" He Came with a Proven Record/What Went Wrong? "

Le Fondre came to Cardiff with a proven scoring record, including in the Premier League, but it just hasn't happened for him

Friday 23rd Jan 2015

Of the many Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Cardiff City transfer disappointments of the past 12 months, Adam Le Fondre stands out for me as the biggest of the lot.

There are quite a few rivals for the unwanted tag. Wilfried Zaha, Fabio, Federico Macheda, Guido Burgstaller, Jo Inge Berget, Magnus Eikrem, Javi Guerra amongst the bumper crop.

But there are mitigating factors. Some did show occasional glimpses of real class (Zaha and Fabio); some haven’t been given a proper chance to shine (Guerra and Burgstaller); others simply came here with no expectation from us (Berget and Eikrem).

Le Fondre was very different. When he signed from Reading last summer, I was amongst the many who was genuinely excited by the Bluebirds’ purchase.

Proven record

This was a 27-year-old striker, at the peak of his powers, who had a proven goal record. Two seasons earlier, he had struck 14 during Reading’s Premier League campaign, including two against Chelsea, Everton and Newcastle, plus further strikes versus Manchester United and Arsenal.

Last season, at Championship level, Le Fondre struck 15 goals for Reading... including two hat-tricks.

In previous seasons, albeit sometimes at a lower level, he had struck tallies of 16, 24, 30, 21 and 17. Mouth-watering stuff for the Bluebirds.



Instead, it looks as if next week Le Fondre will be exiting the Bluebirds, joining Bolton on loan after scoring a mere three goals in 25 matches for Cardiff.

That is a desperately disappointing return for a man who cam here with such high hopes. So high that I even put a tenner on him finishing as Championship top scorer at what were extremely generous odds of 25-1.

More fool me! Can I have my money back please, Adam?

My optimism was based around Le Fondre’s proven record in the Premier League and Championship, plus that fact that in pre-season friendlies he looked a damn good player. Reasonably quick, hard-working, able to put defenders under pressure, he reminded me in a way of Michael Chopra’s early days as a Bluebird.

Out on wing
For whatever reason, it has since gone horrendously wrong.

Le Fondre arrived under a fanfare, declaring Manchester United legend Solskjaer was an idol of his and he couldn’t wait to get cracking under his management. “I couldn’t say no... scoring is what I’m about.”

Initially, Le Fondre was stuck out on the wing, but Russell Slade put him up front in his preferred position. And stuck with him despite the scoring drought and despite more and more fans questioning why on earth Le Fondre kept being picked in a 4-4-2 formation.



Le Fondre positively enthused about his little and large partnership with big Kenwyne Jones. Still the goals wouldn’t come, though. Not for him, anyhow, even if Kenwyne has become somewhat prolific.

You can question lots of things Slade has done since becoming Bluebirds boss, but one thing Le Fondre can’t accuse him of is a lack of loyalty.

Slade immediately placed him ahead of Jones, Macheda and the terribly under-utilised Guerra as his number one pick up front. Le Fondre’s name was nailed on, until he was finally dropped for Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss at Middlesbrough.



'Enormous failure'

Next week it looks like Le Fondre is heading out on loan to Bolton, Slade saying it might do him good to get away and regain some confidence.

Tied to Cardiff on a three-year deal, he could yet return as a roaring scoring success and justify some of the expectation surrounding him upon his arrival.

But we can only go on the evidence of what we’ve seen and rank him as an enormous failure thus far.



I had huge hopes of Zaha. Ultimately he too disappointed, but at least we saw very fleeting moments of his genius against Norwich, when he won the game for Cardiff, and Everton at Goodison Park.

Fabio, in my view, has been shabbily treated by Cardiff. He’s easily the best full-back at the club and doesn’t deserve his demotion from the side.

Guerra just hasn’t been given a chance, either by Solskjaer or Slade, and has departed for Malaga in Spain’s La Liga.

Burgstaller we haven’t seen enough of, Macheda hasn’t set the world on fire. As for Berget and Eikrem, I can’t fathom why on earth Cardiff signed them in the first place.

Le Fondre, on the other hand, was viewed as an excellent acquisition. Because of that, and his splendid past record, he ranks as the number one disappointment of the lot in my eyes.

At the time he joined a red Cardiff City

He's a predator for inside the box
The way that we play he never had those chances
As we all know we have not scored many goals from open play as our midfield was always overrun by the opposition
All strikers must be fed and our midfield don't feed which is why he hasn't scored many goals
Slade knows or should know where our weakness is but then again he's as thick as shit so he may not know
It's simply if I don't get the ball I don't score

Must have a twin brother surely.

