A Storming Start To 2005

Passion. Determination. Desire.

Not words you would normally associate with the playing staff at Cardiff City this season.

However, their New Year’s resolutions must have involved ‘pulling’, ‘fingers’ ‘out of’, ‘arses’ because City followed up an away victory against Derby with a public humiliation of Nottingham Forest.

It is amazing how much more enjoyable it is to support Cardiff when the players, well, actually ‘play’ as a team, show a bit of passion and make an effort to earn their wages.

Monday afternoon’s game was nothing like a traditional ‘relegation scrap’. Forest were beaten before the match had even started.

Hardly surprising though, Nottingham showed no fighting spirit or unity 20 years ago so why should today be any different?

City were faultless all afternoon. Thorney scored yet more goals, the Langley that hid out on the wing has transformed into a tough tackling and interested wide man, while James Collins was like a human brick wall at the back yet again.

Even Tony Warner was commanding, stood tall and caught anything in the box, rather than treating us to the usual horror show.

It was all a bit emotional towards the end when Kavanagh punched the air, geed up the crowd and pulled at his captain’s armband, signalling to the press that he was very much Charlie Big Potatoes at Ninian Park.

Very Roy Keane and very welcome. Just the sort of attitude required when you are scrapping at the bottom with the rest of the dregs.

The players were genuinely pleased to see him score and while Bluebirds.tv witnessed an elated Kav hug Thorney on returning to the centre circle, Tony Warner charging out to congratulate the under-fire captain was unfortunately missed.

Cardiff have now beaten all three sides below them, i.e. Forest, Gillingham and Rotherham at home in what appears to be a winning battle against the drop.

If this type of display is repeated until May, there is no way Cardiff City will be a League One side next season.

The same cannot be said of spineless Forest – a club ‘with a better chance of staying up’ according to recent signing and ex-City loanster Neil Harris.

Blackburn Rovers on Saturday is something to look forward to, but three points away at ‘dirty’ Leeds a week later is far more important.