Nathan Blake: Wise heads are needed for Cardiff City's assault on the Premier League.
The Premier League is unforgiving division, I know I’ve been in it, and when you first get there you do need a bit of a guiding hand, both on and off the pitch.
Of all the tasks Malky Mackay faces this summer, one of the most important must be to bring some Premier League experience into his squad.
We all know that the Bluebirds have raw talent within their ranks in the shape of Jordon Mutch and Kim Bo-kyung, who really could sparkle in the top flight next season. The aim must be to bring in perhaps three or four older – and wiser – heads who, most importantly, know all about the cut and thrust of the Premier League. Let’s not kid ourselves, the Bluebirds are going to face a fight to hold onto their status next term, and they certainly need a few players who know their way about the league. Mackay himself is a managerial novice in the top flight. He may have played there for a season as a player with Watford, but he has never managed at that level.
And the Premier League is unforgiving division, I know I’ve been in it, and when you first get there you do need a bit of a guiding hand, both on and off the pitch. That can be very important, especially when you are under pressure, to have someone who is going to be able to calm down those around him. I would like to see players who been there, done it and got the T-shirt when it comes to the Premier League in Mackay’s 25-man squad. They don’t have to be older players necessarily in terms of age, but they do need to be players who have played at Premier League level and know what it is all about.
This is going to be vital if Cardiff are to survive. Let’s be honest, the Bluebirds will go into virtually every game next season as underdogs, and it takes a certain sort of mentality to deal with that and earn the points from tight games that City are going to need. I see that Mackay is looking abroad for players, too, and that can only be a good thing. If you are looking for bargains, which Vincent Tan has mentioned and Cardiff are going to need, then you realistically have to look for them outside of England. But let’s not get carried away with foreign talent, a clutch of Premier League veterans is what Cardiff really need.
Of course, there are players within the Bluebirds squad already who do have experience in the top flight. The most obvious of these is Craig Bellamy who has played at the very top level for a very long time. Bellamy will be 34 in July and, in many ways, you have to think that getting his hometown club into the Premier League in the first place was the fulfilment of one of his last ambitions in football. You get the impression that has taken a lot out of him, but I feel his experience next season is going to be invaluable for Mackay and his teammates.
Who can say how many games Bellamy will play for Cardiff in the Premier League, although last season I think he saw a lot more time on the pitch than many thought he might. But next term I see one of Bellamy’s most vital roles actually coming off the pitch. He is going to be a big presence in the Bluebirds’ dressing room, offering guidance and just telling others what to expect from the campaign on a weekly basis. I also feel Mackay himself will at times be turning to Bellamy to get some guidance and advice when it comes to life in the top flight.
Another player I believe will be very important for Cardiff next season is midfielder Peter Whittingham. Whittingham, of course, did not have the best end to the last campaign when he found himself among the Cardiff substitutes for the last few games. Personally, I think that rest was needed because he is a player who had played himself into the ground for the Bluebirds’ cause for more seasons than many might care to remember. There have been plenty around talking about selling Whittingham now and getting him out the door, but I have never been in that camp and to me it is a foolish idea.
Whittingham’s class is still there and I see him fitting back into Mackay’s plans in midfield. What Whittingham is so good at is the transitional play out of midfield thanks to his ability to pick the perfect pass. He can just as easily spray the ball 50 or 60 yards with real accuracy. Depending what system Mackay uses I think Whittingham is going to prove an important player. He might not play every game, but, as with this season, Mackay is going to have to rotate his squad to get the best out of them.
The challenge in the Premier League is to be able to change a side and see it still perform at 90% efficiency. In the Championship you can get away with three or four players not being at their very best and still earn a win or a point.
In the Premier League that will not be the case and, if that does happen, you will quite simply get hammered.
Consistency is very much going to be the key for Mackay – that and a good sprinkling of experience.
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