But, at that time, City would have struggled against any half decent team and the signs were that both of these opponents were a bit better than half decent. Watford were doing surprisingly well and in Danny Webber they had a striker in the form of his life. Webber took less than ten minutes to punish a dozy City defence that were caught out by a quick free kick as he smashed the ball past Warner at his near post and the visitors dominance was further rewarded just before the break when the impressive Neal Ardley scored from the just outside the box.
There was a belated first appearance of the season for Peter Thorne who had taken so long to recover from what had seemed to be a minor knock picked up against Sunderland seven months earlier when he replaced the wretched Andy Campbell at half time. Thorne did liven things up a little, but the visitors were never seriously troubled and four minutes from time Helguson easily beat Gabbidon to set up a second goal for Webber.
It finished 3-0 and the City were absolutely woeful that night - apart from the excellent Jobi McAnuff, there wasn‘t a decent performer from any of the starting eleven as Watford won at a canter. If proof were needed that we desperately required those three or four signings that had been promised by our owner then this was it, however, there was no sign of any arriving before we played Derby four days later.
There had been progress in the search for new coaching staff though as Terry Burton Watford‘s Assistant Manager, accepted an offer, after initially turning us down, for a similar job at Cardiff and he started work straight after this defeat. Quite what Burton (who captained and scored for the Arsenal team that beat the City in the 1971 Youth Cup Final) would have thought as he watch his old team overrun his new one was anybody‘s guess, but the appearance of Chris Barker as a second half substitute gave an indication as to why changes in the back up staff at Ninian Park were required.
Barker had been recalled from his loan at Stoke and returned looking much leaner and fitter than he did when he left. The player admitted that Stoke had him working very hard on his fitness while he was with them and, evidently, it had worked because for the rest of the season he looked a far better player than the one who had struggled through the closing weeks of the previous campaign. The inference behind Barker’s improved fitness and general conditioning was obvious - why weren‘t the City able to get the player this fit and how many other players would have benefited in the same way from a month on loan at Stoke!
Barker was back in the team for the visit of Derby as Lennie Lawrence rang the changes with Bullock, Thorne and Parry also coming in and there was a full debut for young striker Stuart Fleetwood as well. However, before that game I paid my second visit of the season to Treforest to watch our newly formed Academy Under 18 team beat a previously unbeaten Charlton Athletic team 4-0 with striker Cameron Jerome getting a hat trick. Joe Ledley who had been identified as the youngster on our books most likely to make a big impact in the future missed the game because he was in the running for a place on the bench for the first team later that afternoon.
I learned at the Academy game that the reason Ledley was so close to a call up was that John Robinson was unavailable for the Derby game. Robbo‘s mother had taken a turn for the worse in her battle with cancer and her son had spent much of the season commuting back and forth from her Sussex home where he had been looking after her. This may well have been the reason for Robbo‘s poor start to the season which had been marked by a petulance that had seen him booked three times already and it had to be said that he and Tony Vidmar as a pair on the left hand side of the pitch had looked short of fitness as the pair of thirty somethings frequently found themselves struggling against .younger opposition. As it turned out, Robbo had played his last game for us, in October he signed for Gillingham only to be released by them after playing just four games and he finished the season off playing for Crawley in the Conference - it seemed to me to be very sad that a player who had done so much for us during the previous season had to leave us in such a low key manner without the fans getting a chance to show their appreciation of someone who did so much to make our first season back at this level in ages such a comfortable one.
As well as Robbo, Boland, Lee and Campbell were left out after the Watford debacle. Also missing was Robert Page who had picked up a rib injury that would keep him out for a couple of months. The availability of Thorne and Barker should have been a boost to our paper thin squad, but, besides Page, Richard Langley had a knee injury that would keep him out for another three months, whilst a cruciate ligament injury meant that Gary Croft’s season was already over - we really did need those three or four new players that our owner had promised us!
As for the match, City certainly started better than they did against Watford - Stuart Fleetwood’s pace caused Derby a lot of problems and he could have marked his debut with a goal but for a smart save by Camp in the visitor’s goal. However Fleetwood limped off just before the break with what turned out to be another long term injury and any hope City had went with him. Derby had taken the lead against the run of play a few minutes earlier through a lovely shot by Reich and yet it was typical of our luck around this time that, whereas we would spend much of the next six weeks or so battering the Grange End woodwork with efforts that refused to enter the net, Reich’s effort smacked the post full on and then dropped gently in!
Any hopes City had disappeared early in the second half when an awful Gabbidon pass put Weston under pressure and all of a sudden Tudgay was clean through on goal, Tony Warner did very well to save the striker’s effort, but could only then watch helplessly as Ian Taylor tapped the rebound home. Although the City had competed well up until then, they now collapsed completely as Derby were able to play out the second half to record a 2-0 win with embarrassing ease.
