It's back to the Championship for the Bluebirds. Our fate was sealed with the 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on the penultimate weekend of the season. However, the season had a bright end with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Of course, we will never know if the team would have won that game if the pressure had been on where we had to get a win but I like to think so. Manchester United are playing poorly at the moment, so a win was not as much of a surprise as it might have been a couple of months earlier.
Ultimately, we were only 2 points away from saving our Premier League status. There is a case to be made where we did not get the vital decisions in our favour, especially over the latter part of the season. However, I'm very much a believer that you make your own luck over the course of a 38 game season and poor refereeing decisions even themselves out. We can have no real complaints (except perhaps the first Chelseas goal at the Cardiff City Stadium).
The final home game of the season against Crystal Palace was the perfect example of why we were ultimately not good enough to stay in the Premier League. Crystal Palace is a team mainly made up of players who are of the same standard to our own. However, they also have 2 players in Wilfred Zaha and Andros Townsend who are a class above the rest. They are players who are capable of an extra special moment of skill and expertise which can create a goal out of apparently nothing. They are players who are probably worth a much in transfer fees on their own as it would cost to buy our whole team. It is this class player that we don't have in our squad, and this for me is the key reason we were unable to survive.
RESULTS SINCE LAST BLOG:
CARDIFF 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 3
MANCHESTER UNITED 0 CARDIFF 2
There was plenty of hard work and general endeavour against Crystal Palace, but ultimately goals from their "skill" players of Wilfred Zaha and Andros Townsend finally sealed Cardiff's relegation. A bizarre own goal which drew Cardiff gave the Bluebirds some hope, but a Batsushayi goal before half time and another classy goal from Andros Townsend in the second half waste much to overcome.
Aron Gunnarsson played his last home game for the club after 8 seasons at the Cardiff City Stadium.
On the last day of the season we went to Old Trafford for a now irrelevant game against a struggling Manchester United. Cardiff played well, and 2 goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing gave us a comfortable win. This was our only win against a 'Top 6' opponent all year - although we came close against Chelsea and Arsenal at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing slots home the second at Old Trafford.
THE GOOD THINGS FROM THE SEASON:-
- The performances of Neil Etheridge in goal - I'm pretty sure a Premier League team will come in for him this summer and he will be back in the top league next season.
- The togetherness of the fans, and their loyalty to Neil Warnock. Despite the season long struggle against relegation, the fans remained united and firmly behind the team. Such a contrast to our last trip 5 years ago.
- The Junior Hoilett winner against Wolves - I still can't believe how he managed to keep that ball under control!
- We had 4 more points than our last trip to the league. Also, 3 more wins, and 4 more clean sheets.
THE NOT SO GOOD THINGS:-
- Clearly, the Emiliano Sala incident. This spoilt the mood of the club for well over a month.
- That offside goal that Chelsea scored at the Cardiff City Stadium.
- The gap between the top 6 clubs (especially the top 2!) is now much greater than our last trip to the PL 5 years ago.
- The diabolical home loss to Watford.
- The home loss to Man Utd (although we did at least get revenge for that!)
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Well, its a return to the 4th biggest league in Europe - the EFL Championship. Manager Neil Warnock has confirmed that he will be staying for another season, hoping to achieve his 9th promotion. It seems that the board have agreed to back him financially, as we will probably need about half a dozen new players, especially a striker and two new central midfield players.
Obviously, our loan players Arter, Camarasa and Niasse have returned to their home clubs. Victor Camarasa was particularly impressive, and I have a feeling he too will be back in the Premier League with one of the bigger clubs next season. Rumour has it that Harry Arter will be playing tin the Championship with Fulham next season. But , Neil Etheridge aside, I'm not sure we will lose many other players to the Premier League. There is talk of perhaps Bobby De Cordova-Reid being brought into the Premier League, or Josh Murphy, but I'm pretty sure that unless someone offers silly money that they will be with the club next August.
We clearly have a strong team with a chance of promotion - including the nucleus of the side that was promoted last season. But the Championship is incredibly competitive and last seasons relegated clubs have not made it back to the Premier League this season. But with Neil Warnock has the experience and ability, and we know that his teams will always give 100% effort, so we should be in with a very good shout.
And so, around about the 3rd August when the new season begins, I'll Be There!
Thus completes this blog for now. Who knows if I ever get a chance to return to it. In the meantime, the "Life of a Bluebird" blog will continue this summer.
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