Cardiff City pre match chat
We return to Saturday 3pm kick-offs this weekend as we welcome traditional bogey side Cardiff to Elland Road.
A snooze inducing game vs Burnley on Monday may not have been one to remember, but the point does mean it's as you were for the top 4, nothing lost and nothing gained.
In terms of our opponents on Saturday history is with them, they have the h2h advantage by quite a distance in terms of wins.
But very recent games have gone our way, 3 wins from last 5 including a 2-0 win in Cardiff earlier this season.
In terms of tactics, like basically everyone these days it seems, they play a 4-2-3-1.
Very physical side, 2nd most tackles in the league this season.
They rank relatively high for crosses and long balls (but not the highest few in the league.
Very much a middle of the road side in most things, they don't have many obvious indicators of tactics from the analysis stuff.
Not a possession side as you'd expect, counter attacks and physical play I'd assume.
But they aren't easy to beat, especially recently.
Unbeaten in 8 games in all competitions, and some decent results.
Draw away at Millwall
3-0 win in a derby vs Swansea
1-0 win vs Sheffield United in the cup
1-1 vs Middlesbrough
And a win vs Watford in Watford which has only been done by 2 other teams this season.
They've really improved under Omar Riza.
Mid table form basically since he took over, lose less, win more, score more and concede less.
However as always its not perfect.
Not long ago it was 9 games without a win, defeats to fellow strugglers like Luton and at the time QPR showed the inconsistency.
The defensive frailties do appear again from time to time (2 goals per game conceded in that 9 game run).
And whilst they aren't losing much recently it is only 3 league wins in 16.
In terms of key players.
Championship journeyman Callum Robinson is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as he nears 30. Before this season his best Championship season was 12 goals, he's got 10 this season.
Attacking midfielder Rubin Colwell is one of the shining lights for Cardiff, a hard working and skillful creative attacking midfielder with 4 assists.
So an improving physical side proving hard to beat at the moment.
But one plagued by inconsistency.
In terms of ourselves then.
I'm his biggest fan and he certainly wasn't alone vs Burnley and wasn't helped by the totally ineffective creative players behind him, but Piroe was poor, is it time for a rest and Joseph to get another chance to stake a claim?
Speaking of the aforementioned ineffective creative players, in tight games against the stronger teams that is where you'd expect your £25mil number 10 to stand up and shine, Aaronson didn't, is it time for Rama?
Whether he is fit for Cardiff who knows and Rothwell isn't much of an improvement but he passes the ball forward occasionally, should Rothwell come back in?
A snooze inducing game vs Burnley on Monday may not have been one to remember, but the point does mean it's as you were for the top 4, nothing lost and nothing gained.
In terms of our opponents on Saturday history is with them, they have the h2h advantage by quite a distance in terms of wins.
But very recent games have gone our way, 3 wins from last 5 including a 2-0 win in Cardiff earlier this season.
In terms of tactics, like basically everyone these days it seems, they play a 4-2-3-1.
Very physical side, 2nd most tackles in the league this season.
They rank relatively high for crosses and long balls (but not the highest few in the league.
Very much a middle of the road side in most things, they don't have many obvious indicators of tactics from the analysis stuff.
Not a possession side as you'd expect, counter attacks and physical play I'd assume.
But they aren't easy to beat, especially recently.
Unbeaten in 8 games in all competitions, and some decent results.
Draw away at Millwall
3-0 win in a derby vs Swansea
1-0 win vs Sheffield United in the cup
1-1 vs Middlesbrough
And a win vs Watford in Watford which has only been done by 2 other teams this season.
They've really improved under Omar Riza.
Mid table form basically since he took over, lose less, win more, score more and concede less.
However as always its not perfect.
Not long ago it was 9 games without a win, defeats to fellow strugglers like Luton and at the time QPR showed the inconsistency.
The defensive frailties do appear again from time to time (2 goals per game conceded in that 9 game run).
And whilst they aren't losing much recently it is only 3 league wins in 16.
In terms of key players.
Championship journeyman Callum Robinson is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as he nears 30. Before this season his best Championship season was 12 goals, he's got 10 this season.
Attacking midfielder Rubin Colwell is one of the shining lights for Cardiff, a hard working and skillful creative attacking midfielder with 4 assists.
So an improving physical side proving hard to beat at the moment.
But one plagued by inconsistency.
In terms of ourselves then.
I'm his biggest fan and he certainly wasn't alone vs Burnley and wasn't helped by the totally ineffective creative players behind him, but Piroe was poor, is it time for a rest and Joseph to get another chance to stake a claim?
Speaking of the aforementioned ineffective creative players, in tight games against the stronger teams that is where you'd expect your £25mil number 10 to stand up and shine, Aaronson didn't, is it time for Rama?
Whether he is fit for Cardiff who knows and Rothwell isn't much of an improvement but he passes the ball forward occasionally, should Rothwell come back in?