Cardiff City need to get in another striker on loan

Cardiff City need to get in another striker on loan
by Nathan Blake, South Wales EchoSep 24 2012


CARDIFF City need to get another striker in on loan... and quickly.

Having Nicky Maynard potentially out for the whole season with a knee injury is a massive loss.

Maynard was just starting to settle, he’s got a lot of class and for me is a Premier League striker, so without him the Bluebirds have lost a big weapon in their armoury.

I just think right at this moment, despite what has been said about the size of Malky Mackay’s squad, Cardiff have limited options when it comes to strikers.


You’ve got Heidar Helguson, Joe Mason, maybe Tommy Smith in there and then you are looking down at the likes Etien Velikonja and Rudy Gestede who are still pretty unknown quantities, to be honest.

Mackay has got to go out and get another frontman, whether it be a hold-up man, a speed merchant or even a classy number 10 who’s going to come deep.

The style is not important, what matters is that Mackay gives himself another option given that Maynard is out of the picture.

This is no knee-jerk reaction from me after the Bluebirds’ disappointing 3-2 defeat at Crystal Place either. As soon as Maynard was ruled out I knew an extra addition to the squad had to be made.

But turning to the Palace game, I know there are going to be many who will have a go at the Bluebirds because of the way the match was lost.

When you go two goals ahead and then lose it is a galling experience, but there’s no shame in it, particularly at Palace.

I’ve played at Selhurst Park on plenty of occasions and it is a really tough place to go.

It’s cramped, old-fashioned and your supporters are stuck down in the corner. It is a bit like Ninian Park, but perhaps without the intimidation factor of the Bluebirds’ old home.

Cardiff went in 2-0 up at half-time on Saturday and you do wonder if a bit of complacency might have crept in.

I obviously don’t know for sure, but it’s a possibility. You are thinking how you’ve seen off Leeds, seen off Wolves, won at Millwall midweek and now you’re two-up at Selhurst Park.

You go in for the half-time team-talk and naturally the manager tells you, well done, to keep it going, keep at it.

Obviously you don’t get the riot act read at you, but in the Palace dressing room. meanwhile. that is exactly what is happening.

They come out and they get an early goal, suddenly the tempo is up, the initiative has switched, their supporters are on their feet and you are having a tough time hanging in there.

I’ve seen it at Selhurst Park before, I’ve experienced it first hand. Portsmouth was another ground like that. They are the kind of sides at their place you have got to dominate for 87 minutes before they will finally realise they are beaten.

Saying that, this weekend’s result is the kind that can come back and haunt you and Mackay will be very much aware of that.

I’m afraid you do find that the sides who are going to occupy the automatic promotion places come the end of the season will get a different result from a game like that.

They might go two goals up and get pegged back, but it is then them who nick a goal to swing things back in their favour.

But even though it maybe a disappointing result from a Cardiff perspective, it’s not any kind of crisis, really.

Cardiff are having a good start to their campaign and things are so early that the table itself is virtually meaningless right now.

I bet there’s a side down in 15th, 16th or 17th that is going to make the play-offs and you only have to look at Reading last year to see that anything can yet happen and probably will.

What is for sure is that the Championship this time around is, I believe, the strongest it has been in a decade.

But the Bluebirds are doing OK. For me the first 15 games, you just put your head in the water and swim. You simply try to pick up the wins and get the points, then, after 15 games, you stick your head up and have a look where you are.

Obviously you don’t want to leave yourself too much to do, you want to be in the mix and right now Mackay and his Bluebirds are right there in the mix.



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I thought this was you writing it then Annis until "I've played at Selhurst Park"

No they don't.

Why when we only ever play 1 up front ?

I've been saying the same thing myself sine Maynard got his injury.I don't know who we can get on loan,I guess our options are limited, but certainly in January if we are in the mix a top striker will be essential.

As much as i respect Blake,particular as a player,he does have a tendency to wear rose colored specks as far as Mackay is concerned,saying that, i do agree with him when he makes the case for getting a replacement striker for Maynard,my only concern is that, if Mackay does bite the bullet and get a replacement in,he will want to bring in a target man,encouraging those in the club who believe in hoof ball to continue that outdated tactic

As much as i respect Blake,particular as a player,he does have a tendency to wear rose colored specks as far as Mackay is concerned,saying that, i do agree with him when he makes the case for getting a replacement striker for Maynard,my only concern is that, if Mackay does bite the bullet and get a replacement in,he will want to bring in a target man,encouraging those in the club who believe in hoof ball to continue that outdated tactic

I agree with what you say there, although I always sense some bitterness in your posts. You rarely have a good word to say about our current manager and I wonder why. I don't think he's perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I haven't built up such a dislike of him, as you appear to have.

I wonder if Malky share's this sentiment. I hope he's looking to bring someone in. IMO Helguson is too cumbersome.

is kenwyn jones a realistic target for us? hes the only player available i can think of who could perform malkys lone striker role
i feel sorry for heider helguson,hes genuinely trying his best but will end up as this easons scapegoat

With Helg supposidly bein injury prone that could be a good call just in case.

is kenwyn jones a realistic target for us? hes the only player available i can think of who could perform malkys lone striker role
i feel sorry for heider helguson,hes genuinely trying his best but will end up as this easons scapegoat

Helguson is a target man, but not really one who can play on his own. Him and Maynard could have been good together, but now we won't know.

