STILL A CARDIFF PLAYER/YET A GOAL MACHINE AT ANOTHER CLUB

The big-money Cardiff City outcast who's turned into a goal machine since being loaned out

Only ever given 4 appearances at Cardiff City? ? ?

Wednesday 27th April 2016


BY SIMON GASKELL

23 goals in just 28 games for Belgian side Lierse SK in the Proximus League -


Etien Velikonja - still a Cardiff player - never found the net for the Bluebirds senior side but has hit a red hot streak on loan



Cardiff City's problems up front this season have been well-documented.

Following the departures of Tony Watt and Kenwyne Jones in the winter transfer window , Russell Slade has deployed natural wide man Anthony Pilkington as his main striker for much of the second half of the season.

There is one man, though, on the club's books who is an out-and-out front man and has been lighting up the scoring charts in European football.

Slovenian international Etien Velikonja has scored an incredible 23 goals in just 28 games for Belgian side Lierse SK in the Proximus League - the country's second tier.


It is something he never looked remotely like doing in a Cardiff City shirt; his last first-team appearance came at the end of August 2014 when he was a late substitute for Javi Guerra in the 3-2 Capital Cup win over Port Vale at Vale Park.

That capped three seasons, four appearances and no goals for the senior side to that point.

He seems to have found his feet in Belgium, though, where he was taken in January last year by former Slovenian national boss Slaviša_Stojanovič.

Etien Velikonja 2015/16

23
Goals

This season Velikonja has a goal ratio of 0.82, scoring every 109 minutes and has nearly half of Lierse's league goals.

While that may have only taken Lierse to eighth in the table with three games of the season left, after his latest heroics in a 2-1 win over Tubize, Velikonja was dubbed a 'goal machine' by local media .


Velikonja is still unbelievably a Cardiff player but when his contract expires in July it looks certain that will no longer be the case with Lierse likely to be at the head of the queue for his signature.

It will bring to an end one of the more curious transfer episodes in Cardiff history four years after Velikonja signed.



Velikonja arrived from NK Maribor in July 2012 when Malky Mackay was at the helm, though it was said to be Vincent Tan who decided to sign him on the advice of Jose Mourinho who had been impressed by what he had seen watching him in the Europa League.


The deal was variously reported to have cost the Bluebirds between £1m and £1.7m.

Velikonja failed to make an impression, though, starting one match - the last of the season - against Hull after promotion to the top flight had been secured.

The following season he was loaned to Portuguese club Rio Ave where he scored one goal in seven appearances before linking up with Lierse in January 2015.

It looks like that is where the 27-year-old will now end up and will hope he can continue his rich vein of form when the curtain comes down on his less than illustrious Cardiff City career.

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In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

f*cking awesome,get the f***er back now

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Spot on Luke

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Just asking a question About standard he's playing in ? after all don't we have a 28 goal player from a lower diversion but out on loan? Easier in lower standard league surely:thumbup:

Last edited by pembroke allan on Wed Apr 27, 2016 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Spot on another striker not given a fair crack

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Tried that with Doyle... Completely different level and couldn't make the grade. Etien was here under 3 managers and never got a look in, he's obv not good enough.

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Tried that with Doyle... Completely different level and couldn't make the grade. Etien was here under 3 managers and never got a look in, he's obv not good enough.

That's my point ok in lower league but totally different in higher standard and only a thew make the step up, and TBH we are poor at finding that player!

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Just asking a question About standard he's playing in ? after all don't we have a 28 goal player from a lower diversion but out on loan? Easier in lower standard league surely:thumbup:

Allan, it is a lower standard I agree,but we never gave him a run of games.

In Belgium 2nd league?? What standard is that our 1st or 2nd div?

And?
If we had someone scoring 23 goals in 28 in league one people would be screaming to give him a chance.

Just asking a question About standard he's playing in ? after all don't we have a 28 goal player from a lower diversion but out on loan? Easier in lower standard league surely:thumbup:

Allan, it is a lower standard I agree,but we never gave him a run of games.

It seems to be an issue within the club annis, maybe next season if in champ we will give a forward the chance to see what they can do!

I'm available next season if the club want to give me a run of games, never know, I could turn out good.

Under 3 managers he failed to get a chance, if he had any potential to play at this level he would have got his chance.

I'm available next season if the club want to give me a run of games, never know, I could turn out good.

Under 3 managers he failed to get a chance, if he had any potential to play at this level he would have got his chance.

Totally agree he's not up to the championship we don't see these players in training he probably was garbage

I saw him play several times with the DVP and he certainly knew where the net was. As I recollect, I think the main issue holding him back was that he was muscled off the ball too easily. That said, players develop at different rates and need game time so the loan spell looks like it's benefitted him. Zohore and Saadhi look like they've got the brute strength and dog that Velikonja didn't have a while back so I hope that he's developed and could be another option for us next season.

I saw him play several times with the DVP and he certainly knew where the net was. As I recollect, I think the main issue holding him back was that he was muscled off the ball too easily. That said, players develop at different rates and need game time so the loan spell looks like it's benefitted him. Zohore and Saadhi look like they've got the brute strength and dog that Velekonje didn't have a while back so I hope that he's developed and could be another option for us next season.

I think his contract is up and he's free to leave end of this season

I saw him play several times with the DVP and he certainly knew where the net was. As I recollect, I think the main issue holding him back was that he was muscled off the ball too easily. That said, players develop at different rates and need game time so the loan spell looks like it's benefitted him. Zohore and Saadhi look like they've got the brute strength and dog that Velekonje didn't have a while back so I hope that he's developed and could be another option for us next season.

I think his contract is up and he's free to leave end of this season

Cheers Wez. I guess if he's banging them in for fun elsewhere then he won't be coming back if that's the case. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Saadhi can do playing regularly as he looks a handful.

I saw him play several times with the DVP and he certainly knew where the net was. As I recollect, I think the main issue holding him back was that he was muscled off the ball too easily. That said, players develop at different rates and need game time so the loan spell looks like it's benefitted him. Zohore and Saadhi look like they've got the brute strength and dog that Velekonje didn't have a while back so I hope that he's developed and could be another option for us next season.

I think his contract is up and he's free to leave end of this season

Cheers Wez. I guess if he's banging them in for fun elsewhere then he won't be coming back if that's the case. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Saadhi can do playing regularly as he looks a handful.

Slade doesn't seem to give him a chance at the moment I think he and zahore will come good

I saw him play several times with the DVP and he certainly knew where the net was. As I recollect, I think the main issue holding him back was that he was muscled off the ball too easily. That said, players develop at different rates and need game time so the loan spell looks like it's benefitted him. Zohore and Saadhi look like they've got the brute strength and dog that Velekonje didn't have a while back so I hope that he's developed and could be another option for us next season.

I think his contract is up and he's free to leave end of this season

Cheers Wez. I guess if he's banging them in for fun elsewhere then he won't be coming back if that's the case. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Saadhi can do playing regularly as he looks a handful.

Slade doesn't seem to give him a chance at the moment I think he and zahore will come good

I think they will too. Would have liked to have seen how Tony Watt would have panned out too.