There were a number of key talking points to emerge from Sunday’s South Wales derby, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Swansea.com Stadium
The Italians refer to this time of year as ‘calcio d’agosto’, or ‘August football’.
It seems a painfully obvious term, but its use in Italian footballing lexicon mainly serves as a way to keep expectations in check. Whether you get walloped on the opening day 6-0, or storm to three straight wins, it ultimately doesn’t matter. It’s just ‘calcio d’agosto’. Maurizio Sarri once even declared football at this time of year to be a ‘lie’.
Admittedly, finding the truth from this South Wales derby, the earliest in a season since 1957, and what it means for Welsh football’s two biggest clubs doesn’t feel all that straightforward.
Indeed, there are a couple of different angles you can take. Cardiff fans may just be delighted to see their team turn up to a South Wales derby on the road. After all, the Covid lock down meant they previously hadn’t even seen their side score at the Swansea.com Stadium since 2011.
Halting another Swansea win, even if it resulted in a share of the spoils, will be seen as a cause for celebration.
But the euphoria of that equaliser doesn’t really alter Swansea’s recent dominance of this fixture. Cardiff still have just one win in their last seven meetings with the Swans, who clearly still hold the bragging rights over their rivals.
However, Luke Williams’ palpable disappointment at not seeing out this win is one many fans will likely share too, particularly given Swansea’s dominance in the first half. This was an opportunity that perhaps slipped through Swansea’s fingers.
When Harry Darling delighted the home crowd by clattering into Perry Ng with a robust shoulder charge after just eight minutes, it really did feel like Swansea would be picking up where they left off.
And when Bluebird slayer Liam Cullen popped up on 10 minutes to open the scoring, it really did feel like business as usual, although the extent delirium in three of the four ends of the Swansea.com Stadium was just as stratospheric as any time before. In contrast, a previously hopeful and boisterous away end descended under an ominous cloud of dread and silence.
Former Cardiff star Jason Perry believed it pointed to a wider issue for the Bluebirds.
“They have a problem with the goalkeeper,” he said during his commentary duties for the BBC. “He didn’t look comfortable, he parried the shot for the goal, he didn’t look comfortable on crosses, with balls back to him he didn’t look comfortable in possession, so it makes it hard to play through the thirds.”
The fact Ethan Horvath sliced a clearance out for a throw-in just moments later only strengthened Perry’s argument.
Cardiff certainly looked rattled. Perry himself appeared uncomfortable in the press box, declaring Swans boss Williams ‘ridiculous’ for seemingly demanding a yellow card after Ng’s heavy challenge on Ronald.
Swansea were a goal up and looking comfortable, ending the half with around 70 per cent of possession, although their work without the ball provided just as sharp a contrast at times.
There was one moment, around 10 minutes before the interval, where Darling brought the ball forward, before putting his foot on it and waiting patiently to figure out a suitable pass. Aaron Ramsey and Wilfried Kanga seemed to show little-to-no interest in hurrying him along, which felt bizarre for a team supposedly trying to get back into a derby.
Meanwhile, at the other end, you had Cullen, Swansea’s hero of the hour, tightly coiled and ready to pounce, like a sprinter seconds before the starting gun. Every time a Cardiff man got the ball they instantly stepped into a forest of white shirts.
For much of the first half, Swansea suffocated and stifled their opponents beautifully.
At the heart of Swansea’s dominance was summer signing Goncalo Franco.
“I thought he was magnificent without the ball,” said former Swans midfielder Andy Robinson. “And on the ball you saw his quality, bringing players into the game. His movement was fantastic, the way he got beyond the Cardiff backline was really impressive.
“I thought he still had another level so I was disappointed he came off.”
His departure was perhaps one of the game’s big turning points. The other being the changes made by Erol Bulut.
Ollie Tanner certainly isn’t the most popular of figures out west. Anyone who thought otherwise would have quickly realised their mistake upon the hostile reception he received from Swansea fans when he was introduced from the bench 20 minutes from time.
Nevertheless, he seems to relish the red-hot atmosphere, and made an impact that helped tilt a fiery contest in his team’s favour. Ten minutes from time, his brilliant ball into the box put it on a plate for fellow sub Callum Robinson to sweep home.
The bedlam that greeted the equaliser has become just as much of a talking point as the goal itself, with Tanner showing off a cut on his leg to the Sky cameras at full time after an advertising board came tumbling down during the celebrations.
“I’ll take that if it means we score a goal. 100 per cent,” he said afterwards. “When you come on you want to make a change. Me and Robbo have spoken before about wanting to make an impact and that’s what we both did today.”
It was also a moment of redemption for Robinson, who was sent off in this fixture in 2022, and has occasionally been in and out of Bulut’s plans before this season.
“He scored six goals in pre-season and his attitude has been excellent,” said Cardiff assistant coach Omer Riza.
“He’s working hard for the team, even when he’s not playing, making sure the players who are playing are ready. I told the subs today they’d have a massive impact and they did – Ollie, Robbo, Rubin and Anwar [El Ghazi], who hasn’t played for nine months.”
Williams couldn’t help but admit Cardiff’s bench made more of an impact than his own, a point that some will feel further underlines the need for activity in the final week of the transfer window.
For Cardiff, after losing their opening two games, the hope is this will be the springboard needed to push on for the rest of the season.
“We lost two and we had to get something today,” Tanner added. “This game came at the perfect time because there’s no bigger game. That gets us going now and hopefully we can kick on.”
Cardiff will have to go into their next game without Bulut on the touchline, mind, after he was given his marching orders for a confrontation involving Jay Fulton and Kyle Naughton deep into stoppage time, in what was another key talking point on the day.
Swans striker Cullen certainly seemed to enjoy it, though. The Welshman could be seen standing up and laughing as Bulut was ushered away and down the tunnel, while the rest of Swans bench appeared to applaud the decision.
It was a masterful example of derby-day niggle that will have made many a Swans fan chuckle, and perhaps temper any disappointment at not being able to get over the line on the day.
Both sides now have to look forward, and despite a few hints and suggestions on derby day it’s still tricky to really gauge where either of them really are at the moment.
After all, it is only August.
Leave a Reply