January window opens - here we go

A new left back?

http://www.newsatden.co.uk/44703-millwall-reject-cardiff-city-bid-for-out-of-contract-malone.html

Very interested in the reported "prefer player swap deal" at the end of the article - I think we've got a few spare.....

 

I'm with you on that one Sparks. Let the have 2.

Do they want Slade as well?

 

What - you mean swap Slade for Holloway?

 

Millwall fans don't seem to rate him but want more than the £75k offered. Penny and bun?

 

One for the future perhaps ........when are we going to get one for the present?

Noticed Charlie Adam didn't get on the pitch again yesterday - must be worth a cheeky bid.

 

Totally agree Sparks.

He would add some bite to our midfield and give Whitts a needed rest.

However, it looks like Slade is after Championship and Div. 1 players - more suited to the size of the purse Tan has given him.

 

Being reported that City have upped the offer to £100K for Malone but Holloway wants Maynard as a trade.

Are they both worth around the same or should there be a cash adjustment?

 

Well we need to offload Maynard in some way as he's just eating up wages at the moment for little in return. Do we need another defender? Midfield a priority surely?

 

Maynard must still be worth at least 5-700k, just as a punt. Swapping him for a £75k left back who can't defend would be another bit of ****ing terrible business.
Swap him for someone but get a player that might be difficult to sign without them getting a half decent striker in return. I don't think we'll find out but if Maynard had been given the totally uninterrupted run in the side that Alf has been given I think he'd have have produced more goals and assists. In all honesty I think every other striker at the club except Alf would have returned a better than 1 in 13 ratio.

 

At least there'd be a bit of emotion on the touchline and a few laughs at his post match comments. Not sure he'd get on with Tan though and that could result in post match comments that would get him sacked. Would be fun while it lasted. Also you'd at least have a manager who has got out of this division - in the right direction.

 

Malone in then apparently - Does that mean Fabio is on his way?

http://www.newsatden.co.uk/44788-cardiffs-second-scott-malone-offer-accepted-by-millwall.html

 

Feel this Malone bloke could be a large waste of money. Doubt he's better than anything we've already got.

 

Got no idea what the bloke is like going forward, but if he's better at LB than Fabio or Declan John, I'd be delighted and also very surprised.

Maybe Slade is just looking for square pegs in square holes to shore up the defence.

Looks like a continuation of the 4-4-2 principle with the option of wingbacks being shelved. If that's the case, he seriously has to look at his midfield options because at the moment, we're a mile off what it'll need.

 

No, Cornelius was a large waste of money !!

One thing Malone can do is defend better than what we have already.

£100,000 is small change for what we have spent in previous seasons.

As you can see everything is now being done on the cheap, Slade will now live or die by his signings in this windows.

 

Maybe I'm slightly critical as i'm yet to actually see him play! Just wish he was signing midfielders as that's where we're clearly weakest!

 

Not critical mate.

Like the rest of us, we are all worried that unless these signings come off we will be playing in L1 next year.

IMO we have the players to play 3-5-2 or 5-3-2.

Most can see that 4-4-2 is not working with Whitts and Gunnar as the middle 2.

 

Eldon - I can't see either of those formations you suggest working with the players we've got. Two up front is not an option unless you've got a couple of Duracell guys in the middle of the park.

Unless we make some significant signings in those slots, there is only room for one up top. Even swivelling the midfield four into a diamond formation that Slade has tried has been countered by the opposition within 20 minutes of kickoff.

We need to get back to the (dare I say it ) Malky approach of a lone striker and a holding midfield player/destroyer like Medel in front of the back four. The other four in midfield could then sustain two wide players with two in the centre knowing there was cover for the back four behind them.

With what we've got, I'd go for a 4-1-4-1 with Whitts playing the furthest forward of the middle 2.

If we do go down that road, then we can't afford to hang that frontman out to dry like Campbell was. If it is to be one up front, the midfield has got to get forward quickly to support/feed off him otherwise he gets isolated and it's a waste of time.

 

That would require some pace Sparkey of which we have very little! (Harris) An all too familiar story over the past 5 years or so!

 

Sheepy - it would help if we played the game from higher up the pitch instead trying to surround Marshie to keep him warm.......

Chasing a 60 yard punt by Turner from deep in our own half isn't the answer. We need to start playing from the centre circle instead of giving our (admittedly slow) midfield guys no chance to get on the end of something.

Adeyemi showed he's up for it, and there's nothing wrong with Noone and Harris coming inside to take Kenwyne's lay offs when it's on. I think Harris could be immense in that role. He's learned these past two seasons to get his head up and look around him, unlike Noone who just puts his head down and runs. You know he's going to try to shoot as soon as he starts his run. He can't pick a pass and is not the answer as a playmaker - best keep him wide to beat his fullback and bang in the crosses.

The whole team has been too static and not dynamic through the midfield up till now. We are either painfully slow in the build up going forward, or the ball is launched over the heads of our midfield only for it to keep coming back because there's just no presence up there.

 

Too much flair for Slade?????????

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/cardiff-city-boss-russell-slade-8381333