Cardiff - is Slade turning things around?

Cardiff have been finding it hard going at home of late and while they look safe now on 44 points it is true to say that the season has not panned out exactly how their fans would have expected having adorned the Premier League only 10 months ago. The pleasing thing for the Bluebirds is that have been scoring in games and yet they also find it hard to win games with clean sheets.

In their last home match against Charlton Russell Slade said that his team had been mugged and the Bluebirds had dominated the game with some 18 shots to the Addicks five, but such is the quality of this league that teams will get punished if they do not turn their created chances into goals. With just three wins in their last 10 games the Bluebirds are hardly storming to safety but they are doing enough by beating the teams that are in more trouble like Wigan Athletic and Rotherham Utd. They are only averaging about 1.19 goals a game though and with a minus goal difference they have not yet found a formula that can get them into the top half of the division. Their last home win was back on 10 January against Fulham when they won 1-0.

Their players are really playing for their place in the team next season and to be part of the club going forward. What they need is a stable period when they concentrate on matters on the field, but there is always something that seems to trigger off disharmony at Cardiff. Yet in their last match against Brentford they came from behind to get a great win even if they had two players sent off and they were helped by a goalkeeping howler. The suspensions after the red cards could help the Cherries with Harris and Macheda now out for the match against the Cherries and changes to their team will have to be made for the Bournemouth match.

The visit of AFCB may give Cardiff a good incentive to put their best into the game having been well beaten in the Capital One Cup by the Cherries and a heavy defeat in the league at Dean Court. But the Cherries have to keep their foot down hard on the accelerator now and three more points could just start opening up a gap on the teams below now, especially with derby playing Middlesbrough tonight.

Later today we will have a Rival Lines with Cardiff City Mad and if you have not sent your score predictions in yet for the game get them into @peterbell19 on twitter




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