MICHAEL CHOPRA : " OUR PLAYERS BOTTLED IT "

In a wide-ranging interview, Michael Chopra admits he had a big ego.

Thursday 2nd July 2015

By Steve Tucker

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Controversial striker Michael Chopra has accused some of his former Cardiff City team-mates of bottling it in the Championship play-off final defeat at Wembley back in May 2010.

The Bluebirds came as close as they ever did to reaching the Premier League under former boss Dave Jones against Blackpool, only to lose out in heart-breaking fashion by a 3-2 margin.

Chopra himself opened the scoring but despite taking the lead twice, with Joe Ledley also finding the net for the Bluebirds, the Tangerines ruled the day in the end thanks to first-half goals from Charlie Adam, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Brett Ormerod and it was Ian Holloway’s men who made it to the top-flight.


Cardiff never came as close again despite a series of valiant attempts under Jones but finally reached the ‘promised land’ after finishing as champions under Malky Mackay three years later. That came too late for ‘Chops’, who had been sold to Ipswich for £1m in June 2011.

Still just 31-years-old, following his time at Ipswich, Chopra had spells at Blackpool and in the Indian Super League with Kerala Blasters. He spent last season in the Scottish second-flight at Alloa.

Despite that the striker, who was once the Bluebirds’ record-signing and who hit 65 goals in 162 appearances for the club, has said he wants to return to the Welsh capital and believes he can still do a job in the Championship.

But looking back on that darkest of days, Chopra has hit out at what he describes as the Bluebirds’ ‘so-called big players’ for failing to perform on the day and for allowing the enormity of the occasion to get to them.

The Cardiff team that faced Blackpool that day included the likes of David Marshall and Peter Whittingham, who are still at the club, Mark Hudson, Stephen McPhail and Jay Bothroyd, whose loss to injury just 15 minutes in is seen by many as a big factor in the defeat.

Chopra is naturally not naming names, but he is clearly still upset by one of the worst days of his own career.

“I was devastated. I think if you’d picked a club to play in the play-off final, at the start of the season if you’d been asked which team you wanted to play in the final, you would have said Blackpool,” Chopra told the supporters’ podcast site, Built on Sloper Road.

“So I was devastated, you could see it in my eyes at the end of the game because we had gone so far.

“We took the lead twice but we didn’t hang onto it.

“I think at the time, some of our so-called big players didn’t really turn up.

“The occasion got to some players. I think that is the sole reason.

“Going through the season playing as well as we did with the players we had in the team, I think the occasion just got to a lot of the players.

“But there was no animosity within the squad, I think that had helped us get as far as we did.”


Indeed, Chopra is insistent that there were no splits in the Cardiff dressing room at that point under Jones, with egos kept firmly in check.

That is, he claims, except for himself and strike partner Bothroyd. The pair at the time forged one of the most exciting attacking duos in Bluebirds’ history.

Indeed, Bothroyd went on to earn an England call-up for the quality of his form for the Bluebirds..

Chopra now admits the two were a pair of ‘big heads,’ but, under the expert guidance of boss Jones, were justified in their confidence due to the way they were performing on the pitch.

“Me and Jay probably had the biggest egos at the club, but, come Saturday, we produced,” said Chopra, who began his career at his native Newcastle before joining the Bluebirds in June 2006 for the first time.

“That’s what was good about Dave Jones, he knew how to play me and Jay.

“He knew what we needed in training and everything.

“It was not a case that these two players are big-headed and things like that, but even if you are big-headed, as long as you are producing on a Saturday then that is all that matters.

“And that is what Dave Jones did, he got the best out of me and Jay because he knew how to.”

Big headed or not, Chopra has no criticism for at least one Cardiff player in that infamous clash with Blackpool at Wembley – himself!

In fairness the striker not only opened the scoring, but came close on other occasions in an all-action showing.

