" KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 1:49 pm
" Why Swansea City's Ki Sung-yueng prospered as Kim Bo-kyung's Cardiff City career came to nothing "
27 May 2015
OPINION BY SCOTTJOHNSON
Scott Johnson says Kim Bo-Kyung could potentially be shining on the Premier League stage if he'd been lucky enough to join Swansea instead of Cardiff
Kim Bo-kyung and Ki Sung-yueng have a lot in common. Less than a year apart in age and close friends off the field, they each moved to South Wales within six weeks of each other in the summer of 2012 and were instrumental in South Korea’s bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, which resulted in National Service exemption.
As far as their respective careers are concerned though, the similarities end there.
Kim arrived at Cardiff as part of a huge post-rebrand spending spree, tasked with providing the ammunition to fire an assault on automatic promotion.
He certainly played his part, pulling the strings on occasion, plus chipping in with goals in wins at Blackburn and Blackpool, as Malky Mackay’s side romped to the title.
With great feet, Kim is undoubtedly technically gifted, but had a tendency to decorate games rather than directly influence them.
He also exhibited a level of positional indiscipline that made him a liability stationed wide and an inconsistency that resulted in him not being entrusted as the direct link between midfield and the forwards.
There were highlights, a jinking run in the build up to Aron Gunnarsson’s goal against defending Premier League champions Manchester City springs to mind, but they became few and far between over time.
Despite his Cardiff managers, Mackay and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, being vocal supporters, Kim eventually drifted out of favour and like many others, became an expensive luxury by the time Russell Slade took charge.
His release in January, as part of extensive cost-cutting, surprised few, although why the club did not hold out until the end of the window to try and recoup some of their outlay is mystifying to me.
Kim soon linked up with Mackay again at Wigan, but neither could prevent the club’s relegation to League One and he is currently a free agent.
Ki, in contrast, has drawn to a close the best season of his career, after reviving his career at Cardiff’s arch-rivals Swansea.
His path to South Wales was slightly more drawn out and possibly saw him better prepared for the rigours of Premier League football.
Having studied in Australia, he was already a fluent English speaker by the time he joined Celtic for £2m in 2009, as the reigning Asian Young Footballer of the Year.
Three seasons, a Scottish Premier League title and Scottish Cup on, Ki was well equipped for his £6m move to Swansea.
Although not as flashy as Kim, Ki is just as comfortable on the ball and like his counterpart he also started out just as unable to take control of contests.
It was a contributing factor in him being frozen out under Michael Laudrup and shipped off to Sunderland on loan last year.
Even when Swansea were in the midst of a mid-season midfield injury crisis, they chose not to recall Ki and his future at the club looked perilous.
But the departure of Laudrup and appointment of former team-mate Garry Monk resulted in a fresh start and Ki repaid the show of confidence by scooping the Player of the Year title at the recent end of season awards.
Eight goals, including one in each win against Manchester United, he has appeared in a number of roles and excelled every time.
He appears to have mastered the Frank Lampard art of arriving in the box at just the right time to supplement his armoury, which already includes a potent shot from distance.
Back home, Ki is seen as something of an outspoken rebel, but that side of his personality has not been evidenced at Swansea.
In fact he was humble enough to dedicate his Player of the Year accolade to Monk, stating: “the award is for the manager.”
The appreciation is clearly mutual, with Monk describing Ki’s performance in December win over Hull as “incredible.”
Ki’s career is in the ascendancy while Kim’s is back to square one, but luck has played a major part.
For example, had Kim joined Swansea and Ki ended up at Cardiff, their roles could easily have been reversed.
Swansea and Cardiff have been through a fair few managers in recent years, but where Swansea have stuck to a strict philosophy, Cardiff’s approach has changed with every appointment.
Swansea sign players to fit a certain system and ethos, while Cardiff buy first and think about making them fit after.
Ki was lucky to join a club where he was assigned a specific role; had he joined Cardiff, he wouldn’t have been afforded that continuity and security.
Cardiff, in contrast, tried unsuccessfully to use Kim as a winger on several different occasions, without success, before cutting him loose.
Who knows what might have happened had Kim joined Swansea?
He may have been the one extending his contract through to 2018, instead of spending the summer looking for work.
Kim always divided opinion, which is not a problem for Ki at present, firmly established in the centre of the Swansea midfield and probably worth twice what Swansea paid for him.
No-one would have predicted that this time last year and the trajectory of the two players also highlights the contrasting fortunes of the two South Wales rivals during the intervening 12 months.
27 May 2015
OPINION BY SCOTTJOHNSON
Scott Johnson says Kim Bo-Kyung could potentially be shining on the Premier League stage if he'd been lucky enough to join Swansea instead of Cardiff
Kim Bo-kyung and Ki Sung-yueng have a lot in common. Less than a year apart in age and close friends off the field, they each moved to South Wales within six weeks of each other in the summer of 2012 and were instrumental in South Korea’s bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, which resulted in National Service exemption.
As far as their respective careers are concerned though, the similarities end there.
Kim arrived at Cardiff as part of a huge post-rebrand spending spree, tasked with providing the ammunition to fire an assault on automatic promotion.
He certainly played his part, pulling the strings on occasion, plus chipping in with goals in wins at Blackburn and Blackpool, as Malky Mackay’s side romped to the title.
With great feet, Kim is undoubtedly technically gifted, but had a tendency to decorate games rather than directly influence them.
