It Rovers and I'm happy

Sitting waiting for the draw my brain is telling me it must be Crystal Palace home as the best option of progressing on to the semi-finals, but the rest of me is shouting out Manchester United home or away I don’t care just bring in on.

The draw was advertised for noon, but once again, we had to sit through the normal Premiership drivel. I have no interest in John Terry and Chelsea, Arsenal or any of the others unless we draw them in the Carling Cup. Why do we have to wait until Saturday for the draw? I personally would prefer the draw was Wednesday night after the games.

The master of ceremonies was on hand to guide Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson who were on hand to plucking the balls out on the thingy. The former Arsenal playerwould draw the home teams while Thompson was picking the away teams.

First team out was Arsenal who play the resurgent Manchester City making it a tough home game for the Londoners. It was another all Premiership tie next with Chelsea v Liverpool leaving two Premiership teams and two Championship teams left to complete the fixture list.Therefore, when Manchester United came out the hat next I shouted ‘Us’, but it was Palace fans who travel to Manchester . Cardiff were left with the less glamorous of the Premeir League club that wre on offer before the draw, a tie against Blackburn. We did win the draw for the game to be played home.

Blackburn are the most beatable of the Premiership clubs left in the competition and their fans are problem thinking the same about Cardiff. That the time of writing they are bottom of the Premier League table without an away win in the league or cup this season. We have not played them in the League Cup before but in 2005 both club meet in the FA Cup. After a 1-1 draw at Cardiff in the replay, Cardiff lost 3-2 while in the league you have to go back to the 1984/85 season when the Englishman won both games that season.

The expected clamour for tickets may cool a bit but I still think the game will be a sell-out.

Onward- but can we take the next step

CARDIFF CITY moved on to the least eight last night in the Carling Cup after a tense 1-0 over Burnley at the Cardiff City Stadium. Cardiff has not reached the dizzy heights of the quarterfinals in this competition in 46 years and when on to reach the semi-finals they lost 10-3 to West Ham over two legs.

The much-maligned Carling Cup by chairman, managers and fans alike will hot up now with Wembley Way a tad closer. Managers who treat the games as a chance to play fringe players may have to rethink the policy.

Therefore, we know three of the teams that will be in the draw for the draw Saturday during Sky sports Soccer Saturday day show. Manchester United, Chelsea and Championship rivals Crystal Palace another four will come from the winners of

Blackburn v Newcastle

Everton v Chelsea

Stoke v Liverpool

Wolves v Man City

Of them, I expect Newcastle, Chelsea, Stoke and Manchester City to go through would be nice if Liverpool could make it more likely of one of the bigger teams pulling Cardiff. Yes disrespectful the Stoke, but it's simple numbers they would create a bigger payday for the club.

Most fans want Manchester United, but thinking about I would like an all Championship fixture. Palace may be three points and four places above the Bluebirds it would be more of an even playing field. Not a big name are game by a long way however I could lead to a semi-final spot who knows that is the beauty of the Cup.

Which would be better a home or away draw? I would plum for an home game which will bring problems if it was United, Chelsea and one of the other top teams. Not that Cardiff couldn’t stage the game but the demand for tickets. Cardiff City v Manchester United fixture could fill the Millennium Stadium let alone the CCS with its 26,828 capacity.

Come Saturday we will know and then it will start. There will be a clamour for tickets who ever Cardiff draws. It will be the biggest crowd for a League Cup game in a long while. Even if the game is away from home, I can see the away allocation selling out.

Go for it Malky

A short break form league football tomorrow night with follow Championship rivals Burnley the visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium for a Fifth Round Carling Cup clash. Cardiff and Burnley have already clashed in the League be it an away fixture at Burnley with the game ending all square at 1-1.

There is some history between the two in the Carling Cup (League Cup) but not relevant to today football it was way back in the 60’s/70’s the two tangled. In fact, Cardiff’s very first game in the League Cup at Ninian Park was back in 1960/61 a game Cardiff lost 4-0 in front of 8,110 fans. It just goes to show the attendances for the League Cup have always been poor. The previous Saturday Cardiff played Bolton at home with nearly 23,000 watching.

