Mon Jan 11, 2016 8:00 am
What yesterday showed us was really it doesn’t matter what team or playing personnel Slade puts out the kind of football, the lack of pace, the lack of technique and lack of ambition on the pitch is all too obvious which reflects on what is happening day-to-day on the training pitch at Cardiff. The spark, aggression and will-to-win just aren’t there.
I refrain from picking on individual players in terms of performances ... yes they should be doing better but I don’t believe that it’s solely down to themselves... it seems that football-wise we are not going anywhere under Slade and the existing coaching setup. Additionally the youngsters who deserve a chance aren’t being given the opportunity. Cardiff is fast becoming known as graveyard for youth careers, making it ever more difficult to recruit and retain good youth players. If your lad was on the books at Cardiff you’d be dreading the inevitable of him being overlooked, loaned out or shipped out... he would certainly be a million miles away from getting first team experience. Then there are players like Matty Kennedy, he’s quick, creative and based on the glimpses we’ve seen of him he has all of the attributes that we have been crying out for, yet week after week he is overlooked. Declan John is another and if Slade has his way he will move on and have to fulfil is potential elsewhere. These kind of travesties need to be stopped before they happen.
What is baffling is that many of the players Slade picked yesterday have already been given plenty of chances and been told they are leaving. His team selection just didn’t make sense. No wonder us fans are struggling to connect with the team – we are not happy, not mad, not angry... we are something far far worse... indifferent, and it’s that indifference which is keeping us away.
We are out of the FA cup, out of the League Cup, not going up, not going down and the squad has been trimmed. It doesn’t matter who Slade will bring in this January because the football will sadly remain the same. Before Slade is let loose on the transfer market surely now would be a great time to bring in Bellamy?
Bellamy would have the luxury of virtually no expectations from the fans for some time and two transfer windows before people start expecting anything. He would have nearly half a season and a pre-season to start stamping his own playing style on the team and bring in his own staff. I’d love him to bring in a certain Dutch fitness expert. He could look at the youngsters at the club and start giving some of them a run out - he already knows many of them and is passionate about seeing youngsters thrive.
From a pretty low starting point it’s a perfect opportunity to make the change now. The longer the change is deferred the less time Bellamy will have. Making the change now means Bellamy will have a free pass for 8 months or more as he cuts his teeth.
I know not everyone will agree with me but surely most fans, if not all fans, can see something needs to change. The indifference that is killing our club can’t go on.