And FFS Slade, do something about the centre of the park!!!!!![/QUOTE] Well,you could always dig it up and grow some vetch.
Well,you could always dig it up and grow some vetch. [/QUOTE] We've got enough turnips at the club already thank you - especially the one in charge. It's well after time that he was cropped - otherwise we'll all go to seed...................
Okay then, Kenny Jackett or Russell Slade? Make your mind up time. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...cardiff-city-wolves-hold-face-to-face-9562653
Well,you could always dig it up and grow some vetch. [/QUOTE] Vetch is member of the pea family, much loved by the traveling community.
Vetch is member of the pea family, much loved by the traveling community.[/QUOTE] My dictionary describes it as "the bean like fruit of the vetch,used as fodder". I've never seen any. Have you?
Well Wood didn't give me time to reply. I guess he didn't need that long to think about it! We are standing still (going backwards) whilst everybody around us is strengthening. Very worrying.
Have to agree with Statto. First Quinn and now Wood chose other clubs over us with Wood chosing Leeds ffs!!!! Okay we don't know what money we put up for fee (in Wood's case) and wages but it looks quite clear that we are simply not competitive. Ameobi's decision is now very important to us, if only to retain some credibility.
I've been told normally bright purple in colour but can be yellow looks very much like a sweet pea and was prevalent in the sandy ground around Swansea and the Gower. I'll try to get more from my informant next time he calls selling pegs.
If Ameobi choses to go to Wolves (and I think it would be his best choice) that is a major vote of no-confidence (along with Wood and Quin) in the Cardiff management. We've had it in the past with players avoiding us for more ambitious clubs but that changed at the back end of DJs reign and under MM (think the lure of the Prem and the OGS connections skewed things during his time). However, we seem to be slipping back in the type and quality of player we can attract. More lower league signings appear to be our only source of new players this season. I wonder if there is any truth in the Whitts rumour. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-transfer-news-peter-9563467 Might not be a bad thing.
And what has happened to the scouting network that brought us McNuggs, McPhail, Scimeca, Chopra, McCormack, Burke, Bothroyd, Rae, Quinn, Johnson, Loovens, Taylor, Conway, Cowie and many more? Many from Scotland and others from our level or lower clubs. But all added to the ethos which started 10 years ago. Looks like it's all gone to hell in a tin can with events of the last 2 years. I have not been as negative as others on here as I expected us to have started picking up new players to enhance last year's squad by now. Okay its only day 2 of the window but to have 2 and probably 3 knock backs from players with Prem experience is very troubling. If those sort of players won't come then is there still a network in place to bring us quality players from other areas? Or do we have to rely on what/who Slade knows with possibly a bit of help from Trollope who will have his mind elsewhere in view of his recent part time appointment. I don't anticipate Scott Young will have any input and, by the way, if we are looking to cut costs then what is Young still doing on the books?
The trouble with their network is that it shops in a different store. The lower down the leagues you manage, the lower down you look for players. There are players that make a step up of several leagues, but it is unusual. We need to be shopping at the top of Div1, championship and lower Premier league (and equivalent in other countries) if we have any ambition. Either that, or give some of the youth a chance. I've said it before, it's no good signing more of the same standard as we already have. If Whitts goes, give Ralls a run of games in the middle of the park. If we don't get Ameobi, give Harris a few outings. Rather than look down the leagues for strikers, give Rhys Healy some game time. DJ started with a squad of journeymen. Year on year he added a bit more quality (along with one or two duds he bought as fillers to the squad). Today, we have enough padding but we desperately need a bit of quality. If we're not going to get that, stick with what we've got and throw a few youngsters in there. I don't see them doing any worse than Slade's lower league signings.
This is all most depressing to read. This promises to be the most difficult second tier season City will encounter for a long time.