By now, Lennie Lawrence was under tremendous pressure from supporters - he had issued a plea to supporters to judge him after twelve games, but City were 23rd in the table after nine and had scored just two goals (one of them a penalty) in their last seven league games from which they had picked up just the one point. It was the sort of run that gets an awful lot of managers the sack and yet in the post match conference we had the sight of our owner sat alongside our manager in what I think was a gesture of support. I say I think it was because, having seen it a couple of times on Cardiff City World, I am still not sure what Sam Hammam was trying to say! Sam talked for about twenty minutes during which he sometimes seemed to be giving Lennie the dreaded vote of confidence and then hinted that he would be asked to clear his desk on Monday - the hacks left, apparently, none the wiser as to what was happening and supporters were left to wait a couple of days to find out whether Lennie still had a job or not!
As it turned out, Lennie was still in charge three days later when City travelled to MK Dons for a Second Round League Cup tie with a team that included Newport youngster Byron Anthony making his debut at right back. Although the Dons were having the same sort of miserable season as the City were but at a level lower, this was a match that had “upset” written all over it, but in the event City barely raised a sweat in winning comfortably. In truth, the game was all over after 21 minutes as Peter Thorne scored either side of Lee Bullock’s second goal of the season to put us 3-0 up. After that Byron Anthony capped a good debut with a header from a corner and Joe Ledley became the second youngster to make a first appearance when he came off the bench for the closing stages which saw the Dons get a consolation goal back.
In City’s position any win, no matter how poor the opposition, was not to be sneezed at and a couple of new arrivals in the days following the game added to the feeling that things may be getting better. By now, people were beginning to tumble to the fact that none of the Earnie money was going to spent on new players and all we had to look forward to were loan signings and players that had been released by other clubs. Given the limitations imposed by such a policy, the loan signing of Darren Williams a 27 year old full back with nine years service (many of them in the Premiership) with Sunderland looked a good one. The other new loan player was Portsmouth’s mifielder Gary O’Neil who was captain of England’s Under 21 team.
Williams was in the starting line up and O’Neil on the bench for what looked on paper to be a daunting game at newly relegated Wolves, but the truth was that the midlands side had started the season poorly and were still looking for their first home win. Of course, all of this doesn’t mean that City’s impressive start didn’t come as a surprise as they tore into Wolves from the first whistle. Alan Lee had already missed a great chance by the time Paul Parry gave us the lead after 11 minutes after being set up by Jobi McAnuff , but any euphoria lasted all of thirty seconds as Wolves went straight down the pitch to equalise through Carl Cort. Level at 1-1 at the break, City took a decisive grip on the game in the opening stages of the second period as Paul Parry’s fine cross was converted at the far post by Peter Thorne with a typical header and, ten minutes later keeper Paul Jones’ punch from a corner was brilliantly volleyed home by Kav for what I reckon to be our most spectacular (but not best) goal of the season. City managed to concede another poor goal from a corner five minutes from time when Paul Ince headed home, but they were never really troubled too much in a game they won more convincingly than a scoreline of 3-2 suggested.
The second of our loan signings Gary O’Neil was given a ten minute run out at the end of the match and immediately went on a long surging run which suggested that he could just be able to do a decent job for us if he could cope with the jump up to first team football from Portsmouth’s reserves (I’m being facetious there by the way!).
Two great away wins with seven goals scored and suddenly the miserable Watford and Derby matches seemed a million miles away, but a cold Tuesday night at Burnley represented a different type of challenge which would provide the answer as to whether a corner really had been turned in City’s season.
For just about the only time in the season Kav and Boland had looked an effective central midfield pairing at Wolves, but, with speculation around that Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp had only let Gary O’Neil join us on condition that his player had to be guaranteed first team football, it was split up for the Burnley match as Boland reverted to the bench.
As the game progressed, it seemed to be one of those that had 0-0 draw written all over it. Burnley had the worst defensive record in the division in 2003/04, but had made a good start this time based almost entirely on a defensive record that has seen them ship just seven goals in their first ten matches, so it wasn‘t too much of a surprise that City struggled to create much against them. However, City were also reassuringly sound at the back until two minutes from time when a slip by Tony Vidmar allowed the home team’s highly rated teenage midfielder Richard Chaplow to be worked clear and he beat Warner with a well placed low drive from the corner of the penalty area. To City’s credit, they did manage to create their best chance of the night after that when Lee Bullock set up Kav for a volley which was well turned aside by Welsh International keeper Danny Coyne, but a 1-0 defeat in such circumstances was a real sickener after the Wolves win.
Attention now shifted to the visit of Leeds on 2 October. Ever since the fixture list had been released in June, people had been talking about this game and, inevitably there was much speculation as to whether we would see a repeat of the crowd trouble which marred our great FA Cup win in January 2002 - thankfully, as it turned out the whole day passed by with no serious problems at all.
A sure sign of a struggling team is when they start getting players suspended for five bookings when they have only played ten games! The bookings picked up by Kav and Alan Lee at Wolves meant they had reached the point where they had to serve a one game ban and so they both sat out the Leeds match with Willie Boland and Andy Campbell (for whom it would turn out to be a memorable match for all the wrong reasons).
