' THE 19 CARDIFF CITY OUTCASTS '

' THE 19 CARDIFF CITY OUTCASTS '

By Terry Phillips

They are all Cardiff City players but you won't remember the last time you saw them. Football correspondent Terry Phillips investigates what happened to the forgotten Bluebirds


' The Cardiff City outcasts '



Which outcast do you miss the most?



1 Joe Lewis – no Cardiff appearances this season

On loan at Blackpool and has yet to play in a victory after 19 appearances. The Seasiders have only managed one win – and that was against Cardiff when Lewis was unable to play because of a clause in his loan agreement.

Lewis, who made the England squad in 2008, signed for Cardiff from Peterborough in 2012 and made a grand total of five league and cup appearances in his role as back-up to David Marshall.

The 6ft 5in Lewis, 27, is out of contract with Cardiff next summer and unlikely to be back.



2 Kevin McNaughton – no Cardiff City appearances this season

Instead of challenging John Brayford for the right-back slot, McNaughton is in the treatment room at Bolton Wanderers as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He has played in only four of their last 18 matches.

The Dundee-born defender, now aged 32, came to South Wales in 2006, and has made almost 300 first-team appearances.

McNaughton signed a new one-year contract with Cardiff, which runs until next summer, and then moved to Bolton on loan. There is no recall clause and McNaughton will be just about out of contract when his spell at the Macron Stadium ends. He is highly unlikely to play for the Bluebirds again.



3 Declan John – four first team appearances for Cardiff City this season

It’s been a tough season for the teenager from Merthyr Tydfil after his breakthrough campaign in 2013/14 where he added a full Wales international cap to his Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 honours.

Faces a battle for the left-back berth, with Fabio, Matt Connolly and John Brayford having all played on the left of the back four this season.

John, a 19-year-old winger turned left-back, is under contract with Cardiff until 2018 and will surely stay.




4 Kevin Theophile – one League Cup appearance for Cardiff this season

On loan at Ligue 1 side St Etienne for the season, making eight first-team appearances out of 15 league matches this term.

A £2.1m signing from French club Rennes in 2013, the defender, who can play at full-back or centre-back, made 31 appearances for the Bluebirds.

The 25-year-old former French Under-21 international is one of the players City would like to move on, but he has a four-year contract which runs until 2017 and could be back next season.




5 Juan Cala – three first team appearances for Cardiff this season

Defender Cala arrived from Sevilla in February and scored two goals in 11 first team appearances for the Bluebirds, including the only goal in their Premier League win at Southampton.

But his departure from the club was confirmed on Wednesday after a controversial Twitter outburst over his exile to the club's academy.




6. Kagisho Dikgacoi – three first-team appearances for Cardiff this season

The defensive midfielder arrived in Cardiff with a big reputation, having turned down the offer of a new contract with Premier League Crystal Palace to join Cardiff.

But visa problems stopped him joining the pre-season tour and he has never been able to make up for lost time, being hit by a series of niggling injuries.

The South African international, who has 54 senior caps, is under contract until June 2017 and if he is at peak fitness there is no question he would be a major asset to the Bluebirds. But it’s a big if.




7. Kim Bo-Kyung - Three appearances this season, none in the league

Not seen since he was hauled off after just 30 minutes of September’s Capital One Cup disaster against Bournemouth, the South Korean’s fall from grace has been pretty spectacular.

Remember, this was the guy who many predicted would shine on the Premier League stage. Sadly, it just hasn’t happened for him this season although some recent encouraging displays for the development team suggest there may be a glimmer of hope yet.




8 Magnus Eikrem – five first-team appearances for Cardiff this season, three in the Championship

Eikrem, who Solskjaer knew well from his days at Molde and Manchester United, joined Cardiff from Heerenveen in January.

But he has started only one league match after signing for the Bluebirds, and that was in the 4-0 Premier League home defeat against Hull City last season.

The midfielder, 24, looks likely to leave the club in January.



9 Nicky Maynard – 11 first-team appearances and one goal for Cardiff this season.

City paid West Ham £2.75m for Maynard in August 2012, but he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament two months later to more or less finish his season as City won the Championship title.

Spent six months on loan at Wigan last season, but has been unable to claim a regular starting spot since returning, the last time being at Wolves in August.

Former Arsenal trainee Maynard, 27, is out of contract this summer and looks likely to be among the players moving on.



10 Joe Mason – no Cardiff City appearances this season

He’s scored four goals in nine starts on loan at Bolton, including a hat-trick against Rotherham, but, unlike McNaughton, there is a January recall clause in Mason’s deal.