History lesson over and back to the present day I hoping Cardiff City boss Malky Mackey goes for it playing his best starting eleven available on the night. If nothing else, a win could see City pulled top team in the final eight, which would bring a good payday and the possibility of a TV appearance if the right name were to come out of the draw.

The Cardiff boss is talking positive about the encounter but he is hoping the game will not go in the extra time and penalties. In the previous three rounds both Oxford City and Huddersfield took the Bluebirds into extra time while in the last round Leicester took the Welshman all the way to penalties a long night out for the fans. The Carling Cup maybe the poor relation up against the FA Cup, but who would throw it out of there trophy cabinet if they were win it. Mackay said

"It's great to be through to this stage of the Cup, I want to go as far as I can. 

"Every game we've played the priority is to win the game in the Carling Cup. 

"Be it Oxford, Huddersfield or Leicester the priority was to win the game and I think you saw that, in terms of it going to extra time and penalties. 

"Players have been throwing bodies on the line and it'll be no different [on Tuesday]... I'll pick a team that I think can go and beat Burnley. 

"You don't want extra time, you don't want extra minutes with players on the pitch like we've had, but at the same time I certainly don't want to dilute the competition in any shape or form."

Both Cardiff and Burnley go into the game off the back of good wins and they drew 1-1 at Burnley in August meaning everything to play for. How bad would most Cardiff City fans fell if City was to lose and Burnley were to pull Manchester United home or away, that's if they over come Alershot and go through to the last eight.

Mackay will be going into the game with some problems up front and without strikers Rudy Gestede (hamstring) and Kenny Miller after he received 20 stitches in a facial wound.

That will leave Rob Earnshaw and Jon Parkin who is available after his loan spell at Doncaster as the only two out and out striker options for Mackay. There is youngest Nathaniel Jarvis and Joe Mason the Cardiff boss could call on, the latter opening his goal account on Saturday, his first since joining in the summer.

Home to Burnley next round of the Carling Cup

We miss the might Aldershot in the fourth round draw of the Carling Cup they got a home game against Manchester United. As for Cardiff City, we also have a home tie against Championship rivals Burnley.

While Aldershot fans are dancing in the streets it is a bit of a dump squid for some Cardiff City fans, but not me. Home advantage and a beatable opponent who we have already taken a point of in the league with a 1-1 draw a few weeks back.

Cardiff and Burnley have some Carling/League Cup history going back a few years but the competition has total changed now with managers being so tactical with their players.

Full draw 

Wolves v Manchester City 

Cardiff v Burnley 

Blackburn v Newcastle United 

Arsenal v Bolton 

Stoke v Liverpool 

Aldershot v Manchester United 

Crystal Palace v Southampton

Everton v Chelsea

The Carling Cup always the bridesmaid never the bride

Cardiff City ended up 9-8 winners at the Cardiff City Stadium last night, but you have to factor into score line a 7-6 penalty shootout into that score.

Therefore, we are in the draw for the fourth Round which we take place on Saturday lunchtime on Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday. We will have to wait until after presenter Jeff Stelling and his pundits of the day finish there usually, homage/love-in with all things Premier League before they get around to the draw round 'something to one' I suppose.

There are some really interesting names in the pot for the next round, 

Liverpool, Cardiff, Chelsea, Everton, Man City, Southampton, Aldershot, Arsenal, Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, C Palace, Man Utd, Newcastle, Stoke, and Wolves

The games kick-off the week starting Oct 24th and with Sky offering a free pass to its Sports Channels, you could watch the draw and the Cardiff City v Leicester City league game on Sunday. If you are not a Sky subscribers just check the channel this weekend (Virgin subscribers etc).

One team stands out from the rest! No it not Manchester United, but Aldershot who I class has the most beatable team left in the competition, no disrespect to them, but there are a lot of fans thinking that today. I suppose it is disrespecting Aldershot classed them has beatable. They themselves will have their fingers crossed for a big payday with one of the top Premiership clubs. So does that make them disrespectful to us?

