Cardiff (A) 0-2 - 29 Dec - Post-Match Thread

[Spudulike]

36 minutes ago, hburton81295 said:

really dissapointed with the second half we have problems with conceding cornens i thought cardiff we going to come back into the game its something that needs sorting out under enzo marseca

It was mentioned that Cardiff are amongst the league's best at scoring from corners and set pieces. I think we dealt with that threat pretty much spot on. I don't think we feel quite so panicked now unlike previous seasons when we were the worst. 

[Swarles Barkley]

45 minutes ago, hburton81295 said:

really dissapointed with the second half we have problems with conceding cornens i thought cardiff we going to come back into the game its something that needs sorting out under enzo marseca

Genuine question, which part of the second half did you think we were under any sort of threat except for a couple of 30 yard efforts which trickled into Mads hands. That was as comfortable of a win you will ever get

[Chelmofox]

44 minutes ago, hburton81295 said:

really dissapointed with the second half we have problems with conceding cornens i thought cardiff we going to come back into the game its something that needs sorting out under enzo marseca

How dare the other team actually do something! The stats I have show they had 3 corners all game. Not really sure about this comment to be honest. 

[LCFCJohn]

29 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

How dare the other team actually do something! The stats I have show they had 3 corners all game. Not really sure about this comment to be honest. 

I think this is the politest way I have ever seen someone say ‘what a load of b*llocks’ on this forum ever 

[when_you're_smiling]

2 hours ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

Indicative of so many games this season where we should have put about 5 past them but were a little wasteful.

 

Would really like to see Cannon start the next game.  He looks eager and definitely with some minutes will come into his own.  Casadei wasn't overly bad either but really needs to do more to justify the hype he gets from Chelsea fans. 

 

Mavididi and Fatawu are an absolute joy to watch at the minute.  

 

We're just fVck!ng incredible really.

He’ll start against Millwall in the cup a week today. 

[brucey]

 

[MPH]

3 hours ago, hburton81295 said:

really dissapointed with the second half we have problems with conceding cornens i thought cardiff we going to come back into the game its something that needs sorting out under enzo marseca

 

 

chuffin Nora….

[jbflcfc]

4 hours ago, hburton81295 said:

really dissapointed with the second half we have problems with conceding cornens i thought cardiff we going to come back into the game its something that needs sorting out under enzo marseca

Is this a parody account?

[Wymsey]

4 hours ago, hburton81295 said:

really dissapointed with the second half we have problems with conceding cornens i thought cardiff we going to come back into the game its something that needs sorting out under enzo marseca

Parklife..

[PhillippaT]

1 hour ago, Wymsey said:

Parklife..

This match is a blur already...

[SystonFox]

15 minutes ago, PhillippaT said:

This match is a blur already...

We wa ****ing brilliant. Scored some mega goals and ran riot round Cardiff bay all night. C L A S S 

[PhillippaT]

18 minutes ago, SystonFox said:

We wa ****ing brilliant. Scored some mega goals and ran riot round Cardiff bay all night. C L A S S 

I was thinking about writing a really long paragraph incorporating a load of Blur song names, but I can't be arsed

[spirefoxes]

23 hours ago, Weller Wing said:

Great result for us.

 

Just hope we can sign Mavididi on a permanent at the end of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😄🦊

We signed stephy Mavididi until June 30th 2028

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/how-enzo-maresca-polished-leicester-9005288

 

How Enzo Maresca has polished his Leicester City gem as surprise decision aids promotion charge
Analysis of the victory over Cardiff, looking at the improvements City are making, the lack of rotation, Abdul Fatawu, the Championship table, and more heartwarming moments

ByJordan Blackwell
19:30, 30 DEC 2023

Coming just a few days after a trip to the other side of the country, and following a last-minute goal against them that dampened the Christmas cheer, a trip to Cardiff had the potential to be a difficult match for Leicester City. And yet they breezed to victory.

They weren’t at their very best, and there were moments where the tempo dropped, but they still scored two terrific goals, created chances for a couple more, and restricted the opposition to very little. It was a deserved three points.

And it’s a sign that City are getting better. Now the second half of the season has arrived, their performances can be compared to the reverse fixtures against each opponent. In their two so far, against Rotherham and Cardiff, the wins have been much more comfortable. No late winners have been required.

READ MORE: Iheanacho injury casts doubt over Afcon with Nigeria after update

READ MORE: Enzo Maresca explains 'one reason' he's so happy with win at Cardiff

Perhaps they were aided by a Cardiff team who were chasing the game and playing more openly, but City are creating high-quality chances at a much better rate than at the start of the season. In the early months, there was a lot of toiling for not much goalmouth action. Now, when they turn it on, they can attack much more fluidly and much more incisively. The midfielders and forwards look more relaxed and they’re expressing themselves. As a result, City are becoming a much greater threat.

The victory at Cardiff was not a standout one. It’s unlikely to get a mention when May comes around and City are reflecting on the best results and performances of their season. But in a draining period of games, it should not be overlooked what an impressive three points it is, how professional City were, and how much they have improved in just a few months.

 

Maresca's surprise lack of rotation paying off
It has perhaps helped City’s free-flowing attack that for the sixth straight game they started with the same front six, allowing players time to get on each other’s wavelengths. That’s the longest run of the season without any rotation in the midfield or attack and it comes in a period where the fixtures are coming at an even quicker rate.

