Whittingham's days are numbered & Bellamy is straight talkin

Five things we learned from Cardiff City's desperately needed victory over Norwich City.

Sunday 2nd Feb 2014.

Paul Abbandonato looks at the key issues following the Bluebirds' crucial victory, including a bleak-looking future for Peter Whittingham.

" Whittingham's days are numbered & Bellamy is straight talking "

1. Peter Whittingham's days as a leading Bluebird look numbered

Peter Whittingham, according to many Cardiff City fans, is one of the best footballers they have seen in the blue shirt.

Having spent seven years strutting his mercurial magic from the midfield, he will, in time, be remembered as something of a Bluebirds legend.

But under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Whitts’ days as an automatic first choice member of the team – by and large his right since 2007 – are well and truly over.

To be hauled off after 38 minutes was embarrassing enough. That the substitution was so rapturously cheered by Whittingham’s own Cardiff fans said everything about what they thought of his current form.

On came Wilfried Zaha instead to turn the game the way of the Bluebirds.

Not many managers make bold changes like that so early in a game. I recall Jose Mourinho doing it once with Joe Cole at Chelsea, but Solskjaer’s actions worked a treat.

With Gary Medel, Jordon Mutch, Magnus Wolff Eikrem, Mats Moller Daehli, Craig Bellamy, Aron Gunnarsson and Kim Bo-Kyung vying for the central midfield berths, Whittingham’s days look numbered.

Wilfried Zaha replaces Peter Whittingham

2. Craig Bellamy is as straight-talking as always

Anyone who thought Craig Bellamy would mellow with age was proved wrong post-Norwich.

His blast at Bluebirds fans came right out of the blue.

“That’s not the club I’m from. I saw them turn first half, and I’ve not been a part of that,” said straight-talking Bellers, who had gestured with a finger to his mouth - be quiet - after his equalising goal.

I heard something similar from Bellamy after Wales won a qualifying match in San Marino under John Toshack, claiming some of the flak the players took from the travelling Welsh supporters that night was ‘vicious’.

The atmosphere wasn’t great in the first 35 minutes, a reflection of the tenseness of the relegation battle and the fact City were so shocking.

Whittingham was rounded upon, while large sections of supporters jeered when the Bluebirds tried to play a bit of football and passed the ball backwards to keep possession.

Those particular fans clearly prefer route one to the beautiful game, whereas Bellamy, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, have always been brought up on a diet of pass and move.

That said, having a pop at the paying customer perhaps wasn’t the wisest thing Bellamy has done. The players and the fans need one another... let’s hope unity prevails from here on in.

Craig Bellamy celebrates his equaliser against Norwich

3. Bellamy can play at number 10

On the pitch itself, Bellamy was handed a new position as the main creative force of the team.

Instead of playing up top as a striker or out on the wing, Bellamy was picked in the old fashioned ‘10’ role, the most advanced midfielder asked to make the play in and around the Norwich penalty box.

It was unfamiliar territory for the veteran, although he did have a brief spell in that position towards the end of his Wales days in one match under Chris Coleman.

On Saturday he performed the function with mixed success. Like the rest of the team, he was poor in the first 30 minutes, scored and drove the Bluebirds forward in the second 30 and spent the last 30 having to frantically defend.

Bellamy does have the passing game and vision to play there. His days of whizzing down the wing at searing pace are clearly over.



4. Cardiff need Spanish defender Cala

Let’s hope Spanish defender Juan Cala, the man the Bluebirds bought out of his Sevilla contract, was worth the effort as the transfer window closed.

Under Malky Mackay, Cardiff’s defensive limitations were glossed over because the former manager set his team up with 10 men behind the ball, sitting deep and organised.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Bluebirds are playing a far more adventurous game... and it exposed Ben Turner against Norwich. Steven Caulker didn’t have his finest match, either, particularly with Fabio rampaging forward so excitingly from right-back.

Turner struggled for pace and positioning at times and Solskjaer clearly has reservations about him, having preferred Mark Hudson in previous matches and brought in Cala.

Let’s see how good the Spaniard is. A debut in a derby game at the Liberty Stadium is as tough as it gets.

5. New signing Zaha is sheer class

The best, quite rightly, has been left to last. Wilfried Zaha had a dream debut and has instantly become an idol to the fans.

Rarely has a player turned a match quite so dramatically as Cardiff’s new wing wonder, sent into the fray after 38 minutes for the disappointing Peter Whittingham.

His first run down the flank lifted the fans and Zaha’s team-mates. He set up Bellamy’s goal, had another dazzling run which led to the corner for Kenwyne Jones’ winner.

After that, to be honest, he was somewhat quiet., But Zaha’s very presence offers an outlet to the team and hope to the fans.

Very few players have you on the edge of your seat when the ball lands at their feet. Zaha is one of those few... it’s going to be a damn exciting journey.

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you forgot point number 6 DAVID MARSHALL is pure class and we are lucky to have one of the premierships best goalkeepers in our team

Thanks for the memories Peter. Short memories on some.

you forgot point number 6 DAVID MARSHALL is pure class and we are lucky to have one of the premierships best goalkeepers in our team

Ain't that the truth. Lost count of the number of times he's kept Cardiff in matches. Had he been English, no doubt the media would be paying him much more attention...

Whittingham's days numbered? well i rather think that's up to the boy himself,what i won't except though is the word of some second rate hack with little football knowledge.

I stopped reading after he listed bellamy as a central midfielder.

That the substitution was so rapturously cheered by Whittingham’s own Cardiff fans said everything about what they thought of his current form.

...rapturously cheered ......????? I heard no cheering or booing, certainly not rapturous.


And Bellamy's rant ...I think that was partly fuelled from him over hearing Fans Criticism and jeers about himself. But he wouldn't admit it, and said it was about Whitts.

Strangely enough Whitts was substituted immediately after his edge of the box shot missed the post by just a couple of feet.

Had the shot gone in, would history have been re written ?


AND it was only a few matches ago that Bellamy hit a free kick that almost hit a kid by the corner flag. Bellamy was booed and jeered in that match after that free kick. Perhaps he has been waiting for the moment when he scored to answer back ?

That the substitution was so rapturously cheered by Whittingham’s own Cardiff fans said everything about what they thought of his current form.

...rapturously cheered ......????? I heard no cheering or booing, certainly not rapturous.


And Bellamy's rant ...I think that was partly fuelled from him over hearing Fans Criticism and jeers about himself. But he wouldn't admit it, and said it was about Whitts.

f*cking WANKERS HE CALLED US..........thats about ten rungs up the ladder from what he is.

I would never boo our own players but bellamy has lost my respect, cardiff has never been his club anyway so he chats too much rubbish. Imo he's a loser

Paul Abbandonato writes shit, and is a shit journalist

Whittingham's days numbered? well i rather think that's up to the boy himself,what i won't except though is the word of some second rate hack with little football knowledge.

'Second rate hack with little football knowledge'? Paul Abbandonato is nowhere near that good!

As already said, how can he miss out Marshall and also, Kenwyne Jones' contribution? Scoring at one end, heading corners away from the other, an immense debut!

I smell the fresh scent of the wind of change; and it sure does feel good! I think we had some watershed moments Saturday and they bode well for our future.