After the International break seeming to last an eternity, Cardiff City host Crystal Palace on Saturday looking to keep up their pre-break form. It will be a tough ask against Neil Warnock`s men who will be charged with negating the Bluebirds by a number of tactics – some more legal than others.
Warnock`s men are not the most technically gifted but he always gets them fired up and Saturday will be no different. They will be in our faces and simply love to upset high-flying teams by fighting hard, disrupting play, and taking whatever chances they get. West Brom were beaten by a gutsy Eagles performance and many teams have performed well when arriving at our new stadium – looking to spoil the party.
Cardiff City fans will remember last season`s encounter at Selhurst Park, but not for what should have been an important win. City did win the game 2-0 courtesy of a McCormack brace but the major incident was a sickening elbow from Palace defender Claude Davis into the throat of Roger Johnson – a collision that left RJ coughing up blood and needing a stay in hospital. Video footage showed the incident to look intentional, he certainly wasn`t challenging for the ball and Davis was handed a 3 match ban for violent conduct.
Throughout the game, Crystal Palace were on the verge of fouling, and the fiery atmosphere only developed. A number of hefty challenges and sly kicks were on display and we were forced to battle very hard for the points. The Bluebirds players were clearly rattled, and the loss of Johnson (who never looked the same last season) dented our confidence. Over the past couple of seasons, the Bluebirds have learnt to cope with challenges like these and learn to scrap when needed. Come Saturday, it almost certainly will be?..
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