Where Malky Mackay should strengthen Cardiff City

Nathan Blake: Where Malky Mackay should strengthen Cardiff City

I still believe the club missed a big opportunity by failing to strengthen in January




After a very promising first season in charge at Cardiff City, manager Malky Mackay will already be looking to the next campaign.


This summer is going to prove hugely important to the Bluebirds boss as he looks to add more quality and depth to his squad.

Last summer, of course, Mackay had a really big rebuilding job to do and still managed to secure a play-off place.

Now he will want to add to that and hopefully take Cardiff to the next level at last.


I still believe the club missed a big opportunity by failing to strengthen in January – and that needs to be put right now.

There has been uncertainty recently about the future as Cardiff’s Malaysian investors decide what their commitment is going to be to the club moving forward.

Personally, I don’t think millions of pounds need to be spent, but throughout the team a few new key signings do need to be made.

Here are my thoughts on where Mackay needs to strengthen this summer:

Goalkeepers

When it comes to goalkeepers, well, it looks like it’s already sorted.

David Marshall has signed a new deal after an excellent season and it seems Joe Lewis is coming in from Peterborough to put pressure on the Scot.

I do feel a bit for Tom Heaton, who departed last week. He did great in the Carling Cup and deserved his Wembley appearance.

Let’s be honest, on any given day, there was very little between Heaton and Marshall – but Mackay made his decision and stuck to it.

Defenders

Defence was probably Cardiff’s strongest department in the season just finished.

I think we are OK at centre-half where skipper Mark Hudson and Ben Turner have done a sterling job.

The only thing I will say is if Anthony Gerrard goes, which seems likely, you are going to need cover.

I know Darcy Blake can fit in there, but maybe a promising youngster or a more experienced centre-half on loan might need to be drafted in.

A new right-back would not go amiss. Kevin McNaughton has been a great servant down the years and can still do a job.

But I do believe someone needs to come in and put a bit of pressure on him.

I don’t care how good you are, no-one has a divine right to play in the side.

Maybe a 30-plus full-back with bags of experience who wants to take a step down from the Premier League.

Andrew Taylor has done well at left-back, but, with Paul Quinn and Lee Naylor having left the club, Cardiff need cover there too.

Midfield

Midfield for me is quite a simple business, but let’s hope Mackay holds on to Peter Whittingham.

Aron Gunnarsson, Filip Kiss and Don Cowie all give options, but the big one for me is Stephen McPhail.

He fulfils a vital role, but there are question marks over him quite understandably after everything he’s been through.

Is he going to be fit for the new season? Is he going to be able to play 30 to 40 games?

If he is bouncing in the pre-season then that is going to be very good news for Mackay.

If he isn’t, Cardiff need to bring in someone to play the McPhail role.

It’s a tough position to fill and perhaps one of the key signings Mackay might have to make in the close season. Apart from that, the mantra really is width and space.

That was one of the most frustrating aspects of watching the Bluebirds last season, the absence of someone who could get down the flanks, beat a man and put some quality into the box.

Pace and penetration are what we really need and I would argue two wingers are the order of the day. Vital in fact.

What about a couple with the quality of Nathan Blake and Cohen Griffith?

No, my tongue is firmly in my cheek there.

Strikers

Up front, goodness me we have got to lighten the load on Kenny Miller.

People keep pointing to the fact that he did not find the net for a long time, but the guy is not even playing the game he is good at playing.

He worked harder last season than I have ever seen him before.

For me 30 per cent was added to the amount he had been previously asked to do.

In the end he was playing so deep, and that’s just not him.

He plays off the defender, tries to get in behind people, and it’s no wonder he didn’t score more goals.

Kenny will profit from some good wingers. If the wide men get past their man they drag the centre-halves out of position and that is where Kenny profits.

Everybody knows it, but this summer it is as important as ever, Cardiff need a target man – and they’ve needed one for while.

Someone with a bit of aggression, good in the air and able to take a bit of pressure off Kenny.

Last season I suggested Jason Roberts and James Beattie to someone at the club.

I wish they had taken my advice. Cardiff could be in the Premier League right now.

This time? What about Wales international Steve Morison at Norwich?

