Blake Says " Ole needs an experienced coach along side him"

Nathan Blake: Cardiff City hierarchy need Premier League know-how to move forward
Monday 24th Feb 2014.

Cardiff City legend Nathan Blake says the men making the decisions at Cardiff City are in great need of Premier League experience around them


Nathan Blake says Cardiff City need more Premier League leadership experience, " Perhaps because Solskjaer is new to Premier League management he needs an experienced coach alongside him."

The responsibility for Cardiff City’s situation is not down to one man, or even two. It has to be a shared responsibility and everybody involved must take their share.

Perhaps because Solskjaer is new to Premier League management he needs an experienced coach alongside him.

Steve McClaren comes to mind as the type of man who would be of immense help, so it’s a pity that he’s currently employed as Derby County manager.

And it’s not just Solskjaer who would maybe benefit from a little direction. Tan certainly could, so too chief executive Simon Lim and most of the directors.



There is no fall back position for anybody. There is an impression that the whole place lacks direction, even if Tan has pots of money,

Cardiff have spent a lot of money but whether they have spent it wisely, of course, is another question.

It’s certainly not fair to say this situation is Solskjaer’s fault as he has been put in this situation by decision-making higher up the executive chain.

On the field Cardiff are devoid of confidence right now and a lot of that has developed from what has happened off the pitch. Survival hopes make grim reading.

There is a need for Cardiff to find five wins from their last 11 games and that’s not impossible.

But there are only four left I believe are truly winnable – against Fulham, Stoke, Crystal Palace at home and maybe West Brom away.

The problem is the way Cardiff are playing even that doesn’t look likely and the inevitable outcome looks like relegation.



I’d love to think they can save themselves but right now it doesn’t look good.

I’d even go further and say that, certainly in terms of organisation, Cardiff were a better team at the end of last season when they won the Championship and earned promotion than they are now. They don’t look anywhere near as organised.

That organisation fell off during the last six games of Malky Mackay’s tenure and it was always going to be difficult to maintain that high tempo at Premier League level.

Of course, players such as Steven Caulker and Ben Turner would be fine in the Championship but what about Magnus Wolff Eikrem and some of Solskjaer’s other signings? I’m not so sure.

The team looks totally unbalanced. If it was down to me there are players I would keep and others I would move on.

David Marshall is one of the best goalkeepers around but the whole back four and midfield looks disjointed.

Saturday was almost a jolly for Hull’s Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long, decision-making being the major problem for Cardiff while there were simply too many mistakes.

When Hull scored their third goal, from a Jelavic header, Caulker had been pulled out of position, but Andrew Taylor didn’t move inside to cover his captain. Why not?

The ball flew over Juan Cala, who couldn’t see what was happening behind him and had to trust in others, but there was no-one marking Jelavic who headed home.

There has been a breakdown in playing relationships within the team. Yes, the boardroom unrest before Mackay was sacked affected the whole club, but there is no point blaming people and pointing fingers now.

The key is to see how Cardiff can fix this.

First and foremost they must get back to basics and ensure they are difficult to beat and tough to break down. If they could pick up a couple of draws, starting at Spurs on Sunday, then Cardiff would feel better about themselves mentally.

If they can slip in a win then maybe, just maybe, it might yet be possible to engineer the ‘Great Escape’. On current evidence it looks highly unlikely, but let’s back Solskjaer to fire things up this week.

Everybody knows you build from the back and that’s what Cardiff have to do.

Certainly, for me, it’s not time to even talk about Solskjaer’s position as Tan has backed the Norwegian to do the job long-term.


If, say, in a year’s time he is only winning 20 per cent of matches then let’s look at things then.

But a change now would go a long way to showing Cardiff don’t know which direction they want to go in.

Solskjaer has to be the man, however difficult it is at the moment. He has the job and must be given every bit of backing possible by fans and management alike.

But he knows it will not be easy. He has decided not to take his squad to Abu Dhabi this week and must work on his players’ mental approach to games.

For some of these players are still good enough to keep City in the Premier League.

Bloody hell Blake, you dont say, tell that to the Owner and Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club

Of course Ole needs an experienced Premier League coach along side him. Ole like I say is genuine/honest/happy manager with Norwegian management experience only, he has brought with him his whole Norwegian back room staff and to me maybe this could be his down fall.

