' 12 baffling Cardiff City team selections '

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' 12 baffling Cardiff City team selections made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer '

Thursday May 08th 2014

By Steve Tucker.


He has been nicknamed 'The Tinkerman' since arriving at Cardiff City and has changed the team just about every week since taking the job.


From suddenly selecting Don Cowie at Sunderland to shoving Fraizer Campbell out on the wing, here Steve Tucker takes a look at 12 of the most baffling decisions made by Solskjaer this season.





1. Employing Aron Gunnarsson as a number 10

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Played up front with Fraizer Campbell, the shock Ole Gunnar Solskjaer move failed to have the desired effect at Newcastle.

Cardiff lost 3-0 and saw their relegation confirmed. The Icelander almost scored, mind. Actually should have scored is the correct phrase.



2. What's happened with Peter Whittingham?

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Peter Whittingham could be forgiven for not knowing if he was coming or going under the Norwegian.

Taken off in the first-half against Norwich in February in rather shame-faced fashion, Whittingham looked to be well out of favour, a spent force, until Solskjaer suddenly informed everyone the midfielder would start the final five games of the season.



3. Don Cowie...Why?



A good Championship midfielder, most saw the industrious Scot being little more than a bit-part player in the Premier League. Solskjaer seemed to take a slightly different view though.

Against Hull, Cowie was brought in for a start presumably to bring some steel to midfield. It failed as Cardiff crumbled 4-0.

He was axed. Then, away at Sunderland many were shocked to see Cowie in the Bluebirds starting XI again. Predictably, as Cardiff crashed, he was substituted at half-time.



4. Fraizer Campbell employed on the wing



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Fraizer Campbell is a pretty flexible kind of guy, but the decision by Solskjaer to play him out on the left-wing at home to Crystal Palace had many experts left scratching their heads. But, hey, what do the experts know?

By the way. Cardiff lost 3-0. Kenwyne Jones, picked in Campbell’s place up front, was utterly ineffective.



5. Jordon Mutch axed

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Many Bluebirds were baffled when they learned of the team-sheet for February’s South Wales derby. Fraizer Campbell, Jordon Mutch and Craig Noone were on the bench.

The assumption was either Solskjaer was a tactical genius or had misjudged things badly at the Liberty Stadium. It finished 3-0 to Swansea City.



6. Three centre-backs

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Humbled by Hull previously, no-one saw what was to come at Tottenham in Cardiff’s next match. The Bluebirds went with three centre-halves in Steven Caulker, Ben Turner and Juan Cala, above.

The gamble might have netted a valuable point if Roberto Soldado had not been permitted to drive home a shot when surrounded by, yes, three centre-halves.

Solskjaer tinkered and flirted with this strategy a bit more, but it was eventually abandoned.



7. Which centre-backs

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The centre-back berths often taxed Solskjaer and the Norwegian seemed to expend a lot of energy and time thinking about personnel and moving people about.

His preferred pairing eventually ended up as Juan Cala with Steven Caulker, but Ben Turner was thrown into the equation at times and Mark Hudson too. The lack of continuity appeared to affect the Bluebirds.



8. Talisman Craig left out

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Craig Bellamy has always been seen as a talismanic figure by the Cardiff fans. For good reason, too, and many surmised the script was being written for him to step in and rescue the relegation day for the Bluebirds in the must-win clash with Sunderland.

Yet Don Cowie started in that massive game whilst Bellamy languished on the bench?



9. Magnus started but didn't finish

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Magnus Eikrem came here in January with Solskjaer talking excitedly about the way he could keep the ball and offer a new dimension to the Bluebirds.

He was in and out at first, but started the massive encounter with Hull that ended in a 4-0 thrashing.

He’s hardly been seen since.



10. Capture of Kenwyne


Wales News Service Ltd.
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Like Eikrem, Kenwyne Jones came in the new year with Solskjaer having high hopes of him.

Played with Fraizer Campbell, the combination didn’t work.

Played ahead of Campbell, it didn’t work.

Jones failed to bag the goals Cardiff needed from a striker.



11. What's up with Wilf?

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Wilfried Zaha is good at football. This must be true. The problem was that he did not seem that good at football when he put on a Cardiff City shirt.

This seemed to come as a shock to Solskjaer which is not a surprise as it came as a shock to almost everyone else as well.

The result was that the Cardiff manager could not decide whether to give the winger a run of games to get the best from him or stick him on the bench as an impact player.

In the end things fell somewhere in between and Zaha turned out to be a frustratingly under-utilised asset from a Cardiff perspective.



12.Tayls, we lose



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Full-back Andrew Taylor had been a Malky Mackay stalwart, but Bluebirds fans had reservations.

So too, evidently, did Solskjaer. Taylor appeared sporadically, but then Solskjaer preferred Declan John.

Then Fabio? No one was quite sure.

