He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mills
Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:39 pm
Shoot
Solskjaer has to deliver,after £25mill departures and £mills spent on rebuilding squad
Monday September 8, 2014
By Dan Lewis –
There is no denying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now assembled a squad that he can call his own at Cardiff City. Two transfer windows have been and gone since he took the helm, and now the Norwegian manager has an embarrassment of riches available to him across the field.
In all, £25m was raked in thanks in no small part to the departures of Jordon Mutch, Steven Caulker and Gary Medel, while at a £10m profit, a raft of new men were brought in tasked with taking the Bluebirds back to the Premier League.
Although all the transfer dealings looked to be over heading into the final day of the window, centre-back Bruno Manga was brought in for a fee in excess of £5m to shore up the defence, while Mark Hudson said goodbye to the club having become the first captain to lead them to the top tier in half a century.
Segments of Malky Mackay’s Championship-winning squad remain, but there is no denying that this is Solskjaer’s squad. 14 players from the 27 available to the former Molde boss were signed during his reign; nine remain from Mackay’s tenure at the Cardiff City Stadium, while Peter Whittingham and David Marshall represent Dave Jones’ duo of stars still in south Wales (Declan John and Joe Ralls came through the club’s youth ranks).
The number one criticism Solskjaer has faced during his nine months at Cardiff has been his insistence to chop and change the side on little basis. Brilliant if results are going your way, not so great when the win percentage rate is looking worryingly low. Now, however, the Bluebirds boss has a group of players that he has himself assembled that are more than capable of winning promotion.
The beauty of football is the fact that anyone can have an opinion, and if you were to poll 100 supporters with regards to their preferred starting XI, you would probably get 100 different variations. That highlights the task difficult task Solskjaer faces.
Some players simply must start – David Marshall for one represents the best goalkeeper at this level, while Manga and new signing Sean Morrison – signed for £4m from Reading this summer – need to build up an understanding at the back. If you are going to spend an eight-figure sum on a centre-back pairing, they simply have to start.
Fabio and John Brayford, too, have made a solid enough start, while cover is provided by John and Matthew Connolly should they be needed. The fact that Connolly has been cast aside as a back-up player is extremely harsh considering he has been arguably Cardiff’s best player to date, but that’s the life of a football, I suppose.
In the middle things get a little harder – does Peter Whittingham still deserve his spot in the side? Will Mats Moller Daehli live up to the hype in the Championship? What does Magnus Wolff Eikrem actually offer to the team? And what about Ralls, who has gained experience at this level via a loan stint at Yeovil and looks ready for the gruelling eight months ahead? All very subjective, of course, and this is where rotation comes in handy.
Kagisho Dikgacoi, meanwhile, provides something a little different in front of the back four, if his spell at Crystal Palace is to go by at least, helping to build attacks from the back akin to the recently-departed Medel.
Out wide Craig Noone and Anthony Pilkington can more than hold their own, and the former’s return in particular will help to add some much needed width from midfield. Speaking of width, the two full-backs have adapted to their attacking responsibilities well, which ponders another question – would a 3-5-2 better suit Cardiff?
If so, Juan Cala – another Solskjaer signing – would fit alongside Morrison and Manga, with Brayford and Fabio getting up the pitch. That would also allow Cardiff to pack the centre of the pitch with midfielders to dominate games – something which has been severely lacking in recent showings.
The pairing of Kenwyne Jones and Javi Guerra look best suited to the demands of Championship football up front once the latter is up and running, with Jones surprising many by his form to date. Nicky Maynard and Adam Le Fondre represent perfect replacements when times get tough.
So far Solskjaer can be happy with how things have panned out this season; very much on track to the target of picking up draws on the road and victories at home; the anomaly of course being the late defeat against Wolves which left many questioning the ability of City’s manager.
Seven games into a new campaign is no time to judge a team or indeed its leader, but now that Solskjaer has put his own spin on the Bluebirds, he simply has to deliver. In the meantime, a lot of questions must be answered.
Solskjaer has to deliver,after £25mill departures and £mills spent on rebuilding squad
Monday September 8, 2014
By Dan Lewis –
There is no denying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now assembled a squad that he can call his own at Cardiff City. Two transfer windows have been and gone since he took the helm, and now the Norwegian manager has an embarrassment of riches available to him across the field.
In all, £25m was raked in thanks in no small part to the departures of Jordon Mutch, Steven Caulker and Gary Medel, while at a £10m profit, a raft of new men were brought in tasked with taking the Bluebirds back to the Premier League.
Although all the transfer dealings looked to be over heading into the final day of the window, centre-back Bruno Manga was brought in for a fee in excess of £5m to shore up the defence, while Mark Hudson said goodbye to the club having become the first captain to lead them to the top tier in half a century.
Segments of Malky Mackay’s Championship-winning squad remain, but there is no denying that this is Solskjaer’s squad. 14 players from the 27 available to the former Molde boss were signed during his reign; nine remain from Mackay’s tenure at the Cardiff City Stadium, while Peter Whittingham and David Marshall represent Dave Jones’ duo of stars still in south Wales (Declan John and Joe Ralls came through the club’s youth ranks).
The number one criticism Solskjaer has faced during his nine months at Cardiff has been his insistence to chop and change the side on little basis. Brilliant if results are going your way, not so great when the win percentage rate is looking worryingly low. Now, however, the Bluebirds boss has a group of players that he has himself assembled that are more than capable of winning promotion.
The beauty of football is the fact that anyone can have an opinion, and if you were to poll 100 supporters with regards to their preferred starting XI, you would probably get 100 different variations. That highlights the task difficult task Solskjaer faces.