Mason signed for Cardiff from Plymouth in a £250,000 transfer during 2011 and has made 78 first-team appearances, many of them from the subs’ bench, and scored 18 goals.

The 23-year-old has not figured regularly in Bolton’s team since Neil Lennon was appointed manager and, having penned a new deal until 2018, is likely to be back in City colours in the new year.



11 Guido Burgstaller – five Cardiff first-team appearances this season, three in the Championship

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed the 25-year-old midfield player in May from Rapid Vienna after he helped them to runners-up spot in the Austrian League last season.

Burgstaller impressed during pre-season with his strong, imposing playing style, but has been unable to secure a first-team place and has been out of favour since Russell Slade took charge.

The Austrian international is under contract at Cardiff until the summer of 2017, but he is one of the players Slade would like to move on during January.



12 Jo Inge Berget – no Cardiff appearances this season

Norwegian international Berget, on loan at Celtic, is completely out of favour at Parkhead and hasn’t played at all since October 2, having eight games and two goals under his belt.

Solskjaer brought Berget to Cardiff in January, but the forward made only two appearances before leaving for Scotland.

His loan deal with the Scottish Premier League club ends in January and he will be sent back to Cardiff, where he is under contract until June 2016.




13 Ben Nugent – no Cardiff City appearances this season

The 6ft 5in centre-half is out on loan at Yeovil, a deal due to end on January 4, but that could yet be extended.

Nugent, who has just turned 22, has made 14 first-team appearances, scoring one goal for City, and had loan spells at Brentford, Peterborough and Yeovil.

Was tipped as a ‘future club captain’ by former manager Malky Mackay, and is under contract with Cardiff until the summer of 2016




14 Javi Guerra – five Cardiff City first-team appearances this season, three from the subs’ bench in the Championship

Guerra, 32, scored 11 goals in 22 La Liga matches for Real Sociedad last season, but it hasn’t worked out for him following his free transfer move to Cardiff .

He is under contract with the Bluebirds until 2017, having signed a three-year deal, but his last appearance was against Bournemouth in a League Cup tie when he was hauled off, along with Kim Bo-Kyung, after only 37 minutes.

Despite being a non-playing member of the squad at Watford on Saturday, it looks likely Guerra will move on in January.



15 Etien Velikonja – one Cardiff City first-team appearance this season

The Slovenian striker still has two years left on his City contract, which will end in the summer of 2017. But Velikonja, 25, who signed for City from Maribor for £1.7m on a bumper deal, is some way from a first-team call and he is unlikely to see that through. He had a loan spell with Portuguese club Rio Ave last season and is likely to be on his way out again in January.

16 Filip Kiss – no first-team appearances for Cardiff City this season

Currently embarking on a second spell on loan at Scottish Premier League side Ross County, making 12 league appearances this season.

The Slovakian international first joined Cardiff on loan from Slovan Bratislava in 2011, signing a four-year deal the following summer.

Despite the contract lasting until 2015, it seems Kiss, 24, will be on his way in January.




17 Adedeji Oshilaja – no first team appearances this season

The 21-year-old stopper signed his first professional contract in April 2012, but has yet to start challenging at first-team level.

The Bermondsey-born defender has had loan spells with Newport County and Sheffield Wednesday and may need to leave to further his career.


18. Kadeem Harris - two appearances this season, none in the league

Quick and direct, Harris excelled during a loan spell with Brentford last term and has been a shining, goalscoring light for Cardiff’s under-21 development team this season.

Many Cardiff fans have been waiting for him to arrive on the senior stage for some time now but the rough edges of a raw youngster are apparently yet to be smoothed out.




19 Maxi Amondarain – no first team appearances this season

Former Uruguay Under-20 international Amondarain, who helped his country finish runners-up in the age group World Cup, is under contract with the Bluebirds until the summer of 2017. He signed a four-year deal when he arrived at the club from Nacional.

The 21-year-old central defender from Montevideo came to Cardiff on trial after the Bluebirds sent a scouting group to Uruguay and Malky Mackay rated him highly.