My dear Nedd Glas,i do assure you im not running any personal vendetta against Mackay,i don't know the gentleman so there is nothing personal in my opinion of Mackay,what you must understand Nedd is,that i have followed City for over 50 years,and i have seen so many managers come and go,most of them,totally inadequate to do the job,but in past times we never had a team we have now,so one inadequacy cancelled out the other,but now with so much potential in our present squad,it is vital we have a manager who is capable of getting the best from them,and with all the best will in the world Mackay is not that manager,i can go on and on about his short cummings,but i don't wish to bore you,in any case they are well documented,i just feel that if you are willing to invest millions of pounds into a football club,you really need to invest in getting the best manager possible for our present level,and in my humble opinion,Mackay falls way short of that particular standard

My dear Nedd Glas,i do assure you im not running any personal vendetta against Mackay,i don't know the gentleman so there is nothing personal in my opinion of Mackay,what you must understand Nedd is,that i have followed City for over 50 years,and i have seen so many managers come and go,most of them,totally inadequate to do the job,but in past times we never had a team we have now,so one inadequacy cancelled out the other,but now with so much potential in our present squad,it is vital we have a manager who is capable of getting the best from them,and with all the best will in the world Mackay is not that manager,i can go on and on about his short cummings,but i don't wish to bore you,in any case they are well documented,i just feel that if you are willing to invest millions of pounds into a football club,you really need to invest in getting the best manager possible for our present level,and in my humble opinion,Mackay falls way short of that particular standard

A lot of what you say here is true unfortunately

My dear Nedd Glas,i do assure you im not running any personal vendetta against Mackay,i don't know the gentleman so there is nothing personal in my opinion of Mackay,what you must understand Nedd is,that i have followed City for over 50 years,and i have seen so many managers come and go,most of them,totally inadequate to do the job,but in past times we never had a team we have now,so one inadequacy cancelled out the other,but now with so much potential in our present squad,it is vital we have a manager who is capable of getting the best from them,and with all the best will in the world Mackay is not that manager,i can go on and on about his short cummings,but i don't wish to bore you,in any case they are well documented,i just feel that if you are willing to invest millions of pounds into a football club,you really need to invest in getting the best manager possible for our present level,and in my humble opinion,Mackay falls way short of that particular standard

You seem to have been too critical of him for too long, though. You've only very occasionally posted any favourable comments - I could probably count them on one hand - compared to your usual attacks.

What I've noticed mostly, is the fact that you don't really seem to criticise the players much. In my opinion, the players have to take as much blame (if not more) as the manager for that capitulation on Saturday at Selhurst Park. You can't blame him for Taylor's handball, for instance, can you?

Yes, his tactics aren't brilliant, sometimes, but more players need to take responsibility now and earn their crust.

If we loan someone in then they have to be a lot better than Bellamy and mason IMO otherwise it's pointless.

do you think bellamy and mason would work as a frint two then?

do you think bellamy and mason would work as a frint two then?

Yes I think they could
Not really the point I was making though, more so that it just pushes them down the pecking order.

all about them having to try harder to get into the team then.


plus it doesnt look at this stage as if malky sees bellamy as an option up front. and personally i dont see mason as an out and out striker, although would like to see him given a start up top with helguson.

all about them having to try harder to get into the team then.


plus it doesnt look at this stage as if malky sees bellamy as an option up front. and personally i dont see mason as an out and out striker, although would like to see him given a start up top with helguson.

Crazy that Mason is wasting away on the bench, considering how well he did last season. 4-4-2 with him and Helguson up front could well be the answer. Let's hope we try it.

We wont get Kenwyn jones seeing as he played for stoke on saturday. i agree with 2blue whats the point bringing another striker when we have bellamy helguson mason and velikonja

We wont get Kenwyn jones seeing as he played for stoke on saturday. i agree with 2blue whats the point bringing another striker when we have bellamy helguson mason and velikonja

agree ,but malky seems so stubborn tactically it appears the likes of mason and eti will not get picked and craig is unlikely to play twice a week regularly

Bellamy, Mason, Helguson, Velikonja, Gestede

These 5 are more than capable.

If we'd have got something at Crystal Palace this thread wouldn't exist.

Bellamy, Mason, Helguson, Velikonja, Gestede

These 5 are more than capable.

If we'd have got something at Crystal Palace this thread wouldn't exist.

And Smith

depends on your view of "capable" though doesnt it?

personally i dont see either bellamy or smith playing as strikers, and helguson, while good is 35.

Gestede is neither good enough or fit enough and etien is unknown

id look at these players for a loan til january.


conor wickham
franzier campbell
jamie mackie
daniel pacheco
simeon jackson.

Connor Wickham
Fraser Campbell
Jermaine Beckford
Cameron Jerome

Connor Wickham
Fraser Campbell
Jermaine Beckford
Cameron Jerome

Wickham is a good shout.

We need to get in some quality defenders thats what we need.