Question Time with Cardiff City Mad

Dougie Freedman's first match in charge, and of course it's a big one, hosting Cardiff City, who are currently sitting top of the table. They've been having a good season this year, but this is not the first time that Bluebirds have put in a good show in the Championship, and they haven't been promoted in a very long time. To get a better idea of what Dougie was up against, we got in touch with Michael Morris of Cardiff City Mad, who was kind enough to answer our questions. Without further ado....

Cardiff have been on the cusp of promotion for the last few years, making it to the promotion playoffs each of the past 3 seasons. What is that final hurdle that they can't seem to cross?

Michael Morris: Some say they just lacked bottle. Others say it was a failure to invest in January when promotion was there for the taking. The failure to invest certainly played a part. I'm not sure if we just bottled it but we lost confidence at the vital moment. Or is that the same thing?

That said, Cardiff seem to be actually putting together pretty well this season, sitting at the top of the table 3 points clear of Leicester. Do you expect to maintain this dominance throughout the season?

MM: As an eternal pessimist I personally am waiting for the fall. But this group have dug themselves out of a few holes and maybe, this time, is going to be our time.

This summer, Cardiff City changed their traditional colour of blue was changed to red on the home kit, relegating blue to the away. This was in conjunction with a lucrative sponsorship deal. How was this change greeted by the fans?

MM: It's split the fanbase and created the biggest fan divide in the clubs history. Some have wrung their hands with glee at the promise of millions of investment. For others the abuse of their identity has seen them walk away. The whim of one man who believes it's lucky and a winning combination in Asia has seen the blue tradition of the club cast aside to attract an overseas audience at the expense of a section of the local support

Not that this is a difficult task, but what player do you think will give the Bolton defense the most trouble on Saturday? What aspect of play has made Cardiff so deadly this season?

MM: If he's on form then Craig Noone will cause you problems. But we may have a secret weapon. A loan player from Fulham [Kerim Frei] who has played just 5 minutes for Cardiff City. He could be our sur'frei's player.

Finally, can I have a prediction for the match?

MM: Well I'll be the optimist for this one. Bolton 1 - 3 Cardiff.

Thanks again to Michael for answering our questions and be sure to check out Cardiff City Mad for all of your Bluebirds needs!