Cardiff battled to secure a point against form team Sheffield Wednesday this week but what were the key lessons learned?
Neil Warnock continued his positive work at Cardiff City by securing a point against a Sheffield Wednesday side that had won five of their last seven outings.
The draw was not enough to move Cardiff out of the relegation zone but there were plenty of positives to take from the evening and here are the key lessons we learned;
Bamba is here to make a statement
The Ivorian produced a Man of the Match performance on his debut last Friday and although he didn’t quite hit those heights on this occasion, he certainly impressed the home supporters once again.
The Bluebirds have missed a leader at the back and Bamba fits the puzzle perfectly with his passionate attitude towards the game. Successful teams in this division are made up of players who give their all for their teammates; Bamba has that attitude and he applies it brilliantly.
No Cardiff fan is expecting this level of performance every time he steps on the pitch but it is so far so good from the former Leeds defender and the fans have taken a real liking to him.
Hoilett shakes off his rustiness
The winger impressed on his debut last Friday but there was a rustiness about his play and you got the impression he didn’t quite have that confidence you gain from regular football, there was no such feeling here.
Hoilett looked confident on the ball and run at his opposing full-back without fear, it caused Sheffield Wednesday problems and they won’t be the only Championship team to have that problem this season.
The 26-year-old has bags of potential but he’ll need to remain consistent to keep his spot with Anthony Pilkington and Craig Noone competing for spots out wide.
Cardiff are no relegation contenders
The Bluebirds started the season horrifically but since Warnock’s arrival there is no doubt they will be far clear of the relegation zone come the end of the season.
Warnock’s men have hosted two of the Championships form teams in less than a week and taken four points, a very respectable return.
Sheffield Wednesday arrived in South Wales confident and ready to secure yet another win but although Cardiff struggled at times in the second half, they were good value for their points and the visitors will probably agree.
There has been talk of the play-offs since Warnock’s arrival, that is a long way off just yet but this team will be nowhere near the bottom three come May.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Adam Reach and Cardiff City’s Sean Morrison in action
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