Cardiff 2, Reading 1, Slade is the new Malky but is the tedium worth the points?

First Half:

Poor old Solskjaer. He didn’t get much luck in his time as Cardiff manager. He didn’t have Noone towards the end of the Premiership nor at the start of his championship season. But knowing Ole he would have played him at centre half anyway.

Noone was the difference and Reading were unlucky.  They seemed to have more of the ball in the first half and more idea. Ball to feet. Ball to feet. Not ball thumped aimlessly up field. 

Robson Kanu is very deceptive. He looks like a ponderous, geriatric with the pace of a lame tortoise dragging a ton weight yet he beats players, gets his crosses in and his shots away. Always dangerous.

But luck was with City. Despite Reading’s possession we go in at half time one nil up. A Whitts corner bounces off Pearce for an own goal – despite Ben Turner issuing sworn affidavits to all his colleagues that he actually scored it. Nope Ben. An own goal, but good pressure from you.

The jury remains out on both Macheda and le Fondre. It would take a wiser man than me, or any other human being on this planet, to put their finger on why they don’t score more. Sure they aren’t exactly the fastest players but Macheda has more class than the Queen pouring tea at Balmoral and LeFondre has spent his entire career sticking the ball past opposition goalkeepers. But it doesn’t happen for them at City. Saying that, Macheda has scored four times and tonight LeFondre won us a penalty. 

He got into the penalty area, was brought down by Pearce -who doesn’t know Lefondre doesn’t score for Cardiff. Result: Pearce ends a nightmare match in his own dressing room after a red card and Whitts does what he wants. 2-0. I don’t think I have seen Whitts miss a penalty.

Oh here is a question. When Cardiff need a tall, fast, skilful goal scorer, who do you think is joint top goal scorer in the championship? Answer Rude Gestede. Big sighs all around.

Second half:

The second half was ninety percent dire and ten percent nervy. City were poor in first half, lacking ideas unless Whitts or Noone were on the ball. At 2-0 up they wanted to play out the last forty five minutes and hang onto the win like a mother hanging on to her child. Again, there was little inventiveness, we were hesitant to go forward and when we did we lacked invention.

Reading scored with ten minutes remaining and the finger nail biting began.

We can see what Slade’s team is about. There is no room for the Daehlis or Ravels in midfield. His team can grind out results. We are now eleventh and over the next month a few more points away from home with the home form continuing and we will be into the playoffs.

It ain’t pretty but it worked for Malky and it might, just might, work for Slade.