Not as a striker but as the left side of the 5 man midfield. For some reason known only to Campbell he spent more time closer to the left back that he did probing forward.
Line up. Margetson, Weston, Prior, Gabbidon (Barker), Vidmar, Langley, Boland, Kavanagh, Whalley (Bonner), Campbell (Earnie). Thorne
City were backed by a noisy 2,500 fans, a superb support considering we were on the back of three defeats in a row.
Watford should be ashamed of their pitch. I understand finances mean groundsharing is essential but to allow a rugby game less than 24 hours before a football game? It was a cabbage patch that affected both sides and made flowing football impossible. Chelsea go there in the FA Cup next week. They'll have a shock.
For the neutral the game was exciting enough. The pitch meant there were plenty of mistakes for both sides to try and capitalise on but more often another mistake meant little progress was made.
As far as City were concerned it was a bad start with Daniel Gabbidon and Spencer Prior clashing heads. Prior was able to continue but Gabby went off to be replaced by Chris Barker. Marcus Gayle put Watford's best chance a foot over the bar while Kav saw his free kick saved well by Chamberlain. Watford did get the ball in the City net but the goal was ruled out after a linesman's flag. Just as well for City as the marking in the box was apalling.
HT Watford 0 - 0 City
It only took 8 mins for City to take the lead in the second half. A free kick was cleverly chipped up by Kav, Spencer Prior gave the most delicate of headers onto the PETER THORNE who spun his marker and fired high into the net. Mad celebrations and City were on their way.
City weathered the immediate pressure from Watford and it needed a 10 minute period for City to dampen the Hornets but another moment of comedy defending saw City lose the lead.
It started from a City attack. The ball was heading towards the Watford goal when the defender "passed back" to his keeper using his knee. I'm not totally sure of the rule but I have been told that it's legal. There was a huge uproar from City players and fans alike complaining to the referee that City should have been awarded a free kick. While Cardiff were still up in the air from the decision Watford pressured and a harmless looking ball was challenged by both Tony Vidmar and Spencer Prior, both of whom managed to outwit each other to allow SCOTT FITZGERALD to smash past the helpless Margetson.
It was Richard Langley's turn to teat Chamberlain in the second half. Langley broke through 1 on 1 and decided to have a crack from 20 yards and brough a superb save from the Hornets keepr, the loose ball was cleared off the line. Had that gone in it would have been 2 - 0 and most likely game over. Fitzgerald's leveller though meant the game could go either way.
City had one other effort of note, a Langley free kick was well held by Chamberlain. City's problem was using the possession thay had. Players let themselves down all over the park, too many wayward passes and poor positioning. Andy Campbell, a quick striker was played wide left but with a withdrawn role, he got arsey every time he was yelled at for being too deep. When he did go forward no one picked him out.
Watford were the stronger team, whenever they had possession they had a player to pass to, they used the width well and provided a regular bombardment of the City box.
Earnie did come on for Campbell with 20 mins to go and offered more of a threat than Campbell did all game. Bonner came on for Whalley. Whalley another player underperforming with a lack of telling passing.
The killer blow came on 88 mins. Watford crossed from their right, a striker had a free header that hit the post, as the ball twisted towards goal off the post Margetson scrambled it out, a second effort went goalbound and again Margetson scrambled it away only for the third effort to rip into the back of the net. That's right, three seperate efforts at our goal, all within 8 yards of the goal line by three seperate players and not one City defender challenged. That's the problem. Shoddy defending.
The goal was credited to LEE COOK for the second header which was said to have crossed the line.
City left Vicarage Road battered and bruised. Watford were cloggers for the most part. Neil Cox a very lucky man not to be red carded after a leniant ref let him off the hook when a second yellow was waranted. Ironically Richard Langley was booked for reacting to Cox's challenge on a City player.
Some of the Hornets challenges were downright crude but they got away with it.
Maybe City need to add a bit more steel to their game. Another thing that bugged was that when Watford were out wide they always had a player supporting the man with the ball. City players were isolated but Watford always covered themselves. If the first man could not cross he had an alternative choice.
