' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 7:13 am
City's lack of action in transfer window means pressure is on manager Russell Slade
By Steve Tucker
Sunday July 5th 2015
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... er-9588080?
The silence from within Cardiff City this summer has so far been deafening.
As the transfer market heats up, supporters across the country have been left scrabbling onto Google for info on their club’s latest signings and taking to social media to argue whether £5m for that defender from Legia Warsaw is really money well spent or not.
Bluebirds fans have so far been spared such trial and tribulations. Russell Slade’s single arrival thus far has been promising, young centre-half Semi Ajayi on a free transfer from Arsenal. The 21-year-old, who was on loan in the Welsh capital at the back end of the last campaign, but did not trouble the Bluebirds team, maybe one for the future, but he is hardly a player to set the pulses racing right now.
Conspiracy theories
And, as we know, football fans are very much about the here and now, forward thinking not being a stock that has much value for those who pay their hard earned money for a season ticket.
The problem is that if nature abhors a vacuum then the rumour mill surrounding the buying and selling of footballers absolutely detests it.
Slade has a problem here. He is coming off the back of one of the most uninspiring campaigns that many can remember in recent years. The lethargy and boredom of fans was evident last season and that has now spilled over into a long (occasionally) hot summer providing perfect conditions for conspiracy theories to thrive.
Why no big signings? Well, Slade and his footballing brand are a turn off for potential arrivals. He’s got no money as Vincent Tan tightens the purse strings. Cardiff have to off-load before they can accrue, the murmurings are out there.
That is all most likely unfair, Slade and his team are undoubtedly busily beavering away trying to bring in the two or three ‘quality’ signings the fans have been promised this summer.
Rumour and speculation
There has been plenty of rumour and speculation naturally, I mean, even if Slade and his men were lounging about drinking pina coladas in the sunshine, the Bluebirds would still inevitably be linked with players.
There has been plenty of speculation, an apparently high-stakes pursuit of the division’s top-scorer last term, Ipswich’s Daryl Murphy, a seemingly fruitless attempt to prise Johnny Russell from Derby, an interest in Hull’s Stephen Quinn who has joined Reading, more grist to the doom-merchant’s mill, ditto striker Chris Wood who has put pen to paper at Leeds.
How many more signings do Cardiff City need this summer?
The Bluebirds are right now apparently embroiled in a tug of love over wideman Sammy Ameobi, with the Newcastle man mulling over a loan move to either Cardiff or Wolves. A perfect rumour, at the perfect moment, but still nothing definitive to report.
Of course, no one is pushing any alarm bells yet, the night is still young as they say, but the fact is this is a big time for Slade. The Cardiff boss has hardly covered himself in glory since he took over last October. Results were mixed, inconsistency pretty consistent, the 11th place finish disappointing and the style of football was even enough to have your correspondent pining for the days of Dave Jones.
Despondency has a habit of settling and becoming very hard to shake off. The pressure is on Slade from the very start of the new season, scrub that, the pressure is on right now and many are not impressed by the lack of action in the transfer market thus far.
Past summer business
But is this (up until now) summer of discontent as unique as it is being portrayed? Indeed come July 4 in the past, what kind of transfer business had Cardiff actually conducted as they prepared for their next campaign?
Well, a look back over the last decade does actually show that this summer Slade and his staff are being a touch tardy. If we look back 12 months it seems that then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was very quick out of the blocks. By this time 12 months ago five new faces had already arrived. OK, that’s the good news, but when you discover the likes of Guido Burgstaller, Javi Guerra and the enigmatic Kagisho Dikgacoi were amongst them then whole thing looks rather less impressive.
Another season back again and we actually see parity with now, Malky Mackay, like Slade, had brought in just the one new player. That was Andreas Cornelius for a massive fee from FC Copenhagen, most proving the old adage, more haste less speed.
Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay is pictured with new signing Andreas Cornelius
If you are looking for mitigating circumstances then Mackay that season was preparing for life in the Premier League which started later than the Championship that year. A full two weeks later in fact.
In fairness to Slade and his transfer team, by July 3 down the years on occasion the signings had not quite been flowing. Back in 2010 only goalkeeper Tom Heaton had come in on a free transfer and the following year just the Scottish duo of Craig Conway and Don Cowie had become Mackay’s first signings.
Need for Slade to prove doubters wrong
But there is a different vibe around the club now, naturally there is expectation, but there is a cynicism too, a nagging need for Slade to prove his doubters wrong.
They say in football, nothing is won in August and in the same way, a successful summer transfer window is not defined in early July.
But Slade needs to deliver some good news on that front and deliver it soon, the natives are restless after all, but then again, when have they ever been anything else in the Welsh capital?
By Steve Tucker
Sunday July 5th 2015
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... er-9588080?
The silence from within Cardiff City this summer has so far been deafening.
As the transfer market heats up, supporters across the country have been left scrabbling onto Google for info on their club’s latest signings and taking to social media to argue whether £5m for that defender from Legia Warsaw is really money well spent or not.
Bluebirds fans have so far been spared such trial and tribulations. Russell Slade’s single arrival thus far has been promising, young centre-half Semi Ajayi on a free transfer from Arsenal. The 21-year-old, who was on loan in the Welsh capital at the back end of the last campaign, but did not trouble the Bluebirds team, maybe one for the future, but he is hardly a player to set the pulses racing right now.
Conspiracy theories
And, as we know, football fans are very much about the here and now, forward thinking not being a stock that has much value for those who pay their hard earned money for a season ticket.
The problem is that if nature abhors a vacuum then the rumour mill surrounding the buying and selling of footballers absolutely detests it.