But if we told you Taylor’s last three starts saw Cardiff concede 10 goals it would probably make up everyone’s minds.

Which was the most baffling selection Ole made?

All of the above were baffling and perhaps enough evidence to suggest that OGS isn't the man to return us to the not so promised land next season

Christ, they're really putting the boot into Ole now that we're relegated. f**k the Echo now just writing trash stories to sell the paper

They are facts though .

Must admit ole does not fill me with confidence for next season.

Hate chopping and changing managers but Ole doent appear to be the guy who knows how to get us out of championship though tme will tell

They are facts though .

Must admit ole does not fill me with confidence for next season.

Hate chopping and changing managers but Ole doent appear to be the guy who knows how to get us out of championship though tme will tell

When people regard this as facts, then i dont blame any for not feeling confident. Steve Tucker, a nob with a job

Steve tucker - assh*le who works for a sh*t paper

What utter shite.

Gunnar should have scored.

Campbell played on the wing vs Fulham and we won!

Taylor is an experienced Prem Left Back it's not Ole's fault he bottled it time and time again.

3 CBS came at a time when we were so defensively lapse it was laughable (a time that went away for like two games and then came back). Ole was still new to the job and has every right to try new formations.

Bellamy? Yeah because he's been stellar this season...

Complete crock of an article.

Steve tucker - assh*le who works for a sh*t paper

Who needs enemies when we got the Echo and Western Mail. Between them they have caused more Division than anyone. Constantly ridiculing and writing the negative. The reporters lack the fundamental basics of the term journalism. Sooner Tan bans them from the stadium the better. No mention of the previous managers decisions. Never playing Noone. Brayford. Buying Cornelius. Falling out with Bellamy. Sending Mason out and keeping
Smith. The list goes on. Thanks to the arse holes at the Echo and Mail it's made it simple to decide l don't need to buy this rubbish, so after buying both the echo and mail along with Wales on Sunday all my adult life l have decided no more. Saving a nice little sum of £500 plus per year.

10 baffling decisions by Malky

Failing to identify a goal-scoring striker despite 50m+ at his disposal

Claiming an 8m signing(once a record signing for us was one for the future)

Buying a perfectly good right back for 2.5m then never playing him at all bar two League Cup matches and then buying a shit french right back for the same price

Buying a goal poacher and playing him on the wing/targetman(Odemwingie)

Having Mason as our top goal-scorer in 11/12 and barely using him in our title winning season

Dicking about with Tom Ince, allowing him to hold the club at ransom

Dicking about with Capoue when he clearly wasn't coming, when Medel was available for 6.5m, then having to pay double what he was going for 2 weeks earlier

Asking for more money in January despite himself saying it's an awful time to do business, with the cheek to ask when he had 50m+ at his disposal in the summer

Reluctance to play Mutch till after Mutch scored vs Fulham and Chelsea

Reluctance to play Noone

Who needs enemies when we got the Echo and Western Mail. Between them they have caused more Division than anyone.

Ridiculous comment. Tan?!

Also Noone wasn't on the bench vs Swansea, he didn't even travel, so do your research Tucker you mong, Mutch was carrying an injury as well.

There is no doubt that some of ole's team selections have been strange and he has to hit the ground running next season, but for me the strangest one of the lot was that our best attacking player craig noone was not picked by malky for the first four months of the season?????

Never mind Malky, but Tucker himself saying for weeks Whittingham needed a brake. Whits started the next game after his taking off, and went missing again. Good decision, and Whits came back good

What utter shite.

Gunnar should have scored.

Campbell played on the wing vs Fulham and we won!

Taylor is an experienced Prem Left Back it's not Ole's fault he bottled it time and time again.

3 CBS came at a time when we were so defensively lapse it was laughable (a time that went away for like two games and then came back). Ole was still new to the job and has every right to try new formations.

Bellamy? Yeah because he's been stellar this season...

Complete crock of an article.

the spurs game away,i thought we did really well......and who put WHL down as a place to get points at start........try beating them at home....and i mean try,we played for nil,nil, with a dressing room full of 4 leaf clovers and rabbits feet

yes Steve your baffled that a manager has tried a few things out.

yet your a sports writer.........hmmm

I thought the weirdest team selection was ours away to Villa, thats when for me Malky had to go.

I thought the weirdest team selection was ours away to Villa, thats when for me Malky had to go.

01 Marshall
28 Théophile-Catherine
03 Taylor
08 Medel Booked
04 Caulker
06 Turner
19 Cowie
17 Gunnarsson (Mutch - 65' )
11 Odemwingie (Campbell - 55' )
07 Whittingham
39 Bellamy (Maynard - 82' )

What a horrific line up, Noone was on the bench that game as well, Bellamy as a sole striker, laughable

Who needs enemies when we got the Echo and Western Mail. Between them they have caused more Division than anyone.

Ridiculous comment. Tan?!