Fair points Remote however as someone who goes to most home and a few away games I have reservations about some of the younger players you mention. I thought Ralls improved last season but still see the game passing him by from time to time. He doesn't go missing so much as the opposition work out an easy way around him. I still think his best position will be at left back with a narrower field in front of him and more opportunity to get up and down the line and use his very good left foot. Harris, I just don't think has it at this level. He's quick but not as quick as I would like to see for someone of his age, his ball control is not great and neither is his crossing. Healey is just not up to it. Lightweight and not quick enough. He might have an eye for goal but won't get the time he needs at Championship level. He didn't actually fire Colchester to glory, did he? Of the current young crop, Tutonda could be our best hope having done very well on loan at Newport last season. To have any chance of challenging at the top we must get better quality players who want to roll their sleeves up and play. Looking at the people we have failed to get I get the feeling that the purse strings are much tighter than we have seen for some time. Were it not for the money why would anyone want to go to a toy town club like Leeds with an owner who could explode at any time? Our network was successful at Aldi and Lidl in the past because they were good and knew what they were doing. They got us round pegs for round holes and it worked in the end. Do we have a scouting network now? And if so is their shop of choice Poundland or worse? Perhaps Ninian is right and we are going to have to settle for another season of mediocrity - at best? We should not be in such a negative place with the new season only 5 weeks away. This should be a time for optimism not the gloom facing us. For me it's the worst since Hammam's fire sale of our best players.
Appreciate your feedback on the youngsters Blue as you get to see far more games than me (a couple a season at best). Based on that, Healy and Harris should go, which is the point I was trying to make. If they are as good as the League one players we've been signing stick them in, if not, move them on. Based on your views, is Healy worse than Revell, Ralls worse than Mallone? If we're going to get mediocrity with our signings we might as well have mediocrity with the youngsters and save some cash otherwise lets not waste our time with the youngsters. Harris in particular has been with us long enough to see if he's going to make or not. As you say, the main difference between the journeymen we signed under Jones and those under Slade is that Jones had a clear view on how he wanted the team to play (ironically 442 come hell or high water), signed players to fit that style and turned them into a team (round pegs in round holes). I don't see that under Slade. We seem to have moved back 6-7 years in the last 18 months in terms of performance and ability to attract players. I think OGS hindered rather than helped the situation to be fair.
And today's Mickey Mouse story: - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-cardiff-city-hero-michael-9573317 How far down to the bottom of this barrel? He says he could do a job for us. Bet you he couldn't.
I think we are all seeing the same thing here (remote and BFB), I whole heartedly agree with your comments. I find it hard to understand the massive change in direction our transfer dealings have taken. I don't want to see us making stellar signings but want to see us heading in the right direction. Ameobi seems to me to just be another name to 'appease the fans'. Another winger is surely one of our lowest priorities? If we dont get him its another blow to our 'reputation' but maybe not to our ability on the pitch. I would be quite concerned to see Whitts leave. I know people have questioned his role recently but I still believe he is an asset in the right set up. Seeing him go would surely confirm to any potential signings that we are no longer heading in the right direction. We have wasted large sums of money on players that have not improved us. I dont see Morrison and Manga being any stronger than Hudson and Turner were for instance. Looking at what is happening elsewhere clubs are signing players such as Mcshane improving their squads without transfer fees. I dont see why we can manage to do this.
Agree with all of that except Hudson's age must be starting to work against him. In saying that I would have kept him last season for his positive influence with the team, his knowledge of the division and he was, no disrespects to Marshie, a true captain, organiser and voice on the pitch. If Ameobi (very big IF) arrives then I can see Noonie going so is Ameobi better than Noonie on his game? Another indicator of how low we are sinking is the massive lack of interest on here. We are now down to about a dozen (and I may be generous there) regular posters (not including Jacks!!!). I know its summer time but ever since these message boards started we have seen loads of interest and anticipation a month or so before the season starts and all sorts of guessing games in the transfer window. We're struggling to raise a gnat's fart of interest now.
im not sure my heart can take all the excitement since slades arrival ......this has 2be the most exciting pre season ever for us as supporters.....
Agree about Hudson's age but the point is we seem to change players for the sake of it, as pointed out about the likely departure of another winger if Ameobi joins. Not only that but we pay inflated prices for them and let them go for less or even nothing. Meanwhile the loans provided by the director keep increasing. As for the excitement, well I think we all built ourselves up to a crescendo with our constant near misses getting up into the premiership. When we got there we didn't give it a fair crack of the whip for reasons you all know. Since then its been all down hill. Maybe we will have to wait until Bale does a Bellamy to get us all going again.
This week we have had Hudson going on about the rebrand, Chopra on the play off defeat, what next? Adam Matthews on being treated like a naughty schoolboy by Dave Jones? Ross McCormack giving pub reviews in Cardiff? Jay Bothroyd on his England call up? Steve Thompson plays his favourite Proclaimers songs? John Brayford on being frozen out by Malky Mackay? It really is that time of the year when the paper is scraping around for any old story to rehash.
