' THE KEY ISSUES OLE NEEDS TO ADRESS BEF 1ST GAME

Cardiff City: The key issues for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to address before kick-off on August 8

Saturday Jul 26, 2014


By Simon Gaskell



The Bluebirds are less than two weeks away from starting their campaign but there is still plenty left to sort out...


Ole has made his moves early in the transfer market following relegation, has presided over a pre-season tour of Austria and is believed to be moving his family over to Wales in time for the new season.

But as the countdown to kick-off against Blackburn on August 8 continues, there are still some pertinent issues left to sort out.

So what are the big challenges for the Norwegian to grapple with in the next couple of weeks?

Here we look at what is left to resolve before the trip to Blackburn Rovers a week on Friday...




' Central defender '

The loss of Steven Caulker has hastened the need for reinforcements at the back.

While Mark Hudson and Ben Turner formed the defensive partnership during the 2012/13 promotion campaign and Juan Cala remains at the club, Solskjaer has signalled his intention to add a centre-back.

Indeed it's likely it is the only area left where he is looking to strengthen.

Having seen two bids knocked back for Southampton's Portugese defender Jose Fonte, he and fellow transfer committee members Ken Choo and Mehmet Dalman will have to decide a course of action.

They may decide to up the bid to further reflect the Saints' £5m valuation or otherwise could turn to Manchester United youngster Michael Keane who has travelled to the US with the Red Devils' pre-season touring party.




' Gary Medel's future '

The task of solving Medel's future is dragging on somewhat and all parties will be keen to get it sorted soon.

There appears some confusion over a proposed deal with Inter, with noises from the Italian side of the negotiations seeming to suggest things are more advanced than may actually be the case.

Galatasaray's late £10m move complicates matters but it is thought Medel has his heart set on Inter.

But Cardiff will be keen to make sure they get full value from any deal amid suggestions the Nerazzurri only want to pay £1m now and then a further £6m down the line.

With Medel due to return to training in Cardiff in the next few days, Solskjaer will be keen to make sure it is not a distraction as he drills his team for the trip to Blackburn






' Who will have the arm band? '

Another consequence of Steven Caulker's departure is that the captaincy is vacant.

The issue of who will lead the side as they look to bounce straight back to the Premier League is not to be under-estimated and it is a decision Solskjaer must get right.

Does he want a ranter and raver? Someone who leads by example? Or perhaps someone who can glue the rest of the squad together with a diplomatic approach when needed?

Mark Hudson did a good job as club captain last time round in the Championship but the 32-year-old had limited game time last season perhaps throwing his return to the role into doubt.

Peter Whittingham, David Marshall, Aron Gunnarsson and Ben Turner also look like having a decent claim to the arm band.

Only time will tell what Solskjaer decides to do.






' David Marshall '

It looks likely the Scottish stopper will stay with Arsenal opting to go after £3m David Ospina and Southampton turning their attention to Fraser Forster.

But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will still need to have his wits about him to ward off any late interest for Marshall in this window.

The 29-year-old proved his worth in the Premier League last season with a string of brilliant performances and outstanding stops. As one of the older members of the squad he also has a growing leadership role to play.


Any upheaval in such a vital position so close to kick-off would be a body blow for Solskjaer but thankfully the signs look good.

Marshall made comments towards the end of last season reaffirming his commitment to the club and pointed to the fact he had only just signed a new deal.

He is a vital cog in the team so it is imperative he is still a Cardiff player on September 2 - the day after the transfer window shuts.






' Squad size '

Solskjaer will be glad to have strength in depth but having so many players on the books has financial implications as well as the potential to impact on squad harmony.

While Steven Caulker and Fraizer Campbell have left this week and the likes of Kevin McNaughton have gone out on loan, he may look to trim his numbers further before the start of the season.

There are still upward of 30 pros on the books and while Medel looks set to leave, Solskjaer may have identified others that may be moved on in the next fortnight.


' Kenwyne Jones ' ?

He looks to be one of those whose future may lie elsewhere.

Jones has barely featured in pre-season and, after a goal against Norwich, was a limited threat following a move from Stoke as part of a swap deal for Peter Odemwingie last season.

With the signing of a host of other players up front including Javi Guerra, Adam Le Fondre and Federico Macheda, Solskjaer could deem Jones surplus to requirements.

If not, he will have to try and find a way of accommodating him and the rest of his front men while keeping them all happy at the same time.

While Solskjaer made his own name often coming from the bench, others may not be as happy to do so.

