Just had to look it up as I didn't realise a signing had been made. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33196012 Is this a replacement for Morrison? Must be expecting Tan to move him on after his **** performance (literally). I thought we had some decent youngsters in the CB position coming through the ranks and that we have a ruck of CBs anyway. A 2 year deal suggests Slade isn't that convinced. When's he going to sort the midfield out?
Whiffle - the recent usage of words such as "clowns" and "circus" in relation to situation with Slade and the club at the moment is fair stuff on a forum - the fact that some don't like it is also a fair comment. Those like me who can't fathom the goings on at the club feel disenfranchised as long standing fans, and that's when the rhetoric starts. If this club wants to re-engage with it's supporters, it's got to do a lot more than change the colour back to blue and sign some hopeful lower league wannabe's and youth players. The back to blue was a start, but since then it's been all downhill, particularly giving Slade a vote of confidence for next season when the evidence so far clearly indicates he's not the man to take us back up. The "glass half full" expression is way way too optimistic unless you're a KTF devotee - and I'm not.
I'm far from a KTF devotee myself - However we are stuck with Slade so I hope he is given a chance at a full season and the situation reviewed thereafter. Sacking him at the end of August after a possible run of bad results ain't gonna help. We should have appointed a new manager at the end of last season to give a full pre-season and the ability to bring in his "own" players.
Gloves off Sparks.....only joking. Agree about the mess the club is in...and despite some of Slades's tactical decisions and signings have been dubious/ridiculous (delete whichever) its' still A NEW SEASON & I, for one can't wait. Of course we all have opinions about a certain manager/player/owner or whatever, and its' always good to have different opinions on a forum such as this, but come on guys, lets wipe the slate clean for now & get together & back our boys in Blue for the forth coming season.
I agree with much of what Sayer says. Slade clearly did what he was asked to do in making a major reduction in the wage bill and keeping us in the division. As a result VT appears to have no desire to change for now. Obviously Slade does not have the respect of the majority of fans for a variety of reasons (you should see what the clowns who post on the WoL website say - we are very mild compared to them) and if he was to go then it should have been before now as it appears he has plans to bring in 3 or 4 players to strengthen the squad. I made my views known in that Warburton would have been my chosen target as soon as Brentford's season finished and he left them. That opportunity has obviously passed us by. Were Slade to be axed now then those plans would go out of the window and any new manager would have to start all over again, with both the existing players and potential new recruits - unless Trollope is the man waiting in the wings. We are where we are and Slade has to be given the time to recruit the people he wants and get the season started. However, where I differ with Sayer, if the first month of the season goes tits up then Tan has to act quickly to bring in someone new and not allow the rot to settle until 3 or 4 months have passed. I just hope that whoever Slade brings in can start to rekindle some of our lost enthusiasm and we get off to a good start. Fulham at home and QPR away could have been a lot worse.
It's a racing certainty. Unless City get in some quality players with pace and experience, and Slade eschews 4-4-2. Not holding my breath.
Sparks, you may think that the glass is way down from half full but that's no reason to pull our club through the dregs. You have watched CCFC longer than me and like me have seen us very close to extinction, as things are we are doing quite well.
I know very little about Semi Ajayi and can only guess that he's one for the future. He was loaned to us but didn't start a game and appeared on the bench twice(?). He doesn't strike me as the "Marquee signing" but my questions are, who at the club has the clout to get a "Marquee signing"? What is the criteria for this "Marquee signing" ? Just asking, is all.
Players from Div 1 will join as they see it as a step up. I'm concerned that Championship players with aspirations or lower end Prem league players won't want to join as there is no footballing vision or nous at the club. The saving grace could be they let Trollope do the talking. With the cost cutting going on at the moment, it's not as if we can bribe them in. I understand DJs issue with all the negative comments flying around, but it's difficult to see the positives at the moment and I'm an optimist. At least if we do get a marquee signing, we won't have any problems with the pitch in bad weather. And we'll be able to compete with the millennium stadium for gigs.
