Q & A with Cardiff pt.I

Leicester take on unbeaten Cardiff at the Walkers Stadium on Tuesday night still in search of their first win of the campaign.

We speak to Cardiff fan Gareth Johns on his take on the match...

1. Five matches, 13 points and an unbeaten start. It's going well...

So I'm told, but we're still below a Neil Warnock team. That just doesn't feel like it's 'well'.

2. After the disappointment of narrowly missing out on promotion last season, will you do it this time around?

Probably. I mean, QPR and Burnley are two of the other sides challenging. This season is really tallest midget territory.

3. Is there the feeling of now or never given the quality of your current side?

There's an underlining concern that, were we not to be promoted this season, we'll struggle to get Man City, Wigan, Wolves and Hull to pick up the tab for £2.5m's worth of wages for us again.

You have to think even City will at some point get tired of giving money away. Plus, with Whittingham and Bothroyd's contracts ending, promotion now would be handy. NASA's budget for a manned mission to Mars is less than ours to finally get out of this damn league.

4. If Cardiff weren't to gain promotion this campaign, do you believe Dave Jones would have taken the club as far as he can? Is he still a popular figure among the Bluebirds faithful?

If Dave can't get this squad up, he's probably taken his life as far as he can. He splits fans, in so much as he does seem to have a fair talent for this management lark, but that also comes with a personality as pleasant as armed robbery.

Always seems one bad result away from cries to be sacked, but you can't help feel it's reached the point where death wouldn't get him out of the job; we'd just prop up his corpse in the dug-out. Suppose it's not like he'd show any less emotion during games.

5. It looks as though you have significant injury issues up front ahead of the game - do you have confidence in the others to step in?

Well, we only really had one left against Hull: Keogh. If Bothroyd doesn't make it for Tuesday, the plan is the same, to play Keogh as a target-man despite him not being one and cross our fingers that the midfielders get the goals. I can't say it makes me too confident, especially away from the Cardiff City Stadium.

6. Joe Ledley aside, Cardiff managed to keep hold of their top stars amid widespread speculation of financial troubles. Do you think Jones has covered the loss of him well enough with his summer dealings?

Signing Drinkwater would've covered him fine. Signing Olofinjana, Koumas and Bellamy too was taking the piss a bit, really. We've got midfielders flying out of all orifices now.

7. Are there still areas of the squad that need strengthening?

Central defence. Though Olofinjana sat in front of the back four helps, it still is pretty abysmal. We've just signed Chris Riggott because we thought he'd improve things; it's that bad.

8. We all know about Cardiff's plethora of attacking threat, but is there anybody in particular who isn't usually picked out for praise that we should keep an eye on for?

Danny Drinkwater ironically cannot drink water, because to him it's a solid and for walking on. Youngster on loan from Man United, and if he plays, get ready to see someone that's better than Paul Scholes (because he isn't ginger).

9. And is there anybody you'd love to ship off to their next club in the first team picture?

Gavin Rae. Almost suckered Leeds last month. Drats.

10. Finally, a match prediction?

1-3 if Bothroyd plays, 2-0 if he does not, 1-1 if he starts and comes off, 2-1 if he comes off the bench. That should cover every Bothroyd-related eventuality.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.