" ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 5:42 pm
The curious case of Adam Le Fondre's Cardiff City failure: How the man who guarantees goals couldn't fire
With Le Fondre set to leave the Cardiff City Stadium, Steve Tucker reflects on where it all went wrong for the £3m striker
By Steve Tucker
07-05-15
You only need to glance down the career statistics of Adam Le Fondre to see what a proven goal-scoring record he has.
Wherever the 28-year-old has been the goals just seem to follow with an impressive strike to game ratio.
Down the years Stockport, Rochdale, Rotherham, Reading and most recently Bolton have all profited from the striker’s eye for goal... everyone that is apart from at Cardiff City.
If the Championship season just ended proved a disappointment for the Bluebirds and their supporters, then one of the biggest disappointments and most unfathomable mysteries has been just what happened to Le Fondre during his time in the Welsh capital?
Supposed to be so different
It looks likely now we will never get more evidence to actually discover what went wrong.
Manager Russell Slade has admitted what many had known since January, that after his loan move with the Trotters, Le Fondre is set for a transfer away from the Bluebirds after barely a year at the club.
It was all supposed to be so different of course.
When former Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer splashed £3m on Le Fondre last summer, most agreed he was bringing in a useful individual to bolster what was already a quality Bluebirds squad more than primed to bounce straight back to the Premier League.
It all goes to show how wrong a whole lot of people can be on every front.
It is not even as if Le Fondre was not given a chance from the off at Cardiff.
Solskjaer put total faith in his new man, straight into the starting XI up front he went as the Bluebirds got down to work once more in the second-tier.
There was just one problem with it all, Le Fondre could not find the net and even when he thought he had against Ipswich in October it was eventually given as an own goal.
Drained of confidence
No, Cardiff had to wait until the end of November, until he scored the winner at Watford, for their £3m man to eventually get off the mark. Only one more was to follow again against Watford in a turgid 4-2 defeat in the Welsh capital a month later.
Here was a guy who had scored everywhere he had been previously, but who now looked drained of confidence and even basic know how for Cardiff. The question was, why?
One reason put forward that seems unlikely is that Le Fondre could not settle in Cardiff, that the very act of moving to the Welsh capital had somehow drained him of the ability to find the net. We were told the Stockport-born striker missed the north of England, that his family were all based up there and that the absence just did not sit well with him.
That argument does not hold water really, I mean, he had proved a hit at previous club Reading, albeit often from the bench, and leafy Berkshire is as far just about from the ‘Beautiful North’ as Cardiff is.
Anyway thousands of footballers relocate even further, many to different countries and still prosper.
Lionel Messi is thousands of miles from his Argentine homeland at Barcelona, but he seems to be doing OK. Sure, Messi probably has everyone from his wife and kids to his second cousin living in a mansion in the Spanish city, but why could not a family be relocated to Cardiff too?
Environment affected Le Fondre
If not, there are plenty of people all over the UK forced to work away from their families for great stretches of the week and they just have to get on with the job.
No, the most likely reasons for Le Fondre’s failure at Cardiff is that he did not settle for sure, but for more pragmatic, less emotional reasons.
Let’s be honest the Bluebirds were a shambles under Solskjaer, they had been for the last half of their wretched Premier League relegation ‘battle’ and it continued at the start of their Championship campaign under the Norwegian.
There was a lack of confidence, of drive or direction, morale was low and coming into such an environment more than likely affected Le Fondre.
Of course, it did not help at all that under Solskjaer and then Slade, Le Fondre was seemingly mismanaged. Played out of position, Le Fondre was unable to get in the locations he usually scored from. A keen poacher in the box, he was played deeper at Cardiff, asked to link up play and was even shoved out wide.
Matters were not helped by the fact that the service from his stuttering teammates was abject too and that neither Solskjaer or Slade could find their best side or even their best front-line to play him within.
Le Fondre became a mirror of the Cardiff side itself, aimless, confused and clearly not content despite whatever noises were coming out of the camp itself.
Sparked into life at Bolton
Despite that his loan move to Bolton in January came as a shock.
As Slade said Le Fondre was going north in search of football, you could not help but be confused. Wasn’t this the guy who had played nearly every game under Solskjaer and Slade himself?
That obviously all masked something else, but no matter, the rest as they say is history, with Le Fondre suddenly sparking to life under Trotters’ boss Neil Lennon.
He even finished Wanderers’ campaign their top scorer with eight goals in 17 appearances despite only arriving halfway through the season.
