Best..... Start........EVER!

Like most football fans, for much of the time my heart rules my head when it comes thoughts about how good my team is and what they can achieve. However, in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine that we would have had this amazing start to the Championship season. 4 games played - 4 games won. 8 goals for, and 1 against. We are one of two teams with a perfect winning record, and sit proudly at the top of the league! Cardiff fans are living in dreamland!

To put things in perspective, Cardiff have never won their first 3 league games in the season, never mind 4. However, I have been a fan of Cardiff and football in general to not get too carried away yet. After all, there are 42 matches left until the end of the season! There will undoubtedly be poor performances and difficult times, but at the moment the fans and players are all enjoying the ride.

NATHANIEL MENDEZ-LAING.

There have been a number of outstanding team performances already this season, but one player deserves a special mention, and that is Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. There was always a feeling that this player had more to come, and had not fulfilled much of his early promise when he began his career at Wolves. He spent a number of loan spells at a series of League 1 clubs, and showed promise for the last couple of seasons at League 1 Rochdale, but only manager Neil Warnock could have predicted the immediate impact he has had at Cardiff. 5 goals from his wide midfield role in the last 4 games is a record that speaks for itself, but it is the relationship between all 3 of Cardiff's front players - Kenneth Zohore and Junior Hoilett as well as Mendez, that has enabled him to do so well.

 Nathaniel Mendez-Laing celebrates the winner against Wolves.

 RESULTS SO FAR:-

BURTON ALBION 0 CARDIFF 1

CARDIFF 2 PORTSMOUTH 1 (after extra time)(EFL Cup).

CARDIFF 3 ASTON VILLA 0

CARDIFF 2 SHEFFIELD UNITED 0

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 CARDIFF 2


BURTON ALBION 0 CARDIFF 1

A large away support followed the team to Burton for the first match of the season, more in hope than expectation. The match was very even in the first half, but a well taken goal by Kenneth Zohore in the 87th minute was good enough to win the game. The statistics say that Cardiff have never been promoted without winning the opening game of the season. Lets hope this win is a good omen.

CARDIFF 2 PORTSMOUTH 1 (EFL Cup).

As is usual in the early stages of this competition, many of the reserves and backup players were given a chance in this game. The first half was poor from both sides, with Portsmouth leading at half time with a Sean Morrison own goal. Cardiff equalised early in the second half following Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's introduction at half time, and probably should have won the game in the scheduled 90 minutes. However, extra time was needed and this was where Cardiff's impressive fitness came into play. The winner was a well taken goal from Greg Halford, but it could easily have been a win by 3 or 4 in extra time.

Junior Hoilett has made an impressive start to the season.

CARDIFF 3 ASTON VILLA 0

This was clearly going to be a big test of Cardiff, against one of the teams expected to get automatic promotion this season. Villa have been spending large amounts of money since their relegation from the Premier League and have spent £80m on players over the last 2 seasons. (Cardiff have spent little more than 5% of that total). But they passed the test with flying colours!

Put simply, Cardiff were magnificent! The 3 front men of Hoilett, Zohore and Mendez tortured the all international Villa defence all afternoon. Experienced former England captain John Terry was all but humiliated as Cardiff ran riot and could have had 4 or 5. but this was not a poor Villa performance - this was an excellent performance from a Cardiff team from front to back. The best day at the Cardiff City stadium for a number of years.

Joe Ralls against Villa - another outstanding performer this season.

CARDIFF 2 SHEFFIELD UNITED 0.

Could they repeat the performance 3 days later against the Blades? Yes they could! Another comfortable performance against a team not up to the standard of Villa, but talented and confident following their promotion from League 1 last season. Sheffield had one or two chances late on, but goals from Sean Morrison and Mendez either side of halftime but Cardiff in control of the game which they won at a canter.

Kenneth Zohore - only one goal but has been the focus of the Bluebirds attack all season.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 CARDIFF 2

This match featured 2 of the 3 Championship teams with a 100% record after 3 games - and it was Cardiff who were able to maintain their perfect record. Wolves are another team who have spent big, but Cardiff got the result in an evenly matched game.

TRANSFER NEWS - INS and OUTS?

A further addition to the squad last week came in the form of Omar Bogle from Wigan Athletic. Bogle had only signed for Wigan from Grimsby in January 2017, but was unable to help them avoid relegation. It is clear that he is essentially a back up, but is another player who has played well at League 2 and League 1 level and now has a chance to prove himself worthy of the next step up. I expect to see him start in the EFL Cup second round match against Burton this week.