Slade has a problem here. He is coming off the back of one of the most uninspiring campaigns that many can remember in recent years. The lethargy and boredom of fans was evident last season and that has now spilled over into a long (occasionally) hot summer providing perfect conditions for conspiracy theories to thrive.
Why no big signings? Well, Slade and his footballing brand are a turn off for potential arrivals. He’s got no money as Vincent Tan tightens the purse strings. Cardiff have to off-load before they can accrue, the murmurings are out there.
That is all most likely unfair, Slade and his team are undoubtedly busily beavering away trying to bring in the two or three ‘quality’ signings the fans have been promised this summer.
Rumour and speculation
There has been plenty of rumour and speculation naturally, I mean, even if Slade and his men were lounging about drinking pina coladas in the sunshine, the Bluebirds would still inevitably be linked with players.
There has been plenty of speculation, an apparently high-stakes pursuit of the division’s top-scorer last term, Ipswich’s Daryl Murphy, a seemingly fruitless attempt to prise Johnny Russell from Derby, an interest in Hull’s Stephen Quinn who has joined Reading, more grist to the doom-merchant’s mill, ditto striker Chris Wood who has put pen to paper at Leeds.
How many more signings do Cardiff City need this summer?
The Bluebirds are right now apparently embroiled in a tug of love over wideman Sammy Ameobi, with the Newcastle man mulling over a loan move to either Cardiff or Wolves. A perfect rumour, at the perfect moment, but still nothing definitive to report.
Of course, no one is pushing any alarm bells yet, the night is still young as they say, but the fact is this is a big time for Slade. The Cardiff boss has hardly covered himself in glory since he took over last October. Results were mixed, inconsistency pretty consistent, the 11th place finish disappointing and the style of football was even enough to have your correspondent pining for the days of Dave Jones.
Despondency has a habit of settling and becoming very hard to shake off. The pressure is on Slade from the very start of the new season, scrub that, the pressure is on right now and many are not impressed by the lack of action in the transfer market thus far.
Past summer business
But is this (up until now) summer of discontent as unique as it is being portrayed? Indeed come July 4 in the past, what kind of transfer business had Cardiff actually conducted as they prepared for their next campaign?
Well, a look back over the last decade does actually show that this summer Slade and his staff are being a touch tardy. If we look back 12 months it seems that then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was very quick out of the blocks. By this time 12 months ago five new faces had already arrived. OK, that’s the good news, but when you discover the likes of Guido Burgstaller, Javi Guerra and the enigmatic Kagisho Dikgacoi were amongst them then whole thing looks rather less impressive.
Another season back again and we actually see parity with now, Malky Mackay, like Slade, had brought in just the one new player. That was Andreas Cornelius for a massive fee from FC Copenhagen, most proving the old adage, more haste less speed.
Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay is pictured with new signing Andreas Cornelius
If you are looking for mitigating circumstances then Mackay that season was preparing for life in the Premier League which started later than the Championship that year. A full two weeks later in fact.
In fairness to Slade and his transfer team, by July 3 down the years on occasion the signings had not quite been flowing. Back in 2010 only goalkeeper Tom Heaton had come in on a free transfer and the following year just the Scottish duo of Craig Conway and Don Cowie had become Mackay’s first signings.
Need for Slade to prove doubters wrong
But there is a different vibe around the club now, naturally there is expectation, but there is a cynicism too, a nagging need for Slade to prove his doubters wrong.
They say in football, nothing is won in August and in the same way, a successful summer transfer window is not defined in early July.
But Slade needs to deliver some good news on that front and deliver it soon, the natives are restless after all, but then again, when have they ever been anything else in the Welsh capital?
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:56 am
Problem is that Slade is not used to negotiations at this level.
He's used to £50-100k negotiations.
Lets wait and see but facts will present themselves sooner or later
He's used to £50-100k negotiations.
Lets wait and see but facts will present themselves sooner or later
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:03 am
Sorry but I think that the club are only looking for one or two players as the squad we got fully fit is good enough ,I don't think there is pressure from within the club only the media
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:13 am
Typical Tucker shit.Nothing to write about so try and make up a crisis though the anti-Slade brigade will love this.Looks like he's been scouring the message boards for inspiration.
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:14 am
NIBluebird wrote:Problem is that Slade is not used to negotiations at this level.
He's used to £50-100k negotiations.
Lets wait and see but facts will present themselves sooner or later
Please tell me your having a laugh.
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:24 am
How can the fans be lethargic, bored, and restless at the same time.
More genius from Tucker, its why no-one buys the Echo any more.
More genius from Tucker, its why no-one buys the Echo any more.
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:49 am
wez1927 wrote:Sorry but I think that the club are only looking for one or two players as the squad we got fully fit is good enough ,I don't think there is pressure from within the club only the media
Agreed! They have a few names and want to right guys with the right contracts, that ameobi is probably slowing a few things down. I'm sure everything will be sorted in the next couple of weeks!
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:50 am
Good article I thought! With the dearth of quality in the squad Slade had better get a move on.
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:52 am
What a load of shit Tucker must of been bored after a couple of pints when he wrote this. Now I remember why I stopped buying these rags
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:50 am
there is only answer. 
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 11:49 am
No it doesnt I think it will help that we are not signing much players because we have already got a quality squad that without much change will develop a huge team spirit like a Bournemouth and when you have a team with huge spirit anythings possible. 
Re: ' LACK OF SIGNINGS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON SLADE '
Sun Jul 05, 2015 3:24 pm
stop making excuses for him