He’s fallen out of favour a bit at Carrow Road and he’s going to fall even further down the pecking order when Norwich add a bit more quality to kick on in the Premier League.

I reckon a £1m bid would swing it and I really hope something is done like that on this front.

Looking at the strikers already at the club. It will be interesting to see how Joe Mason does in his second season.

He was ahead of schedule last year and is very intelligent, but will he be able to keep the progress going?

Rudy Gestede is a good player, but he needs someone to work on his running.

That is why he is injured a lot. I had the same thing, running bent forward, almost on your toes, it puts pressure on the back and hamstrings.

I had it trained out of me and young Gestede needs the same done for him now.

And, while we are talking about strikers, I still believe Robert Earnshaw has a part to play at the club.

So there’s a lot there for Mackay to think about this summer and I’m sure the Bluebirds’ boss is well on top of things already.

Let’s hope it’s an even more exciting season for Cardiff City supporters next campaign.



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Fair analysis from Nathan.

Top of my shopping list would be a wide man with blistering pace and a bit of flair. Dare I say it, a Nathan Dyer type player.

The majority of teams that go up have all got these types of players.

Fair analysis from Nathan.

Top of my shopping list would be a wide man with blistering pace and a bit of flair. Dare I say it, a Nathan Dyer type player.

The majority of teams that go up have all got these types of players.

Agree but anyone with a white cane knew we needed players in jan and we missed out on top two, now we go from a dead start to a new season hoping we can get there again, who knows untill the time comes.

Bollocks Kenny has lots of chances just misses a lot.

one player i would have a look at and is free is james mcfadden, i know he been out of the game but if he had a full pre-season he would be a tidy signing.

a winger is needed maybe 2 if we are going to stick with the one up-front, the only thing is not many out and out wingers.
what happenend to the boy from wycombe harris we bought is he stepping up this year, because chelsea were chasing him..

also i think steve morrrison is a great shout for a striker

Good analysis of the squad from Blakey. I agree mostly with his views, especially with that we need to add some much needed width to our midfield. Myself I'd like to see Whitts played back on the left and Craig Conway used on the right if and when he's fit, but another wide man who I'd like to see us sign would be Hal Robson-Kanu from Reading. He's a player who's always impressed me and can play either side too. Maybe we could attract him if Reading buy big this summer?

In terms of strikers, Steve Morison would be a good foil for either of Miller, Mason or Earnie, with the latter probably thriving alongside him if given the chance, much akin to the succesful strike partnership he had with Peter Thorne. I just wish Mackay would bin the negative 4-5-1 formation that frustrates me no end and return to a 4-4-2 or even a 4-2-4 much like how Man City line up with the wingers playing high up the field in support of the strikers, support that was severly lacking for most of the back end of last season, resulting in such a poor run of form in front of goal for Miller.

I don't think we need the 10 new players as has been reported last week, but maybe half that amount and we'd have a squad more than capable of finally by-passing the fuckin' annoyance of the play-offs and at long last be able to establish ourselves in one of the top two positions come the end of next season. Lets just make sure we keep what we've got and the rumours of Whitts and Gunnarsson leaving are just that.

Would love to see Matt Ritchie of Swindon and Nick Powell and AJ Leitch-Smith of Crewe. Quality young'uns with obvious talent that can be trained into real hard working players with great desire. I've heard George Boyd is going to Reading or Southampton but if he didn't i'd have him here every day of the week. You can keep James McFadden - we don't need old injury prone players on massive wages on our books!

Agree mostly with Blake to be honest, I think we could maybe get a better left back than Taylor and Darcy more than deserves a proper run in the team.

I'm glad we didn't sign that Reg Varney character from the conference. Bet he'll be shite for Leicester next year.

I see that Danny Gabbidon has been released by QPR. Would you take him for a year as back up centre half if as expected both Dekel Keinan and Anthony Gerrard get moved on this summer?

I see that Danny Gabbidon has been released by QPR. Would you take him for a year as back up centre half if as expected both Dekel Keinan and Anthony Gerrard get moved on this summer?

Wages might be a problem, if you can get him on low wages he is ideal for cover at the back