They got 3 put past them by Bristol City, who didn't set the world alight in an attacking sense when they visited Elland Road on a good run of form, so in theory this should bode well for our attacking minded side. They've scored only 1 goal in their last 2 games with 7 being conceded.
Dave Jones is also in trouble with 8 pts out of the last 33 on offer, there will be pressure from the Cardiff fans for a result as several on 606 last night and on Saturday were baying for the manager's blood. I can see them getting agitated pretty quickly if we get the ball down and go at them from the first whistle. He will take some heart I suppose from the fact they were the last team to be able to beat us.
They have brought in Jon Parkin from Preston, a thorn in our side in our home implosion to them earlier in the season, where he got a hat-trick courtesy of suicide defending on our behalf. Despite the trouble he caused us earlier in the season, I hope the unbeaten run of 12 we see ourselves in just now will mean we have learned somewhat since that horror show and Andy O'Brien will surely be wily enough to cope with whatever "The Beast" decides to do, should he play. *Edit* Parkin is unlikely to be involved due to an ankle injury.
From our perspective - and following on from comments in the Boro match report, we need a 100% improvement in sharpness and energy. I don't know if this will be possible due to the fixture congestion and lack of squad rotation we've seen from Grayson... but it has to happen for us to have a chance of piling the pressure on further for Dave Jones. We've not beaten them in 10, although hopefully our contrasting current form will mean we have the edge.
A Side Note
I was sat in the Kop for the opposite fixture at Elland Road and the subsequent drubbing. I myself accepted that yes, they had man for man a massively better squad at the time than what I'd seen from us. This was obvious to me, as they've spent big (previously having publicity Pete Ridsdale at the helm) compared to us in the summer and in previous years....
My issue, and the issue of several others in our block, was someone shouting along with his girlfriend from the back of the Kop "Grayson out" "What the F*** is going on" and so on, to which he received boos and a chant of "One Simon Grayson". He then tried to claim "We're all Leeds here" when he got turned on. He had no sense of realism at all. I didn't expect us to compete with them the way they'd started the season and the squad that Jones had assembled there with much spending over recent seasons and us having just got promoted from League 1, not yet setting the Championship alight and we'd spent a comparatively small amount on transfers. Finally, he for some reason shouted "We shouldn't be losing to this Sh**". Which was perhaps the most ridiculous comment of the lot.
Their quality is undeniable but recently their form has dived so hopefully, this is the ideal moment for us to meet them - as happened a few weeks ago when we met QPR.
Team News
Cardiff
Parkin out with Ankle injury.
Bothroyd will apparently recover from his recent injury in time to play.
Cardiff fan sites indicate Bellamy won't be overused, as he played on Saturday.
Annoyingly, Chopra plays despite picking up a yellow for dissent in the previous game, the cards reset over the New Year.
Leeds
Parker may be preferred to Hughes at left back.
Kisnorbo, Naylor still injured.
Kilkenny away with Australia for January in the Asia Cup.
Prediction
Cardiff City 1 - 2 Leeds United
Ex Prem Referee Andy D'Urso is in charge. Make of that what you will...
Feel free to post comments, line-ups and predictions below!
2 Comments:
I can just see Cardiff edging this. Yes they've hit a rough patch, but the quality still shines through in their squad. Your team is good, granted, but your defence looked very shaky at points a couple of weeks ago. I think it'll be Cardiff 3 - 1 Leeds
I remain hopeful, as long as we're sharper than the Boro game.
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