I was so pleased when he signed but bloody hell what a let down.

He's an impact sub

He was started on the wing

No competition

The team don't create enough chances

I disagree. If Alf had better movement off the ball then Whitts would find him. Whitts is the best long passer in the Championship, without a doubt. With someone like Mason (or Joe himself) it will change. Alf, for whatever reason, missed a load of really good chances. Maybe it was all down to confidence?

I think if we had one, just ONE midfielder who had a bit of vision and who could pass an incisive ball to a striker we might have had a better return from ALF and, even, Macheda. But as it is we probably have the biggest midfield flops in the Championship and totally devoid of any quality!

No creative midfielders. We have been lacking in this area for years.

there are mitigating factors - lack of supply, team overall playing poorly etc

but the buck stops with the player himself. to score 3 goals consisting of a deflected goal and an open goal from 21 league games is appalling. he has missed many easy chances that any decent player at this level should put away without any problems. he is thinking too hard about his finishing.

its a shame he is going as we will probably lose money on him and clearly does have it in him to score 20 goals a season. it wouldn't surprise me if a fresh start elsewhere kickstarts a run of form for him.

A very fair summary and fair play to Slade he gave him a chance with a decent run of games and now has to loan him out to try something new.

I thought this was going to be about Malky!

He's been pretty shit for us, just one of those things, it wasn't meant to be

You watch him improve at Bolton or wherever //////////////

Our midfield have not been good but Lefondre is low on confidence he is the biggest disapointment as he has had sitters and missed them, hopefully he will get confidence back at Bolton

Very simple he hasn't had the service he needs

He's a predator for inside the box
The way that we play he never had those chances
As we all know we have not scored many goals from open play as our midfield was always overrun by the opposition
All strikers must be fed and our midfield don't feed which is why he hasn't scored many goals
Slade knows or should know where our weakness is but then again he's as thick as shit so he may not know
It's simply if I don't get the ball I don't score

This

He's a predator for inside the box
The way that we play he never had those chances
As we all know we have not scored many goals from open play as our midfield was always overrun by the opposition
All strikers must be fed and our midfield don't feed which is why he hasn't scored many goals
Slade knows or should know where our weakness is but then again he's as thick as shit so he may not know
It's simply if I don't get the ball I don't score

Spot on. Can't score if he's not being fed..

He's a predator for inside the box
The way that we play he never had those chances
As we all know we have not scored many goals from open play as our midfield was always overrun by the opposition
All strikers must be fed and our midfield don't feed which is why he hasn't scored many goals
Slade knows or should know where our weakness is but then again he's as thick as shit so he may not know
It's simply if I don't get the ball I don't score

This

Well done Shaky I agree 100%. It would do Slade some good to read your comments and learn!

Simple equation: Crap Midfield + 0 width × 0 service = 0 goals

If you look at all our goals there scrappy goals or either set pieces

We don't create anything our football is dire and boring

He hardly gets chances which would of also knocked his confidence when he does

Just one of those things. Sometimes a move doesn't work out.

Missed lots chances he was given though! How many games have we failed to score in? Mmmm not many so why blame others for his failings at city? Hes proven scorer but these things happen,

He's missed some excellent chances but these have come after all his confidence was shot, I'm glad it's just a loan move. Could be useful next season if Slade can get the right balance in midfield

He's a predator for inside the box
The way that we play he never had those chances
As we all know we have not scored many goals from open play as our midfield was always overrun by the opposition
All strikers must be fed and our midfield don't feed which is why he hasn't scored many goals
Slade knows or should know where our weakness is but then again he's as thick as shit so he may not know
It's simply if I don't get the ball I don't score

He's had plenty of chances to score goals and he's fucked tem all up Brum away he should have scored a hatrick. Millwall away he missed from 4 yards out also did the same v Norwitch at home and in many many more games aswell he has the turning circle of a combine harvester. Complete crap get rid get Rhys Healey back and play him alongside Jones or Revell I bet he'd score more goals in his first 10 games than Le Fondre has scored all season.

Just one of those things. Sometimes a move doesn't work out.

thats not good enough, there's always a reason why a move doesn't work out. we have the right to ask questions when he was paid big money on the premise of being a proven championship goalscorer.

as stated before, a lack of supply plus very poor finishing when he does get chances are the reasons why he has had a barren run here.