' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 7:24 am
Whats your opinion on Jordon Mutch?
I know Malky had high hopes for Mutch and honestly believes Mutch and Maynard were going to be his main stars this season.
Mutch will have another small operation on his foot this Summer.
9th May 2013
" Cardiff City star Jordon Mutch up there with the best, says Malky Mackay "
JORDON Mutch is back and Bluebirds manager Malky Mackay believes he is a match for the best midfield players in Championship football.
The powerful Mutch, 21, has started in both of Cardiff City’s last two Championship matches and looks certain to play a key role in tonight’s clash with Barnsley at home.
“I threw him in and asked him to perform,” said Mackay. “He’s done that and more.
“At Watford Mutch, Kim and Gunnarsson showed their class against arguably the best midfield players rated by many as the best in Championship football – Ikechi Anya, Christian Battocchio and Almen Abdi.”
Manager Mackay, though, could well feel that Mutch, having played twice in quick succession, may need a break with Peter Whittingham challenging for a return.
Playmaker Whitts has been rested from the last two matches, the win against Blackburn and drawn at Watford, and Mackay says: “It’s been about making sure the team is freshened up and everybody is on song.
“Peter is a huge part of everything I do here and the rest will help because he has been flogged to death since I arrived. Every player needs a breather now and again.
“He remains and will be massively in my plans going forward.
“Whitts’ attitude is spot on. He loves football and loves this club. He’s signed three contracts since I’ve been here.
“He’s a great boy and a fantastic talent and is central to everything that happens here.”
A key decision for Mackay tonight is whether Mutch, still only 21, is ready for a third match in quick succession having scarcely played before that in 2013 or if Whittingham should return through the middle.
“Jordon has not played so much this season, but now he’s played twice in quick succession,” said Mackay. “He has been excellent in both matches. The way he carries the ball and leaves people for dead with the ball under control is outstanding.
“It shows the potential the lad has. His foot injury has been an issue and it is something we will take a look at in the summer again, but he is ready to play and has done an excellent job.”
Mackay is looking to keep his City team in peak physical condition over these final six Championship matches and is ready to make changes when needed with an abundance of midfield talent available.
Whittingham, certainly, is ready to return, while Mutch badly wants to stay in the team.
While Mackay has pondered about who should start in midfield, he has fewer options in attack now that Fraizer Campbell is ruled out tonight.
Joe Mason started at Watford and is in line to be given the nod again, although both Rudy Gestede and Heidar Helguson are options alongside captain Craig Bellamy.
Mackay admits it’s been a frustrating year with attacking players, having lost Nicky Maynard for most of the season and now Campbell with a shin problem.
“It’s been frustrating,” he says. “We brought Nicky in to be the focal point up there.
“I look at the goal tallies of some of the people in the division and wonder what Nicky might have ended up with?
“So it’s great credit to the likes of Helguson, Bellamy, Mason and Gestede for what they have done up there.
“In January we brought Fraizer in and now unfortunately we’ve lost him for a couple of weeks.
“But we have a lot of guys throughout the team who can and have scored goals for us. Much has been made of the fact nobody has reached double figures, but we are the seventh highest scorers in the Football League so we are still doing something right at that end of the pitch.
“It’s about players coming in and taking their chance. Young Joe (Mason) has probably had not as many opportunities this year as he would have liked. He led the line well against Watford, gave their defence a torrid time, having also done well when he went on against Blackburn in the previous match.”
City are likely to be without right-back Mat Connolly in tonight’s clash after he suffered a groin strain against Watford with Kevin McNaughton stepping in.
McNaughton was outstanding at Vicarage Road, having gone on after 10 minutes, and looks certain to keep his place.
Centre-half Leon Barnett will again partner Ben Turner at centre-back and they are playing a major role for the Bluebirds.
Barnett, signed on a 28-day loan from Norwich, has now made four appearances and City have kept three clean sheets.
Mackay is keen to extend the loan – the initial deal officially ends after the home match against Forest on Saturday – until the end of this season.
Barnett has filled the gap left by Mark Hudson’s injury and Mackay says: “We’ve lost our captain and one of our leaders so it pleases me even more that we are keeping clean-sheets and playing well.