Looking back now Chopra insists, whatever other players may have done on the day, he could reflect with a clear conscience.

“I hit the bar twice and I scored, to be fair I could not have done any more in my performance to try to help Cardiff win the game, but it was not to be,” added Chopra.

“I remember I was talking to (fellow Cardiff striker at the time) Ross McCormack a few days before the game in training and I told him I was going to score and I told him I was going to play as well as I did.

“I just had that feeling in myself that I could do it.

“Everything felt right about myself going into the game.

“The training, the preparation, everything was perfect. It was spot on.

“It was just so disappointing, but I look back and think that I did all I could.

“From a personal point of view, people ask if you can look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you did your best and I believe I did that.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ty-9577115

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Chopra of all players has a cheek

Chopra could of been one of our all time heroes, he forgets all the problems he brought to our club.
Plus the gambling troubles.

We as fans knew that the occasion got to the players that day.

Chopra: "Our big players bottled play-off final... but me and Bothroyd always delivered"

He was good in that game as was Ledley, Bothroyd going off cost us the game, could we have done something to keep him on the pitch ???

The defence were poor aswell, the free kick was unstoppable, but we should not have conceded the other two poor goals to concede......

Chopra was our man of the match in that final.

It was the defence that bottled it big time.

Chopra: "Our big players bottled play-off final... but me and Bothroyd always delivered"

How is this funny? Chopra played well and Bothroyd had a serious injury and went off.

Chopra, Whitts, Ledley all played well that day.

Hudson, Kennedy, McNaughton, Marshall, McPhail, Burke and Etuhu were terrible.

Who cares? He had his chance and is now sucking up to the fans in case he can wrangle a contract (allegedly)

And what about where he was training and playing after being up all night gambling as he previously is reported of admitting? In the season we blew automatic promotion. He let himself and the club down.

Chopra brought many problems to the club during his second spell with us and I was glad to see him go. However, when it comes to the Play Off Final I have to agree that he was one of the few who played well! Bothroyd refused to take an injection that could have seen him play on and Hudson had an absolute nightmare.

Still, I wouldn't have Chopra back. He absolutely blew his career. He could have been a Premier League player for years but only now is the penny starting to drop when it is too late.

And what about where he was training and playing after being up all night gambling as he previously is reported of admitting? In the season we blew automatic promotion. He let himself and the club down.

Well said. Was he one of the ones on the piss before the borough game when we missed the playoffs aswell?

Chopra: "Our big players bottled play-off final... but me and Bothroyd always delivered"

How is this funny? Chopra played well and Bothroyd had a serious injury and went off.

Chopra, Whitts, Ledley all played well that day.

Hudson, Kennedy, McNaughton, Marshall, McPhail, Burke and Etuhu were terrible.

My assessment of their respective performances down to a T

We shouldn't have even been in the playoffs that season. We had the strongest squad by a country mile. Chopra was part of a collective squad that bottled it over the course of a whole season. The guy is a joker. Should just keep his mouth shut. He wants to come back as well? He wouldn't get near the squad.

And what about where he was training and playing after being up all night gambling as he previously is repormanagementmitting? In the season we blew automatic promotion. He let himself and the club down.

Well said. Was he one ofmyselfnes on the piss before the borough game when we missed the playoffs aswell?

Agreed Nubs and believe it or not, I still feel bitter about that today. Just on an aside, I'm mot a Malky fan one bit but he did have great man management skills. Do you think the same thing would have happened if Malky was in charge then as opposed to Jonesey? I think not myself.

But in any case, I'm sure you'll agree Chopra was red hot when on form.

Lol
they were out on the piss after Leicester he was one of them obviously leading up to a cup final it's not great pre pe ration we look tired bothroyd even went off injured

Even though we lost il never forget that day.

One of the best away days for me. Roasting hot. Rather pissed and more lol

Excellent day. f*cking Blackpool fans all looked like they had lost the game at the end. Miserable twats.