Fans are already talking about Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City and of course, Liverpool and Bellamy while I would like to see them play each other while we progress quietly through the back door. Any of those teams in the final would suit me fine knowing that losing we could still be winners. They should all gain qualification for Europe via the Premier League mean the Carling Cup loser could be a winner with a spot in Europe.

We are three games from another trip to Wembley and a possibility of European football. Without some kind of a deal on entry back into the Welsh Cup the best route for the Bluebirds to bring back European football nights back to Cardiff.

The game last night saw a measly 8,000+ turnout with some fans demanding where the 13,000+ that disappeared from the last home game went. Most should make reappearance on Sunday for the League game. An even bigger crowd is on the cards for the top of the table clash with Southampton next Wednesday night. Why because it has always been like that since the beginning of the competition back in 1960? Fans just do not dig the League/Carling Cup.

A simply stat from history

• Average attendance in the League before Cardiff first ever game in the League Cup in 1960, 30.000+
• The first home game in the League Cup was only 12,000 for the newly launched competition and in the FA Cup that season 25.000+.

It has always been the same, the League Cup has always been the poor relation to the FA Cup and the League.

The big question should be with 17,000 plus season ticket holders these uber or ultimate fans to be found? A lot were not in the ground. Some of them are quick to have a bash at non-season ticket holders or part time support they like to label them has. Are they waiting on some kind of a freebie or something, you can bet they will be flashing their season tickets if we pull Manchester United out of the draw Sunday. I hope the club would give priority to fans who watch the previous Carling Cup game in that case.

Managers, players and fans all put down the Carling Cup even me calling in the ‘Reserves Cup’, but I would still like to see the Bluebirds win it and see the trophy in the trophy cabinet at the Cardiff City Stadium. The fourth round might be too early for some of the managers to think about first team squad again it will be down to whom they are playing. Domestic Cups are taking a back sit to Champions League football, promotion and general league survive a point in case is what happen to the three promoted to the Premiership last season, they all crash out in embarrassing results with the mind set on ‘must not get relegated’ even this early into the season. The words of the QPR boss Neil Warnock just about sums it up,

"I'm not disappointed to be out. "If I can't get motivated for the competition I can't blame the players if they can't."

I am thinking you cannot get your players motivated for a chance at European football because if they are dream on about Champions League football dream on and they also have little chance of qualifying via a league place either. I said it before the only thing on the mind of managers in the bottom half of the league is preserve their Premier League status.

Cardiff City team v Leicester City (Carling Cup)

Its Carling Cup night so it all changed on the squad front for Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay. It was expected and well signed posted he would be making changes the same with the Leicester City boss choices for tonight.

Marshall,

Quinn (c), Keinan, Blake, Taylor

McPhail, Kiss, Cowie, Mason,

Gestede, Earnie

Bench: - Santiago, Gerrard, Naylor, Evans, Whittingham, Conway, Gunnarsson

Only four in the starting line-up from the draw at Blackpool at the weekend surprisingly no Heaton in goals or on the bench.

Carling Cup = Reserve Cup

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON boss at Leicester City is under pressure after a fairly poor start to the season, a league there was slated to dominate after their big summer spending spree. There have been talks in the press of replacement being lined-up, job on the line and all that.Cardiff next two games are against Leicester in the Carling Cup tomorrow night and Sunday in the league games, that will be live on Sky Sports.

Back to the Carling Cup it will be interesting the kind of team both managers to start with. Cardiff City boss Malky Mackey has been playing fringe players and the returning wound will he continue or throw in the same line-up that drew with Blackpool last Saturday.

It has been confirmed defender Ben Turner misses the Leicester game tomorrow after he pick-up a strain in training. If Malky does rest player Rob Earnshaw who was in the bench Saturday would be hoping for a start with Jon Parking and Rudy Gestede hoping to get the nod to start alongside him if Mackay plays two up front. Midfielder Stephen McPhail will be hoping to kick start his season by playing some part in the game after a long come back from injury.

Eriksson is buoyant after a win over top of the table Brighton on the weekend and said he does not see the Carling Cup as a distraction and would like to see his team go as far as impossible in the competition. Unbeaten over our last five games in all competitions and we want to keep that form going but even he plans to rest players.

