Inconsistency has cost City play-off spot

Apr 21 2008 by David Giles, South Wales Echo

AS far as I’m concerned, Cardiff City can draw a line under the play-offs now.

I know there’s still an outside chance of a top-six place, but losing 3-2 at Scunthorpe makes it very, very difficult.

I can’t for the life of me see Crystal Palace slipping up now.

I honestly didn’t see that result coming – a draw would have been acceptable.

But losing to a team already resigned to League One football next season is disappointing.

The best thing that can be said about the result is that it could be a slap in the face for any player thinking of little else other than the FA Cup final.

Maybe that’s why they haven’t been firing on all cylinders, and who can blame them?

Every single member of their squad wants to appear in one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

No one wants to get injured and miss out – even if it’s on the bench, they all want to play their part.

City have achieved so much by reaching the final.

And it’s imperative they go to Wembley having maintained the momentum they’ve created over the past seven weeks.

They don’t want bad results in their final games against Wolves, Burnley and Barnsley.

It doesn’t matter if they draw, they just don’t want to get beaten.

It’s up to Dave Jones to get them going again, and I’m sure he’ll do that.

We can all look back at the season and wonder why we’re not up there challenging for promotion.

The answer is simple – inconsistency.

I’ve said it before, on their day City are as good as any side in the Championship.

They are renowned as one of the best footballing teams around and they’ve certainly got the players to have pushed City into the top six.

They haven’t lost to the league leaders, West Brom, in three meetings this season, but they have dropped four points against relegated Scunthorpe.

That’s the inconsistency I’m on about.

You look at the fixtures at the start of the season, and games like Saturday’s are the ones where you think, ‘right, we know we can beat those’.

They’re your bread and butter, but if you don’t win them, it’s going to be hard to get up.

I know it’s been hard going, but I don’t accept that the size of the City squad is a major factor in failing to get promotion.

It’s the same for most other clubs in the Championship – only a few, like West Brom, have big enough squads to cover all the injuries and suspensions that you get over a season.

We’re all in the same boat.

City are a better side than their 13th position suggests, but I suppose the table doesn’t lie.

That’s how you’re judged, over 46 games, and it would be nice to go into the FA Cup final having finished the season in the top 10.