Andrea's Cornelius, Etien Velikonja Mark 2?

Paul Abbandonato: I hope Cardiff City get right with Andreas Cornelius what they got so wrong with Etien Velikonja

Andreas Cornelius - Paul Abbandonato says he hopes Cardiff City signed the right man
By Paul Abbandonato | 3 Jul 2013 13:51
I have always followed international and European club football as keenly as the domestic scene, would like to think I’m something of a connoisseur of the game at that level.

Yet I openly admit I had never even heard of Andreas Cornelius, Cardiff City’s new £8.5million record signing from Denmark.

Doubt very much you had either.

Just as we had never heard of Etien Velikonja, the Bluebirds’ £3m centre-forward capture from the continent this time last year.

So much for me being a connoisseur, I guess!

Malky Mackay’s scouting team clearly have their ear to the European grapevine much more closely than yours truly.

I just fervently hope that they have got it as right over Cornelius as they appear to have got it wrong over Velikonja.

There are analogies to be drawn, I guess, between the two strikers, aside from the fact they each cost the Bluebirds multi-millions.

Velikonja came here boasting an impressive record in Slovenian football, having scored 20 goals in 48 matches for UEFA Champions League outfit Maribor. He has also played three times for his country.



Cornelius arrives having banged in a more than useful 18 goals in 34 matches for FC Copenhagen in the Danish League. He has seven Denmark caps, having scored once against the Czech Republic.

Velikonja, City’s number nine last season, scored a hatful of goals in the development team, but actually only featured for a total of 73 minutes in Mackay’s Championship winning side.

He came on as a 77th minute substitute for Heidar Helgusson in an early season draw at Brighton, as a 75th minute replacement for Tommy Smith in a 4-2 defeat at Bristol City and started the last game of the season at Hull, something of a token gesture,

Velikonja was taken off at half-time in that match, replaced by Fraizer Campbell - a hugely successful Mackay striking signing - who grabbed a stunning equaliser.

The only other match Velikonja featured in was a 2-1 FA Cup third round defeat to Macclesfield, when he played the full 90 minutes.

I wasn’t at Brighton. Hull or Macclesfield, but I did see the game against Bristol City. Velikonja looked so out of sorts, it was almost as if Cardiff had plucked him from Trelai Park and stuck him into their team.

That’s far too harsh, of course and there must be three million reasons why Velikonja is an infinitely better footballer than we have seen to date.

Maybe it has taken a year to get him more accustomed to the hurly-burly of British football, as opposed to the slower pace of the Slovenian League.

Maybe he will actually thrive in the Premier League, where the focus is far more on playing football than power, muscle and route one.

Maybe he was bought for the future... and that future starts in August.

On the other hand, maybe signing Cornelius is an indication that Mackay, who already has the excellent Campbell, a fit-again Nicky Maynard and old war-horse Craig Bellamy as striking options, has given up on Velikonja.

Time will tell, I guess. As it will in terms of whether Cornelius proves value for money.

Although few of us knew of him before, Cornelius certainly seems to fit the bill in terms of possessing the size and physique required to be a roaring success in the English game.

At 6ft 4in, Cornelius won’t let himself be pushed around by the likes of John Terry. Ashley Williams, Ryan Shawcross and co.

velikonja cost 3m now did he?

blimey the first few lines did my head in..connosiuer of the game !!!...get a grip these clowns at the echo know buggar all,so adreas isnt up to much cos paul abbadabbadoughnut doesnt know him !!!!!

blimey the first few lines did my head in..connosiuer of the game !!!...get a grip these clowns at the echo know buggar all,so adreas isnt up to much cos paul abbadabbadoughnut doesnt know him !!!!!

I just had an e mail from Abbandon all hope:

Dear Paul

Im hoping to run this story next week, do you think its cutting edge journalism:

"cardiff city may well win lose or draw their first game in the Premiership''

what u reckon chief?

blimey the first few lines did my head in..connosiuer of the game !!!...get a grip these clowns at the echo know buggar all,so adreas isnt up to much cos paul abbadabbadoughnut doesnt know him !!!!!

Yeah,I was expecting a bit of decent speculation but its a bit of a non story really. I hear he's doing an article tomorrow about Zouma, he hasn't heard of him but he's going to compare him to Anthony Gerrard and make out he's a cu@t! I better make sure I read through the next article I post before I put it on here I think!

blimey the first few lines did my head in..connosiuer of the game !!!...get a grip these clowns at the echo know buggar all,so adreas isnt up to much cos paul abbadabbadoughnut doesnt know him !!!!!

Yeah,I was expecting a bit of decent speculation but its a bit of a non story really. I hear he's doing an article tomorrow about Zouma, he hasn't heard of him but he's going to compare him to Anthony Gerrard and make out he's a cu@t! I better make sure I read through the next article I post before I put it on here I think!

blimey the first few lines did my head in..connosiuer of the game !!!...get a grip these clowns at the echo know buggar all,so adreas isnt up to much cos paul abbadabbadoughnut doesnt know him !!!!!

Spot on - they make so many mistakes they make the BBC football reporters look well informed.

Eg.:

"Velikonja was taken off at half-time in that match [v. Hull last match of season], replaced by Fraizer Campbell - a hugely successful Mackay striking signing - who grabbed a stunning equaliser."

I could have sworn Campbell scored the opening goal of the match.

Is Paul abandocantspellhisname bigbadg off here?

What a ridiculous piece of sports journalism.

Hes pelted Velonijka on the basis he didnt play well in the last 15 minutes of the Wurzles game where the whole team were out of sorts, plus being replaced at HT of the Hull game where he was upfront in his own and City were pinned in their own half.

Pathetic

What a ridiculous piece of sports journalism.

Hes pelted Velonijka on the basis he didnt play well in the last 15 minutes of the Wurzles game where the whole team were out of sorts, plus being replaced at HT of the Hull game where he was upfront in his own and City were pinned in their own half.

Pathetic

Some of your posts are spot on.

One big difference here. Apparently Malky decided on AC but EV was not his decision, allegedly.

StT.

One big difference here. Apparently Malky decided on AC but EV was not his decision, allegedly.

StT.

Correct, Etien was never a Malky signing; he was recommended by Jose Mourinho when he met with VT at some event last year.

One big difference here. Apparently Malky decided on AC but EV was not his decision, allegedly.

StT.

Correct, Etien was never a Malky signing; he was recommended by Jose Mourinho when he met with VT at some event last year.

Is it really? If he was recommended by Jose Mourinho why is hasn't he performed? Something I don't quite understand.

One big difference here. Apparently Malky decided on AC but EV was not his decision, allegedly.

StT.

Correct, Etien was never a Malky signing; he was recommended by Jose Mourinho when he met with VT at some event last year.

I cant believe people are still swallong that shit

One big difference here. Apparently Malky decided on AC but EV was not his decision, allegedly.

StT.

Correct, Etien was never a Malky signing; he was recommended by Jose Mourinho when he met with VT at some event last year.

Absolute bollocks.


Why did malky scout him back at Watford then?

once again:

this is what manager of NK Maribor Zlatko Zahovic said about transfer Etien Velikonja to CCFC:

Last year Diego Mendes, the most powerful manager in the world, came for Etien Velikonja in the club. With the price of 600, 700 thousand marched into the club, in the end, he agreed for two millions - because we know, who wants Velikonja so bad (Malky) ..

Malky wanted Etien year before, when he was at Watford, but Etien injured his knee and Malky waited ..