Cardiff City

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Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut believes the club are still short of a striker after missing out on the January signing of Kieffer Moore.

The Wales international is already showing the Bluebirds what they missed out on.

Since opting to join Ipswich on loan until the end of the season, Moore has scored three league goals in three games.

That’s as many as Cardiff’s recognised central strikers Yakou Meite, Kion Etete and Famara Diedhiou have managed between them so far this season - and just two fewer that top goalscorer in the Championship Perry Ng who has five.

“We tried a lot [to get Moore]” said Bulut.

“I know from the board they pushed really hard to get him but his decision was to be with Ipswich, we have to respect it.

“I tried hard, players tried hard because we had many talks with him.

“The board was trying hard, but in the end it was the decision of the player.

“He decided to be with Ipswich, maybe he gets some extra things there.

“So then we have to look for other players and we didn’t have time.

“We knew we had to wait until the end of the window to get him but I also wanted another striker before, so that’s why we got Famara Diehiou.

“We tried at the last moment to get Kieffer also but there wasn’t enough time in the end.”

Image source, BBC Sport

Cardiff City are in need of a momentum swing after a run which includes just two wins from nine Championship games.

That spell also includes six defeats, most recently at West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday evening.

The Bluebirds face a tough trip to Carrow Road to take on Norwich this weekend, with the Canaries fresh from a 4-2 win over Watford.

What changes do you think Cardiff boss Erol Bulut should make against Norwich on Saturday? Have your say here.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Earlier today we asked for your opinions on Cardiff City's recent poor run of form and Tuesday night's defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

Here is what you had to say.

Andrew: Too slow. No creativity. Never looked like scoring. Don't know what they do in training but it obviously doesn't work.

Trevor: Performances of late are simply too slow. When results were good in the first three months, there was a drive and speed. Now it’s all very ponderous, ineffective and very dull to watch.

Rhiannon: Cardiff’s form has been similar to relegation form. Erol Bulut needs to be prepared [to accept] that he needs to change his tactics or he will be needing a new job.

Gary: We cannot score goals and concede soft goals. Bulut has brought a lot of players in and still not delivered. We lack pace up front and he has done nothing about it.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Cardiff City suffered a fifth defeat from six games on Tuesday night as they lost 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion in a forgettable contest.

Other than a late chance for Kion Etete, with the score just 1-0 to the Baggies, Cardiff rarely threatened in front of goal.

The loss leaves the Bluebirds eight points off the play-off places down in 14th place, after a promising start to the season under Erol Bulut.

What did you make of the game and Cardiff's recent form? Have your say here.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff boss Erol Bulut says he could be ready to give Wales captain Aaron Ramsey his first start in five months.

Ramsey has been eased back with substitute appearances in Cardiff’s defeats by Preston and West Bromwich Albion after his lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.

The Wales captain could now be set to start for the Bluebirds in their next match, a visit to Carrow Road to face Norwich City.

“Aaron was many months out and he is trying really, really hard,” Bulut said.

“He could start at the weekend, we never know, we will have to wait and see.

“After the last game where he played 45 minutes he was feeling good and after tonight he was also feeling good.”

Goalkeeper Jac Alnwick will not be available to face Norwich with Bulut revealing he has suffered an injury.

“Jac got injured on his knee, a ligament problem, I think one week or 10 days he will be out,” Bulut said.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut says the club "don't need to dream" of a play-off push and should focus instead on securing their Championship safety.

Despite receiving financial backing in January, Cardiff have slipped to eight points off the play-off places after their 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

Bulut says Cardiff now need to focus on ensuring their survival, with the Bluebirds 11-points above the drop zone.

“I said it would not be easy for us and that we didn’t have to dream about things," Bulut said.

“We have to go hard in the final 15 games.

“Now we have to fight to get the points to be safe.

“In my opinion I don’t think we will have a problem with that [relegation fight] but this is football and in football you never know, it can be quick that you go high and it can also be the opposite way.

“But I’m an optimist and think we will come positive, back again.”

Joseph Thompson
Social media journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The last time Cardiff City beat West Brom was more than four years ago.

28 January, 2020, to be precise.

At the time, West Brom were top of the Championship table, whereas hosts Cardiff were mid-table.

Callum Paterson, who now plays for Sheffield Wednesday, put the Bluebirds ahead early in the second half.

The Baggies equalised in the 61st minute through former Premier League striker Charlie Austin who netted from the penalty spot.

But Lee Tomlin scored a superb free-kick 15 minutes later to earn Cardiff all three points.

Since that day, West Brom have beaten Cardiff twice and they have drawn on three occasions.

Fast forward to present day and the teams are in a similar situation. West Brom sit fifth in the table and Cardiff are currently mid-table in 14th.