No league action now for two weeks. The FA Cup next week. It's a shame that the usual excitement of the Cup has been tarnished becuase of our poor league form. Our next league match is at home to Rotherham. Failure to win that one will see our attention turn to a relagation battle. Maybe now that Sam is coming back from his American holiday this week we'll see some movement in the transfer market. We are a struggling side at the moment and we need to bring in some quality players becuase we have some members of our team, not just our squad, who are not cutting the mustard.
In my mind the turning point was allowing Julian Gray to leave. If Lennie thought he was being clever haggling around the 200K mark he has made the biggest gaffe in his time here at Cardiff City. The Bluebirds trained him up for a month, gave him a months worth of games before allowing him to leave over a daft amount of money. What's happed to Gray since? Straight back into the Palace line up, a couple of man of the match performances and to cap it all a goal against Ipswich as the Eagles pulled off one of the shocks of the day by winning at Portman Rd.
We have no natural left sided midfielder and we allowed a quality player to leave. Since his last game (the last game we've won) we have D1 L4. 1 point from 15. Keep them parachutes close by becuase at the moment we are in freefall.
Roll on 2004.
NigelBlues (listening to the radio) Report
If Cardiff City were a song at the moment, the top two would be “Oops, We Did It Again”, “Slip Sliding Away” and “Down, down, deeper and down”.
The mid-season slump is now a full-blown crisis as The Bluebirds lost their fourth successive league game for the first time since April 1998, long before the words Sam Hammam, stability, financial muscle and quality players were heard of at this club.
Supporters have been angered by Lennie’s intransigence in the transfer market at a time he knew that the side need both strengthening in general and wide midfielders in particular. But his penny-pinching ways at a club not really short of money and refusal to spend and make a statement as our rivals were adding to, and building, their squads, has cost City, Lennie and us dearly.
The club have fallen from 6th to 12th and 7 points away from a play-off spot in 16 days. The annoying thing is it was completely avoidable. For crissakes, Crewe are above us, we’re level with Walsall and Rotherham, Gillingham and Stoke are 2 points away. How and why did we allow that to happen? With Sam returning from his regular family Xmas holiday in the States today and City having lost every game while he was away, the inquest and fire will undoubtedly come from owner and supporter alike.
Watford would have been a new ground for me. It was the Bluebirds first visit since John Barnes fired a League Cup hat-trick past us in 1984 and City’s first league visit since getting a 0-0 at this level just over 22 years ago.
If City fans feel we’re on a bad run, Watford’s have been getting suicidal. Well beaten at Ninian Park two months ago, their only bright spot since was a shock win at Norwich, the only team to do that so far this season. Recent form is worse than ours, no win, three draws and three defeats in their last six matches including a 1-0 loss at Gillingham on Boxing Day leaving them in 21st, one place and two points outside the Division Two drop zone.
At home, whilst they’ve only won three of their twelve home games this season they’ve actually lost there less times than City at Ninian. Unbeaten at Vicarage Road since late September, the last 8 games have been 2 home wins (against Rotherham and Bradford) and 6 draws. If City could have hand-picked away opponents in their present predicament, then Watford and Bradford (ironically, our next away opponents in the league) would be the picks. On the other hand, in our present state, Watford would probably have picked us at the team to get them out of the doldrums too.
Trips to the London area always attract large City support, when it takes place at holiday times (remember the thousands locked-out at Brentford), it attracts massive support. Almost 3,000 Bluebirds made the 155 mile journey to Herts - including almost 40 coaches - setting off early for the 1pm kick-off (our 3rd successive lunchtime kick-off as will our next game be too). Traffic was light with the game taking place on Xmas Sunday with traffic consisting of families, a few sporadic Torquay fans and City fans everywhere!
Watford would have been a new ground for me, the 80th of the current league teams and all bar one of them to watch City. It was the Bluebirds first visit since John Barnes fired a League Cup hat-trick past us in 1984 and City’s first league visit since getting a 0-0 at this level just over 22 years ago. However just as I hit the M25, phone news came through of a family illness and we had to turn around and head home. Although serious enough to forget watching City, it turned out not to be too serious fortunately. However, while the rest of the travelling 3,000 cast their eyes across Vicarage Road, mine were fixed on the Severn Bridge in the horizon whilst listening to Robert Phillips and Malcolm Allen’s Radio Wales commentary heading home.