But he has been unable to break through and is facing a tough time at a club which has an abundance of senior defenders.

hardly call some of them outcasts


to be fair though there isnt really a name of there that sticks out

I still think Javi Guerra could do a very good job for us. If he does leave in January it will be very interesting to see how he, and some of the others, do at their new clubs.

hardly call some of them outcasts


to be fair though there isnt really a name of there that sticks out

Really?.

imo a large amount of the players listed would start for alot of Championship clubs. It is just Slade is trying to build a certain type of team. I don't think the actual ability of a player matters to him.

hardly call some of them outcasts


to be fair though there isnt really a name of there that sticks out

Really?.

imo a large amount of the players listed would start for alot of Championship clubs. It is just Slade is trying to build a certain type of team. I don't think the actual ability of a player matters to him.

what a silly thing to say


sure, many of them could do a job, mason, mcnaughton still imo, we dont really know about the likes of guerra or burgstaller as they havent had the chance, despite looking good.

Also, players like maynard, harris and oshilaja arent "outcast" at all


What i mean is, there isnt a name on there who sticks out as being one who should be in the starting 11. We have far too many player sand need a massive clear out, hopefully get most of them gone in Jan so we can bring 1 or 2 in

I would like to see Guerra and Harris given an opportunity. Dikgachoi was well hyped before he signed but has been hit by injury so would be nice to see him get a run in.

You've also got Mason in that list who I think could stroll into our team at the moment. We lack that layer who links the strikers and midfield together and he could do that perfectly. Super Kev could do a job for us for certain, but with so many full backs here it's hard to see where he fits in a starting 11.

I've been disappointed not to see John have more of a run in this season. I really thought this was going to be break through season for him but it just hasn't panned out. I would certainly be disappointed to see him leave. The other is Kimbo. He was brilliant the year we went up during the final stretch of the season. He seems to have lost a lot of confidence, turning back and lost that attacking edge that made him such a tricky player.

Some good players on that list who I thought would be doing a lot better.

I would like to see Guerra and Harris given an opportunity. Dikgachoi was well hyped before he signed but has been hit by injury so would be nice to see him get a run in.

You've also got Mason in that list who I think could stroll into our team at the moment. We lack that layer who links the strikers and midfield together and he could do that perfectly. Super Kev could do a job for us for certain, but with so many full backs here it's hard to see where he fits in a starting 11.

I've been disappointed not to see John have more of a run in this season. I really thought this was going to be break through season for him but it just hasn't panned out. I would certainly be disappointed to see him leave. The other is Kimbo. He was brilliant the year we went up during the final stretch of the season. He seems to have lost a lot of confidence, turning back and lost that attacking edge that made him such a tricky player.

Some good players on that list who I thought would be doing a lot better.

Agree with all of that apart from the bit about John. I think he needs to go on loan to a league 1 or 2 club in order to explore his best position... full back or winger. He won't get that chance with us.

But yeah, the rest is spot on.

I would like to see Guerra and Harris given an opportunity. Dikgachoi was well hyped before he signed but has been hit by injury so would be nice to see him get a run in.

You've also got Mason in that list who I think could stroll into our team at the moment. We lack that layer who links the strikers and midfield together and he could do that perfectly. Super Kev could do a job for us for certain, but with so many full backs here it's hard to see where he fits in a starting 11.

I've been disappointed not to see John have more of a run in this season. I really thought this was going to be break through season for him but it just hasn't panned out. I would certainly be disappointed to see him leave. The other is Kimbo. He was brilliant the year we went up during the final stretch of the season. He seems to have lost a lot of confidence, turning back and lost that attacking edge that made him such a tricky player.

Some good players on that list who I thought would be doing a lot better.

Not convinced Mason would make much of an impact. He is out on load because he was regarded as a 6th choice in beginning of the season, and lately he is not even given play time at Bolton.

hardly call some of them outcasts


to be fair though there isnt really a name of there that sticks out

Paul, Terry Phillips words not mine.
But I do agree with him, not long signed for a new club and some of them must feel like outcasts at our club, not all the players faults.

hardly call some of them outcasts


to be fair though there isnt really a name of there that sticks out

Paul, Terry Phillips words not mine.
But I do agree with him, not long signed for a new club and some of them must feel like outcasts at our club, not all the players faults.

oles mostly to blame for having such a big squad


people want Slade to give everyone a chance but im not too sure what he was supposed to do. some of the players who will leave might well have done a good job for us. Guerra being the obvious one. but perhaps a clean out is needed anyway.

hardly call some of them outcasts


to be fair though there isnt really a name of there that sticks out

Paul, Terry Phillips words not mine.
But I do agree with him, not long signed for a new club and some of them must feel like outcasts at our club, not all the players faults.

oles mostly to blame for having such a big squad


people want Slade to give everyone a chance but im not too sure what he was supposed to do. some of the players who will leave might well have done a good job for us. Guerra being the obvious one. but perhaps a clean out is needed anyway.

Yes Ole is to blame along with Tan and Dalman for allowing it, madness, by all 3.