The winner team tomorrow will be four game away from a Wembley final and a possible place in the UEFA Europa League. Unlike the FA Cup, where 825 clubs apply to enter with 763 clubs had been accepted the League Cup is made up of 92 clubs can enter the League Cup – the 20 Premier League clubs, and the 72 clubs of The Football League.

Leicester City in the Carling Cup

The club draw took its time in coming because of the boarding chat among the Soccer Saturday pundits waffling on about Premiership football while most people waiting on the Carling Cup draw.

The Football League need to look into this the draw should have been the first item on the show. Most fans waiting for the draw have no interest in the Premier League sort it out.

There is no chance of a South Wales derby with Swansea getting batter in the week at Shrewsbury 3-1 with the home team scoring all four goals, but they are concentrating on the Premier League.

Finally 50 minutes into the show we have the draw first out Cardiff..... Manchester United, Manchester United but on Leicester City an all Championship 3rd round tie, but least it is a home game. The games take place week commencing 19th September.

The game is likely to be player on the Tuesday 20th and the following Sunday Leicester will again be visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium for a league game which is live on Sky Sports.

Cardiff win finally

It is hard, god it is hard being a Cardiff City fan when you throw away a two goal lead and the game goes tits up and get beaten 3-2, but wait a minute a later goal you jump for joy a late goal, its 3-3 here comes extra time.

Cardiff were 2-0 up within 17 minutes was a walkover on the cards by the end of the first half it was looking like Huddersfield were out of it, but it is never that easy and by the 70 minute, the visitors had squared the game at 2-2. With two minutes of normal time left Huddersfield took the lead while Cardiff fans were celebrating archrivals Swansea being thrashed. In injury time a lifeline was thrown in the direction of the Bluebirds and Don Cowie was on hand to score the equalizer full-time score 3-3.

I hate extra time as a rule, but when it saves Cardiff City bacon, it is a godsend. Cardiff could not secure a win after 90 minute how would they do with only 30 minute to get a win or it would be the lottery of a penalty shootout.

The jittery Cardiff City fans did not have to wait long with Craig Conway firing Cardiff into a lead and the night was finished off when Don Cowie sealed it in the 117 minute. So Cardiff are in the 3rd round draw with top of the wish list Manchester United the draw will take place on Soccer Saturday.

Mackay with strikers on his mind

Are Cardiff City back in the market for a new striker? Well according to the South Wales Echo they could well be, but it sounds like it will not be Craig Bellamy with a cryptic comment in the article 'he said it may not be the target man many believe he needs'.

Questions have arisen over the newly formed partnership between Robert Earnshaw and Kenny Miller is it working, will it work or their style of play too similar. It's not the local press discussing the issue but fan have also been debating the subject. If Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay is missing so high up front he as it with Jon Parkin (6'4") and Rudy Gestede (6'4"). They both started in the Oxford United Carling Cup game neither scoring.

"I can understand it. But I believe the dynamics of two good players playing together is not a problem," said Mackay. 

"At my last club we certainly did not have a target man, but we had a striker who scored 26 goals. 

"It's about having the quality. We are going to look for one who has the quality as good as you can get within the finances available and from who is available. 

"There's only so many out there who can play Championship football. It is a small pond you are fishing in."

Gestede and Parkin could both start tonight against Huddersfield with Nat Jarvis on the bench he scored after coming on for Gestede. The Cardiff boss is looking to progress in the competition and by resting some of his squad members, it will not dent the Bluebirds chances.

“We do need to guard a few players ahead of Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth,” said Mackay. 

“We’ve had a fair amount of games now. With the size of the squad we have it has taken a fair toll on them. 

“But we are approaching the competition with full respect as I always have done in previous years. We want to win as many games as we can and we are expecting a tough game against Huddersfield. 

“We want to go as far as we can in both cups this season. 

“If we can get past Huddersfield we might pull one of the big clubs or even pull one of the very small clubs and try to go on as far as we can. 

“That’s our aim, I’d love to go as far as we can in this competition.”

