' Cardiff City not missing Leeds loanee Tom Adeyemi '
Dan Coombs
News Now
08/10/15
Cardiff City loaned Tom Adeyemi to Leeds United in the summer, but are not worse off for allowing the midfielder to leave.
Cardiff City's decision to allow Tom Adeyemi to join Leeds United on loan this season was met with derision from fans in the summer, who did not approved of letting the promising midfielder move to a Championship competitor.
Adeyemi has had a solid start at Leeds, but Cardiff are showing no ill effects of the decision 10 games into the season.
The Bluebirds have turned around their bottom-half form from last season, and currently sit as high as eighth in the league, just two points off a play-off spot, and five points ahead of Leeds.
An important part of their good start has been the midfield partnership of Peter Whittingham and Kagisho Dikgacoi, who have been regular in Russell Slade's side.
Both players have been performing strongly, with Adeyemi's Leeds form not yet showing to be superior to either player.
Adeyemi's Leeds performance have not been bad by any stretch, and he has done his job well for the Whites, but his displays compared to Dikgacoi's have been fairly like for like, with the former Palace man certainly superior in terms of tackling, ball recoveries and key passes.
The move may just have saved Adeyemi's season, allowing him to go and play regularly rather than warming the bench for Cardiff, and at the same time removed a selection headache for Slade, who has been able to pick his first choice duo largely without hesitation.
There is a case that Slade should have sought to hold onto the young Englishman rather than 30-year-old South African international Dikgacoi, as Adeyemi has more of a long term future in the game, but after a disappointing start for the Cardiff boss last season, this time around he needs results.
If Cardiff can stay in the top half of the table and mount a play-off push next Spring, his decision will have proved a wise one, but suffer injuries, and the decision to let Adeyemi leave could take on a new perspective.