And what I heard was nothing to be inspired about, nothing to get excited about and from the total lack of noise coming from both sets of fans over the radio after the first couple of minutes had passed, nothing to be bothered about missing either.
Lennie dropped a bombshell. He dropped Earnie to the bench. Not only that, he went 4-5-1 with Thorney as the lone striker and Andy Campbell used out of position wide left but, according to those there, in a withdrawn role rather than advanced. Is there any other decent First Division side who would have almost £10M worth of strikers, visit a team who can’t buy a win, not start with 2 forwards and have a negative formation designed to stifle rather than create? For the record it was Margetson, Weston-Prior-Gabbidon-Vidmar, Langley-Boland-Kavanagh-Whalley-Campbell and Thorne.
Watford made 5 changes to their defeated Boxing Day side and lined up with Chamberlain, Ardley-Cox-Gayle-Smith, Devlin-Hyde-Mahon-Cook, Helguson-Fitzgerald. Alec Chamberlain, a 39 yr old veteran, took over from the suspended Neil Pidgeley on loan from Chelsea. Neil Ardley and Marcus Gayle both played for Sam at Wimbledon. A couple (Smith and Mahon) were young local products whilst Cook and Fitzgerald, their scorers, were captured from non-league football and Helguson who was to cause problems all afternoon is an Icelandic international.
City started relatively brightly without causing any harm to Watford before the game drifted to nothingness really although the longer it went on, chances eventually came the home side’s way with increasing frequency. It wasn’t one way traffic but it was one way with goal scoring chances.
Cardiff had just two serious first half goal attempts, both free-kicks and they didn’t arise until inside the final 15 minutes of the half. It was an afternoon when all bar one of City’s opportunities were from free-kicks highlighting the startling lack of quality and creativity on display at present. Those 1st half efforts, both by Kavanagh, both beat the wall but lacked the necessary power to beat Chamberlain who saved well. Can anyone remember the last time Kav/Langers hit a free-kick with pace or City showed any variation at set-pieces?
As for Watford, they caused few problems early on with Gayle nodding over but Helgusson shot wide when clear and shot have done better. On 16, disaster struck as Prior jumped to head a ball clear over a Watford player, missed and nutted Gabbidon instead. Play stopped for a couple of minutes but Gabbs had to depart concussed and in need of stitches. Barker came on in his customary role and Vidmar reverted to his customary centre-half role too but was unconvincing again and hasn’t performed well for several weeks to be truthful.
More Watford chances came with Margetson saving well twice, one a fine stop from Cook and Helgusson, Prior cleared off the line. The biggest escape came near to half-time as Helgusson forced Margetson into another fine stop and then headed the subsequent corner home only to have it disallowed for pushing.
City were coming in for criticism for not showing enough conviction, movement and aggression in their game. Watford players were not being closed down and their 4 man midfield was looking better than our 5 men which is worrying indeed.
Pitch conditions were atrocious which hardly helped. Watford share Vicarage Rd with Saracens egg chasers who played on it less than 24 hours earlier which left a cut up pitch of the type not see at this level and more standard in the lower divisions. Yet Watford were able to pass and play on it far better than City and always found a spare man, the pitch does not help that much.
City’s midfield and defence were collectively guilty of not closing down play, commentators remarking how regularly we stood 4 or 5 yards off players. Martyn Margetson later commented how City were failing to get these basics right and unhappy at how players failed to close down or cut out crosses into the area. If we’re short of quality and strength, that’s bad enough, but to let our go drift to this extent cannot be allowed to continue.
Half-time: WATFORD 0 CITY 0
The Hornets were still buzzing around City’s goal at the start of the second period as Helguson and Mahon shot wide then Cook, lively and dangerous throughout in a way that none of our players were, made Margetson save again but, shock of shocks, City took the lead totally against the run of play on 54 minutes.
Another free-kick, another Kav curler but Andy Campbell intercepted and diverted the ball across goal where the Magic Hat man, PETER THORNE, blasted gratefully home and past Chamberlain from close range. It was his 12th of the season and 8th goal inside one month as he has scored in 6 of City’s last 7 games.
