MARSHALL : I AM MORE THAN COMMITTED TO CCFC

Saturday April 19th 2014

David Marshall confirms 'I am more than committed to Cardiff City' after talk of summer interest in star keeper

David Marshall believes Cardiff City management are right to investigate if there is proof Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team was leaked to Crystal Palace 24 hours before the match.

“If anybody is going against our club and trying to help other teams it’s not good enough,” said Marshall.

“Proof is needed and if that is there then the club should deal with the matter. They have every right to pursue it.

“Most weeks you could guess to within one or two what anybody’s team might be. The issue with this that we need everybody in this together.

“It’s not coming from the players, I guarantee that.

“Moral is even tighter now than it has been – and anybody could see that against Southampton. The issue (over team being leaked) does not involve us, but at the same time it’s brought us closer together as a group if that was possible.

“We had a point to prove after the Palace match and if we play with the belief we showed against Southampton we have a chance.”

Scottish international goalkeeper Marshall admitted this has been a difficult season for the Bluebirds, saying: “There must be regrets so much off-pitch matters have come up, but we, as players, can’t do anything about that. In an ideal world we would be 10th and nothing would be said about anything but football.

“It’s been difficult at times with the change of manager in mid-season when we were doing pretty well, but that happens. People can fall out, but players can’t do anything about that and our job is to play at our best.

“Half the clubs in Premier League football have changed their manager this season and, yes, at times we have, as a club, come in for unfair criticism. but we have to put that out of our minds and focus on these last four fixtures, starting against Stoke City.

“After the Crystal Palace defeat it looked tough. Everybody wrote us off and I’m sure even some of the lads thought about how difficult it was going to be. Our win against Southampton has lifted belief all round. We are confident we can stay up.”

Marshall stressed he believes Cardiff will earn the points they need to stay in the Premier League, but also made it clear that if that didn’t happen he will be staying at Cardiff City.

“I signed a new contract in February and am absolutely committed to Cardiff City,” he said. “I have belief we will stay up, but no matter what happens I am committed to staying.”

Marshall will face former Bluebirds’ team-mate Peter Odemwingie in today’s Premier League clash with Stoke. Odemwingie left Cardiff soon after Solksjaer was appointed manager, signing for Stoke City in a swap with big striker Kenwyne Jones.

“Peter has done really well, he has always had ability.“ says Marshall. “There was a change of manager and Peter moved on in exchange for Kenwyne. He started well for Stoke, but we hope he doesn’t do much against us.”

Over the last seven Premier League matches both Stoke and Cardiff have scored 11 goals, but there is a major difference in goals against. Only six have gone in against Stoke, 16 past Marshall.

“In our position we need to win matches and maybe take more chances,” he said. “It’s something we looked at before the Southampton match and the clean sheet was a welcome bonus. We all hope Southampton is the turn of a corner because clean sheets would be a huge help.”

Manager Solskjaer has changed the shape of Cardiff’s defensive formation, playing at times with three centre-backs and last week, at Southampton, with captain Steven Caulker and Juan Cala together at the heart of a back four.

“We worked on formations a lot in training before using them,” said Marshall. “I haven’t played behind three centre-backs a lot in my career, but we worked on that and did well, particularly at Spurs when we were really tight and solid.

“The manager came in and was trying to find the right formula to help us, maybe take opposing teams by surprise.”

City are still trying to find an elusive element to their season, having failed to win successive matches in the Premier League throughout 2013-14.

“We haven’t earned back-to-back wins and this is our chance,” said Marshall. “If we can put that right today by beating Stoke it will help us immensely.

“We’ve had some difficult away matches, including Spurs and Everton where we played well each time. For the players our win at Southampton didn’t come as a surprise because we had been playing well away.

“Now we need to continue that form. Our final match this season, against Chelsea at home, is clearly going to pose us major problems. We will, as always, go into that believing we can win, but it’s certainly a tough test and that makes the next three matches massive for us.”

City follow today’s home clash with Stoke by taking on Sunderland and Newcastle United away before returning to Cardiff City Stadium for their final fixture of the season.

