Fixtures throw up the Hammers first out

The fixtures are out and you can see the full list HERE, but here are a few games I picked out that are of interest to me. The first game is against relegated West Ham away, but the game could fall victim to kick off change once the police look at it. There is also the chance game could be picked up by Sky of the BBC for broadcast. First home game will be a Sevenside derby with Bristol City crossing the bridge to Wales.

My favourite time of the season this the Christmas/New Year period, but it was a bit of a downer this season in between Christmas two away games. The Boxing Day fixture is at Watford at will be followed by a New Years Eve trip away at Nottingham Forest.

The last game of the season is away with a trip to London and Crystal Palace. That will make it four seasons the Bluebirds last game has been away.

These fixtures are not written in stone has they can change once rugby, the police and broadcasters are factored in. The day is not over fans have their fingers crossed for an announcement on the manager's job and fans will finally get to see the new Bluebirds kit.

Tick-tock only six games to go

It feels like games are coming fast has a speeding bullet the moment. This is giving me little time to recover from the last game, thank got the pace dies down for a week or so with no midweek games next week.

There is a lot riding on tomorrow's games, again some interesting matches thrown together as more team believe a top six finish is more than possible. Has far down as Burnley have a realistic chance of a play-off spot, and Burnley has a game in hand to play.

QPR visit Barnsley who had a good win on Saturday beating Bristol City 4-2 at home while the top of the league Londoners were trashed 4-1 by the then bottom of the table Scunthorpe United. Barnsley maybe be mid-table safe with nothing to play for, but pride they would sure love to get one over QPR.

Second place Norwich will look to get back to winning ways after losing their ten under-defeated run at Swansea on the weekend. They face Watford who have lost the last three games, but for the sake of Cardiff we can all hope they get back to winning ways.

Hull City have to travel Swansea for another game of importance for any Cardiff City fan. Swansea maybe have the second best home form in the Championship, but Hull has the best away form in the Division. In fact the visitors have not lost AN away since the end of September.

Reading have stormed into the top six off the back of a run of ten undefeated games and tomorrow they go to Scunthorpe giant killers of QPR on Saturday. Leeds in sixth place have a trip to Derby and will be looking to bolster their place in the top six. Derby look safe from the relegation zone but would like a few more wins to make sure they do.

Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Hull and Burnley still have a chance to make the play-off over the last six games lots of thinks could change.

Tomorrow’s fixtures of importance

Barnsley (16) v (1) QPR, 19:45
Derby (19) v (6) Leeds, 19:45
Leicester (9) v (21) Crystal Palace, 19:45
Millwall (7) v (15) Bristol City, 19:45
Nottingham Forest (8) v (11) Burnley, 19:45
Scunthorpe (22) v (5) Reading, 19:45
Sheffield Utd (24) v (3) Cardiff, 19:45
Swansea (4) v (10) Hull, 19:45
Watford (12) v (2) Norwich, 19:45

Nervy wait for kick-off

To be honest it doesn't matter what happens in other games all that matters is that Cardiff City win. Pretty or ugly football who cares, a win is a win coming with three much needed points.

On current Cardiff have a small edge over today's opponents Doncaster who of the last six games have won one, drawn two and lost three with Cardiff just winning just one extra game.  City trash them 4-0 at home earlier in the season, another scoreline like that and very Cardiff City fan will be happy.

Today fixtures

Doncaster (20) v (3) Cardiff, 15:00

Millwall (8) v (5) Leeds, 15:00

Nottingham Forest (7) v (6) Reading, 15:00

Scunthorpe (24) v (1) QPR, 15:00

Swansea (4) v (2) Norwich, 17:20

() denotes league position

Looking at what would be best for Cardiff would be wins for Millwall, Scunthorpe and draws for Nott Forest and Swansea. Results after today's game will show what Tuesdays fixtures will mean. There are so many variations in how the league position could pan out.

Tuesdays fixtures of importance

Barnsley v QPR, 19:45

Derby v Leeds, 19:45

Nottingham Forest v Burnley, 19:45

Scunthorpe v Reading, 19:45

Sheffield Utd v Cardiff, 19:45

Swansea v Hull, 19:45

Watford v Norwich, 19:45

No footy for the Bluebirds this afternoon

All the talk of QPR and points deduction as deflected my mind somewhat from the upcoming game on Sunday. With QPR promotion rivals I hope they get stuck with a deduction of 10 points or more that would do nicely, it’s dog eat dog world out there. I am sure if the boot was on the other foot their fans would wish the same to Cardiff if they were in there place. The Football League did recent called to see some information on the clubs financial dealings and the club quickly informed fans there was no problem.

The FA are hoping to fast track a decision for next week after QPR were charged by the FA with seven breaches of regulations relating to third-party ownership and agents. It stems from the transfer deal in 2009 surrounding Argentinean midfielder Alejandro Faurlin, who signed for Rangers for a club-record fee believed to be in the region of £3.5million. I thing they will be fined.

QPR take a seven-point lead over second place Swansea and nine points over Cardiff.

I say it about every game, but this time I really mean and I hope the players feel it, we need a win tomorrow. Barnsley seem to be safe from relegation, they are sat in mid-table hopefully they will come all laid back, don’t think they will though. Recent history shows last season they did the double over Cardiff while earlier this season Cardiff were 2-1 winners at Barnsley.