Past five meetings

Cardiff City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion - 28 November, 2023

Cardiff City 1-1 West Bromwich Albion - 15 March, 2023

West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Cardiff City - 17 August, 2022

West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Cardiff City - 2 January, 2022

Cardiff City 0-4 West Bromwich Albion - 28 September, 2021

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City's Championship trip to face Bristol City on Saturday, 2 March will kick off at the earlier time of 12:30 GMT.

The match at Ashton Gate had originally been scheduled for a 15:00 GMT start.

The Bluebirds will now have early kick-offs two Saturdays in a row, with their 9 March fixture at home to Ipswich Town chosen for television coverage by Sky Sports.

Cardiff were 2-0 winners when Bristol City travelled to south Wales for the reverse fixture in October, with Perry Ng and Rubin Colwill on the scoresheet.

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City have become used to struggling at home.

Saturday's deflating 2-0 defeat by Preston means it is now two months since the Bluebirds last tasted victory at Cardiff City Stadium. The smattering of boos at the final whistle told their own story.

This season had actually started promisingly, with Cardiff winning four of their first five Championship games under Erol Bulut.

But since then, their only home victories have come against Bristol City in October and Millwall in early December.

Having been strongly in play-off contention in the autumn, Cardiff are now drifting into the lower reaches of mid-table obscurity.

Their tally of six league home wins has already matched their total for the 2022-23 campaign, while it is one short of the seven the managed in 2021-22, the second-worst record in the Championship that season.

Bulut has undoubtedly overseen an improvement this term but the decline in performances - as well as results - is a cause for concern.

Cardiff have been particularly blunt at home, scoring a meagre 18 goals from 15 games and offering little excitement in open play.

It is no wonder the atmosphere at Cardiff City Stadium has suffered.

The Preston game was a case in point, with the Bluebirds' fans in fine voice during the early stages but becoming understandably frustrated as their team faded as the match wore on.

Bulut has been at a loss to explain why performance levels have dropped to such an extent, even if he believes his side should have picked up more home wins than the six they've managed.

He points to defeats against Norwich, West Brom and QPR as home games Cardiff should not have lost but, in truth, they were far from inspiring in any of those encounters.

Bulut lamented his side's loss of confidence after Saturday's defeat against Preston, while urging patience as new signings bed in.

Fans have voiced their support for Bulut and his players this season but, unless the team's displays and results improve, that patience might soon start wearing thin.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Erol Bulut says patience is required at Cardiff City as the Bluebirds’ January signings settle at their new club.

Nat Phillips and David Turnbull made their first Cardiff starts in Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by Preston, while Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Famara Diedhiou featured as substitutes.

Cardiff’s new recruits have no time to settle, with another four Championship games to come in the next 13 days.

But Bulut believes it would be unfair to expect his signings to make an immediate impact.

"We need patience, all of us," the Cardiff manager said.

"We've got new players, four or five new players.

"We try to get them adapted to the team quickly. I thought Nat was quite good, Wilson came in, but they have to know their team-mates much better and their movements.

"This will come over the next few games.

“They are not even one week here. It’s why I always said I’d like players at the start of January. Now we have a period where many games are close together.

“We have to continue to show them what they need to do.”

Ethan Horvath was the only one of Cardiff’s mid-season signings who did not make it on to the pitch against Preston, with Jak Alnwick preferred to the former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

If Cardiff City could cling to one positive from Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to Preston North End, it was the long-awaited return of Aaron Ramsey.

The Wales captain came on at half-time, having been out since September because of a knee injury.

Cardiff were already 2-0 down by the time Ramsey appeared, though his return prompted a standing ovation from the Bluebirds fans.

"He was a long time away, four months," said manager Erol Bulut.

"It's not easy for him to come in and change everything. He tried a lot - maybe in positions where he could have passed, he tried a shot. But this is normal.

"It's not easy to get your form back after four months away but, with minutes like this today, he will adapt better and get up to speed."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Manager Erol Bulut lamented Cardiff City's loss of confidence as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at home to Preston in the Championship on Saturday.

Despite starting brightly, the Bluebirds conceded two goals in the space of 10 first-half minutes.

Cardiff have now gone two months without winning at home.

“We started really well in the first 30 minutes, until we conceded from their first shot. Then our confidence went a bit down," said Bulut.

“For their second goal, I thought there was a foul on Kion [Etete]. The referee allowed a lot of fouls. We don’t play rugby – we play football.

“There were more faults from us – we can’t say this is why we lost the game – but these are key details. Generally, the game was under control but three shots from the opponent, two goals.”

Bulut was booked for complaining about what he thought was a foul on Etete in the build-up to Preston's second goal.

"I could have had a red card if I had continued but it would not have changed the referee’s decision," he said.

"They also only gave six minutes added time, which was not enough because the opponent was wasting time. It should have been at least nine minutes.

"The game? They made it slow after it was 2-0. You can understand that. But it was too much, so you have to add time."