'Solskjaer to assess Juan Cala fitness ahead of SW derby'

Sunday 2nd February 2014.

Cardiff City will monitor the fitness of new signing Juan Cala before deciding whether to plunge him straight into derby day action against Swansea this weekend.

The Bluebirds are buying out the Sevilla contract of the Spanish centre-back, the La Liga side announcing on their official website that the decision had been made to terminate the 24-year-old’s deal so that he could move to the Premier League.

Cala, a former team-mate of Gary Medel, is being signed because of concerns Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has about defemsive duo Ben Turner and Mark Hudson.

He is eyeing Cala instead as Steven Caulker’s centre-back partner and may plunge him straight into the heat of Liberty Stadium battle with Swansea on Saturday.

Cala was also a target for Newcastle and Getafe target, but the Bluebirds moved to snap him up and he watched Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Norwich.

Cala leaves Sevilla having made 19 appearances in competitions this season, each of them in the starting team.

The defender was actually named in the Sevilla squad to face Málaga on Saturday night, but was pulled out at the last minute to sort out his deal with the Bluebirds.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ar-6660049

Wrong game, too soon. Stick him on the bench at most.

Lets get him signed before we play him

I've got a garbage can they can use in place of Turner if they need it, probably turns quicker.

Wrong game, too soon. Stick him on the bench at most.

If he's fit chuck him in, shit or bust lets fuk em up

If he has already played 19 games and he is fit then play him. What is the point in putting him on the bench. Another big game gone otherwise.

Put him in against gypos or villa no.difference both.huge games, if hes fit that is.

We will regret it if he makes more changes to the back 4. At 6s and 7s yesterday because new players were in. We need a settled back 4 and experience there. Make no mistake, they will bombard us to start off with. The guy probably struggles with the language !

As for the comments about Turner and turning -he's quicker at that than Caulker and backs off less. I'm struggling to remember him being beaten on the turn by anyone this season. Yesterday he passed the ball better than he has all season, but people are making a big deal of him letting a couple of balls bounce (which he then dealt with) in an atrocious swirling wind.

Can't believe how many are making him a scapegoat. Top of the OPTA stats yesterday and before Christmas was in the top 2 or 3 English defenders on same stats.

Few games ago Hudson was the answer for some - then he came in and people realised Turner was better.

Bit like 2-3 seasons ago when Hudson was getting all the blame for Gerrard being sh1t !

I love this place. We have never seen him play live but he must be better than Turner.

FFS there were posts about Turner representing England three months ago....

Eikrem nothing special against a championship team but he is better than Kimbo, Whitts, Cowie and Gunnarson in some supporters minds.

First two rules of defending. Don't pass across your own goal and don't let the ball bounce.

Turner did both yesterday and had elmander have pace we would of paid the price.

I love this place. We have never seen him play live but he must be better than Turner.

FFS there were posts about Turner representing England three months ago....

Eikrem nothing special against a championship team but he is better than Kimbo, Whitts, Cowie and Gunnarson in some supporters minds.

Eikrem had a calf strain against Bolton, you watch the boy hes gonna be a big player for us

First two rules of defending. Don't pass across your own goal and don't let the ball bounce.

Turner did both yesterday and had elmander have pace we would of paid the price.

^^^^^^^^^this

First two rules of defending. Don't pass across your own goal and don't let the ball bounce.

Turner did both yesterday and had elmander have pace we would of paid the price.

First 2 are get goal side and give him an early one , but I know what you mean...

How about don't try hitting a ball on the volley in the wind, because if you miss it the striker is clean through.

He coped with Elmander easily after the ball dropped. Job done. If he'd swiped at it missed it or mishit it then Elmander's lack of pace wouldn't have mattered, he would have been in.

As for passing the ball across goal, when was that ? I can remember Caulker almost putting one of their guys in with an awful pass early on, but Turner's passes were pretty good yesterday -for a change.

I've got a garbage can they can use in place of Turner if they need it, probably turns quicker.

don't u mean Hudson he is 10 times slower than turner

I have no problem with Turner as a defender, could never question his commitment or bravery, he makes some excellent tackles & blocks.
We all know of his limitations as far as playing goes but then so do the opposition. They close him down quicker than most of our other players after letting him have the ball! Don't think it's wise to throw Cala straight in mind

I've got a garbage can they can use in place of Turner if they need it, probably turns quicker.

don't u mean Hudson he is 10 times slower than turner

Either, at least Hudson doesn't make sideways passes to the opposition when unchallenged.

I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to bring Cala into the line-up. Turner may not be the best but he's not shite either. He's still got time to improve.

It could aslo be too risky to start Cala before he really gets to know the team. However, I do remember when Dekel Keinan made his Cardiff debut as a starter v Swansea within a few days of signing.

Couldn't be any worse than Turner and Huds, Turner is a very hard worker and i respect him for that but i don't think he's up for prem football

dekel keinan made his debut for us away at the liberty and we won 1-0.....perhaps history will repeat itself.

Turner is a good defender, just shit when it comes to ball retention!

Fitness should not be a problem he has a whole week to train with the team mates
Swansea will be a perfect start. They do not bombard anybody and i think Cardiff will
go for them from the kick-off this weekend. If he's good enough he played. Look at
Barnett last season. he had not played barely for months and slotted in very well

They can play him tomorrow night in the development team.

If he has signed then at the very least it's another option to keep the jerks guessing on our team next week.
However, we will need someone to physically compete with boney and in my books that has to be Turner but then I don't know anything about Cala.Also Lawnmower makes a good point about minimising disruption within the team.

In my opinion Turner has been one of our best players this season and don't forget after a bad injury he has only played Championship football until this season and will improve. If he had played against west ham I don't think Cole would have had such an easy time and the result may have been different. For all his strengths, Hudson has shown season after season that he can't cope with a powerful target man(I realise he's out for a few weeks).

Bony is big and strong, good finisher but not the quickest... Jack in work words not mine. Turner should be ok

Bony is big and strong, good finisher but not the quickest... Jack in work words not mine. Turner should be ok

This...

Plus Juan Cala has one of those names the Jacks can take the piss of. Anyone else think it sounds like wanka la

Is Cala better than Turner?

Bony is big and strong, good finisher but not the quickest... Jack in work words not mine. Turner should be ok

This...

Plus Juan Cala has one of those names the Jacks can take the piss of. Anyone else think it sounds like wanka la

I thought his name was Juan Torres Ruiz.....or just Cala

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Torres_Ruiz