He also exhibited a level of positional indiscipline that made him a liability stationed wide and an inconsistency that resulted in him not being entrusted as the direct link between midfield and the forwards.
There were highlights, a jinking run in the build up to Aron Gunnarsson’s goal against defending Premier League champions Manchester City springs to mind, but they became few and far between over time.
Despite his Cardiff managers, Mackay and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, being vocal supporters, Kim eventually drifted out of favour and like many others, became an expensive luxury by the time Russell Slade took charge.
His release in January, as part of extensive cost-cutting, surprised few, although why the club did not hold out until the end of the window to try and recoup some of their outlay is mystifying to me.
Kim soon linked up with Mackay again at Wigan, but neither could prevent the club’s relegation to League One and he is currently a free agent.
Ki, in contrast, has drawn to a close the best season of his career, after reviving his career at Cardiff’s arch-rivals Swansea.
His path to South Wales was slightly more drawn out and possibly saw him better prepared for the rigours of Premier League football.
Having studied in Australia, he was already a fluent English speaker by the time he joined Celtic for £2m in 2009, as the reigning Asian Young Footballer of the Year.
Three seasons, a Scottish Premier League title and Scottish Cup on, Ki was well equipped for his £6m move to Swansea.
Although not as flashy as Kim, Ki is just as comfortable on the ball and like his counterpart he also started out just as unable to take control of contests.
It was a contributing factor in him being frozen out under Michael Laudrup and shipped off to Sunderland on loan last year.
Even when Swansea were in the midst of a mid-season midfield injury crisis, they chose not to recall Ki and his future at the club looked perilous.
But the departure of Laudrup and appointment of former team-mate Garry Monk resulted in a fresh start and Ki repaid the show of confidence by scooping the Player of the Year title at the recent end of season awards.
Eight goals, including one in each win against Manchester United, he has appeared in a number of roles and excelled every time.
He appears to have mastered the Frank Lampard art of arriving in the box at just the right time to supplement his armoury, which already includes a potent shot from distance.
Back home, Ki is seen as something of an outspoken rebel, but that side of his personality has not been evidenced at Swansea.
In fact he was humble enough to dedicate his Player of the Year accolade to Monk, stating: “the award is for the manager.”
The appreciation is clearly mutual, with Monk describing Ki’s performance in December win over Hull as “incredible.”
Ki’s career is in the ascendancy while Kim’s is back to square one, but luck has played a major part.
For example, had Kim joined Swansea and Ki ended up at Cardiff, their roles could easily have been reversed.
Swansea and Cardiff have been through a fair few managers in recent years, but where Swansea have stuck to a strict philosophy, Cardiff’s approach has changed with every appointment.
Swansea sign players to fit a certain system and ethos, while Cardiff buy first and think about making them fit after.
Ki was lucky to join a club where he was assigned a specific role; had he joined Cardiff, he wouldn’t have been afforded that continuity and security.
Cardiff, in contrast, tried unsuccessfully to use Kim as a winger on several different occasions, without success, before cutting him loose.
Who knows what might have happened had Kim joined Swansea?
He may have been the one extending his contract through to 2018, instead of spending the summer looking for work.
Kim always divided opinion, which is not a problem for Ki at present, firmly established in the centre of the Swansea midfield and probably worth twice what Swansea paid for him.
No-one would have predicted that this time last year and the trajectory of the two players also highlights the contrasting fortunes of the two South Wales rivals during the intervening 12 months.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 2:07 pm
Under Malky, Kimbo was good,even Rio Ferdinad tweeted how good he was on many occasions.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 2:11 pm
Once MM went he did not have a look in. He did not have the opportunity to get back up to match fitness, etc. seemed to do ok when he went to Wigan including scoring some goals.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 2:17 pm
Promised a lot delivered little 
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 2:40 pm
Forever Blue wrote:Under Malky, Kimbo was good,even Rio Ferdinad tweeted how good he was on many occasions.
At the start he was good under Malky, but even he got fed up with how little Kim could contribute in most games and he was dropped. He also started off well with Wigan under Malky then again dropped his performances. Kim was a luxury player like Whittingham, but you can't have too many of them and I'd rather Whitts over Kim any day.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 2:43 pm
This article is also nonsense since both play a different position...
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 5:54 pm
Kim or Inamoto ?
every time i try typing the second name this happens on dictionary
in a motorcycle"
every time i try typing the second name this happens on dictionary
in a motorcycle"
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 6:14 pm
I liked Kim bit I don't think we have seen a manaher get the best from him.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 7:31 pm
Malky played him in the wrong set up in the Premier. He is a class player who needs class support but he never got it. In truth, like Daehli, a bit too good for our journeyman obsession.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 9:41 pm
He was good at first but became rubbish as soon as Malky left.
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Wed May 27, 2015 11:02 pm
Forever Blue wrote:Under Malky, Kimbo was good,even Rio Ferdinad tweeted how good he was on many occasions.
After Man city home was 1 of them. Kim ruined after a good performance home to Man City, noone ruined after a good performance away to man city
Re: " KIM BO KYUNG "
Thu May 28, 2015 10:13 am
I don't think he suited our system. Like Daehli and Olofinjana, he seemed to flourish in a 5 man midfield but even when we played 5 in the middle our system didn't compliment him. It was too compact and dogged without enough space and pace about our game to allow him to do well. I wouldn't object to him coming back to us but only if we know where to play him.