PICKING KENWYNE JONES ON SATURDAY WILL BE A MISTAKE

Lou Macari: Picking Kenwyne Jones will be a mistake for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because it'll Stoke up a fire


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been warned he will do Mark Hughes’ team talk for him if he picks Kenwyne Jones for Saturday’s Premier League crunch against Stoke.

The Cardiff City boss has consistently backed his under-fire centre-forward despite the flak Jones has received from fans and will consider choosing him for another game the Bluebirds have to win.

But Jones would go into the match against a backdrop of a row with his former club, with Stoke fining him two weeks’ wages for supposedly refusing to play against Liverpool shortly before his move to Cardiff.

Jones has appealed against the £75,000 fine and met with Stoke chairman club chairman Peter Coates last week to try to resolve the issue.

He insists he did nothing wrong and argues he just wanted his voice to be heard because his career was stalling at Stoke.

But Stoke managerial legend Lou Macari has hit out ahead of this weekend’s clash between the two teams and argued Jones’ presence for the Bluebirds would fire up Hughes’ players.

In a column for the Stoke Sentinel Macari wrote: “I don’t think Kenwyne Jones will be starting against Stoke, because Cardiff surely have to stick with the players that won at Southampton. But if he’s fit again there has to be a chance he’s on the bench.

“Any Stoke player angered by his refusal to play with them against Liverpool in January might just want to win that bit more at Cardiff.

“As for Jones launching his appeal last week against the maximum two-week fine Stoke imposed after that refusal to play, words almost fail me quite frankly.

“Take your medicine, Kenwyne, because it’s not as if the level of the fine is going to leave you behind on your mortgage payments, is it?

“He claimed he had to behave the way he did before the Liverpool game because Stoke’s refusal to sell was stifling his career.

“Sorry, but it’s his behaviour here that’s more likely to do that. Surely he’d have been better off working on that touch of his on the training ground instead of spending the day in Stoke appealing against his fine.”

Stoke were furious at Jones’ no-show against Liverpool and shortly afterwards negotiated a swap deal with Cardiff involving Peter Odemwingie.

Stoke must decide whether to reduce or maintain the fine following Jones’ appeal hearing, with the City centre-forward also having recourse to the Premier League if he is unhappy with their decision.

The PFA have backed Jones’ appeal, the player having previously said: “Nobody from Stoke can say I was disrespectful or even on strike, as they would like to put it.

“The main reason was for my voice to be heard because they didn’t pay attention to me. That’s the only thing I needed. I didn’t want to disrupt the squad, disrespect the manager or anything.

“Clubs have to come out, say what they have to and keep fans onside. I have no problem with that.

“I am happy. In the end I was heard and I am at Cardiff.”

Jones, who began to play second fiddle to Peter Crouch, scored 29 times in 128 appearances for Stoke.

This Loui Macari bloke sounds like a grade a tw*t, it's not his first article about us the f*cking moron, whoever we play, we play. You aren't our manager and know nothing of us, goodbye you tw*t

I wouldn't start him but I would have him on the bench just in case.

Lou Wotshisface has got a point I suppose

Bet he drops Carla and brings back Turner, sorry but he can't help changing for change sake, that's why we are going down Hope I'm proved wrong

As if we care what the Stoke Nathan Blake has to say.

We don't listen to our Nathan Blake!

I know KWJ has not done a great deal for us but I think he is also likely to be "fired up" for this game. Also Stoke do have quite a few tall guys and perhaps LM is trying to improve their chances by getting OGS to doubt KWJ ability/desire, and anyway why would he care otherwise?

Bet he drops Carla and brings back Turner, sorry but he can't help changing for change sake, that's why we are going down Hope I'm proved wrong

If he does that id lose all respect for him as a manager.

I wouldn't pick Jones for any match never mind Saturday.

I know KWJ has not done a great deal for us but I think he is also likely to be "fired up" for this game. Also Stoke do have quite a few tall guys and perhaps LM is trying to improve their chances by getting OGS to doubt KWJ ability/desire, and anyway why would he care otherwise?

..... Nail on the head. They know what he can do when he really wants too

This will backfire on Stoke. They wanted to play mind games? Ole doesn't even have to reply for this to be beneficial to Cardiff's chances.

I wouldn't pick Jones for any match never mind Saturday.

My thoughts exactly !

How people slate Jones makes me laugh.

Also Zaha and Noone played against their ex clubs and didn't do the business, but they had a really good spell with their ex clubs.

Jones will want to prove, I think we should put him on the bench but Campbell have ripped someone defenders to pieces for pace.. I hope he starts Cala and Whittingham mind you.

I wouldnt pick him, EVER.

I honestly think Jones is over rated and def over paid, bad signing in my eyes.

Please please do not start this waste of space better of playing with 10 men and its not for the sake of stoke players getting fired up and cos he is 100% Pony! leave him on the bench, he'll be fired up for the last 15min at best! start with Cambell, with either Bellers or Zaha behind and Cala (NOT Turner) at the back and we always give ourselves a fighting chance then, simple maths!

I think the problem with jones he didn't have much playing time at stoke so he not up to scratch. I think he a good striker give him time and get 100% match fit he do the job for us.

But I wouldn't start him Saturday I'd put him on the bench and bring him on about 75th minute when the stoke players are tiring he be the man to come on nod the ball down for Campbell to slot the ball in and city win 2-1

I honestly think Jones is over rated and def over paid, bad signing in my eyes.

We needed to get rid of another bad signing and that was the swap which was our best and only option as odemwingie wanted to move back to that area.
I'd play the same team as we did at southampton

'I think he a good striker give him time and get 100% match fit he do the job for us. '

No lad, hes garbage wipe the shite from your eyes.

I think the headline should have read "Signing Kenwyne Jones was a mistake."

I still cannot get that powder puff header versus the Villa out of my mind. My grannie would have nutted that into the old onion bag.

I think the headline should have read "Signing Kenwyne Jones was a mistake."

Headline should have read "Kenwyne Jones was a mistake, say parents"

Thes got a touch like Ted Bundy and movement of a sloth imo well over rated on his money and no wonder they fucked him off on the first chance to us

Personally i think Kenwyne should start saturday if fit particularly as his appeal against the fine Stoke hit him with was turned down by them today. Surely he would want to make them "pay" for that decision, i can see him having an outstanding game and scoring against his old team, what a way to motivate an opposition player !

Cardiff striker Kenwyne Jones considering taking ex-club Stoke to tribunal over £80k fine
KENWYNE JONES is considering taking Stoke to a Premier League 'court' before trying to put them to the sword on Saturday.

The Cardiff striker is incensed that his former club have chucked out his appeal over an £80,000 'strike' fine.
The 29-year-old was docked two weeks wages by the Potters in January after sending a curt text to manager Mark Hughes saying he was making himself unavailable the night before a 5-3 defeat against Liverpool.

Jones, who cost Stoke £8m in 2007 when he joined from Sunderland, met chairman Peter Coates last week for talks about the fine but has been informed the club won't be backing down.

As far as they are concerned, Jones was in breach of his contract and they are sticking by their decision.

Jones denied actually going on strike but admitted that he had refused to play.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/footba ... r-80k-fine

It all comes down what striker do we need. On to hold up ball, or one to run behind.. Its not like any one of them will score