I do feel for Slade

' THE 19 CARDIFF CITY OUTCASTS '

By Terry Phillips

They are all Cardiff City players but you won't remember the last time you saw them. Football correspondent Terry Phillips investigates what happened to the forgotten Bluebirds


' The Cardiff City outcasts '



Which outcast do you miss the most?



1 Joe Lewis – no Cardiff appearances this season

On loan at Blackpool and has yet to play in a victory after 19 appearances. The Seasiders have only managed one win – and that was against Cardiff when Lewis was unable to play because of a clause in his loan agreement.

Lewis, who made the England squad in 2008, signed for Cardiff from Peterborough in 2012 and made a grand total of five league and cup appearances in his role as back-up to David Marshall.

The 6ft 5in Lewis, 27, is out of contract with Cardiff next summer and unlikely to be back.



2 Kevin McNaughton – no Cardiff City appearances this season

Instead of challenging John Brayford for the right-back slot, McNaughton is in the treatment room at Bolton Wanderers as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He has played in only four of their last 18 matches.

The Dundee-born defender, now aged 32, came to South Wales in 2006, and has made almost 300 first-team appearances.

McNaughton signed a new one-year contract with Cardiff, which runs until next summer, and then moved to Bolton on loan. There is no recall clause and McNaughton will be just about out of contract when his spell at the Macron Stadium ends. He is highly unlikely to play for the Bluebirds again.



3 Declan John – four first team appearances for Cardiff City this season

It’s been a tough season for the teenager from Merthyr Tydfil after his breakthrough campaign in 2013/14 where he added a full Wales international cap to his Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 honours.

Faces a battle for the left-back berth, with Fabio, Matt Connolly and John Brayford having all played on the left of the back four this season.

John, a 19-year-old winger turned left-back, is under contract with Cardiff until 2018 and will surely stay.




4 Kevin Theophile – one League Cup appearance for Cardiff this season

On loan at Ligue 1 side St Etienne for the season, making eight first-team appearances out of 15 league matches this term.

A £2.1m signing from French club Rennes in 2013, the defender, who can play at full-back or centre-back, made 31 appearances for the Bluebirds.

The 25-year-old former French Under-21 international is one of the players City would like to move on, but he has a four-year contract which runs until 2017 and could be back next season.




5 Juan Cala – three first team appearances for Cardiff this season

Defender Cala arrived from Sevilla in February and scored two goals in 11 first team appearances for the Bluebirds, including the only goal in their Premier League win at Southampton.

But his departure from the club was confirmed on Wednesday after a controversial Twitter outburst over his exile to the club's academy.




6. Kagisho Dikgacoi – three first-team appearances for Cardiff this season

The defensive midfielder arrived in Cardiff with a big reputation, having turned down the offer of a new contract with Premier League Crystal Palace to join Cardiff.

But visa problems stopped him joining the pre-season tour and he has never been able to make up for lost time, being hit by a series of niggling injuries.

The South African international, who has 54 senior caps, is under contract until June 2017 and if he is at peak fitness there is no question he would be a major asset to the Bluebirds. But it’s a big if.




7. Kim Bo-Kyung - Three appearances this season, none in the league

Not seen since he was hauled off after just 30 minutes of September’s Capital One Cup disaster against Bournemouth, the South Korean’s fall from grace has been pretty spectacular.

Remember, this was the guy who many predicted would shine on the Premier League stage. Sadly, it just hasn’t happened for him this season although some recent encouraging displays for the development team suggest there may be a glimmer of hope yet.




8 Magnus Eikrem – five first-team appearances for Cardiff this season, three in the Championship

Eikrem, who Solskjaer knew well from his days at Molde and Manchester United, joined Cardiff from Heerenveen in January.

But he has started only one league match after signing for the Bluebirds, and that was in the 4-0 Premier League home defeat against Hull City last season.

The midfielder, 24, looks likely to leave the club in January.



9 Nicky Maynard – 11 first-team appearances and one goal for Cardiff this season.

City paid West Ham £2.75m for Maynard in August 2012, but he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament two months later to more or less finish his season as City won the Championship title.

Spent six months on loan at Wigan last season, but has been unable to claim a regular starting spot since returning, the last time being at Wolves in August.

Former Arsenal trainee Maynard, 27, is out of contract this summer and looks likely to be among the players moving on.



10 Joe Mason – no Cardiff City appearances this season

He’s scored four goals in nine starts on loan at Bolton, including a hat-trick against Rotherham, but, unlike McNaughton, there is a January recall clause in Mason’s deal.