I'm a realist. Anything but relegation coupled with a reduction in debt will be a good season for me. The only glimmer of light I can see is if Slade remains in the background with Trollope being given full responsibility for team affairs or Slade being ousted which seems unlikely. Since Trollope's arrival there has been a definite improvement but it is hard to see how we can possibly challenge for promotion with Burnley with their quality Championship players, Derby and a host of other clubs all far better placed than us. We are only in the market for lower league players for understandable reasons so I agree the grounds for optimism at this stage are completely unrealistic.
Id settle for staying up and playing attacking decent football. Slade may keep us up. I think the 2nd is something he cant deliver. Until Slade goes on the pitch I see nothing to be optimistic about. I just hope by the time he does go he hasnt set us back even further though realistically our problems run far deeper than Slade. The man who put him there is ultimately responsible and I dont think he cares about anything other than clawing back as much as he can.
You could have said that Wigan were well placed at the start of last season. Fulham had just signed McCormack who'd scored a bag load the season before. I was sure Derby would kick on and get promoted after the near miss the year before. One thing the championship proves time after time is past performance and the financial boost from the PL relegated teams have mean absolutely **** all. I'm very interested to see how burnley get on. They've broken the rule of sacking the manager for over achieving the season before (by gaining promotion). On paper a relatively settled squad should see them ready to challenge again. The flip side is Ings is gone, a couple of others will probably go too and the championship waits for no team. I say it every year but the L1 sides are likely to be just as bigger threat than the relegated sides. Bournemouth, brentford and Wolves all proved that again. With regards to us I understand both the opinions running through this thread. I remember plodding out of the CCs thoroughly ****ed off with the rubbish we'd been subjected too far too often to have any serious level of optimism. However we are a couple of centre minds away from having a serious Championship side. One of those could already be here and if the slimfast plan works dikagcoi could turn out to be worth all the wages we wasted on him last season. So whilst fully aware of how bad this season could be, I hope that, with expectations suitably lowered maybe we can surprise a few people this season. We do need to try and get a bit of positivity back into the stands but Slade and co have got to give us something to work with.
The centre mid conundrum needs far more attention than just hoping Dikgacoi comes good. He's said he wants to stay and I'm not at all surprised given the huge wage package he was able to negotiate being a free agent from Palace. I'm also not convinced we will ever see the guy as a fully fit option anyway. This is also more than just playing staff on the books as well. Someone at the club (obviously Slade at the moment) needs to organise what we've already got, and hopefully will also get, into an effective team on the pitch - not just more of the same thinking. I have no confidence at all that Slade can manage at this level. His record although long, is littered with lower league also ran clubs and contains nothing to convince me that he can take this club forward. A change should have been made before now unless Tan is just using him to take the flak for implementing his own agenda. In the meantime, I fear we'll suffer some pretty dire stuff until he's gone.
Are you? I couldn't give a monkey's about them I'm more interested in where City will be after the first 5 games - a handful of points and looking for a new manager probably.
less talking needed an more action. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-boss-russell-slade-9502712
It would also be good to have an idea of who we were looking at rather than who we've discounted. Unlikely I know as we need to keep our cards close to our chests before anyone else nips in and steals our targets. However, as fans we're crying out for some positive news rather than all the softlee softlee catchee monkey business. If only to have something different to talk about.
With any luck Slade will be told he can't sign the targets he wants and resigns as a matter of principle. I can dream can't I?
I would be more than happy to not sign anyone for any fees and put investment in the coaching set up. Paying off Slade and bringing in someone who doesnt big up the opposition would help for a start. As long as we dont sell off too many high earners a decent coach can get us having a decent season. Staying up wasnt an achievement with the players Slade had. Playing decent football and consolidating would give him grounds to be given a chance. The football was totally dire though it did improve slightly with Trollope coming in.
I'm obviously more interested in where City will be as well ffs. Sorry for mentioning something on here other than the guaranteed **** season you're predicting for us. I'll be sure to keep my thoughts to myself unless I'm writing off our season before it begins.