Based on how he’s swapped his team around for games so far this season, it’s a bit of a surprise that Maresca has been so reluctant to change during the festive period. All he has done so far is protect James Justin and Ricardo Pereira for a game each so as not to risk the injuries that have marred their recent campaigns.

In the early months, it wouldn't have been unusual for the manager to make five changes from one game to the next. Injuries to Jamie Vardy, Kasey McAteer, and a few others have limited what he could do, but there have been options there.

Maresca explains that the domination City have of possession means their players aren’t expending as much energy as their opponents. It means he has felt like changes weren’t necessary.

He said: “We could make some more changes, but because of the way we play, we try to keep the ball as much as we can, so we allow the opponent to run a little bit more. When you have this amount of games, you can also manage the physical aspect.

“If you run for 90 minutes behind the ball, for sure playing every three days, you struggle a little bit more. If you are able to manage the ball, you will struggle less. It’s much better to keep the ball and to try to let them run and you have more energy playing every few days.”

A settled team is preferable but it’s not worth it if there’s a risk of injury, and so there is a balance to strike. But because City dominate the ball and dictate the tempo, they have more control over how much energy they use up, meaning they avoid those risks more than other sides do.

It tallies too that Southampton, the only team to average a greater share of possession than City, are also the only team to have picked up more points in the three games over the past week than Maresca’s men have. The style of play is helping in more ways than one.

 

Fatawu is a gem and Maresca has already polished him
City have a gem on the right wing and he’s being polished by Maresca. Abdul Fatawu is getting better and better.

From his first outing in a City shirt, the talent that had caught the club's eye was on display. That superb burst of pace, those quick feet, and that daring nature to bamboozle full-backs is why Fatawu was signed.

Those qualities have been on display in pretty much every match the Ghanaian has played. The rate at which he creates chances too has also been impressive. Sometimes, the composure and the final pass takes more time to hone, with so many young wingers beating their man and then fluffing their lines. Fatawu doesn’t do that.

But even with all of that, Maresca has been on his case. Every time he has discussed Fatawu, he has made reference to the improvements he needs to make, mainly around decision-making and his off-the-ball work.

Well, his last two matches have shown that he’s making considerable strides. Against Ipswich, he was tasked with a defensive role to cover the forward runs of left-back Leif Davis, channelling Danny Simpson and Wes Morgan to win back-post headers and make flying blocks.

At Cardiff, his off-the-ball work at the other end of the pitch set up both goals. He timed his press on Joe Ralls expertly to pinch the ball for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opener, and then did not give up on a loose ball to steal in before a clearance could be made and to set the ball back for James Justin.

For teenage wingers who ooze flair, it’s assumed they are incapable of putting in the kind of performances Fatawu has done in the past two games. But Maresca has not waited to mould him into an all-around excellent winger and the impact the manager is having is already bearing fruit.

 

Consistent City stretch lead in Championship table
Twenty wins from 25 games is preposterous really. It’s only one short of the tally play-off winners Luton got last season.

It’s been a terrific end to the calendar year for the club – nine games unbeaten matching their best run of the campaign – and they’ve found a level of consistency that has enabled them to stretch their lead over the rest of the division. An eight-point gap at the top is the biggest they’ve had all season.

Back in November, two straight losses saw Leeds move to within eight points of them. Now the gap between the clubs is at 17 points, the biggest it has been all campaign.

Even Southampton, who have put together an extremely-impressive 17-match unbeaten run have not gained ground. Before their streak started in late September, they were 11 points behind City. As the year ends, they are still 11 points behind City.

If the Saints continue at the same rate they have picked up points to this stage, they will finish on 93. That would leave City needing 11 wins from their final 21 games to get there. The manager and players can’t think this way, but it’s difficult to see how City don’t get the points they need to get over the line.

 

'Enzo, give us a wave!'
What is especially heartwarming is that City are charging back towards the Premier League under a manager that a good portion of fans feel truly connected to. On a winter’s night, heading to Cardiff is some trek, but a few thousand made the journey because they have a manager and a team to believe in.

Late in the match, the travelling City supporters were asking Maresca to give them a wave. He was wrapped up in the game and didn’t hear them, each chant ending with a sarcastic jeer when there was no response from the Italian.

At the fourth time of asking, Maresca put his hands up in recognition and the away end celebrated like a third goal had been scored. It was yet another nice moment for those who have followed the club religiously in a season that has been packed full of them, and in a season that promises plenty more in the new year.

[oxtonfox]

Maybe we need them to score for us to wake up. Looks like we’re still recovering from last night’s punch. 

[Gwyn]

On 30/12/2023 at 18:19, MrsJohnMurphy said:

The full match is free to watch on the Cardiff City website if anyone missed the game last night

 

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/video/player/0_3ljqcphk?feed=f5d2eca5-ff32-4b10-b5a5-cd503863359f&section=7a1af227-58ac-4975-b26a-cc2bf408ded3

This game is one of the best games I've ever seen Leicester play in my 45 years of supporting the club.

From start to finish we totally dominated Cardiff. Reminds me of days gone by when we played the top teams and we always looked man short.

This should have been our statement ein as everyone played their role to perfection.

 

This is how Enzo envisaged his team to play and in my opinion they were pretty close to perfection.

Do yourself a favour and watch this again.

 

@StriderHiryu you haven't debriefed us on this one yet...