Cardiff blogger Annis Abrahams Jr talks to Cherry Chimes

Rival Lines

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Cardiff City v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Annis Abrahams Junior

It's a welcome return to Rival Lines for Annis Abrahams Junior who is a Cardiff City fan.He is an author of published books on the Bluebirds and also runs a great blog. You'll find lots on his site from away games and videos to pictures with celebrities and he also has a Cardiff City Forum. But I wanted to know his views on Vincent Tan and the new club crest for Cardiff City among many other things.

CC: Vincent Tan - good guy or bad guy?

AA: Bad guy in my eyes and thousands of other fans.
Stripped our club of its true identity,divided our fans and promised to make our club debt free,which is now £150 million in debt thanks to him.

CC: Do you blame Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the poor start that Cardiff had this season or is it more complicated than that?

AA: The poor start this season was down to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but apparently Tan was also interfering as well in the football maters. So it is much more complicated than just blaming Ole.

CC: Do you think it is always difficult for teams coming out of the Premier League to go straight back up or should the team have done better and were the bookies right to make Cardiff one of the pre-season favourites?

AA: Most clubs in the past have always done quite well after being relegated from the Prem, apart from Wolves and Norwich who went down again. To be fair you should do well as the money coming in is far higher than other Championship clubs get,thanks to Sky.

If City were managed right from the top to the bottom, we would of done better this season as we had the players,so I understand why the bookies made us favourites.

CC: Russell Slade has found it difficult to get the club into the top half of the table, but do you think he has improved the side or the way the team plays? 

AA: Under Russell Slade its the worse football I have seen since the Allan Durban days and they were worse than dire. This is my 43rd consecutive season as a season ticket holder and Slade has to go now.

CC: Do you think you'll be able to hold on to players like Whittingham, Pilkington, Jones and Marshall in the summer?

AA: Out of Whittingham, Pilkington, Jones and Marshall, I would only like to keep Marshall. But I doubt we will keep him.

CC: What have you thought of Scott Malone since he joined from Millwall?

AA: Scott Malone from Millwall,he is ok,nothing special.

CC: AFCB have been a bit of a bogey team for you this year so you confident of getting a result this time?

AA: I've been to both games against AFCB this season and you deserved both wins. Best we can expect,a draw at the very very best,but if you go in to 2nd gear, the 3pts are yours.

CC: What is the injury situation like at Cardiff City any one definitely out for this game?

AA: Injuries, not many. Marshall is 50-50 thats our only major concern. Pilkinghton and Joe Mason still not back yet,both now in training.

CC: What order do you think it will it be for the top six places in the Championship this season?

AA: I think Derby, Bournemouth, Boro, Norwich City,Watford and Brentford in order.

CC: The Bluebirds have a new crest which looks to enhance the blue identity of the club do you think it needs something of a new beginning?

AA: I am happy with our new Badge,large Bluebird and mostly Blue. Our kit back to Blue. I cant wait for this season to be over with. So hopefully its a new start next season.

Annis is in my good books putting AFCB in a second placed finish, but I kind of think most of us AFCB fans want to finish first now! I am sure many of you will be pleased with his assessment of Scott Malone as well. as well as visiting Annis' blog you can also see what he has been discussing on the Cardiff City Forum. 

Finally, it is great to hear that Matt Ritchie has been called up for his first senior cap for Scotland - I guess he has more in common with Ryan Fraser than we all knew. Matt qualifies to play for Scotland through his father's side although Matt was born in England. Let's hope Matt does well if he gets on against Northern Ireland or Gibraltar in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.