we will be back to where we were before Russell Slade took over. Be back in the bottom third and back to feeling despair.

So let’s get a grip, if we beat Leeds that’s 9 points from a possible 12. Hardly shabby. But I did think we could get something here and in truth they were more deserving of a win.