Of course, another thing true of any work-place is that some people just seem to thrive under a change of leadership.
Often in football it is ‘horses for courses’ when it comes to working under individual managers.
Some need an arm around the shoulder, some a kick up the backside, Le Fondre evidently never got what he required from the men in charge at Cardiff.
Le Fondre was a gamble that did not pay off for Cardiff, actually he was hardly a gamble given his previous track record, but it all went very wrong and Cardiff are set to pay for it.
Never saw the best of him
The Bluebirds seem unlikely, whatever Slade might say, to get even close to recouping their £3m outlay especially from cash-strapped Bolton which seems Le Fondre’s desired destination.
Le Fondre remains a class act in many ways though and there will be plenty of suitors, it just remains a shame Cardiff never saw the best of him.
Although, in the frontman’s defence, in the campaign just thankfully ended, we saw very little of the best from anyone actually wearing a Cardiff shirt.
With Le Fondre set to leave the Cardiff City Stadium, Steve Tucker reflects on where it all went wrong for the £3m striker
By Steve Tucker
07-05-15
You only need to glance down the career statistics of Adam Le Fondre to see what a proven goal-scoring record he has.
Wherever the 28-year-old has been the goals just seem to follow with an impressive strike to game ratio.
Down the years Stockport, Rochdale, Rotherham, Reading and most recently Bolton have all profited from the striker’s eye for goal... everyone that is apart from at Cardiff City.
If the Championship season just ended proved a disappointment for the Bluebirds and their supporters, then one of the biggest disappointments and most unfathomable mysteries has been just what happened to Le Fondre during his time in the Welsh capital?
Supposed to be so different
It looks likely now we will never get more evidence to actually discover what went wrong.
Manager Russell Slade has admitted what many had known since January, that after his loan move with the Trotters, Le Fondre is set for a transfer away from the Bluebirds after barely a year at the club.
It was all supposed to be so different of course.
When former Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer splashed £3m on Le Fondre last summer, most agreed he was bringing in a useful individual to bolster what was already a quality Bluebirds squad more than primed to bounce straight back to the Premier League.
It all goes to show how wrong a whole lot of people can be on every front.
It is not even as if Le Fondre was not given a chance from the off at Cardiff.
Solskjaer put total faith in his new man, straight into the starting XI up front he went as the Bluebirds got down to work once more in the second-tier.
There was just one problem with it all, Le Fondre could not find the net and even when he thought he had against Ipswich in October it was eventually given as an own goal.
Drained of confidence
No, Cardiff had to wait until the end of November, until he scored the winner at Watford, for their £3m man to eventually get off the mark. Only one more was to follow again against Watford in a turgid 4-2 defeat in the Welsh capital a month later.
Here was a guy who had scored everywhere he had been previously, but who now looked drained of confidence and even basic know how for Cardiff. The question was, why?
One reason put forward that seems unlikely is that Le Fondre could not settle in Cardiff, that the very act of moving to the Welsh capital had somehow drained him of the ability to find the net. We were told the Stockport-born striker missed the north of England, that his family were all based up there and that the absence just did not sit well with him.
That argument does not hold water really, I mean, he had proved a hit at previous club Reading, albeit often from the bench, and leafy Berkshire is as far just about from the ‘Beautiful North’ as Cardiff is.
Anyway thousands of footballers relocate even further, many to different countries and still prosper.
Lionel Messi is thousands of miles from his Argentine homeland at Barcelona, but he seems to be doing OK. Sure, Messi probably has everyone from his wife and kids to his second cousin living in a mansion in the Spanish city, but why could not a family be relocated to Cardiff too?
Environment affected Le Fondre
If not, there are plenty of people all over the UK forced to work away from their families for great stretches of the week and they just have to get on with the job.
No, the most likely reasons for Le Fondre’s failure at Cardiff is that he did not settle for sure, but for more pragmatic, less emotional reasons.
Let’s be honest the Bluebirds were a shambles under Solskjaer, they had been for the last half of their wretched Premier League relegation ‘battle’ and it continued at the start of their Championship campaign under the Norwegian.
There was a lack of confidence, of drive or direction, morale was low and coming into such an environment more than likely affected Le Fondre.
Of course, it did not help at all that under Solskjaer and then Slade, Le Fondre was seemingly mismanaged. Played out of position, Le Fondre was unable to get in the locations he usually scored from. A keen poacher in the box, he was played deeper at Cardiff, asked to link up play and was even shoved out wide.
