Leon Barnett – immense
Cardiff City appear to have averted any sense of a disaster ahead as they put on-form Nottingham Forest to the axe last Saturday. Goals from Heidar Helgusson and two from Rudy Gestede chopped the former European Champions down to size and left them looking anxiously up at at another form team, Bolton Wanderers, who jumped into 6th place occupying the final play-off berth with just four games to go.
But enough of the play-offs. The Bluebirds stand one point away from the automatic promotion most of South Wales and a small portion of Malaysia has been hoping for. It would be the dream of all dreams to take hold on the prize in front of the home faithful on Tuesday night. You really believe the Cardiff fans deserve no less. It will also be supremely satisfying to avenge the 5-4 loss at Charlton back in November when the Bluebirds were at their lowest ebb and questions were being asked about their promotion credentials.
Against Forest the Bluebirds began well and deserved their lead scored by Helguson midway through the first half. The game had turned dramatically on the perhaps harsh red card awarded to Forest’s Darius Henderson and from that point on there was only ever going to be one outcome. It was an easy 3-0 and could have been more. It was delightful to see substitute Gestede leaping like the proverbial salmon and twice heading home second half goals. He looked a true threat. He certainly has a lot of promise and Mackay seems to be bringing him along effectively.
The best business of recent times, perhaps the year, may turn out to be the aquisition of Leon Barnett for injured skipper Mark Hudson. The Norwich loanee has been immense and Hudson has hardly been missed at all. The back four whatever it’s make-up, has been extremely solid. Kevin McNaughton is deputising abely for Matt Connolly and the foundation of Mackay’s successful team has been unaffected by what at the time of Hudson’s injury, looked a huge loss. Without Barnett or someone like him slotting into the backline this could have been a far more anxious ending to the season.
Whatever you might say about Malky Mackay’s selections he has used his squad extremely well and always had an answer for the injuries and loss of form that comes along during a long, hard season. The quality of the overall squad has been the success of the team.
Surely now, the Premier League dream is to come true? Dare we hope to win in style on Tuesday and party on through the night. I suppose it will hardly matter as long as we get the point needed but let’s expect the best. As a Cardiff City fan for 50+ years it’s hard to imagine the best, the worst always seems to spring to mind. A loss on Tuesday and there are just three games to go, one at Burnley, Bolton home and Hull away. Imagine that!
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