CITY MISUSED HIM AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE LET HIM GO

Cardiff City have misused Kenwyne Jones and I don't get why he's been allowed to join Bournemouth - Nathan Blake

Monday 30 March 2015

By Nathan Blake

In one of the sagas of the week, Cardiff City centre forward Kenwyne Jones was allowed to leave for Championship leaders Bournemouth.

Kenwyne Jones was used in a variety of roles at Cardiff City

I don’t know Kenwyne Jones. I certainly can’t remember playing against him in the last few seasons of my career or even saying hello to the guy.

But I am certain he’s a highly effective centre-forward, particularly at Championship level, and it’s difficult to fathom why he has been allowed to join Championship leaders Bournemouth on loan.

For me he should have stayed with Cardiff City as they make plans to start 2015-16 on the front foot.

It’s clear the financial rewards for the club in giving their go-ahead to the deal were significant, including a loan fee plus a bonus if the Cherries go up, but it’s crucial City challenge hard for promotion next season and Jones must be part of that bid.

Right now, though, manager Russell Slade’s team are stuck in mid-table mediocrity and Jones is preparing to give Bournemouth’s title challenge a boost over their last seven fixtures.

Okay, that’s a great temporary move for Jones, who will pose a substantial forward threat for Bournemouth, but Slade is left to get on with his plans for the future without him.

City currently have seven senior strikers under contract and in line to be part of the squad next season. If I had to choose three of them now it would be Jones plus Adam Le Fondre, currently out on loan at Bolton, and Joe Mason, who is just back from a spell with Bolton and is regaining fitness after a bad hamstring strain.

For me the other four, Eoin Doyle, Federico Macheda, Nicky Maynard and Alex Revell still have a fair bit to prove.


Jones will link up with Bournemouth early next week to start preparing for their next fixture, at Ipswich next Saturday.

He is Cardiff’s top scorer on 13 goals, but apparently hasn’t been guaranteed a start with Bournemouth. I reckon he will make a significant impact on their season and I hope the Cherries play him in the right way.

I’ve been a bit perplexed about the way Slade has used Jones at times this season, playing him too deep in a sort of No.10 support role.

Why on earth would you do that? The way to get the best out of Jones is to play him as an out-and-out centre-forward.

He can take on both central defenders, give them a bruising time and that’s when the likes of Doyle or Revell can support and make the most of chances he can create.

But Slade has sometimes used him in deep and that doesn’t make sense. He is not that style of player.

Opposing defenders will love to see Jones sitting back and out of their faces. It’s not as if City have another striker who is technically gifted or lightning quick to lead the attack instead. They don’t.

It’s puzzled me why Jones was being asked to play a withdrawn role which seems to expose any weaknesses he has.

And now he’s off to the seaside. It’s not as if Bournemouth are a bigger club than Cardiff, far from it, but they are top of the table and in a much better position.

Most fans would say their manager, Eddie Howe, is among the best young coaches around and I’d like to think he will use him in the right way.

Callum Wilson is Bournemouth’s top scorer. He has great movement and an eye for goal. Wilson and Jones could be a potent partnership.


I can see the big man tying up Championship defenders with sheer physical presence, allowing Wilson to run in behind. That’s a role I once had with Sheffield United and it’s a beautiful thing to be given that job. I loved it. There is a real freedom being able to watch your strike partner take the bangs and bruises while you run in to pick up the pieces and hopefully score goals.

Slade has said that the departures of Matt Connolly to Watford and Jones to Bournemouth are for business reasons. That really means they are cost cutting measures.

I can understand that City are mid-table and can’t really achieve anything this season, but they are trying to rebuild and it says a lot about our club’s ambition when they are cutting costs at this stage.

Maybe the days of big money signings have gone, but those players don’t always make the best team. Bournemouth have done it without splashing out massive money, Southampton in the Premier League have built steadily and are up there competing with the top clubs.

The task for Slade is to ensure he signs the right calibre of players to ensure he has a group who, working together, can become a successful team. It’s going to be tough next season. Three clubs will come down from the Premier League, probably three from Sunderland, Burnley, QPR and Leicester, while Bournemouth, Watford, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Derby and Ipswich are battling for promotion. Three of them will miss out and, along with the three coming down, are sure to push on even harder next season.

Right now it’s difficult to see Cardiff competing against those clubs. I wish Slade all the best and would love him to prove me wrong, but there is a lot of work ahead if that is to happen. He will have to add a few more players who can make a quick impact.