Nathan Blake is being polite, wrong appointment

Steve McClaren....what has he achieved

Bloody hell Blake, you dont say, tell that to the Owner and Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club

Of course Ole needs an experienced Premier League coach along side him. Ole like I say is genuine/honest/happy manager with Norwegian management experience only, he has brought with him his whole Norwegian back room staff and to me maybe this could be his down fall.

Fuc& me.. I thought the backroom staff was man utd...

Bloody hell Blake, you dont say, tell that to the Owner and Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club

Of course Ole needs an experienced Premier League coach along side him. Ole like I say is genuine/honest/happy manager with Norwegian management experience only, he has brought with him his whole Norwegian back room staff and to me maybe this could be his down fall.

His backroom staff were backroom staff at Man Utd

Bloody hell Blake, you dont say, tell that to the Owner and Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club

Of course Ole needs an experienced Premier League coach along side him. Ole like I say is genuine/honest/happy manager with Norwegian management experience only, he has brought with him his whole Norwegian back room staff and to me maybe this could be his down fall.

His backroom staff were backroom staff at Man Utd

wasn't they man utd youth coaches? I can't remember there backgrounds. One is the cousin of Michael Laudrup?

Steve McClaren....what has he achieved

UEFA cup final losers medal & a Dutch League title, not at all shabby

Bloody hell Blake, you dont say, tell that to the Owner and Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club

Of course Ole needs an experienced Premier League coach along side him. Ole like I say is genuine/honest/happy manager with Norwegian management experience only, he has brought with him his whole Norwegian back room staff and to me maybe this could be his down fall.

His backroom staff were backroom staff at Man Utd

wasn't they man utd youth coaches? I can't remember there backgrounds. One is the cousin of Michael Laudrup?

Our gk coach was the man u one and worked with Edwin Van der Sar

laudrup cousin isnt from man utd

Neil warnock

Neil warnock

Quite possibly the worst idea in the history of all stupid ideas in football history......

HOWEVER

I WOULD PAY FOR HIS TAXI FAIR TO GET HIM IN AND INSTILL A BIT OF FIGHT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON.

Neil warnock

Would be great to have him on board with us next season.

Mike phealan out of work since fergie retired top coach

Rene, Mike Phelan or both.

Yet if Malky had this he'd be 'undermined'

hypocritical Blakey again

This might sound daft, but Rene Meulensteen brought in as coach?

Knows Ole from the coaching staff at United, Knows a lot about Fulham, decent number 2

This might sound daft, but Rene Meulensteen brought in as coach?

Knows Ole from the coaching staff at United, Knows a lot about Fulham, decent number 2

Rene Meulensteen is a great coach, question is if he want to come. He may sense the Championship is coming and that it would not be the most attractive offer he could get. He is widely acknowledged for developing Ronaldo's skill set at Man U, and to have him work with flair players would be great. More long term than short term.

I am not sure about this Blake comment. It is not like you can only focus on defending to stay up either.

Like. I posted on. Weekend. Bring. In mike Phelan. Ole

Maybe the has been Nathan Blake should stop stating comments just for payments from the media

Average football player who would never have made the grade in today's team.

Terrible media pundit.

Surely it would have been far easier all round to have appointed an experienced manager in the first place, rather than just appoint someone who is a big name due to his playing for Man Utd but had no management experience at this level whatsoever.

People slated the Cornelius signing and rightly so , saying we don't need one for the future, we need someone for the here and now, the same should apply to the Manager !

who are the backroom staff

Rene, Mike Phelan or both.

This...................

Maybe the has been Nathan Blake should stop stating comments just for payments from the media

Average football player who would never have made the grade in today's team.

Terrible media pundit.

owch! I'd give my right arm to be an 'average' football player but it might affect my balance

unless ive missed it,there is little evidence in this country of a coach being appointed by a club to help a manager where it has worked out...........its Oles call
managers should be backed or sacked not undermined.

unless ive missed it,there is little evidence in this country of a coach being appointed by a club to help a manager where it has worked out...........its Oles call
managers should be backed or sacked not undermined.

I agree, I think he is skirting what he truly feels & not being truthful as he doesn't think Ole should of been appointed, im gonna listen to the blakey's bootroom later on

Rene, Mike Phelan or both.

This...................

Agree

unless ive missed it,there is little evidence in this country of a coach being appointed by a club to help a manager where it has worked out...........its Oles call
managers should be backed or sacked not undermined.

I agree, I think he is skirting what he truly feels & not being truthful as he doesn't think Ole should of been appointed, im gonna listen to the blakey's bootroom later on

i agree,its deffo a way of saying wtf did they appoint him for ,without actually saying it..