The international break gives teams a chance to reflect on how they have performed so far. From Cardiff's point of view, they are probably not where they want to be at this moment in time. They currently sit in 12th position in the Championship, but are only five points short of the play-offs. That itself shows how close this years second tier has already become. Because this year has so many promotion contenders, it is impossible to accurately predict who will make the leap into the Premier League. At the moment Derby are top of the pile, with shockingly, Bournemouth hot on their heels. But where will Cardiff City end up when the final whistle is blown, on May the second?
First of all, the squad, on paper, is certainly one that should be challenging for at least a play off place. They have recruited well and bought players that are more than capable of beating many of the teams in this league, when they are at the top of their game of course. With money being invested in all areas of the pitch, it is not unreasonable for everyone involved with the club, to expect the Bluebirds to make a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. But of course, it is never quite that simple. It seems that so far, Cardiff have underestimated the Championship. With shocking defeats to Millwall and Blackpool respectively, it seems that Cardiff could be in for a tough season. When Cardiff are on form, they are one of the most dangerous sides in the league, and have the capability to tear teams apart. On the other hand, when they play poorly, it is extremely frustrating to watch, considering the quality on the field. I believe the squad is good enough to achieve a high finish, but ultimately, it is down to the players.
However, they will not achieve a high finish, without encountering some fierce competition along the way. I could name half the teams in the league but in particular Norwich and Nottingham, along with Derby, look very strong. It will take something special to stop them this year and it seems likely that all three of them will end up in the top six. We have already seen how Norwich faired against Cardiff and it was ugly to watch from a Cardiff point of view. That sort of performance will simply not be good enough when they play the others in the league that are too pushing for promotion. On their day, Cardiff are able to compete with the best in this league, as evident from the game against Nottingham Forest, but whether they are able to do that consistently, remains to be seen.
A change in management has certainly bettered Cardiff's chances of doing well this year. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer they looked weak and devoid of ideas. Even the most optimistic fan would have had trouble claiming Solskjaer was the man to take Cardiff back to the Premier League, and in many peoples view, he was the wrong man for the job in the first place. But Russell Slade brings something new to the table. His philosophy is based on hard work and determination which they have shown in patches, such as the game against Ipswich where they came from behind to win. It will take time for them to really become a force to be reckoned with, but I am optimistic that Russell Slade could guide Cardiff in the right direction.
When taking into consideration, their team, the competition, and the appointment of Russell Slade, Cardiff should be able to hold their own this year. Regardless, unless big improvements are made quickly, I can not see them making the play-offs, let alone the automatic promotion places. I believe it will be a solid season that can serve as the building blocks for next years campaign. It is difficult to say at this early stage, but I would expect Cardiff to finish 8th in the table come the end of May.
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