' Joe Mason WILL return in January '

Cardiff City star Joe Mason WILL return to Bluebirds from Bolton in January transfer window

Friday 21st Nov 2014.

Striker has spent second spell on loan at Championship Bolton Wanderers

Joe Mason will be returning to Cardiff City in January, says manager Russell Slade.

The striker has spent the first part of the season at the Bluebirds’ Championship rivals Bolton, his second loan spell at the Macron Stadium.

But Slade has made it clear he wants to add ‘one or two’ players to his squad as they mount a promotion challenge, and Mason looks to be part of that plan.

“We have eight players out on loan and we are keeping up-to-date on how they are doing,” said Slade. “I am, in particular, keen to see how Joe Mason is going at Bolton.”


Mason is under contract with Cardiff until 2018 and has scored four goals in nine starts for a struggling Bolton team this season.

Despite that, he has made only two appearances since Neil Lennon was appointed Bolton manager last month, with Wanderers playing Welsh international Craig Davies as a lone frontman instead.

Cardiff have not talked to Bolton about Mason’s return yet, though Lennon has made it clear he still wants the 23-year-old Plymouth-born in his squad. But the Bluebirds are within their rights to call an end to the loan and bring him back in January.

Slade is highly unlikely to bring any players in during the emergency loan window which is currently open, but has made it clear January will be a busy month when he hopes there will be a number of players going out and some coming in.


Neil Lennon welcomes Russell Slade to the Macron Stadium
“I would like to add a player or two in January,” said Slade. “There are a couple of areas I have identified where a new player would help the group.

“But our biggest task is trimming the squad we have.”

Mason signed for Cardiff from Plymouth in 2011, penned a four-year contract extension the following year and committed until 2018 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before joining Bolton on loan.

Full-back Kevin McNaughton is also on loan at the Trotters, but he is on a season-long agreement and won’t return to Cardiff until next May.

Slade is keen to cut Cardiff’s squad numbers dramatically, with 10 or more likely to be on their way out of the club if new teams can be found for them, including Javi Guerra, Juan Cala, Magnus Eikrem and Etien Velinkonja.

Cardiff will look to bring in transfer fees where possible and will demand substantial cash if Mats Daehli, Kim Bo-Kyung and Nicky Maynard are to move on in search of regular first-team football.

The other Cardiff players currently on loan are goalkeeper Joe Lewis (Blackpool), Kevin Catherine (St-Etienne), Ben Nugent (Yeovil), Jo Inge Berget (Celtic), Rhys Healey (Colchester) and Danny Johnson (Tranmere).

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... on-8148244

Not surprised by this, glad Slade wants to give Mason a chance.

I'm glad he is returning

Funny Carl said this and many said he was wrong.

I thought that was old news...Joe was always coming back but Kev is on a 12 month loan

I don't think that does us or Joe any favours really. We have too many strikers at the club already so presumably this is an indication that he will play Mason.

In my opinion RS has not made the best use of the strikers available. Guerra has not had a look in, Jones (our top scorer) has had limited appearances off the bench as he seems to favour Macheda & Le Fondre & then Maynard in the pecking order. I personally would put Macheda at the bottom. It looks as if Guerra is going to be off loaded so we still have sufficient strikers at the club.

Mason cannot get in the Bolton team which says a lot. He did have one hat rick but in truth I don't think he is an out and out striker. I cannot see him getting 15+ goals per season. With that in mind & the fact Joe needs to be playing is it a good move? I suppose time will tell.

APPARENTLY Guerra is not even good enough in training, so forget him...Maynard has lost his pace since al his injuries and needs to be sold...our 4 strikers in the spring will be Jones,Macheda & Le Fondre and Joe Mason...two playing and two on the bench

APPARENTLY Guerra is not even good enough in training, so forget him...Maynard has lost his pace since al his injuries and needs to be sold...our 4 strikers in the spring will be Jones,Macheda & Le Fondre and Joe Mason...two playing and two on the bench

makes sense - we've far too many players at the City, no wonder no one knew what their job was.

Personally I give Slade more time than some of the naysayers on here - football is meant to be a straightforward game, good footballers play in a good team set up where people know their jobs and build up awareness and split-second decisions based on good practice, and if he is building towards that then good, cos we were a mess before.

As for the "best squad in the Championship stuff, patently not the case cos the best squad is always on top - individuals get you nowhere without the team, the team gets you somewhere without the individuals, how far depends on many factors including talent but overridingly it is attitude, just as in life.

CTID

Doesnt really excite me.

Joe done well 2 or 3 season's ago so hopefully regain some of the magic

Great news he is what we are missing he would of buried one of those chances Le Fondre and Macheda had against Birmingham.

Like this kid bring him back

How is he doing at Bolton? How many games has he started and how many goals?

I remember he had a hat trick from the bench but not seen much more.