There is no room for sentiment as Slade plans for the future. He needs a committed group who are ready for the Championship battle and anybody who falls short in the fitness stakes should be moved on.

Seven games to go and the Bluebirds must now plan ahead. The pressure is growing already and Slade must deliver in terms of a solid start next season.

missing the point entirely - the article should have headlined "Jones goes for business reasons".

Whilst I am no fan of putting players in the 'wrong' positions, that hasn't happened very often with Kenwynne.

I for one applaud the club for doing this with Jones and Connelly - sensible and pragmatic.

Time for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee.

missing the point entirely - the article should have headlined "Jones goes for business reasons".

Whilst I am no fan of putting players in the 'wrong' positions, that hasn't happened very often with Kenwynne.

I for one applaud the club for doing this with Jones and Connelly - sensible and pragmatic.

Time for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee.

Jimmy,the headline,is virtually as Blake says it.

For me Blake has this wrong
K Jones is nothing but a disappointing type of a player always seems to have a good spell but when settles in at a club his nature which seems like he doesn't care comes out and he then normally ends up on the bench and is used as an impact player
also Le fondue while he works hard he goes down when the wind changes direction and had more than enough changes this season at Cardiff

next season with should be building around Mason Maceda and Doyle so start now and see if it works

There is no chance his contract will be renewed so if it is out at the end of the season as some suspect I am glad to get rid early.

There is no chance his contract will be renewed so if it is out at the end of the season as some suspect I am glad to get rid early.

Neil, I thought Kenwyne had another year left ?

There is no chance his contract will be renewed so if it is out at the end of the season as some suspect I am glad to get rid early.

Neil, I thought Kenwyne had another year left ?

Oh that's a shame. Might make sense though if Odemwingie was given 3 years and KJ swapped with him.

I just think this is total nonsense.

People knock Kenwyn but where would we have been without him this year? Top scorer and probably our most effective defender on corners!

missing the point entirely - the article should have headlined "Jones goes for business reasons".

Whilst I am no fan of putting players in the 'wrong' positions, that hasn't happened very often with Kenwynne.

I for one applaud the club for doing this with Jones and Connelly - sensible and pragmatic.

Time for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee.

Jimmy,the headline,is virtually as Blake says it.

Understood Annis I was referring to the newspaper headline

For what it's worth I can't see such a high earner staying at the City next year - which in itself I think is the right way to go for the club.

Typical post when VT OR Slade let go a player 99.9% of you slagged off. Now suddenly they are beaten over the head with it. Total and utter boll......

This show's Blake was a better footballer than he is a pundit

Plain daft. You have to go back a fair few season to see when Jones was effective.

Slade is caught between a rock and a hard place. You can only play kenwyn in a single forward role, but Slade has been brought up soley on a rigid 442.Jones doesn't look for his partner thats not his game, he want to trap and lay it off to the attacking midfielders we don't have.

Revell and Doyle are more 442 strikers, good all rounders.

Nathan wide of the mark yet again here!

City have nothing to play for except practice (for the youngsters) and pride and City had the chance to off-load a major expense!

I defy any half savvy businessman on here NOT to have taken the same decision under the same circumstances!

Didn't mind Kenwyne. He had his purposes in the team, but an unnecessary luxury when we have nowt to play for!

Jones' Twitter he says good by to the fans. Transfermarkt said his contract was up at the end of the season (before they updated his loan details) and they are normally spot on.

His wages are too high and he almost certainly won't be here regardless next season. Sensible move by the club.

this transfer just symbolises that from now on balancing the books and cutting costs is more important than pushing for promotion. such an unambitious move to loan out your best striker would never have happened in the 2012/13 season.

jones will go at the end of the season as the club think he costs too much. i suspect he will go to an ambitious championship side who will get the best out of him, and that certainly won't be us.

this transfer just symbolises that from now on balancing the books and cutting costs is more important than pushing for promotion. such an unambitious move to loan out your best striker would never have happened in the 2012/13 season.

jones will go at the end of the season as the club think he costs too much. i suspect he will go to an ambitious championship side who will get the best out of him, and that certainly won't be us.

These amazing players we are letting go got us exactly where -mid table !!!!!

The last two seasons have been a disaster and we need closure.

Jones is on the downgrade and has been for seasons. I would love to know what ambitious side he goes to, he is not premier league class, because in his suppossed prime as a target man he is in the championship.