Do me a favour and go patronise some other unsuspecting soul as your opinion of Tan has feck all to do with mine of the Echo.

Your not a nuisance your worse your a rash all over the board.

I thought the weirdest team selection was ours away to Villa, thats when for me Malky had to go.

01 Marshall
28 Théophile-Catherine
03 Taylor
08 Medel Booked
04 Caulker
06 Turner
19 Cowie
17 Gunnarsson (Mutch - 65' )
11 Odemwingie (Campbell - 55' )
07 Whittingham
39 Bellamy (Maynard - 82' )

What a horrific line up, Noone was on the bench that game as well, Bellamy as a sole striker, laughable

If memory deserves me right it was Odemwingy as a long target man Bellamy wide then 3 defendsive midfielders

Against a team who hadnt scored in something like 7 hours and struggling badly at home

I thought the weirdest team selection was ours away to Villa, thats when for me Malky had to go.

01 Marshall
28 Théophile-Catherine
03 Taylor
08 Medel Booked
04 Caulker
06 Turner
19 Cowie
17 Gunnarsson (Mutch - 65' )
11 Odemwingie (Campbell - 55' )
07 Whittingham
39 Bellamy (Maynard - 82' )

What a horrific line up, Noone was on the bench that game as well, Bellamy as a sole striker, laughable

If memory deserves me right it was Odemwingy as a long target man Bellamy wide then 3 defendsive midfielders

Against a team who hadnt scored in something like 7 hours and struggling badly at home

You're correct, their home form was horrific and their scoring was non existent as well, we barely tested them that game, gutless and passionless performance

Do me a favour and go patronise some other unsuspecting soul as your opinion of Tan has feck all to do with mine of the Echo.

Are you suggesting that Steve Tucker writing a few articles is more divisive than Tan and his rebrand?

I thought the weirdest team selection was ours away to Villa, thats when for me Malky had to go.

Bellers spent most of his time in our half at left back with Taylor pushing on, its been reported he and Ole have shared a joke re him being a left back..it was no joke though.
really shit article again.neither manager did very well,but the one they want to blame came in half way through,didnt have 3 months or 50 mill to but players.
the squad was not good enough.......we went down

Do me a favour and go patronise some other unsuspecting soul as your opinion of Tan has feck all to do with mine of the Echo.

Are you suggesting that Steve Tucker ì a few articles is more divisive than Tan and his rebrand?

The echo along with the notice boards and fans administrations played no small part, in convincing Tan to go ahead. So just in consideration of their two faced actions my answer is "yes they are more disruptive as are a few other bodies"

I repeat my opinion of Tan is my business so don't patronise me. Just be comfortable with your own as it doesn't interest me.

Form, injury, tactics, opposition strengths or weaknesses, unfamiliarity of the players. Depth of quality in squad, the experience or lack of it. All factors in why Ole may have needed to alter his team. The last manager was slated for not making enough changes. Unless media outlets, fans and forums are picking the team, they will never be happy.

Square pegs round holes springs to mind. Some of our pegs were very square indeed.

Form, injury, tactics, opposition strengths or weaknesses, unfamiliarity of the players. Depth of quality in squad, the experience or lack of it. All factors in why Ole may have needed to alter his team. The last manager was slated for not making enough changes. Unless media outlets, fans and forums are picking the team, they will never be happy.

Square pegs round holes springs to mind. Some of our pegs were very square indeed.

i find it unbelievable that ole is being castigated for not bringining in world class players in the january window to pull our 50 million pound championship team out of the shit.
when have we ever brought in any one of any class in January apart from john parkin who did a kenwyne and scored in his first game never to be seen again( unless you dined in greggs)

Form, injury, tactics, opposition strengths or weaknesses, unfamiliarity of the players. Depth of quality in squad, the experience or lack of it. All factors in why Ole may have needed to alter his team. The last manager was slated for not making enough changes. Unless media outlets, fans and forums are picking the team, they will never be happy.

Square pegs round holes springs to mind. Some of our pegs were very square indeed.

i find it unbelievable that ole is being castigated for not bringining in world class players in the january window to pull our 50 million pound championship team out of the shit.
when have we ever brought in any one of any class in January apart from john parkin who did a kenwyne and scored in his first game never to be seen again( unless you dined in greggs)

Agree Steve but I will say Fraizer Campbell counts as class in Jan was very important to winning the Championship.

Steve tucker and his rubbish crap echo newspaper bollocks isn't popular on this thread

seems more support for ole on this thread imo justified
pity that idiot chuckles had to ruin it by bringing the rebrand into it

seems more support for ole on this thread imo justified
pity that idiot chuckles had to ruin it by bringing the rebrand into it

Chuckles is being rebranded? Tucker is class he and Ricky Gervais are my favourite comedians

Maybe he was trying anything he could because we were shit anyway no matter who played.

We're going down because our squad isn't good enough not because of the players he picked.