Dragon slayers! - Cardiff City (H) 04/11/14

[Bruce Rioja]

Interesting to hear he picked vela over threkeld rather than there being any injury

From what I've seen of young Oscar, especially at Crewe, well, I hope he goes on to prove me wrong.

[officer_dibble]

Thought oscar was ok at norwich. His nerves will get to him more than lack of ability. I said it at the end of last season and i think it still. The worst thing for young players is to get in the team then become back ups again. Get the lad out on loan. Wont have helped him see another young player start out of position before him tonight either.

[Bruno3]

Fantastic match all round, but I do have to say that Pratley was fecking appalling (cross for Feeneys 2nd aside). His lack of movement and general unwillingness to want the ball to his feet was shocking. He has no vision and for once It didn't seem that he put in his usual 100%. That aside, Cravies was a class act today, his work rate and movement were first class. Bravo that man. Shout out to Vela too, apart from one slip he was brilliant.
NEIL LENNONS SUPER WHITE ARMY!!!!

You are right on Craig Davies - MotM for sure! also goo shout for Vela. I'd add Chungy to list of good performers.

Wrong on Pratley. He played well. With energy. and effectively, winning the ball, harrying and contributing all round.

Totally agree. And if Lennon removes Beckford from his first team squad altogether I'll be one very happy chappy

[Dr Hotdog]

That was as impressive a performance i've seen in such a long time. Boatloads of commitment and passion. Far from the finished article but that is the basis of a good team. When Wheater comes back we can bin off Cid Mk2 and when we get a fully-fledged left-back we can have very good competition for the two centre half slots (Mills, Wheater, Ream, DodgyDervite).

Feeney has been crying out for some end product and the fact he got himself in the positions to score those two goals speaks volumes - he's putting the effort in. He had a great chance for a hatrick but Elmandered it high and wide. Still think he needs to work on his crossing. Pratley was very good last night but occasions like that seem rare - Cardiff were poor last night and allowed him to do well. But at the end of the day he is so limited with what he can do. He reminds me of me in my 5-a-side pomp: clumsy, gangly, weird balance, very one footed, chooses the wrong option 4 times out of 5. Admittedly he's got a good engine but that can only get you so far.

The idea of binning off Bogdan for cash in favour of Lonergran is absurd. Harking back to the idea of sacking off Jussi for Al Habsi or kicking out Branagan for little banks or Aiden Davison. Good shot stopper that Lonergran is, his command of the area is not a strong point, and there was a very hairy moment last night when he hesitated and only just collected the ball behind his six yard line with strikers rushing in. Fine Margins... fine margins.

Thought Vela was superb on the whole and the MOTM was an easy choice - Craig Davies. Did everything he could for the team. Decent little cameo from Clayton but a bit too greedy at times. Needs to work on decision making and passing and receiving and hopefully that will come.

Cardiff were poor. Ravel Morrison played 45 minutes last night and I didn't even know it (missed the announcement). Weren't there clamours for him to go to Brazil in the summer? How the hyped fall.

[Bruce Rioja]

That was as impressive a performance i've seen in such a long time. Boatloads of commitment and passion. Far from the finished article but that is the basis of a good team. When Wheater comes back we can bin off Cid Mk2 and when we get a fully-fledged left-back we can have very good competition for the two centre half slots (Mills, Wheater, Ream, DodgyDervite).

Dear me. Seriously? I mean seriously?

[bobo the clown]

^^ I don't get the Devitte hate-in. I think he's a good defender.

[General Mannerheim]

yeah was impressed with Doreen at Charlton and v's Brentford.

[jaffka]

He looks quite good to me as well. Very comfortable on the ball and has enough presence and size to put himself about.

[Bruno3]

Only put one one foot wrong and that was in the second half getting caught in possession when dribbling towards the halfway line. Other than that I thought him and Mills were solid - despite Macheda jumping at them (as opposed to for the ball). Of course they were helped by the amount of cover they got from the midfield but, after all, that is part of what the midfield are supposed to do.

[Dr Hotdog]

I really don't see it in Dervite. I don't feel comfortable with him at centre half. Maybe the comparison with Gerald is a bit OTT, but I think Wheater is a far better option in that position than Dorian.

[Sponge]

Until the proper highlights are out, here are the goals:

http://www.goalsaim.com/bolton-vs-cardi ... mpionship/

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Are people seriously advocating Mills and Wheater in central defence? 2 slow agricultural centre backs prone to a mistake or 2

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Wow was not expecting that result! Sounds like Cravies and, credit where it's due, Pratley had storming games. Shame Feeney couldn't find his hat-trick, surely that would have been the first multiple hat-tricks in a season since Lofthouse's era?

McGinlay, no? (Maybe 93-94 or something?)

Might well have been, genuinely couldn't remember the last time we had more than one hat trick in a season so gave it a 30 second google. Kept getting hits for Lofthouse being the last one, but with nothing official I may well be wrong

Points to LK... A quickish check of http://bwfcstats.com/page2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; seems to suggest that our last six hat-trick scorers before Mason this season were:

06.04.02 Bobic v Ipswich (H, 4-1)
28.01.01 Holdsworth v Scunny (H, FA Cup, 5-1)
25.08.98 Blake v Hartlepool (A)
27.11.96 McGinlay v Spurs (H, Lge Cup, 6-1)
23.04.94 McGinlay v Middlesbrough (H, 4-1)
05.03.94 McGinlay v Charlton (H, 3-2)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

[Dr Hotdog]

Why I don't rate Dervite just yet is highlighted 7 seconds into this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2vyH5LB ... 53l44i0LFw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look at him use his right foot/leg to try and stop that cross. Pathetic isn't the word. That's on a par with Tom Eaves controlling the ball with the sole of his boot! He's a footballing centre half, they say. Not yet guys and gals!

[boltonboris]

Dervite is head and shoulders above Wheater and Ream at CB.

Vela... Well, I think we may have a new right back.. Was great. Showed aggression, quality, nous and pace and I think it'd be a good idea to persist with him. There'll be the odd poor game, but that's to be expected.

Craig Davies was exceptional.. A performance akin to his namesake Kev and what bigger compliment could he receive than that?

Chungy Lively and stylish, but faded in and out of the game. Great to see him tackling and battling for every ball too. A player reborn.

Pratley was very good for his standards.. Never game them a second and was vital in letting our better players play, but as already said, he just isn't a footballer.

The difference in tempo, ability, style, selection and mentality was startling compared to what we've been used to. He's gone now, I know, but Freedman really should hang his feckin head in shame

[Dr Hotdog]

The fact that we stuffed Cardiff 3-0 and there is still lots of room for improvement bodes well...

[boltonboris]

I'm actually (slightly) disappointed it wasn't 4/5.. Could've been by all means

[Lord Kangana]

I don't want to get carried away (and I think Lennon may benefit from a reluctance on our parts to knee-jerk after the last few years) but it really feels like a club reborn already.

As fans we're often caught in the cliche of "I don't mind the result a long as we're trying". We'll definitely lose games this season, but I get the feeling at least we'll try, at least we won't consider 4 shots on goal away from home a moral victory. You can carry a crowd with you when you play like that. When that happens you can build momentum.

Onwards, and hopefully, upwards.

[DJBlu]

That 2nd goal is superb. Like the days of old. Getting stuck into em and not giving up finishing with a goal.