Matters were not helped by the fact that the service from his stuttering teammates was abject too and that neither Solskjaer or Slade could find their best side or even their best front-line to play him within.
Le Fondre became a mirror of the Cardiff side itself, aimless, confused and clearly not content despite whatever noises were coming out of the camp itself.
Sparked into life at Bolton
Despite that his loan move to Bolton in January came as a shock.
As Slade said Le Fondre was going north in search of football, you could not help but be confused. Wasn’t this the guy who had played nearly every game under Solskjaer and Slade himself?
That obviously all masked something else, but no matter, the rest as they say is history, with Le Fondre suddenly sparking to life under Trotters’ boss Neil Lennon.
He even finished Wanderers’ campaign their top scorer with eight goals in 17 appearances despite only arriving halfway through the season.
Of course, another thing true of any work-place is that some people just seem to thrive under a change of leadership.
Often in football it is ‘horses for courses’ when it comes to working under individual managers.
Some need an arm around the shoulder, some a kick up the backside, Le Fondre evidently never got what he required from the men in charge at Cardiff.
Le Fondre was a gamble that did not pay off for Cardiff, actually he was hardly a gamble given his previous track record, but it all went very wrong and Cardiff are set to pay for it.
Never saw the best of him
The Bluebirds seem unlikely, whatever Slade might say, to get even close to recouping their £3m outlay especially from cash-strapped Bolton which seems Le Fondre’s desired destination.
Le Fondre remains a class act in many ways though and there will be plenty of suitors, it just remains a shame Cardiff never saw the best of him.
Although, in the frontman’s defence, in the campaign just thankfully ended, we saw very little of the best from anyone actually wearing a Cardiff shirt.
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 6:05 pm
Get him off the wage bill and move on.
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 6:31 pm
Rydogsccfc wrote:Get him off the wage bill and move on.
Totally agree, he had enough chances to score goals for us and he failed miserably!
As well as that, he was always offside and I Fecking hate divers!
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 6:36 pm
Overthemoon wrote:Rydogsccfc wrote:Get him off the wage bill and move on.
Totally agree, he had enough chances to score goals for us and he failed miserably!
As well as that, he was always offside and I Fecking hate divers!
I didn't think we needed him in the first place we had enough Strikers already but Ole was a kid in a sweet shop.
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 7:04 pm
Rydogsccfc wrote:Overthemoon wrote:Rydogsccfc wrote:Get him off the wage bill and move on.
Totally agree, he had enough chances to score goals for us and he failed miserably!
As well as that, he was always offside and I Fecking hate divers!
I didn't think we needed him in the first place we had enough Strikers already but Ole was a kid in a sweet shop.
Can't argue with that!
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 7:16 pm
Where does he get £3m from ?
I'm sure it was reported as £1m + add ons and there won't be many of those !
I'm sure it was reported as £1m + add ons and there won't be many of those !
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 8:09 pm
I think under Ole he would have eventually found form. Under Slade's tactics he was never going to happen. yes he missed chances but probably knackered running for pointless long balls.
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 9:47 pm
Cant blame Slade for lefondre he didn't want to come to Cardiff at all, his family hated it but Reading were selling him as he wouldn't take a drop in wages and couldn't afford him and Ole the idiot said we will, so lefondre came here for money only. I was told his father came down to one game and told a supporter at the beginning of the season that they didn't want Alf playing in Cardiff.
I have said before I do not want players in Cardiff who do not want to be here get rid as he clearly doesn't like cardiff
I have said before I do not want players in Cardiff who do not want to be here get rid as he clearly doesn't like cardiff
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 9:54 pm
valleyrambill wrote:Cant blame Slade for lefondre he didn't want to come to Cardiff at all, his family hated it but Reading were selling him as he wouldn't take a drop in wages and couldn't afford him and Ole the idiot said we will, so lefondre came here for money only. I was told his father came down to one game and told a supporter at the beginning of the season that they didn't want Alf playing in Cardiff.
I have said before I do not want players in Cardiff who do not want to be here get rid as he clearly doesn't like cardiff
Yet he still ran his ass off every game chasing nothing s lumped up to him.
I don't go along with this he didn't want to be here.
Re: " ADAM LE FONDRE "
Thu May 07, 2015 10:01 pm
He ran around yes but his head was not right he was not happy, he missed some sitters yet scores at other teams he clearly was not happy with Ole or Slade and Ole was his hero so anyone can run but he was not right so he didn't want to be here in my view and still wants out now