Cardiff City, the season so far

          It is fair to say that Cardiff have endured a rather shaky start to their 2014/15 campaign. After being relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, everyone had high hopes that they would go straight back up. It was all set up to be a successful season with one of Europe's most promising managers, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, at the helm, and a team that had the experience of playing in the Premier League. But unfortunately, due to a number of changes within the club and the on going battle between the fans and the owner for a return to the traditional Cardiff City, the season so far has been one of disappointment.
          After just a few games into his first season in the championship, Solskjaer was sacked. In truth it was a decision that most fans saw coming. The Norwegian had not managed to keep the Bluebirds in the Premier League and failed to deliver in the Championship. Swiftly after that Russell Slade was named Cardiff's new manager. The former Leyton Orient leader continuously emphasises the need for togetherness and hard work within the camp, but this so far, has certainly not been reflected on the pitch.
          Despite a strong start for Slade, results have been going down hill and the defeats are not unlucky ones, they are convincing. Most recently their 5-3 away defeat to Bournemouth and their 3-2 and 4-2 defeats at home to Brentford and Watford respectively. They look fragile and it is clear that the majority of the summer signings have yet to settle. In particular the strikers have been very poor. Adam Le Fondre and Macheda were recruited during the summer and they have both been woeful so far. They look sluggish, are devoid of pace and do not seem to have any sort of a strikers instinct. It seems as though there is still a lot to work on.
          The season has produced a lot of negativity but there are some positives. There are a number of promising youngsters that have made the squad such as, Declan John, Kadeem Harris and Joe Ralls. Surely Slade could consider taking a leaf out of Louis Van Gaal's handbook, and give the youngsters more of a run in the team to give them confidence. It was also give them team some much needed pace in the case of John and Harris. The plays offs or promotion in general looks a long way off but maybe Cardiff fans can find hope in the fact that in recent seasons, there has always been a team that has put together a good run of results leading up to the end of the season, normally resulting in them swooping into the play offs. To repeat, this seems very unlikely with the club like it is at the moment, but there is always a chance that this year that team could be Cardiff.
          Cardiff have a lot of work to do if they are serious about clinching promotion. There does not seem to be much passion in their play and it is frustrating for the supporters who spend their money on tickets to watch them perform well below par, particularly in front of the home fans. It is crucial for the club that they get back to winning ways and show everyone they want a return to the premier league. The cup match later today against Colchester is a crucial one. They must win that game, not only for financial reasons, but also for the sake of the Cardiff faithful.