Middlesbroughâs Grant Leadbitter target for Cardiff and Reading By Kyle Jones ⋅ May 18, 2014 ⋅ Post a comment Filed Under Cardiff City, Middlesbrough F.C., Reading Grant Leadbitter is being chased by Cardiff and Reading according to the Daily Star Sunday. The former Sunderland midfielderâs experience is attracting many championship teams and Cardiff and Reading are leading the way to try and sign the 28 year old. The Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka is a fan of Leadbitter and is keen to keep him. Boroâ have released eight players already this week including experienced full backs Frazer Richardson and Stuart Parnaby. http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/middlesbroughs-grant-leadbitter-target-for-cardiff-and-reading/
Thanks Jay Personally I would prefer Adam Clayton over Leadbitter. Leadbitter, while having some Prem experience with Sunderland, is a bit of a Championship journeyman with Ipswich, Sunderland and Boro. In saying that he will know the division, the clubs and players. Has a reasonable scoring record for a midfielder. Would he be any better than Cowie or Gunnar in the engineroom? Finally, the source is doubtful so how much emphasis would you put on that. The merrygoround continues. However, it is always interesting to see who is out there and loking to move. It keeps these boards running in the off season - until the World Cup anyway.
All spec at the moment BfB. I think Leadbitter is a decent player but this could be an arse biter, as you say he has spent a lot of time in the Championship. Does this tell us someone is on the way out or we are just looking to strengthen?
Both I hope!!!! I hope the retained/on their way out list is published soon. In OGS's WoL interview he gave the impression that he wanted everyone back in pre-season training before making such judgements. That could be a bit late imo. However, if we are actually negotiating to get new people in first then that is a good thing. It will fire shots across the bows of those who might think they are comfortable. I would also love to know who is advising OGS on the peopel we want to sign.
Disagree - this team proved they are more than capable of getting out of this division - just a little tinkering should do it!!!
Sort of player (not necessarily Leadbitter but someone like eg Catermole) we needed last season - our central midfield was so weak. City will need this area beefing up for an arduous campaign with some ankle biters against the likes of Huddersfield, Sheff Wed etc.
I know what you are saying W/tree but they are all 2 years older and people like McNuggs, Hudson, Bellers and Cowie etc are either entering or in the latter stages of their careers. Do they still have the intensity and desire to repeat what they achieved 2 years ago? There will be a lot of hard yards between August and next May. I'm not saying we need wholesale changes but a bit more than tinkering.
Good question. If he sticks a bomb up his own ar$e or soemone does it for him he has the ability but see also my answer to W/tree. I forgot him but while he wasn't with us the same principles apply - desire? commitment? intensity? On recent performances those must all be in doubt.
The championship we were champions of was a weak league that year. We were promoted as champions on the 2nd lowest points tally and were on relegation for the last half dozen games. Sorry whiffle but 2 years down the track we need to change the team and approach to our game.
agree whiffle, we've got quite a few players i'd keep and introduce competition in certain positions….. i'm interested to see whether OGS thinks players like connelly, cowie, hudson etc will be playing on a regular basis or if they'll be squad players or moved on…...
Good point that. City will need better players IMO than got us out of a pretty average league 2 seasons ago. Leicester got 102 points. City got 87. City will need a goal scorer NQAT to turn all those one goal losses and draws into more points. Top goal scorer back then was 8 or 9? In other words the very fact that perhaps a lot of the existing squad got us over the line in 2013, it means nothing now as some are just too old, and not the same hunger. City need new blood to replace.
Yup - Try to stand still and you'll just go backwards is an old adage, but it's true in this game. Needs to be brought up to date, but the worry is it can take time to build a side from scratch - some good decision making required from Ole and the club about who to let go and who can do us the job once again. Of the "old guard", only Whitts, Gunnar and Turner (and maybe another season from Bellamy) would be my choices to keep.
Not sure how you can include (just about) Bellers in that list Sparks. He has been a massive waste of wages this season, yes he's had injuries, but I'm not sure his head was in the right place. His wages could bring in a superstar at Championship level.
Agreed Stevo, but Bellers is out of contract and it's up to him if he wants to play on, and more importantly, what the club are prepared to pay. He cannot command the same sort of figures now that we've seen talked about in the recent past - if he's in the squad, I'd bet it would be at a vastly reduced wage level. Tan would pay it for his influence at the club, and Ole would probably be grateful for the help.
WoL says Cowie offered another deal but has other options on the table: - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-offer-don-cowie-7134742 I suspect he wants 2 years minimum, not 1, bearing in mind his age. If we are after the likes of Clayton and Leadbitter then say "Thanks Don, you have done your best for us over 3 years and helped us get to the Prem but time to move on".
Agree BFB, I don't understand why the likes of Taylor, McNaughton & Cowie are being offered new contracts. And not just one year extensions but 2-3 years. Madness. City need new and fresh players. Good to read Ralls offered a new 3 year deal.
Good for Ralls, the experience at Yeovil will have been character building for him. Time to step up to the plate for him next season. He has the skill, lets see how much he wants it. Damn, slipped into X Factor jargon then. I'll be talking about him "owning the stage" next.
