Will defensive solidity be enough?

The Big Issue: Will defensive solidity be enough?

Balls to that. The question really intriguing neutrals is does Craig Bellamy still possess the roadrunner pace that he weirdly kept into his 30s, despite a long history of knee injuries? However, it isn’t the rapidity of their feisty star that Cardiff supporters are concerned about. It’s more that, despite winning the Championship by a comfortable eight points, their team lacked a pure goalscorer (see stat, below).

Boss Malky Mackay has solved this problem by breaking the club’s transfer record to spend £8m on 21-year-old Steven Caulker: a defender. Oh. He has also spent over £7m on target man Andreas Cornelius, but while the 6ft 4ins Dane netted 19 goals for Copenhagen last season, he’s just 20 years old and has played fewer than 50 club games – it’s asking a lot for him to be prolific in his debut season.

Instead, a team that came up playing functional football will need to rely on supreme fitness and solidity, with captain Mark Hudson the defensive rock alongside smooth-passing Caulker. The club’s prized asset is the gaffer, however, cut from the cloth of savvy Scottish motivators. With momentum, Malky Mackay in charge and vocal home fans relishing top-flight football, Cardiff may have enough to make it to safety. Just about.

Keep an eye on…
Kim Bo-Kyung - Cardiff may lack silks, as kids today express it, but South Korean attacking midfielder Kim began to showcase his skills at the end of last season. The 23-year-old’s quick feet, deft first touch, ability to spot a pass and tidy finishing have had his manager purring during the club’s pre-season. “You can see the talent there,” said Mackay after he scored the winner in a friendly against Chievo. Queston is: can he do it at the highest level?

The Stat
8 - No Cardiff player scored more than eight league goals last year: Aron Gunnarsson, Peter Whittingham and the now-departed Heidar Helguson.

If they were an animal, they would be a…
Chameleon - Have thrived following a change in colour. Not generally thought very attractive to look at, but may just prove sticky enough to hang around for a little while at least.

Prediction: 16th

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This stay of us not having a player in double figures is one that grinds on me a little.
If we had campbell all season he could have clearly got into double figures.
Maynard our top striker at the start of the season was out practically the whole season.

That's two key 'new' strikers, add to that Cornelius and we have three strikes we didn't have last season.

Admittedly they Are unproven but that was always going to be the case for a promoted team.

Not a bad article and it is very fair. I accept the point about our strikers but as 2B2H states I do expect Campbell, Maynard and Cornelius to do well this season, each one of them will get into double figures (injury permitting)

We also have plenty of goals elsewhere Connelly, Hudson, Turner, Whits, Kim B-Young and may be even Bellamy Put that together with our solid formation and I can see easily 16th place and probably a lot higher, much higher.

I expect us to bring in a good winger and maybe a striker ,

Cornelius for 8.5 million
lets not forget volikonja also scored 20+ in a scandanavian league, and that didn't turn out very well.

but lets face it if malky is paying 8.5 million for a player with 50 league games and no premier league experience then MM must have alot of ammo at his disposal,

If he wants another striker he will loan one or spend big january if we are struggling

WE DO NOT HAVE DEFENSIVE SOLIDITY..........thats why we must rely on goals

This stay of us not having a player in double figures is one that grinds on me a little.
If we had campbell all season he could have clearly got into double figures.
Maynard our top striker at the start of the season was out practically the whole season.

That's two key 'new' strikers, add to that Cornelius and we have three strikes we didn't have last season.

Admittedly they Are unproven but that was always going to be the case for a promoted team.

Spot on. Didn't Campbell average a goal in just over 2 games? He would have got around 20 if he was here for the full season. Maynard would have got into double figures as well. Another way to look at it, we score goals from everywhere

Not a bad article and it is very fair. I accept the point about our strikers but as 2B2H states I do expect Campbell, Maynard and Cornelius to do well this season, each one of them will get into double figures (injury permitting)

We also have plenty of goals elsewhere Connelly, Hudson, Turner, Whits, Kim B-Young and may be even Bellamy Put that together with our solid formation and I can see easily 16th place and probably a lot higher, much higher.