Carling Cup and Huddersfield tomorrow night

Cardiff boss Malky Mackay can take his mind off league matters for a day or was so with the next game tomorrow has it's a Carling Cup fixture. Well maybe not because he is likely to use the game against Division 1 club Huddersfield with one eye on the league trip to Portsmouth on Saturday.

In the win over Oxford United in the last round, Mackay made wholesale changes to the team that opened the league season at West Ham on the previous Sunday, but he is unlikely to do the same for the Huddersfield game. With the number of injuries mainly in the midfield, he would be hard pushed to make too many changes anyway. Talking in the press on the subject Mackay said,

"There's not a huge change-around to happen, we've got another four or five players that can come in. "But that apart, we're playing against a good team on Tuesday night and we've got to try and get through the tie."

So what can we expect? Tom Heaton in goal should be on the cards with a sprinkling of fringe players up front Miller and Earnshaw have not come out all guns blazing so would he give them the start or plum for Parkin and Gestede maybe. It will be the first time Cardiff and Huddersfield would have met in a cup competition and in the league, it is 2002/2003 when Cardiff won 4-0 at the old Ninian Park.

In the league, they have yet to taste defeat and beat Notts County away to face the trip to the Cardiff City stadium. If Cardiff City goes through to the next round, the draw for the Round three will take place Saturday on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.

Carling Cup draw - Home to Huddersfield

The draw for the second round of the Carling Cup will see Cardiff City face a home game against Huddersfield Town, no excitement there and not much of a crowd.

However, it is a winnable game on paper and there will be no international friendly to hamper team selection. The game will take place the week commencing 22 August. It will be the first time the two clubs have faced each other in a Cup game. 

Carling Cup who's next

CARDIFF City moved on to the Second Round of the Carling City tonight after beat Second Division Oxford United 1 - 3, but need extra time to do it. There is already a cry from some fans to bring on Swansea who will be in the pot for tonight's draw which is live . Only two players who started at West Ham started tonight Andrew Taylor and Craig Conway.

Heaton 

Naylor Evans Gyepes Quinn 

Taylor Conway Taiwo Farah 

Gestede Parkin 

Bench Marshall, Hudson, Gerrard, Oshilaja, Whittingham, Ralls, Jarvis


Cardiff opened the scoring in the first 12 minutes when Craig Conway somewhat against the run of play putting City in front. Minutes later the Cardiff boss Malky Mackay took Taiwo off replacing him with Whittingham. On the half hour, the home team pulled one back.


Towards the end of the game Cardiff were coming more and more into the game, but falling short in attack. With time ticked away and extra time looming Cardiff near took the game ball appeared to cross the line after a goalmouth scramble. However, the official decides it did not cross the line.Extra time it was and hopefully there would be no need for the dreaded penalty shoot out.


That was eased when Whittingham restore Cardiff lead in the 94 minute. A throw-in found Whittingham, who cut inside and unleashed a left-foot drive from 25-yards out which the Oxford goalkeeper had no chance with.

Bluebirds boss Mackay said,"It's the first time they have dipped in and played against league opposition."I'm delighted for them as long as they learn from this."Nat scored his goal and I have told him the more he runs the more chances he will get."Alex was outstanding as the game wore on and Ibby has great energy."He lacks a little in direction and knowing about the game, but those"Joe is another one coming through and now it's about ensuring they all get the right education."

All Cardiff players on international duly seem to have coming through their games and should all be available for the Sevenside derby against Bristol City on Sunday at the Cardiff City stadium.

Cardiff face Oxford Utd tomorrow

TEN players are unavailable to Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay for the Carling Cup fixture against Oxford United. A mix of international call-ups and injuries mean Mackay will be taking three young youth players to Oxford and two at least will be on the bench.

That will give those playing tomorrow a chance to impress their managerThe Cardiff boss bemoaned the fact that Carling Cup and the international friendlies were clashing when in Scotland their League Cup kicks-off before their season starts. It did happen back in the 70's.

Defender Paul Quinn is in according to the manager speaking at this morning's press conference, but Steve McPhail is still not quite there with his fitness. With Kenny Miller and Rob Earnshaw international duty, it will give a chance to Cardiff other strikers to show off their wares.

