Cardiff City v AFC Bournemouth

Cardiff City were never out of the game against Coventry in midweek, but their eventual 1-0 defeat saw them miss out on a chance to push themselves into the top six of the Championship. Regardless, the ‘Bluebirds’ remain in positive territory overall in terms of league form (W3, D2, L2), with seven of the nine points gained from their three victories so far coming directly through second-half goals.
Being home underdogs for the first time in league action this term, Cardiff have much to prove, after going winless across all five Championship games entered as such last term (D2, L3). Any defeat may well be close though, with just one visiting team managing to win by 2+ goals here since the start of last October.
Bournemouth’s 6-0 loss at Norwich in the EFL Cup last month has proven a valuable lesson, with the ‘Cherries’ conceding just once in their three matches since (W2, D1). They ended the last matchday in the playoff zone after a midweek 2-1 victory over QPR, and are currently seven points better off than at the same point in the club’s unforgettable promotion season of 2014/15.
That campaign also saw Bournemouth register their only prior competitive victory at this venue, though they are yet to win here when points are at stake (D2, L1). With that in mind, Bournemouth will be inspired to make the ideal start, especially after managing a first-half clean sheet in all of their last six Championship outings.
Players to watch: Kieffer Moore netted the winner from the spot for Cardiff in the most recent H2H clash (W 2-1), while last season’s corresponding fixture (D 1-1) saw Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke open the scoring before HT. A first-half winner vs QPR on Tuesday boosted his win-rate across goalscoring league games this season to 75% (W3, D1).
Hot stat: Eight of Cardiff’s 11 Championship goals have been headers.
 
All the talk of giants and aerial balls, McCarthy and all that sh*te.

Simple thing is... if we don't do owt about it with our skills...and its 0-0 at 90...it only needs one uncharacteristic skillful jink from one their dudes, any size or height to unlock our defence. and we are poleaxed...then it'll be down to " the ref was sh*te' again and the team slinks out of Charlies Principality..heads down across Salisbury Plain..and entering BH postcode with Zero Points... and Mc twattin Carthys big nose stuck in a jar of Whisky and a big cheeser on his dial !
Nah..we gotta mesmirise the buggers with our science....and set the Cardiff players fair to take out their frustrations on that poor sheep tied up outside their stadium..
 
AFCB Will Need To Prepare For An Aerial Battle

A hard fought battle on Tuesday against QPR resulted in a 2-1 victory and two home wins in a row for AFCB. Our next game is a trip to Wales to play Cardiff City on Saturday at 3 pm. This will be a different test for our team facing a side who like to get crosses into the box from open play, set pieces and long throws for their three big players. Central defenders, 6’ 4” Sean Morrison, 6’ 6” Aden Flint and up front, 6’ 5” Kieffer Moore, 8 of the 11 Bluebird’s goals have come from headers this season.

The experienced Mick McCarthy is now in his first full season as the Cardiff City manager, having taken on the job in January this year. He started his new job last season with two draws, then his side had a purple patch with 6 wins in a row (1 FA Cup) and the last of those wins was at Dean Court, City moved into the last play-off place replacing the Cherries with both sides having the same number of points and goal difference, only City had scored more goals. After this that good run of results turned into a mix of wins, draws and defeats, Cardiff City finishing the season in 8th position, 2 places and 9 points behind AFCB.

This season the Bluebirds started off the new season with a home 1-1 draw against Barnsley. This was followed by two away games, first at the seaside town of Blackpool, this resulted in Cardiff’s City’s first win of the season 0-2. Next game was at Peterborough and it finished in a 2-2 draw. Then it was followed by two homes games, a 3-1 win against Millwall and their first defeat of the season against Bristol City 1-2. Then followed two more away games, a 1-2 win against Nottingham Forest and Wednesday evening a 1-0 away defeat against Coventry City.

Our last away games against Cardiff City was in October last year where both sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw. AFCB took the lead with a goal from Dominic Solanke assisted by Jack Stacey in the 35th minute, this was how it stood at half-time. In the second half our old loanee from Liverpool, Harry Wilson in his first start, equalised for City.

In our away league games against Cardiff City, AFCB have W 2, D 7, L 9.
All competitions, AFCB have W 18, D 12, L 15.

Cardiff City Team News
Players who missed the Coventry City away game through injury or illness, Leandro Bacuna, Ryan Giles and Joe Ralls. Isaac Vassell and Lee Tomlin have had setbacks from their returns from long term injuries.

Cardiff City Player To Watch
After watching City away game at Nottingham Forest, defender Aden Flint is a real handful, especially in the air and is leading scorer with 4 headed goals. Last season Kieffer Moore was their leading scorer in the league with 20 goals, this season he has been coming off the bench more than starting. He certainly made a difference in the Forest game with City losing 1-0, had a hand in both goals, one an assist, for the young 19-year-old midfielder player Rubin Colwill who came on at the same time as Moore and scored two good goals with his left foot, was MOM and one to watch for the future.

AFCB Team News
Everybody it seems came through the game on Tuesday night without any problems, so Scott Parker has a strong squad to pick from as he picks a side to combat the aerial threat of Cardiff City.

AFCB Player To Watch
This gets harder to pick as there are a few candidates, the young pairing of Jaidon Anthony and Jordan Zemura. Also Dominic Solanke leading the line and scoring goals. Our defence to see how they cope with the aerial threat of Cardiff City.
...and I think our goallie did purdy well so he must keep his shirt too. I was talking to Bob Wilson about Travis earlier in the week and he said the saves, I explained to him he made in our last match, could only be made by a very good keeper.
UTC
 
Could be a stern test today for young Travers...

Also will be interesting to see how our solid centre mid deals with them/how much we control the game.

Bookies have us as slight favourites for this one.
 
All the talk of giants and aerial balls, McCarthy and all that sh*te.

Simple thing is... if we don't do owt about it with our skills...and its 0-0 at 90...it only needs one uncharacteristic skillful jink from one their dudes, any size or height to unlock our defence. and we are poleaxed...then it'll be down to " the ref was sh*te' again and the team slinks out of Charlies Principality..heads down across Salisbury Plain..and entering BH postcode with Zero Points... and Mc twattin Carthys big nose stuck in a jar of Whisky and a big cheeser on his dial !
Nah..we gotta mesmirise the buggers with our science....and set the Cardiff players fair to take out their frustrations on that poor sheep tied up outside their stadium..
I'm hoping our youngsters will run circles around the giants and with Cahill holding our defence together I'm hopeful of 3 points
UTC
 
They may win some aerial balls but then it falls to the ground and our skilful players will mop up
I am hopeful of 3 points

UTCIAD
 
Looks like they could be without young Rubin Colwill who scored two of Cardiff’s three goals not in the air but on the ground with two well taken goals away at Forest.

In the words of his manager, ‘he is shattered from emotion’.

This is after that game against Forest where he scored his first goals for his club.
 

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