Leeds did have one header cleared off the line, but apart from that it was one way traffic towards their goal in a game which I still can’t believe finished goalless. Gary O’Neil was tremendous that day - he seemed to galvanise the whole team as everything seemed to be being done so much quicker by them. One of the consequences of that was that our wide attacking players were getting the ball in situations where they only had one player to beat as opposed to the two that had been the case up until now.
On one such occasion, Jobi McAnuff was worked clear and sent tumbling in the box visiting left back Craney for the team to finally be awarded a penalty after so many others we should have had. Kav or Alan Lee would have been prime candidates to take the kick if they had been playing, but it was Andy Campbell who stepped forward to take it
Campbell had hardly been Mr Popular with some City fans before Earnie’s sale, but his performances since then when he had been given the chance to establish himself in the team had done himself no favours at all - he had made little or no impact, but, worse than that, he seemed disinterested and unwilling to work for the cause. Being a charitable type, I put Campbell’s attitude down to a lack of self belief which had only been made worse for playing a struggling side rather than him being a lazy so and so, but there were very many who felt differently on that one! These people may have had a point as well because, with City not having scored at home in ages it needed bottle to volunteer to take that penalty and, for my theory to be right, Campbell would have probably shied away from taking it.
Whatever, I admired him for volunteering to take it, but claim no credit for saying I knew exactly what was going to happen. I cannot claim any credit because I am sure there were plenty in the ground who felt like me - he was bound to miss and miss it he did with just about the worst penalty I have seen a City player take! Campbell’s side footed effort was hit so slowly that I am sure Leeds keeper Neil Sullivan could have dived the wrong way and still had enough time to make his save, but as it was he guessed right and had no problem at all in making an easy save.
Leeds had former City target Sean Gregan alongside former Ipswich man Jermaine Wright in central midfield, but they spent most of the afternoon chasing shadows with Gregan lucky to survive the first half after committing many fouls one of which, a crude lunge on O’Neil saw him yellow carded.
City were the better team before the break, but in the second half they got completely on top hitting the woodwork on three occasions - Campbell diverted a shot onto the crossbar from about two yards out which was his last meaningful contribution in another miserable performance that saw him substituted around the hour mark. Campbell’s replacement was young Cameron Jerome who made a very effective first appearance for the side and he was next to hit the woodwork with a header on to the crossbar from a corner. Leeds scrambled the ball away for another corner which was half cleared to Jobi McAnuff who hit a lovely side footed volley from about twenty yards which came back off the post as the visitors goal led a charmed life.
City had given their best home performance of the season by a mile but only had a point to show for it so remained in 23rd place with only winless Rotherham below them in the table and, after a break for International fixtures which saw defeats for Wales against England and Poland, it was the Millers who visited Ninian Park next for a game which even this early in the season was being described as a six pointer.
Before I talk about that game though, a whinge about our fickle support. The Leeds game was watched by a season’s best crowd of 17,006, City had played very well that day and it had been a fortnight since they last played - people could hardly plead poverty and say it had to be one game or the other they could go to, so how can a gate of 11,004 for the Rotherham game be explained? Those who dispute the fact that, historically, there have been certain local supporters who turn out for the so called big games against attractive opposition and then go missing again for months on end will say that Leeds brought far more supporters than Rotherham (which is true) and that Leeds are just about the only club we will play at this level who have their own support amongst the local population which would help bump up the gate when they visit (which is also true), but it doesn’t explain why 6,000 people saw us play in one game and then decided not to bother a fortnight later!
Anyway, as to the game, the first half was a miserable affair during which both sides showed exactly why they occupied the bottom two positions in the league. After the break though City showed themselves to be a better outfit than Rotherham and finally after 56 minutes it happened - we scored a goal! Peter Thorne’s far post header from a good Chris Barker cross was the first we had scored at Ninian Park since Lee Bullock’s match winner against Coventry back in August. Having had to wait an astonishing 535 minutes to see a home goal from their team, City supporters only had to wait another nineteen for the next one as Thorne’s bullet header from a corner ensured the three points.
Local youngster Joe Ledley had come on for Paul Parry around the hour mark to make his league debut and had almost marked the occasion with a goal in the closing stages when his shot flew a yard and, with Parry failing to recover in time from his knock, Lennie Lawrence decided to include the 17 year old from the start at Brighton three days later. It turned out to be a pretty amazing game for Ledley as well as he could easily have ended up with a hat trick, as he hit the bar, had an effort cleared off the line and another one brilliantly saved by Kuipers in the home goal! However despite, all of this it looked for a long time as if City would suffer another of those 1-0 defeats at the Withdean where they dominate in all aspects of play expect for the most important one, the scoreline!
Brighton had scored on ten minutes when Leon Knight’s effort was dubiously adjudged to have crossed the line (the pictures I have seen on Cardiff City World are pretty inconclusive), but City had responded well to the setback and, besides Ledley’s efforts, forced Kuipers into some fine saves and Alan Lee had missed a one on one with the keeper. However, it was looking for all the world like another defeat when substitute Lee Bullock equalised with a looping header from a corner with nine minutes to go to snatch a point which was generally reckoned to be the very least we deserved from the match.