Marshall and his fellow Bluebirds will take heart from the fact that Stoke have earned only 10 points away from their Britannia Stadium home, where they have collected 33, this season.

“We have to start well against Stoke, we have to come out of the traps fast,” says Marshall. “Too often this season we haven’t done well against teams around and about us at home. This time we must be spot on.

“Stoke are among the Premier League form teams right now, but our top flight status is at stake, we have planned for this all week and we believe in each other. It was a perfect day at Southampton because we won and other results went our way. We have to make the most of our opportunity.”

This guy is a top man and professional. He is one player you can rely on not jumping ship if relegated.

If he stays even if we get relegated its a huge boost to going straight back up. But I just can't see it especially with spurs needing a keeper.

Looks like the first salvo in the Steve Tucker campaign to convince us that Marshall will be sold at the end of the season.


Does make a change from his annual campaign to convince us that Whitts will be sold in the close season.

If we get relegated and he stays make the bloke captain.

I said a while back that 'Marshy' was happy to stay. He lives by a close friend of mine and both he and his family absolutely love Cardiff City and what it has to offer

Can't fault him for that, eh?

Marshall is a Bluebird...!!

Marshall is a proper City legend. Saw him in training this week and the effort he puts in is incredible, that's why he's so good. Best GK in the PL and only just coming into his prime. He's made more saves than Jesus.

He has carried his good form, from the championship winning season,and has kicked on again! Today he saved us from defeat again towards te end of the game.he has been collosal for us.legend for sure!

He has carried his good form, from the championship winning season,and has kicked on again! Today he saved us from defeat again towards te end of the game.he has been collosal for us.legend for sure!

committed until the big boys come calling . and double his wage

Without a doubt City's player of the season and in the top 3 of the Prem League.

committed until the big boys come calling . and double his wage

This

"Right then David we have two offers on the table, offer one is to stay with CCFC and continue earning 17,576 pw and look forward to visiting Leyton Orient on a rainy November night, or sign for Liverpool and earn 40000 pw and play against the some of the best teams in the world, cement your place as Scotlands number one and play CL football. Shall I give you 5 seconds to decide?"

David Marshall still confident Cardiff City will stay in the Premier League despite draw to Stoke City
Cardiff City goalkeeper David Marshall sees a second season in the Premier League despite draw to Stoke City still leaving them close to relegation

There is no doubt in the mind of David Marshall that Cardiff City will garner the necessary points to retain their Premier League status.
Admittedly, it might not be a view shared by many occupying the seats at the Cardiff City Stadium. After all, with three games remaining, last season’s Championship winners are trapped in the relegation zone with just two points separating them from safety.
Furthermore, one win in their last six games is hardly the kind of form that will help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side avoid the indignity of their first top-flight campaign in half-a-century ending in relegation.
Still, on the evidence of Marshall’s latest virtuoso performance, the Scottish goalkeeper has got to be taken seriously.
Already the Premier League’s top stopper, in terms of saves made, the former Norwich goalkeeper pulled off half a dozen world-class stops on Saturday, including a 90th-minute strike from Stoke City's Oussama Assaidi that might, come judgment day next month, prove the difference between the Bluebirds staying up and going down.

committed until the big boys come calling . and double his wage

This

"Right then David we have two offers on the table, offer one is to stay with CCFC and continue earning 17,576 pw and look forward to visiting Leyton Orient on a rainy November night, or sign for Liverpool and earn 40000 pw and play against the some of the best teams in the world, cement your place as Scotlands number one and play CL football. Shall I give you 5 seconds to decide?"

If the Metro is to be believed you need to take into account the complete content of the article.

"Now Liverpool have also entered the race, with Brendan Rodgers keen to draft in a goalie to challenge current number one Simon Mignolet and provide cover for next season"

It is very possible he will not fancy playing second fiddle to Liverpool's number 1 with the possibility of covering for Mignolet if he gets injured or whilst being given a run out for domestic cup games?.

Needs to be careful what he is saying.