“We had to get somebody in of the right quality. We made sure we targeted the right player and brought Leon in.
“He’s everything it says on the tin as far as I’m concerned.
“I speak to Chris (Norwich manager Hughton) weekly about it. It’s something we will discuss later this week in the hope we can keep him.
“We will be looking to extend it and want to keep him.”
First, though, Mackay has decisions to make on his starting line-up to face Barnsley.
This is City’s game in hand and a home win would be a blow to chasing clubs and take Mackay’s men a huge step closer to their goal.
The big decisions are likely to come in midfield with Mutch, Gunnarsson and Kim in supreme form plus Whittingham rested and fresh after his rest.
It’s clear, though, that all four will be heavily involved over the three successive home games coming up.
And at the end of that mini-series, the Bluebirds could well have clinched their place in Premier League football.
I know Malky had high hopes for Mutch and honestly believes Mutch and Maynard were going to be his main stars this season.
Mutch will have another small operation on his foot this Summer.
9th May 2013
" Cardiff City star Jordon Mutch up there with the best, says Malky Mackay "
JORDON Mutch is back and Bluebirds manager Malky Mackay believes he is a match for the best midfield players in Championship football.
The powerful Mutch, 21, has started in both of Cardiff City’s last two Championship matches and looks certain to play a key role in tonight’s clash with Barnsley at home.
“I threw him in and asked him to perform,” said Mackay. “He’s done that and more.
“At Watford Mutch, Kim and Gunnarsson showed their class against arguably the best midfield players rated by many as the best in Championship football – Ikechi Anya, Christian Battocchio and Almen Abdi.”
Manager Mackay, though, could well feel that Mutch, having played twice in quick succession, may need a break with Peter Whittingham challenging for a return.
Playmaker Whitts has been rested from the last two matches, the win against Blackburn and drawn at Watford, and Mackay says: “It’s been about making sure the team is freshened up and everybody is on song.
“Peter is a huge part of everything I do here and the rest will help because he has been flogged to death since I arrived. Every player needs a breather now and again.
“He remains and will be massively in my plans going forward.
“Whitts’ attitude is spot on. He loves football and loves this club. He’s signed three contracts since I’ve been here.
“He’s a great boy and a fantastic talent and is central to everything that happens here.”
A key decision for Mackay tonight is whether Mutch, still only 21, is ready for a third match in quick succession having scarcely played before that in 2013 or if Whittingham should return through the middle.
“Jordon has not played so much this season, but now he’s played twice in quick succession,” said Mackay. “He has been excellent in both matches. The way he carries the ball and leaves people for dead with the ball under control is outstanding.
“It shows the potential the lad has. His foot injury has been an issue and it is something we will take a look at in the summer again, but he is ready to play and has done an excellent job.”
Mackay is looking to keep his City team in peak physical condition over these final six Championship matches and is ready to make changes when needed with an abundance of midfield talent available.
Whittingham, certainly, is ready to return, while Mutch badly wants to stay in the team.
While Mackay has pondered about who should start in midfield, he has fewer options in attack now that Fraizer Campbell is ruled out tonight.
Joe Mason started at Watford and is in line to be given the nod again, although both Rudy Gestede and Heidar Helguson are options alongside captain Craig Bellamy.
Mackay admits it’s been a frustrating year with attacking players, having lost Nicky Maynard for most of the season and now Campbell with a shin problem.
“It’s been frustrating,” he says. “We brought Nicky in to be the focal point up there.
“I look at the goal tallies of some of the people in the division and wonder what Nicky might have ended up with?
“So it’s great credit to the likes of Helguson, Bellamy, Mason and Gestede for what they have done up there.
“In January we brought Fraizer in and now unfortunately we’ve lost him for a couple of weeks.
“But we have a lot of guys throughout the team who can and have scored goals for us. Much has been made of the fact nobody has reached double figures, but we are the seventh highest scorers in the Football League so we are still doing something right at that end of the pitch.
“It’s about players coming in and taking their chance. Young Joe (Mason) has probably had not as many opportunities this year as he would have liked. He led the line well against Watford, gave their defence a torrid time, having also done well when he went on against Blackburn in the previous match.”