 The young French striker Rudy Gestede is likely to lead the attack for the Bluebirds at Oxford he impressed when he came on for Rob Earnshaw at West Ham on the weekend.

Some owners, managers, players, and fans kind of see the League Cup has a waste of space, but the winners get a place in Europe, a tasty prize.

Carling Cup next up for City

Next up for Cardiff City is a Carling Cup fixture away against Division 2 club Oxford United on Wednesday night. It should give Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay a chance to give a run out for some of the players not involved in the West Ham Sunday.There are a number of City players hoping for a chance by Mackay on Wednesday with goalkeeper Tom Heaton hoping to get the nod to play.

Defensively there are a number of options Dekel Keinan, Gabor Gyepes, Alex Evans, Paul Quinn, Jonathan Meades miss out on the first game of the season and will be hoping for a start or some playing times. Others hoping to see their names on the team sheet for Oxford will be Stephen McPhail, Aaron Wildig, Solomon Taiwo, and Ibrahim Farah and Filip Kiss will have to wait on the manager’s decision. Strikers Jon Parking, Nathaniel Jarvis have yet to have some pitch time since pre-season while both Joe Mason and Rudy Gestede came off the bench at West Ham.

Most teams in the Championship and some other play relatively weaken teams in the early rounds of the competition hoping to make it through until the Premiership teams enter at the Third roundIt has been awhile since Cardiff and Oxford played back in the days of the Manor Ground before they moved to their present ground the all-seater stadium Kassam Stadium. Back in 1999/2000 when they meet in the Division 2 with Cardiff, draw 1-1 at home and winning 3-2 away.

However, Oxford was to have the last laugh over Cardiff at season piping the Welsh to safety while Cardiff had to injure relegation.

The two have met before in the League Cup

The team Cardiff City for the 1978/1979 League Cup fixture,Home Leg 1-2 (Buchanan)

Ron Healey, Rod Thomas, Freddie Pethard, Alan Campbell, Phil Dwyer, Albert Larmour (Steve Grapes), Micky Burns, David Giles, Paul Went, Ray Bishop, John Buchanan.

Away Leg 2-1 (Bishop)

Ron Healey, Brian Attley, Rod Thomas, Alan Campbell, Phil Dwyer (Ray Bishop), Freddie Pethard Steve Grapes, Micky Burns, Paul Went, John Buchanan.

Oxford United away in the Carling Cup

Not the most exciting of fixtures, but what do you expect in the early rounds of the Cardiff City when the opening round is seeded and there is a North/South divide.

So we have to make do with a trip to Oxford United. The last time the Bluebirds met the Division Two club was back in January 2000 when they were both in Division Two a season that saw the Oxford club finish just above the relegated Welsh club. The last time they faced each other in the league Cup was 1978.

If the game would have been at home there wouldn't have been a rush Cardiff City fans to the ticket office. The last two games that the Cardiff City Stadium in Carling Cup First round has seen pitiful crowds. The goal for the league clubs is the Third round with the arrival of the big Premier League clubs.

2010/11 Burton 6,080

2009/10 Dag & Red 5,545

This season Cardiff will be travelling away this season Oxford will be hoping for a big away following.

Carling Cup

On Thursday Cardiff City fans can look forward to the first fixtures being announced. The draw to the much maligned Carling Cup takes place with Cardiff one of the seeded clubs. It’s more like a reserve team Cup in the early rounds especially for the bigger clubs, but it could be a route Europe.

The first stage of the League Cup is divided into North and South and the First Round matches take place on week commencing August 8th.

The likely seeded teams in the South:

West Ham, Swansea City, Cardiff City, Reading, Millwall, Ipswich Town, Watford, Bristol City, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton, MK Dons, AFC Bournemouth, Leyton Orient, Exeter City, Colchester United, Brentford.

The un-seeded teams in the South are likely to be:

Charlton, Notts County, Yeovil Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Argyle, Swindon Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Stevenage, Torquay United, Gillingham, Oxford United, Southend United, Aldershot Town, Cheltenham Town, Hereford United, Barnet, Crawley Town, AFC Wimbledon.

The following day at 9am the League fixtures are out with the internet going crazy as possible millions of fans checkout their team’s fixtures