Gary Medel has exceeded expectations.
Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:16 pm
Scott Johnson: Gary Medel has exceeded expectations to become Cardiff City's star player.
Bluebirds Banter blogger and The Blues are Up author Scott Johnson takes a look at the signing of Gary Medel and how important he now is to Cardiff City's Premier League cause.
Gary Medel was a Cardiff City cult hero before he even stepped on the pitch.
His reputation suggested that Malky Mackay had signed an unhinged lunatic .
A ticking time bomb that would disrupt the dressing room harmony with wanton destruction and chaos.
Some of his previous misdemeanours certainly do bear repeating.
Sent off in the semi-final of the Under-20 World Cup, he returned to the field after the final whistle to remonstrate with the referee, resulting in a brawl and police using electric tasers to control him.
He has attended games with ultras , stripped to the waist. Scored in the Argentine Superclasico, before being dismissed for punching one player and kicking another. Crashed his car asleep at the wheel, flying through the windscreen and has also claimed "If it hadn't been for football, I would be stealing or trafficking drugs."
Cardiff fans could be forgiven for expecting the Tasmanian devil to show up, but the reality has been, thus far, he has been calm, disciplined and an unbelievably positive influence.
His reading of the game is remarkable, intercepting play and sniffing out danger time and again. He completed 99% of his passes in a midfield master class against Fulham at the weekend and has taken ownership of the team, despite a prohibitive language barrier.
He is a specialist player, the likes of which Cardiff has never had, but you cannot imagine the side without him now.
Malky spent most of the summer looking to spend a sizeable chunk of the funds made available to him on Victor Wanyama and Etienne Capoue, despite a wealth of midfield options.
He was looking to fulfil a need that most people didn’t realise existed.
Sevilla’s perilous financial situation necessitated Medel’s departure and his signing now looks inspired, despite the huge sum Malky is clearly delighted with the impact of the 26-year-old Chilean international, recently claiming:
“He has been two minutes in the door, a Spanish speaker with limited English and yet he has taken to our club like a duck to water. There is a confidence about him – an aura which underlines he deserves to be playing Premier League football. He is a natural leader and as his English gets better he will develop even more. He settled immediately and gained immediate respect from all players.”
In Cardiff’s maiden campaign in the top flight, Medel has quickly established himself as their most important player. His long-haul jaunts with the national sides are a concern in terms of fatigue and it remains to be seen whether he can maintain his good behaviour in future. But Cardiff’s immediate prospects appear to depend on his fitness and availability. He is simply irreplaceable.
Former Boca Juniors team mate Nicolas Gaitan has previously conceded: “(Gary) doesn’t feel like talking in the dressing room. He’s very silent.” Long may he remain the strong and silent type in the heart of the Cardiff midfield.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ed-6120549
Bluebirds Banter blogger and The Blues are Up author Scott Johnson takes a look at the signing of Gary Medel and how important he now is to Cardiff City's Premier League cause.
Gary Medel was a Cardiff City cult hero before he even stepped on the pitch.
His reputation suggested that Malky Mackay had signed an unhinged lunatic .
A ticking time bomb that would disrupt the dressing room harmony with wanton destruction and chaos.
Some of his previous misdemeanours certainly do bear repeating.
Sent off in the semi-final of the Under-20 World Cup, he returned to the field after the final whistle to remonstrate with the referee, resulting in a brawl and police using electric tasers to control him.
He has attended games with ultras , stripped to the waist. Scored in the Argentine Superclasico, before being dismissed for punching one player and kicking another. Crashed his car asleep at the wheel, flying through the windscreen and has also claimed "If it hadn't been for football, I would be stealing or trafficking drugs."
Cardiff fans could be forgiven for expecting the Tasmanian devil to show up, but the reality has been, thus far, he has been calm, disciplined and an unbelievably positive influence.
His reading of the game is remarkable, intercepting play and sniffing out danger time and again. He completed 99% of his passes in a midfield master class against Fulham at the weekend and has taken ownership of the team, despite a prohibitive language barrier.
He is a specialist player, the likes of which Cardiff has never had, but you cannot imagine the side without him now.
Malky spent most of the summer looking to spend a sizeable chunk of the funds made available to him on Victor Wanyama and Etienne Capoue, despite a wealth of midfield options.
He was looking to fulfil a need that most people didn’t realise existed.
Sevilla’s perilous financial situation necessitated Medel’s departure and his signing now looks inspired, despite the huge sum Malky is clearly delighted with the impact of the 26-year-old Chilean international, recently claiming:
“He has been two minutes in the door, a Spanish speaker with limited English and yet he has taken to our club like a duck to water. There is a confidence about him – an aura which underlines he deserves to be playing Premier League football. He is a natural leader and as his English gets better he will develop even more. He settled immediately and gained immediate respect from all players.”
In Cardiff’s maiden campaign in the top flight, Medel has quickly established himself as their most important player. His long-haul jaunts with the national sides are a concern in terms of fatigue and it remains to be seen whether he can maintain his good behaviour in future. But Cardiff’s immediate prospects appear to depend on his fitness and availability. He is simply irreplaceable.
Former Boca Juniors team mate Nicolas Gaitan has previously conceded: “(Gary) doesn’t feel like talking in the dressing room. He’s very silent.” Long may he remain the strong and silent type in the heart of the Cardiff midfield.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ed-6120549
Re: Gary Medel has exceeded expectations.
Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:21 pm
how come he has exceeded expectations ? I mean the guy must have been bloody good to be playing against the likes of Messi and he was!. So I would have expected him to be someone special , and by god he is ,and we have Malky to thank for it.
LET SLIP THE DOG OF WAR
LET SLIP THE DOG OF WAR
Re: Gary Medel has exceeded expectations.
Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:25 pm
Love the stories of his past. 
Re: Gary Medel has exceeded expectations.
Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:29 pm
DandoCCFC wrote:Love the stories of his past.
I hope we can read a even better one in the future Butty
, We all said Makly deserved a Medal , so he went and got one for us all , Go Gary go