New Kids in for the New Year? Cardiff Preview

The first game of 2013 for Birmingham City sees Blues welcome top-of-the-table side Cardiff City to St Andrews. Having tasted defeat on Saturday which dropped Blues to 20th in the table Lee Clark will be looking for a better performance from his side this time out.

Cardiff City

Malky McKay’s side are deservedly top of the Championship, having lost only once in ten games, taking fifteen points from their last eighteen possible. Their only recent reverse was the surprising 2-1 defeat at home to Peterborough United, and they come to Blues full of confidence.

Aron Gunnarsson is a doubt in midfield and former Blues youth product Jordon Mutch could step in to replace him in the middle. Mark Hudson will partner former Blues target Ben Turner in the centre of Cardiff’s defence whilst Rudy Gestede will be hoping to continue up front after scoring the winner against Millwall last time out.

Blues

Blues are without eleven players for this fixture after Nikola Zigic picked up a two match ban for foolishly being sent off against Bolton whilst Emmitt Delfouneso has torn a groin – very sad for the youngster as it was rumoured Clark was looking to bring him in in replacement for Steven Caldwell. With Zigic out there are no senior strikers fit for Blues and Lee Clark will have to make a tricky decision. Development Squad striker Marcel Henry-Francis has been given a number and could be one option up front alongside or instead of Jake Jervis, with 17-year-old Reece Hales also an outside possibility. Alternatively Clark could use Morrison and Hall through the middle, albeit out of position.

In defence, Will Packwood is back in training and may go in at right-back to allow Paul Robinson to slot in to his more natural left-sided position. I suspect Steven Caldwell could be dropped – either for Pablo Ibanez or possibly (although very doubtfully) Jack Deaman. Clark threatened after the Bolton game to play a team purely made up of youth products but I don’t think he’ll actually do it.

I’m expecting nothing from this game whatsoever. The best I hope for is that our younger players continue to pick up experience, that maybe we give a young striker a chance to show his worth and maybe, just maybe that raw energetic youthfulness will be enough.

Tags: Cardiff City, Emmitt Delfouneso, Jack Deaman, Marcel Henry-Francis, Nikola Zigic, Pablo Ibanez, Reece Hales, Steven Caldwell, Will Packwood

Gary R says:

December 31, 2012 at 5:01 pm

Almajir – I know what you’re saying and I, too, am not “expecting” too much from this game. But I feel strangely optimistic about seeing the kids having a go and I think they might surprise a few. We’re really overdue a home win and I think Cardiff’s run won last forever, so who knows. An upset might be on the cards?

You say Hall could be played out of position, but I’ve always thought that Hall can play as both a centre forward and as a left winger?

The lads really need our support and if we can sneak a draw here I think everyone would be delighted. Then hopefully, with a two week break in league games until Huddersfield, it gives us a chance to get other senior players fit so at least we then have some competition.

will says:

December 31, 2012 at 5:03 pm

I’m expecting a right spanking from the Red Birds. Not that the owners will care.

Gary R says:

December 31, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Against the ‘big teams’, though I don’t count Cardiff as a ‘big club’, we seem to do better. After Barnsley nightmare I was expecting us to go to Brighton and get a spanking. What happened? We went there and won 1-0. I was expecting to get beat by Leicester. What happened? We nearly won hadn’t it been for a speculative last minute strike that no one could do anything about. I was expecting us to get beaten away at Leeds. What happened? We dominated the game and won it and could’ve won it by more. Palace…went 2-nil down and expected to lose, come storming back to 2-2. Middlesboro…expecting to get beat in that game, but we won 3-2. Hopefully Cardiff will have the attitude that most Blues fans have at the moment – that it’ll be a walkover for them, because they could get caught off-guard. They’ve played a lot of games (like us), but they’re away from home (never easy on New Year’s day after the night before), and I, for one, believe we could cause a shock. But maybe people can accuse me of being an idiot for thinking we can. I’ll be there as a ST holder and I’ll be supporting. If people have a negative attitude before we’ve even kicked off then they can stay away and F**K off an support another club.

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Lucky says:

December 31, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Against Cardiff’s 2 big centre halves I’d play redmond and hall upfront who have both got a lot of pace. Also think Gomis needs to come back in to the midfield to protect the back 4 and provide some bite in the middle.

Gary R says:

December 31, 2012 at 5:14 pm

Completely forgot about Gomis and it’s a decent shout. I have said on Twitter the team I’d pick tomorrow if I were manager:

Butland

Robinson Davies Packwood Hancox

Burke Morrison Mullins Spector Hall

Jervis

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