Omar Bogle signs.

The other transfer news is slightly more concerning - that a number of clubs are interested in signing Kenneth Zohore, including Brighton who are newly promoted to the Premier League. I'm pretty sure that he will stay, but there is always a worry that a desperate team will make a huge bid which the club can't turn down. I hope not. There was also news this week that left back Joe Bennett was allowed to talk to Fulham who had offered enough money to trigger his buyout clause. However, Joe refused to go as he is happy at Cardiff. good decision Joe!

There are now 2 more games before the first international break of the season - firstly a home second round EFL cup game against Burton on Tuesday ( where the fringe players will get a chance to shine), and a home game to QPR next Saturday. Exciting times at the Cardiff City Stadium!

Promotion to the Premier League?

The good thing about the football season in the UK is that there is such a short gap from one season to the next. And so barely 3 months after the last season ended a new one begins. My friends in the US wish that was the case with their major sports!

Unfortunately, my blog updates last season petered out rather like the season, and I haven't posted since the 3rd of March. At that point, I was finally convinced that we weren't being relegated, and the rest of the season was unspectacular but encouraging. We finally crept up to just make the top half of the Championship table in 12th place, with some encouraging performances against some good teams. This could be considered disappointing, but considering the desperate predicament we were in when Neil Warnock took over as manager then 12th place was more than acceptable. The performances were much better after that time too.

It has been well publicised that NW was asking for around £6m to strengthen the team in such a way to make a challenge for promotion this season, and the board has essentially backed him in this. With the ridiculous amounts of money now being paid for players in the Championship, that seems a ludicrously small amount of money. But NW has been very shrewd in his acquisitions, bringing in a number of players with something to prove, as well as a couple of players who he has worked with in the past. The pundits suggest that the Bluebirds will be a mid table team again, but we live in hope that the "Warnock factor" can encourage the team to out-perform what the experts say. Last season, Huddersfield proved what could be done with a good manager and a small budget and now find themselves in the Premier League - there is no reason why we can't do the same.

The Magnificent(?) Seven.

Ok - that may be exaggerating it a bit, but here are NW's summer signings:-

Lee Camp - an experienced goalkeeper who has worked with NW several times before. Probably our starting keeper for the season.

Neil Etheridge - an up and coming goalkeeper signed from League 1 Walsall - probably back up for Camp but may yet make the first team.

Loic Damour - a relatively unknown French midfield player from Ligue 2 in France.

Nathaniel Mendez -Laing - another player performing well at League 1 level and now gets the chance to prove himself at a higher level.

Callum Patterson - a young full back stepping up from the Scottish Premier League with Hearts to try his luck south of the border.Can also play midfield or up front. Not available until October due to an injury.

Danny Ward - another striker added to the squad to back up and play with Kenneth Zohore. He also has played for NW at Rotherham and deserves a chance in a better team.

Lee Tomlin - the only player who has cost a significant amount of money (and wages). Been at Bristol City and Bournemouth in recent years and on his  day is a very classy player. He was easily Bristol City's best player when they lost to the Bluebirds in NWs first game last season. Has a reputation for not always giving his best, but respects NW greatly. NW feels that he can bring out the best in Tomlin - lets hope he can.

Lee Tomlin

Goodbye to Whitts.

The closed season also saw the departure of Peter Whittingham - the last Cardiff City player to play for the team at Ninian Park. Whitts has been a legend for the club, but the time has finally come for him to move on as he approaches the end of his career. His spectacular free kicks will live long in the memory, but the goal the always sticks in my mind is the one he scored off the near post in the first leg of the playoffs at Leicester in 2010. I'm pretty sure that all Bluebirds fans wish him well.

Whitts in Blackburn colours.

Bruno is staying. Ken worth £20m?

A signing which is just as important as the new ones above is that of Bruno Ecuele Manga who has decided to accept a new contract from the club. It was widely expected that he would leave and return to France to play, but he has chosen to accept a new contract. Despite the odd glaring mistake, Bruno is a good footballing defender. I'm glad he's staying.

There have been rumours of interest in last season's sensation Kenneth Zohore, who continued his good form to us into good form for the Denmark under 21s in the summer. NW has slapped a £20m price tag on him, but emphasised that he is not really for sale. If he continues in the same form, then by the end of the season the big clubs may well be interested in him.

Burton away.

And so it all begins in another 2 days time with an away trip to relegation favourites Burton Albion. I've no doubt the season will be a real roller coaster as usual, but most of the regular fans are excited if not exactly confident about the new season. Bring it on!