Mason signed for Cardiff from Plymouth in a £250,000 transfer during 2011 and has made 78 first-team appearances, many of them from the subs’ bench, and scored 18 goals.

The 23-year-old has not figured regularly in Bolton’s team since Neil Lennon was appointed manager and, having penned a new deal until 2018, is likely to be back in City colours in the new year.



11 Guido Burgstaller – five Cardiff first-team appearances this season, three in the Championship

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed the 25-year-old midfield player in May from Rapid Vienna after he helped them to runners-up spot in the Austrian League last season.

Burgstaller impressed during pre-season with his strong, imposing playing style, but has been unable to secure a first-team place and has been out of favour since Russell Slade took charge.

The Austrian international is under contract at Cardiff until the summer of 2017, but he is one of the players Slade would like to move on during January.



12 Jo Inge Berget – no Cardiff appearances this season

Norwegian international Berget, on loan at Celtic, is completely out of favour at Parkhead and hasn’t played at all since October 2, having eight games and two goals under his belt.

Solskjaer brought Berget to Cardiff in January, but the forward made only two appearances before leaving for Scotland.

His loan deal with the Scottish Premier League club ends in January and he will be sent back to Cardiff, where he is under contract until June 2016.




13 Ben Nugent – no Cardiff City appearances this season

The 6ft 5in centre-half is out on loan at Yeovil, a deal due to end on January 4, but that could yet be extended.

Nugent, who has just turned 22, has made 14 first-team appearances, scoring one goal for City, and had loan spells at Brentford, Peterborough and Yeovil.

Was tipped as a ‘future club captain’ by former manager Malky Mackay, and is under contract with Cardiff until the summer of 2016




14 Javi Guerra – five Cardiff City first-team appearances this season, three from the subs’ bench in the Championship

Guerra, 32, scored 11 goals in 22 La Liga matches for Real Sociedad last season, but it hasn’t worked out for him following his free transfer move to Cardiff .

He is under contract with the Bluebirds until 2017, having signed a three-year deal, but his last appearance was against Bournemouth in a League Cup tie when he was hauled off, along with Kim Bo-Kyung, after only 37 minutes.

Despite being a non-playing member of the squad at Watford on Saturday, it looks likely Guerra will move on in January.



15 Etien Velikonja – one Cardiff City first-team appearance this season

The Slovenian striker still has two years left on his City contract, which will end in the summer of 2017. But Velikonja, 25, who signed for City from Maribor for £1.7m on a bumper deal, is some way from a first-team call and he is unlikely to see that through. He had a loan spell with Portuguese club Rio Ave last season and is likely to be on his way out again in January.

16 Filip Kiss – no first-team appearances for Cardiff City this season

Currently embarking on a second spell on loan at Scottish Premier League side Ross County, making 12 league appearances this season.

The Slovakian international first joined Cardiff on loan from Slovan Bratislava in 2011, signing a four-year deal the following summer.

Despite the contract lasting until 2015, it seems Kiss, 24, will be on his way in January.




17 Adedeji Oshilaja – no first team appearances this season

The 21-year-old stopper signed his first professional contract in April 2012, but has yet to start challenging at first-team level.

The Bermondsey-born defender has had loan spells with Newport County and Sheffield Wednesday and may need to leave to further his career.


18. Kadeem Harris - two appearances this season, none in the league

Quick and direct, Harris excelled during a loan spell with Brentford last term and has been a shining, goalscoring light for Cardiff’s under-21 development team this season.

Many Cardiff fans have been waiting for him to arrive on the senior stage for some time now but the rough edges of a raw youngster are apparently yet to be smoothed out.




19 Maxi Amondarain – no first team appearances this season

Former Uruguay Under-20 international Amondarain, who helped his country finish runners-up in the age group World Cup, is under contract with the Bluebirds until the summer of 2017. He signed a four-year deal when he arrived at the club from Nacional.

The 21-year-old central defender from Montevideo came to Cardiff on trial after the Bluebirds sent a scouting group to Uruguay and Malky Mackay rated him highly.

But he has been unable to break through and is facing a tough time at a club which has an abundance of senior defenders.

Kagisho Dikgacoi, and Kimbo can perform at this level, if fit and motivated, Guerra could have been class, but he didn't take the opportunities, other than that what a complete mess we have, a total scattergun approach, Slade seems to be building a steady Pullis type team, so am happy with his first few months.......

Would really love to see joe mason given a crack . Really rated him years back

Would really love to see joe mason given a crack . Really rated him years back

Ditto