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‘Bothroyd Bottled It’ – Absolute Rubbish.

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Cardiff City fans are some of the most proud, passionate and loyal around. Personally I would swap the vast majority of our faithful for those at any other club, but there’s no doubting that we as a group are overly critical, demanding and sometimes staggeringly ignorant.

Ever since the crushing 3-2 defeat on Saturday, certain fans have been looking for conspiracies, scapegoats and excuses but for me, there simply aren’t any. We failed to deal with Blackpool defensively, and had no plan B to hit back after the break. It’s not like these are new observations – that’s been the story all season! Yes we were poor defensively, were Blackpool outstanding?? Definitely not. In the end it came down to passion, exuberance and that little bit of luck.

For fans muttering that Bothroyd ‘bottled it’ and went off – that is a completely unjust accusation. In fact, Bothroyd has played most of the season with a knee injury, using painkilling injections to get through games knowing he was potentially doing more damage. He had been struggling with a calf problem throughout the week, but was passed fit to play.

Those who have suffered calf tears know it can just happen, one moment you feel tightness, the next you can barely move. It was clear Jay’s mobility had suffered, but such was his imporatnce to the team he was risked even when not fully fit and I’m thankful he gave it a go. We never looked the same after he departed, and the game (not necessarily the result) would certainly have been different if he’d stayed on.

Most of all, I’m gutted for the player himself. Jay has admitted his attitude has not been perfect in the past, but he has been a revelation as a Cardiff City player and found new motivation and just oozes class on the pitch. What fans conveniently forget is that he too would have loved that occasion, proving former clubmates, managers and teams wrong – Wembley is a fitting place for Bothroyd’s game and he would have been gutted to miss out.

I have heard there were words between Bothroyd and Jones after the game, and that Jay may even be on his way out but there have been words between the pair in 90% of training sessions, and during/after most games! Jones always feels Jay could have and should have given more… only Jay knows how much pain he was in, and for me if was an unfortunate, gutting and ever-so-untimely injury. Gutting for the player, fans and club alike.

Jay Bothroyd has given an awful lot to the Cardiff City cause this season, to discredit him because of an injury is ridiculous – everyone saw how we play without him, would we have made the play-offs if he’d sat out the last 3 months of the season with that knee injury? Absolutely not.

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9 comments

  • Aderyn las says:

    I like your articles, but Jay is a big girl a lot of the time. This injury cost everything for the fans and club. If he wasnt fit, he shouldnt start. Simples.

  • Bonesy says:

    Word has it he had a tantrum, the rest of the squad aren’t talking to him either and he’s off to Birmingham

  • little_miss_bluebird says:

    J does spend more time on his back than most porn stars but he werent faking it on saturday,looked gutted and why wud he do that anyway.?.?

  • bluebirdshroom says:

    the not fit argument works if he let us down ON THE PITCH. He didnt and was doing ok – it tore during the game (because the previous strain hadnt healed) – he gave it a go and respect to him for that. Players make those decisions all the time for injuries you cant see (strains, pulls etc)

  • chrisgti says:

    There’s no way any player would NOT want to play at wembley, if he was hurt and knew he couldn’t continue then i’d rather him get off and get fresh fit legs on. Our first real problem of the day was when Mark ‘which way do i head the ball, oh yes out for a corner when under no presure’ Hudson was named on the team sheet, the guy has no pace, no sense of direction and is a liability that we can i’ll afford, you could see the differenc that Gerrard made when he came on for Maca, if he is fit then he should get picked with Darcy anyday, just look at the last 6 games before play offs, Darcy/Gerrard let 6 goals in, Hudson/Darcy let 7 in 3 games!! and he cost us £1 Million!! The second issue then comes down to who, as stated PLAN B was non existent, he should have brought on for Jay, for me in such an important game it should definetly not been Etuhu, Ross upfront or Matthews at the back alowing kennedy to sure up the midfield to feed into chopra 4-5-1 would have been better, and judgeing by our 2 goals we would of had a lot more that way, but hey i aint a footbal manager, but at least i have a PLAN B and C but thats another story LOL!!.

  • chrisgti says:

    also, l think you should run a poll on who we think cardiff’s worse player of the season was, i wonder who would win… Mr Hudson??

  • smakerzthebluebird says:

    totally agree with christgti……… we had no plan b but that is dave jones for you. cracking manager when things run well just doesn’t have the tactical brain to change things when needed. for me gerrard was fit u could see that when he came on and yes he should have been picked over mr slow hudson who has been terrible all season….. why we paid £1m for a player who conceded 75 goals last year in a relegated side is beyond me and that my friends is why he starts when fit as with our debts we need to justify why we paid £1m hence we couldn’t so we make him captain immediately and he plays whenenver fit. CREDIT TO BLACKPOOL THEY DESERVED TO WIN THEY WERE 1ST TO EVERY BALL ON THE DAY AND THEIR DESIRE AND PASSION FOR ME BLEW US AWAY. the only player who i think gave more than 100% was indeed the much talked about michael chopra who has come back from the dead in the play off games….. quality championship striker and always will be……. whoever gets him cos he will be sold is a lucky team

  • bluebirdshroom says:

    I will run that poll later this week chrisgti. Agree with most points here, I hope we keep Bothroyd though because he will deterirate badly if he’s not 1st choice, we are the best club in the division that can offer him that…

  • chrisgti says:

    i hope he stays to, i think he has played a lot better in the last 5-6 games, especially after the captains armband was taken off him, hope ledley signs the new deal and DJ make him Captain again!

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