Nathan Blake: I’m not convinced about having Earnshaw and Miller up front for Cardiff City
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city-fc/2011/08/22/nathan-blake-i-m-not-convinced-about-having-earnshaw-and-miller-up-front-for-cardiff-city-91466-29277398/CONGRATULATIONS to Rob Earnshaw for making it 200 club career goals with his strike at Burnley.
We at Cardiff City know what Earnie is all about probably more than any other set of fans, the guy will always score goals whichever club he is at.
Earnie just gets on with his job.
He’s not a player who is going to drop deep and bring other players into the action.
He’s going to go for goal and as he’s proved down the years he’s very good at it.
One thing I would advise manager Malky Mackay to do now, if at all possible, is to get Earnie in and working with the young strikers at the club.
There’s a little group of youngsters at the club, I’m thinking of the likes of Nat Jarvis and Ibby Farah who did well at Oxford in the Carling Cup recently, who could learn so much from working with Earnshaw.
I could not think of a better role model for a young player to be honest.
It’s not just the way he has gone about his business on the pitch, but off it too.
The way he conducts himself and has looked after himself is something any player can learn from, not just the kids, but there is a great opportunity for them to learn now from one of the best.
We will all be hoping that this season Earnie can really get into the groove and fire a lot of goals because the Bluebirds are certainly going to need them.
Saying all that I think, like a lot of Cardiff watchers this season, I’m not totally convinced by Earnie’s pairing up front with Kenny Miller.
They are both out and out goal scorers and that concerns me.
OK, if you are going to play two small strikers like that up-front together the one thing both of them need is electric pace if it has any chance of working at all.
Earnie is no slouch, but Kenny is not noted for his pace.
For me it is a situation which if not addressed now will only get worse as the season rolls on.
I think when we get into December, January and February and the games are coming thick and fast it will become very evident you just cannot get away with it.
Cardiff need to bring in someone with a bit of power to play up front.
I’m not talking a 6ft 5ins monster by any stretch of the imagination.
Someone 5ft 10 or so who is OK in the air, but most importantly can hold the ball up and bring other players into the game is what’s needed.
This is no slight on Earnie or Kenny because I played alongside both of them and they are very good at what they do.
I’m not even advocating dropping one of them to the bench because I think they can both be utilised in the side, but not in the current formation.
Kenny is better at bringing others into the game than Earnie. Kenny is an incredibly intelligent footballer and reads the game very well.
I played with him at Wolves, only about six times because he broke his collar bone unfortunately, but straight away he’s one of those guys you build up an almost instant telepathic connection with.
To be honest, apart from John McGinlay at Bolton, Kenny is the best striker I played with throughout my carer.
He could be dropped into a deeper role at Cardiff behind the frontmen or perhaps even pushed out wide.
There is of course the option of dropping one of them to the bench, but it would be harsh on two excellent players who I do believe can play in the same side.
But I don’t think things can continue as they are.
It’s down to Mackay to find the right formation now.
I understand it’s early days and the new Cardiff boss has had a big re-building job, but his striking options are something he must address sooner rather than later.