It seemed to inject confidence and belief into the team and fans who could be heard alright now. Within a couple of minutes, City remarkably almost doubled the lead as Richard Langley broke clear on goal and instinctively let fly from 25 yards rather than run the ball on the pitch. Chamberlain made a flying save and did just as well to stop Langley popping home the rebound and blocking for a corner.
I’m afraid that was as good as it got for City as the game suddenly opened up and our defence fell to pieces once more. We were only good enough to keep the lead for just 6 minutes.
On the hour, Watford crossed a nothing ball, Helgusson flicked on and only two players were in contention for it - Prior and Vidmar. Yet the vastly experienced pair show comedic and amateur defending of the highest order by leaving it to each other and allowing a disbelieving SCOTT FITZGERALD complete the drama by easily popping the ball home.
With that, there was only one winner. You desperately hoped City would hold out for the point but we weren’t even good enough to do that. Earnie was finally introduced on 71 for Campbell and finally went 4-4-2 but hardly saw the ball as all the play and movement was towards City’s goal.
City’s only efforts of the final 25 minutes were more free-kicks. Kav and Langley making Chamberlain save well again and Langley meeting a Kav ball into the middle but nodding wide.
The winner on 87 was another dagger to heart of City fans but another collector’s item for those who compile “own goals and gaffe” videos. A cross that should have been cut out, wasn’t,
City pumped a couple of late crosses into the home side’s area to try and claw it back but never got on the end of any or fed on the scraps and more points were thrown away.
Lennie later admitted it is a crisis and seems short of answers but with Sam back, he‘ll need them quick. His failure to act decisively gave City a slow start to the season from which we had to play ‘catch-up’ football and his failure to do similar going into a crucial period of football seems to have had the same effect.
Dare I suggest Lennie banked on City getting points out of Millwall, Walsall and Watford and got a little complacent instead of addressing the areas of the side that so badly needed attention. He’s not the only culprit, there’s a whole host of players who have let their standards slip and they really need to take a look at themselves. I honestly believe the club got sloppy at a time they could ill afford to so maybe had their just desserts.
It is probably a blessing that City have no league game until January 10 with FA Cup action taking over although a home encounter with Sheffield United is probably something not to be savoured at present either. It’s up to Lennie and his players to sort out these problems and, at the very least, show us far better fight, belief, commitment and passion than some of what has gone on in recent times. Some of those attributes are serious things to question but individually and collectively, they’ve fallen a long way very quickly and showing little sign of getting it right quickly.
Report from FootyMad
It was all smiles for Watford at Vicarage Road as they ended a run of three defeats but there was increasing depression for Cardiff City after this their fourth consecutive reverse.
"I'm bitterly disappointed. Our defending was woeful. I warned the players at half time not to get too deep or let the ball bounce and they did just that to concede the equaliser," said City boss Lennie Lawrence.
"I'm increasingly concerned about our situation. Any cushion we had in the First Division has been wiped out by our own ineptitude.
"We are still in mid-table but unless we put this right and stop the rot we will start looking behind us."While Lawrence was complaining about the quality of defending his Watford counterpart Ray Lewington was similarly disappointed with the goal they conceded.
"We had not been in any trouble and then gave away a terrible goal.
"We've had a few hard luck stories this season and I was worried in case the players started feeling sorry for themselves," said Lewington.
"As it was we kept going, battled away and showed character to get just what we needed. We are not certain who scored the winner, but it was nice to see a few bodies in the box trying to score in the last few minutes."Substitute Danny Webber sent over the cross which led to the goal in the 88th minute. Watford appealed for a goal when Heidar Helguson's header hit the inside of the post and went across the goalmouth.
Lee Cook prodded the ball back towards the net where Martyn Margetson blocked, with Watford again appealing.
The linesman flagged that the ball had crossed the line as Gavin Mahon, following up, thumped the ball into the roof of the net.
Earlier Watford had been thwarted by Margetson who made good first-half saves to deny Cook and Helguson.
Cardiff were unable to threaten, apart from a couple of free-kicks which Alec Chamberlain read well.
City took an unexpected lead on 52 minutes when a Spencer Prior flick-on set up Peter Thorne to crash the ball home from eight yards.
Awful City defending on the hour allowed Scott Fitzgerald to force an error and nip between two defenders to move clear and hit the equaliser.
External reports
The Times