It has been a long, miserable season for Cardiff City and it is hastily coming to its nail-biting conclusion.
The Bluebirds now have just five games left to secure their Championship status and two of those fixtures come in the space of four days this week.
Cardiff's recent form is cause for real concern. They have just one win in their last six fixtures and were most recently battered 4-1 by Sheffield United after a lacklustre 1-0 defeat by Sunderland on Easter Monday.
The trajectory is not tracking in the right direction as far as Sabri Lamouchi is concerned. Even he was disappointed by the team's display in the only game they won in recent weeks, the 3-1 triumph over Blackpool up at Bloomfield Road.
He now surely reaches a fork in the road. Does he place all his faith and trust in the players and the system which has yielded poor results, but with flecks of positivity dotted in there?
Or, does he now begin to change things up and experiment. Is it now time to change tack and hand others an opportunity to have their say in this battle for survival?
We argue the toss for both sides below...
Stick
While it's easy to look at the result against Sheffield United and conclude that it was an utter shambles, it didn't quite pan out like that.
Yes, the defending and goalkeeping left a lot to be desired, but for the most part they stood up to the test against a team who look destined to return to the Premier League.
What is worrying is quite where this soft belly emerged from, given the Bluebirds have prided themselves on their rigid defence for the majority of the campaign. Lamouchi will hope that was only a blip up at Bramall Lane, because it's not the time for the one area of the pitch on which Cardiff could rely to start falling apart.
I guess the question here is, with five games to go, is it really fair to start throwing caution to the wind and place players into a situation unfairly?
Lamouchi has his favourites and these are the players who have been in the thick of it all season. Now Lamouchi has been at the helm two-and-a-half months, you would think he knows how to get the best out of these experienced players he continues to opt for in his starting lineup.
There has been little variation in what Lamouchi has gone for so far and many believe he has picked the strongest available starting XI for each game, or close to the best available team, anyway, barring the odd selection here and there.
Mark McGuinness came in for criticism after the Blades defeat and rightly so, he would like to have that game back. But he has been largely very good since returning from his loan at Sheffield Wednesday, with WhoScored stating only Sory Kaba and Jamilu Collins have been consistently better in their appearances for the Bluebirds this season. He is still just 21 and he will make mistakes, but he is a good defender and will be important in the run-in.
Ryan Allsop again came under the microscope. Cardiff have gone away from his strengths, and one of the main reasons he was signed, in his ball playing and distribution. His shot-stopping and command of his area are now being scrutinised and the cracks are just widening a little. But Jak Alwnick, Cardiff's No.2, has failed to impress when afforded his chances so far this season. So, Allsop looks set to continue between the sticks.
The midfield has been a sticking point. The lack of goals and creativity has not been offset by a defensive rigidity, so one suspects it's only a matter of time before that set-up changes. Whether Lamouchi will be change-averse, though, given his players in there — Ryan Wintle, Romaine Sawyers and Joe Ralls in particular — appear to be his favourites, remains to be seen.
Lamouchi has also grown fond of the 'two big men up top' strategy, too, with Kaba playing alongside one of Kion Etete or Connor Wickham for the most part. It gets Cardiff up the pitch and has worked on occasion, largely thanks to Kaba's nose for goal.
The expected XI: Allsop; Ng, McGuinness, Kipre; Philogene, Wintle, Sawyers, Ralls, O'Dowda; Kaba, Etete.
Twist
So, the big decision. Is it time for a change? Cardiff need wins, is it time to throw that caution to the wind and start taking the attack to these teams.
Because, realistically, if Cardiff are to stand a chance of getting out of this horrible mess, the upcoming games against Watford and Stoke City are vital and points are needed - they cannot just drift by without City yielding any points from them.
With five games left, is it time Lamouchi made a statement and placed his faith in Alnwick? Has he been given enough opportunity to show he can be the No.1? Allsop's form has declined somewhat and it might be the time for a change. But, with five games to go, that is a huge call - one on which Lamouchi will, in all likelihood, err on the side of caution.
For many, Mahlon Romeo has been one of the players of the season for the Bluebirds and he will be important in the end-of-season run-in. Importantly, he is sound defensively and also adds to the attack; his inclusion makes it less of a risk if the coaching staff decide to operate with a back four. He has to play.
McGuinness and Kipre are the two archetypal, formidable centre-backs and are the obvious option to operate within the two, while Joe Ralls, who put in his best performance of the season at left wing-back against Blackpool, could easily slot into a left-back role. He insists that isn't where he sees his future, but he appears to be far more useful and effective there than in midfield at present and it's where this team needs him most. He, too, offers a defensive rigidity, while also having the ability to stick in a top-quality cross.
Others would vouch for Joel Bagan, the most natural fit for this position. I would proffer that selection theory, too, if it wasn't for Lamouchi recently stating that he believed he wasn't ready. He just seems so unlikely to feature in the final run-in of this campaign.
Where is Perry Ng, then, I hear you say. Well, and bear with me because it would be a bit of a radical move, I think this team is crying out for him to be a deep-lying central midfield player. He is, positionally, the best player in Cardiff's squad, is excellent on the ball, can pass, cross and shoot, and is wasted at right centre-half. And that is not to underplay how important he has been this season.
He can drop into right back when Romeo, who is more likely to go on marauding runs than Ralls on the opposite flank, finds himself out of position but can also help stop Cardiff's midfield being so passive when the opposition have the ball. It's made for him, alongside Ryan Wintle, who has had his critics too of late but still warrants his spot, with the legs they both have, to free up others further up the pitch.
It would allow Cardiff to play three behind the striker. Callum O'Dowda can finally play as a left midfielder. Isaak Davies can play out on the right and get in behind Sory Kaba when balls are played long. While Jaden Philogene can operate as a No..10 and pull the strings.
It gives the opposition defence, in this case Watford, more than one thing to worry about. That has been a big problem in Cardiff's poor attacking output this season, they have been too one dimensional. Perhaps this is the key to causing more problems?
In all likelihood, it will be a combination of both the stick and the twist. Lamouchi will likely want to tinker a little, but the kind of changes proposed here might be too left field. But it's certainly food for thought...
The different XI: Alnwick; Romeo, McGuinness, Kipre, Ralls; Ng, Wintle; Davies, Philogene, O'Dowda; Kaba.
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