City are likely to be without right-back Mat Connolly in tonight’s clash after he suffered a groin strain against Watford with Kevin McNaughton stepping in.
McNaughton was outstanding at Vicarage Road, having gone on after 10 minutes, and looks certain to keep his place.
Centre-half Leon Barnett will again partner Ben Turner at centre-back and they are playing a major role for the Bluebirds.
Barnett, signed on a 28-day loan from Norwich, has now made four appearances and City have kept three clean sheets.
Mackay is keen to extend the loan – the initial deal officially ends after the home match against Forest on Saturday – until the end of this season.
Barnett has filled the gap left by Mark Hudson’s injury and Mackay says: “We’ve lost our captain and one of our leaders so it pleases me even more that we are keeping clean-sheets and playing well.
“We had to get somebody in of the right quality. We made sure we targeted the right player and brought Leon in.
“He’s everything it says on the tin as far as I’m concerned.
“I speak to Chris (Norwich manager Hughton) weekly about it. It’s something we will discuss later this week in the hope we can keep him.
“We will be looking to extend it and want to keep him.”
First, though, Mackay has decisions to make on his starting line-up to face Barnsley.
This is City’s game in hand and a home win would be a blow to chasing clubs and take Mackay’s men a huge step closer to their goal.
The big decisions are likely to come in midfield with Mutch, Gunnarsson and Kim in supreme form plus Whittingham rested and fresh after his rest.
It’s clear, though, that all four will be heavily involved over the three successive home games coming up.
And at the end of that mini-series, the Bluebirds could well have clinched their place in Premier League football.
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 7:49 am
I believe its a bit too early to say how good or bad he will be , I mean how many times have we seen player come into a team and we all think , MY God we have a great one here, Only to fined a few games down the line , they hit there true form which turns out to be not up to what we expected or to what was promised by his first few games.
A truly good player will stand the test of time, so lets give him time,and of course more game time ,them we will have a better understanding of what we really have in Mutch and a few of the other so called bright stars Malky has brought to Cardiff.
A truly good player will stand the test of time, so lets give him time,and of course more game time ,them we will have a better understanding of what we really have in Mutch and a few of the other so called bright stars Malky has brought to Cardiff.
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:10 am
Said from day 1 out of this years batch of signings he will prove to be the best.
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:40 am
Mutch was unlucky and what I seen at the start of pre season showed he has a good future.
He was brilliant past 2 games and carrys the ball well. Controlled the midfield first half and was quite unlucky has on a few break aways no-one supported him.
He was brilliant past 2 games and carrys the ball well. Controlled the midfield first half and was quite unlucky has on a few break aways no-one supported him.
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:53 am
DandoCCFC wrote:Mutch was unlucky and what I seen at the start of pre season showed he has a good future.
He was brilliant past 2 games and carrys the ball well. Controlled the midfield first half and was quite unlucky has on a few break aways no-one supported him.
Agree with that, thought he was one of our better midfielders up until his foot injury.
It's great to see he now appears over that injury, been fantastic recently and he'll only get better
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:55 am
Annis i have always said that i saw him destroy us and QPR in the same week in 2010/11 season, (i was at both games)
i beleive this kid will rise to the top.... next season will be his defining season.
i beleive this kid will rise to the top.... next season will be his defining season.
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:56 am
before his injury he was awful to be fair, however been amazing in the last two matches, fitness pending i dont see how he can be dropped.
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:56 am
Pooler_BlueBird wrote:DandoCCFC wrote:Mutch was unlucky and what I seen at the start of pre season showed he has a good future.
He was brilliant past 2 games and carrys the ball well. Controlled the midfield first half and was quite unlucky has on a few break aways no-one supported him.
Agree with that, thought he was one of our better midfielders up until his foot injury.
It's great to see he now appears over that injury, been fantastic recently and he'll only get better
My bad, only just saw that he's having surgery in the summer so not over it just yet
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 10:01 am
loved what I saw of him at brum last season and glimpses I saw of him at Watford, without a doubt if he didn't have this foot problem he would of played a lot more this season, mutch and gunnarson is the future of our dominant midfeild
Re: ' JORDON MUTCH ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELDERS AROUND? '
Tue Apr 09, 2013 11:28 am
Once fit be awesome player. I really see a big future for him