We take a look at our visitors to Oakwell tonight in our big match preview.
As the only non-English club to have won the FA Cup, back in 1927, Cardiff City have their name written in English football history.
The Bluebirds have enjoyed several spells in England’s top flight, most recently during the 2013-14 season, however they only managed to last the one year.
With promotion now looking an increasingly realistic target, fans will be hoping the team can get back to the Premier League and this time around, stay there.
Sharing a vicious rivalry with Swansea City, Cardiff will be hoping to get back to the top flight and join their neighbours so they can once more battle for Welsh bragging rights.
With Neil Warnock in charge they have started the season strongly and are now tipped for promotion despite being underdogs before a ball was kicked.
Playing Style
Due to the squad having great depth to it, the Bluebirds have been able to deploy several different formations so far this season. Their success has come mainly when using a system featuring three at the back.
Using three centre backs enables Warnock to deploy two wing-backs to get forward and join in with the attack. The two central midfielders will then sit and protect the back four.
With huge strength going forward, Cardiff have changed around the way they set up their attacking line. Sometimes they will operate as two wingers and one striker and on occasion, an attacking midfielder will sit behind two strikers and will link up attack and midfield.
The three centre backs and two covering midfielders provide a solid back line that is hard to break down. This is one of the main reasons Cardiff have one of the best defensive records in the division.
The Squad
The ever-present Neil Etheridge has featured in every single one of the Bluebirds’ league games this season. With six clean sheets to his name, he is part of a solid rear-guard that could see Cardiff promoted.
With the likes of Lee Peltier and Sean Morrison in their defence, Cardiff have plenty of experienced heads in their backline. This could be vital if they are to gain promotion.
The Bluebirds have plenty of flair in midfield; Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Junior Hoilett are two of the names that jump out of their team sheet and are capable of causing the Reds problems this evening.
Kenneth Zohore is highly rated in his native Denmark and he has shown flashes of his goalscoring ability with three goals so far this term. Cardiff fans can expect to see more from the big man as the season progresses.
Past Player - Robert Earnshaw
Robert Earnshaw was born in Zambia but settled in South Wales, joining Cardiff City as YTS trainee in 1997. He turned professional a year later and went on to become a Bluebirds legend.
In his two spells at the club, Earnshaw made 205 appearances and scored 105 goals. As a player that came through the youth system in South Wales, Earnshaw was always a fan favourite.
He broke a 56-year-old club record during the 2002-03 season, as he scored 31 league goals to surpass the previous record held by Stan Richards. It was during these seasons he burst on the international scene and made himself not just a Cardiff hero, but a Wales hero as well.
He played a huge part in Wales’ Euro 2004 qualifying campaign and scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for his country. He will always be remembered by Bluebirds fans as one of the finest players to come through their academy.
The History Boys
Founded in 1899 as Riverside A.F.C., the club changed its name to Cardiff City in 1908 and joined the English Football league system in 1910. They won the FA Cup in 1927 and have appeared in three other major finals.
They were beaten in the 1925 and 2008 FA Cup finals retrospectively and also lost out in 2012 League Cup final to Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool. As well as success in the cup, the Bluebirds have featured in England’s top flight several times.
The team's longest period in the top-tier of English football came between 1921 and 1929 and they have spent seven seasons in the top-flight since this period, the most recent being in 2013–14, being relegated after a single season.
With the club back playing in its beloved blue and performances on the pitch bringing home points, the excitement is back amongst the fans. Many hope that this season could see Neil Warnock’s men return to the Premier League.
In The Dugout - Neil Warnock
With a managerial career spanning over 35 years, Neil Warnock has experienced both the highs and the lows of the beautiful game. Starting out in non-league with Gainsborough Trinity, Warnock made his way to the big time with Sheffield United.
He also managed Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers in the top flight. Despite winning the league with QPR to gain promotion, Warnock’s biggest achievement is guiding his hometown club Sheffield United to the Premier League.
However there is huge potential for him to write another impressive chapter to his managerial career this season. Despite not being tipped by any of the pundits, his side find themselves well in the promotion mix so far this campaign.
Warnock will be hoping his side can maintain this fantastic start and keep pushing for promotion. Although the Championship is a notoriously hard league to keep consistency and gain promotion, Neil Warnock is certainly a man capable of delivering the goods.