On the team front Cardiff will have Seyi Olofinjana back after he missed the last three games with a muscle tear behind his knee. If he is picked to start my Cardiff boss Dave Jones it will mean Jones drop either Peter Whittingham or Stephen McPhail to the bench. The squad is nearly up to full strength going into the last ten games still in the treatment room is defender Lee Naylor and of course keepers David Marshall and Tom Heaton.

Today’s Fixtures

Burnley (7) v (12) Millwall 3:00pm

Derby (19) v (2) Swansea, 3:00pm

Leeds (5) v (16) Ipswich, 3:00pm

Nottingham Forest (6) v (17) Doncaster, 3:00pm

QPR (1) v (21) Crystal Palace, 3:00pm

Sunday

Cardiff (4) v (15) Barnsley, 3:00pm

Monday

Norwich (3) v (14) Bristol City, 7:45pm

Tuesday

Burnley v Coventry, 7:45pm

The top six have been joined by seventh place Burnley who after a steady run of wins have joined the party. More importantly they have two games over the entire top six and if there were to win both they could end up a point off automatic promotion.

Victory or Bust

Another one of those must win games tonight at Crystal Palace and all three points is a MUST.

We can’t sit back hoping for another results to go our way any more, there are 33 points up for grabs form the last 11 games and there is a need for everyone of them. I don't think the the board, manager and is staff, players or fans want the see the season go beyond the 7 May. The ball in the back of the net is the only way to bag one of the two automatic promotion spots. I so tight at the top QPR are nine points ahead of the Bluebirds

Tonight’s game throws up more of those top verse bottom and a few involving the top six and teams still eyeing a play-off place. Only second place Swansea is at home tonight the rest of the top six are on there travels.

Crystal Palace (21) v (3) Cardiff City kick-off 8:00pm
Leicester City (9) v (4) Norwich City kick-off 7:45pm
Millwall (13) v (1) QPR, 7:45pm
Preston North End (24) v (6) Leeds United kick-off 7:45pm
Sheffield United (23) v (5) Nottingham Forest kick-off 7:45pm
Swansea City (2) v (12) Watford kick-off 7:45pm

() Donates league position

We should have beaten Ipswich well at the weekend with the game all be sown up by the end of first half. As for tonight Cardiff City boss Dave Jones it’s rumoured that Paul Quinn is doubtful after a knock he received against Ipswich while Seyi Olofinjana remains on the sidelined. Striker Michael Chopra is carrying a ankle injury but is expected to be fit to play.

The Bluebirds will take around 1,000 fans to Selhurst Park for tonight's fixture a game just has important host who are just one point from the relegation zone.

Only 12 to go

Tick tock, tick tock ……. the countdown to the end of the season is starting to feel ever closer, with an edginess that comes with Cardiff City position. Only 12 games to go plus a possible 3 extra for the teams who fell into the dreaded Play-offs! Who wants that? May does seem a long way off

Every Cardiff City fan I have  spoken to doesn't want to be stuck with the play-offs again, it’s been well proven it’s the biggest lottery of them all. Before last season many Cardiff fan often sighted the Stoke play-off game has there worst experience they have have has a City fan, closely followed by the FA Cup Final defeat against Portsmouth.

It is now the Blackpool Play-off Final which occupies the mind of many a Cardiff fan and know one wants that again. Take last season Blackpool finished sixth in the league table but via the play-offs one the prize of promotion.

Automatic promotion must by the goal, a top two finish the target with Cardiff City boss Dave Jones entering in to it by saying he wanted the top spot off QPR.

The deadly 12

Saturday, 5 March Ipswich, home 5:20pm (live on Sky)

Tuesday, 8 March Crystal Palace, away 8:00pm

Sunday, 13 March Barnsley home, 3:00

Saturday, 19 March Millwall, away 15:00

Saturday, 2 April Derby, home 15:00

Saturday, 9 April Doncaster, away 3:00

Tuesday, 12 April Sheffield United, away 7:45

Saturday, 16 April Portsmouth home 3:00

Saturday, 23 April QPR, home 12:45

Monday, 25 April Preston, away 3:00

Saturday, 30 April Middlesbrough, home 3:00

Saturday, 7 May Burnley, away 12:45

Based on the league table we have today, a run-in looking like above would have any fan jumping for joy. The Bluebirds only QPR from the top 6 and with home advantage and Millwall and Burnley chasing a play-off spot. The rest are in the bottom half of the table which I find more worrying because of the patchy history playing teams at the lower end of the table. The Ipswich game is not just another league game it must be treated has a cup final.

Win them all and there should be ok unless Swansea was to do the same. In the upcoming week they must play Nottingham Forest, plus a number of play-off contenders and a sprinkling of relegation threaten teams in need of points just has bad as the promotion chasers.

Yes I’m bricking but there is a part of me up for the fight and of course, third time lucky, BLUEBIRDS

The Bank Holiday fixtures that matter

The games of some importance to Cardiff City and their fan over the next few days before there holiday from League football for the 3rd Round FA Cup games.

Monday, 3 January - QPR v Bristol City, 3pm
Monday, 3 January - Leicester v Swansea, 3pm
Monday, 3 January - Middlesbrough v Norwich, 3pm
Tuesday, 4 January - Cardiff v Leeds, 7:45

With Cardiff now fifth in the league there is a pack of four clubs chasing down Cardiff. There is a gap of four to five points between Watford, Millwall, Burnley and Coventry. Wins for any of them tomorrow will make for a nervy bunch of Cardiff City fans tomorrow who have to wait until Tuesday night to see there future. Defeat against Leeds will pile the pressure on the club and with the possibility of the Malaysians in town will intensive the cry for 'Jones Out'.