Some players simply must start – David Marshall for one represents the best goalkeeper at this level, while Manga and new signing Sean Morrison – signed for £4m from Reading this summer – need to build up an understanding at the back. If you are going to spend an eight-figure sum on a centre-back pairing, they simply have to start.
Fabio and John Brayford, too, have made a solid enough start, while cover is provided by John and Matthew Connolly should they be needed. The fact that Connolly has been cast aside as a back-up player is extremely harsh considering he has been arguably Cardiff’s best player to date, but that’s the life of a football, I suppose.
In the middle things get a little harder – does Peter Whittingham still deserve his spot in the side? Will Mats Moller Daehli live up to the hype in the Championship? What does Magnus Wolff Eikrem actually offer to the team? And what about Ralls, who has gained experience at this level via a loan stint at Yeovil and looks ready for the gruelling eight months ahead? All very subjective, of course, and this is where rotation comes in handy.
Kagisho Dikgacoi, meanwhile, provides something a little different in front of the back four, if his spell at Crystal Palace is to go by at least, helping to build attacks from the back akin to the recently-departed Medel.
Out wide Craig Noone and Anthony Pilkington can more than hold their own, and the former’s return in particular will help to add some much needed width from midfield. Speaking of width, the two full-backs have adapted to their attacking responsibilities well, which ponders another question – would a 3-5-2 better suit Cardiff?
If so, Juan Cala – another Solskjaer signing – would fit alongside Morrison and Manga, with Brayford and Fabio getting up the pitch. That would also allow Cardiff to pack the centre of the pitch with midfielders to dominate games – something which has been severely lacking in recent showings.
The pairing of Kenwyne Jones and Javi Guerra look best suited to the demands of Championship football up front once the latter is up and running, with Jones surprising many by his form to date. Nicky Maynard and Adam Le Fondre represent perfect replacements when times get tough.
So far Solskjaer can be happy with how things have panned out this season; very much on track to the target of picking up draws on the road and victories at home; the anomaly of course being the late defeat against Wolves which left many questioning the ability of City’s manager.
Seven games into a new campaign is no time to judge a team or indeed its leader, but now that Solskjaer has put his own spin on the Bluebirds, he simply has to deliver. In the meantime, a lot of questions must be answered.
Re: He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mi
Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:17 pm
A well thought out post and hard to disagree with any of it. There is however a gaping hole in midfield where we need a classy box to box player which we haven't got. I am not yet in the" Ole out" brigade but I have a feeling I soon will be.
Re: He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mi
Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:43 pm
Colourblind wrote:A well thought out post and hard to disagree with any of it. There is however a gaping hole in midfield where we need a classy box to box player which we haven't got. I am not yet in the" Ole out" brigade but I have a feeling I soon will be.
Well, he certainly cannot say he hash't been backed and he can now be judged 100% on his management skills alone without the tired old "not my squad" rhetoric of last season
Personally, I think 10 games in will gives us an indicator of his 'worth' as a manager, but I have reservations
Sadly (maybe for him) he is at a cub that NEEDS to be challenging for promotion at the top end and that has its own pressures
If we were, say, happy to be mid-table or edging towards the play-offs, then I think he would prove a success in the medium to long term and become a top manager
As one very knowledgable member of the Forum said to me recently, the problem just might be that Vincent Tan employed him personally and, as such, may NEED to be seen as 'backing' his man
I sincerely hope he (Tan) is proven right in his selection, but sadly I think it may just need a proven manager to come in and finish the job!
My choice?? I said it before...HODDLE!
Re: He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mi
Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:01 pm
Sven wrote:Colourblind wrote:A well thought out post and hard to disagree with any of it. There is however a gaping hole in midfield where we need a classy box to box player which we haven't got. I am not yet in the" Ole out" brigade but I have a feeling I soon will be.
Well, he certainly cannot say he hash't been backed and he can now be judged 100% on his management skills alone without the tired old "not my squad" rhetoric of last season
Personally, I think 10 games in will gives us an indicator of his 'worth' as a manager, but I have reservations
Sadly (maybe for him) he is at a cub that NEEDS to be challenging for promotion at the top end and that has its own pressures
If we were, say, happy to be mid-table or edging towards the play-offs, then I think he would prove a success in the medium to long term and become a top manager
As one very knowledgable member of the Forum said to me recently, the problem just might be that Vincent Tan employed him personally and, as such, may NEED to be seen as 'backing' his man
I sincerely hope he (Tan) is proven right in his selection, but sadly I think it may just need a proven manager to come in and finish the job!
My choice?? I said it before...HODDLE!
Very brave post Sven considering the group of people who are hoping to jump if Ole proves himself.
However you look at it Ole has been given the chance. No excuses no pressure like.
Re: He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mi
Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:58 pm
I have NEVER heard Ole said: Its not my squad...
Re: He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mi
Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:34 pm
JetNorwegian wrote:I have NEVER heard Ole said: Its not my squad...
I was talking metaphorically, fella
The point being that THIS is Ole's squad and he simply has to deliver with it
Re: He has to deliver after,after £25mill departures and £mi
Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:34 am
Off course he has to deliver, with all these new players and the chopping and changing, there is no other option than promotion.
However, it might take some games to get the momentum going and with the rotational system and new style of play, I'm sure the momentum will come in the latter part of the season and that it'll be enough.
However, it might take some games to get the momentum going and with the rotational system and new style of play, I'm sure the momentum will come in the latter part of the season and that it'll be enough.