By Gareth James
Steve Morison has warned his misfiring Cardiff City strikers they must start scoring – or else they will be shipped out.
The ultimatum was given after the Bluebirds manager saw him team lose 1-0 at home to Blackburn – their eighth defeat in their last nine at home in the league.
Cardiff drew a blank at home for the seventh time this season and have scored one goal in their last three Championship matches.
Morison admitted: “We need to get better in the final third. We have to.
“Ultimately, the players who get paid the most are the players up front and they need to go out and do the business, otherwise we will have to get others in who can.
“Like I said to the players , ‘Don’t make me go and get someone for the final third from elsewhere’.
“Blackburn had that moment of quality which we didn’t have, which is why they are near the top of the league and we are down where we are.”
“We weren’t good enough in the final third. We dominated the game but couldn’t put the ball in the net.
EFL Skybet Championship, Cardiff city 0 Blackburn Rovers 1 today, the bluebirds need to start winning soon. pics by Andrew Orchard pic.twitter.com/RFfqH83uM4
— Andrew Orchard (@sportsphotoAOSP) January 15, 2022
“It is another game we should have got something out of, but that’s where we are at the minute.
“I want to talk about the stats, and I could do, but I know if I do it creates problems because the only thing matters is the result.”
Cardiff have taken just two points from their last 15 and remain just four points above the relegation zone with 21 matches still to go.
Only the awful form of Peterborough and Barnsley – who are just beneath them – is keeping them out of the drop zone, but Wayne Rooney’s Derby are fast reeling in the Bluebirds, despite a massive 21-points deduction.
Derby are nine points adrift of Morison’s men but they are on a spectacular roll with four wins and a draw in their last five.
Cardiff would like to bring in 20-year-old midfielder Tommy Doyle from Manchester City on loan, but so would a number of other clubs and that deal is still far from done.
“He is a player that we like, a player that we have looked at,” Morison said of Doyle.
“But until it’s done, let’s not commit to anything just yet.”
Blackburn Rovers withstood the loss of Ryan Nyambe for a second yellow card – as well as the fitful threat of Cardiff – to maintain their unexpected challenge for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
▶️ Highlights: Cardiff City 0-1 #Rovers
📺 Watch the key moments in our battling away victory here: https://t.co/tiwymvHIAW
🔵⚪️
— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) January 16, 2022
It was the Lancashire club’s first victory of 2022 and their resolve and gritty determination suggests a recent FA Cup defeat to Wigan, as well as dropped points at home to Huddersfield, has not exhausted the head of steam they had built up as the surprise package of the first half of the season.
Joe Rothwell scored the only goal they needed against a Cardiff side incapable of breaking down their opponents even after defender Nyambe was sent off in the 76th minute.
Namibian Nyambe had already been booked for shoving Perry Ng in the chest when he was late with a challenge on the same player 17 minutes later, reducing Blackburn to 10 men.
Cardiff hit the post through substitute Isaac Davies, but for the most part appeared unlikely to gain reward for their direct approach.
Cardiff had given a debut to their new loan signing, Cody Drameh, who slotted in at right-wing back after his move from Leeds United.
The 20-year-old had gone against the advice of Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa in making the switch – much to Bielsa’s public anger – a case, perhaps, of the Argentine making a crisis out of a Drameh.
The England U21 international had some positive early contributions but was powerless to prevent Blackburn taking the lead through Rothwell in the 14th minute.
Cody Drameh looks quick. Very, very quick. Has been lively in the opening 15 minutes. #CCFC #Bluebirds #BRFC https://t.co/m8krTKRhtX
— Glen Williams (@GlenWilliams12) January 15, 2022
Put into space by Reda Khadra near the centre circle, Rothwell ran at a back-pedalling Cardiff defence before expertly clipping a low curling shot past goalkeeper Alex Smithies without seeming to break stride.
Cardiff’s inadequacies were all too obvious as they struggled to put more than two passes together before conceding possession, but they retain a threat from set-pieces.
However, only a dipping volley from Will Vaulks, following a corner, which was cleared off the line, caused Blackburn much discomfort before the break.
Blackburn needed goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to make a diving save to deny Curtis Nelson an equaliser with a header, but deservedly held on.
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray said: “I would have preferred us to play as we had done for the first 20 minutes for the rest of the game. It wasn’t to be and we had to dig in. But the team has shown they know how to keep clean sheets.”