Defence needs to be strengthened and hopefully another central defender will come in before the Blackburn game. To be honest, if we observe the basics of defending, ie tracking back after an attack, not ball watching and playing as a defensive unit and not individuals we should be ok. IF!!! As for the captaincy, it must be a player who is assured of his place in the side, week in and week out. That would rule out Hudson. What we would give for the likes of a Graham Kavanagh, Phil Dwyer etc. I would prefer an outfield player. If we did get Fonte, I would go with him. Otherwise, it would be a defender or midfield player maybe Mutch?

I tend to disagree with one aspect of Simon Gaskell's analysis. He states Ole is only looking for a CB and suggests there are no other positions needing improvement. Granted, the early signs are that Ole has conducted good business upfront and I believe most of us feel confident the team can score sufficient goals in the Championship. However a key area where we were particularly poor last season, albeit in the Premier, is the midfield. My feeling is that apart from one or two players,we dont have the quality we need still, particularly defensively.

Although as a defensive unit we were sadly lacking last term, I dont think enough wholesale changes will be made to rectify the problem this season either. However it will be more effective than last season simply because we've dropped down a division. But whether it will be effective enough remains to be seen. For me, a massive problem last term was our inability to keep the ball long enough in midfield, coupled with our inability to cover the back four defensively thereby allowing the opposition to pressure the defenders far too often, and thereby failing to allow us opportunities to build enough attacks of our own. And that was all with the inclusion of Gary Medel!!! Now hes gone its left an abyss in midfield, which was always a gaping hole anyway.Hopefully Digakoi can help but I dont think hes the answer on his own.

At Championship level we appear to have quality attacking midfielders like Daehli, Mutch, Burgstaller and Noone but none are particularly good defensively. Also some other of the squad midfielders like Eikrem, Whittingham and Kim have little or no defensive capability at all. I think Ole needs to concentrate on bringing a good old fashioned ballwinner into the midfield, together with a quality quarterback type who can marshall his midfield effectively both in attack and defense. Alternatively, back in the Championship, this could be a big season for Aron Gunnarsson. I hope his shoulder has improved!

Defence needs to be strengthened and hopefully another central defender will come in before the Blackburn game. To be honest, if we observe the basics of defending, ie tracking back after an attack, not ball watching and playing as a defensive unit and not individuals we should be ok. IF!!! As for the captaincy, it must be a player who is assured of his place in the side, week in and week out. That would rule out Hudson. What we would give for the likes of a Graham Kavanagh, Phil Dwyer etc. I would prefer an outfield player. If we did get Fonte, I would go with him. Otherwise, it would be a defender or midfield player maybe Mutch?

Mutch is not captain material for me. He goes missing when it really matters and I am not even sure he will always be a starter. He has had a very poor preseason. Captain has to be guaranteed started and a player that doesnt tend to go missing.

I tend to disagree with one aspect of Simon Gaskell's analysis. He states Ole is only looking for a CB and suggests there are no other positions needing improvement. Granted, the early signs are that Ole has conducted good business upfront and I believe most of us feel confident the team can score sufficient goals in the Championship. However a key area where we were particularly poor last season, albeit in the Premier, is the midfield. My feeling is that apart from one or two players,we dont have the quality we need still, particularly defensively.

Although as a defensive unit we were sadly lacking last term, I dont think enough wholesale changes will be made to rectify the problem this season either. However it will be more effective than last season simply because we've dropped down a division. But whether it will be effective enough remains to be seen. For me, a massive problem last term was our inability to keep the ball long enough in midfield, coupled with our inability to cover the back four defensively thereby allowing the opposition to pressure the defenders far too often, and thereby failing to allow us opportunities to build enough attacks of our own. And that was all with the inclusion of Gary Medel!!! Now hes gone its left an abyss in midfield, which was always a gaping hole anyway.Hopefully Digakoi can help but I dont think hes the answer on his own.

At Championship level we appear to have quality attacking midfielders like Daehli, Mutch, Burgstaller and Noone but none are particularly good defensively. Also some other of the squad midfielders like Eikrem, Whittingham and Kim have little or no defensive capability at all. I think Ole needs to concentrate on bringing a good old fashioned ballwinner into the midfield, together with a quality quarterback type who can marshall his midfield effectively both in attack and defense. Alternatively, back in the Championship, this could be a big season for Aron Gunnarsson. I hope his shoulder has improved!

Spot on mate! I have been saying the same thing for me the problem lies not only in defense but also in central midfield. Against the russian side we fielded our two supposedly best central midfielders and got totally overrun because they made no attempts to break up opposition play and could not retain the ball. The defense then comes under constant pressure. I think dikgaoci will help some. But I'd like to see ole get an energetic, box to box midfielder that can help our defense as well as link up with attack. Mutch and whitts as good as they are do not offer much support for defense. Gunnar lacks the passing ability to play this role within oles philosophy although he has great energy I don't think he is the right man if we want to make sure we keep the ball in the team.

Marsh or Medel if he stays perfect Captains.