' PAUL TROLLOPE '

Why Paul Trollope is already showing he can make a clean break with the past at Cardiff City


Friday 22nd July 2016

BY PHIL SMITH


The attention to detail in the camp is impressive and changes in the style of play look to be on the way



When Russell Slade's move upstairs was confirmed at the end of last season, there was an eagerness for a big name manager to fill the vacuum.

The likes of Neil Warnock and of course, Craig Bellamy, had the reputation that many Bluebirds' fans were craving.

That was understandable; the campaign had fizzled out badly as Cardiff slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Hillsborough and as a fairly tepid 1-1 draw with Birmingham in front of a fairly small crowd played out, it was impossible not to be underwhelmed.

The time for change looked to have come.

So when Paul Trollope was confirmed, there were howls of derision in some quarters that the furniture had merely been rearranged.

A couple of months down the line, and the atmosphere feels different.

Russell Slade has moved to Charlton Athletic, a fire-fighting job that will surely suit his best qualities. He is an honest manager who will communicate well with disillusioned fans.

As for Trollope, he appears to be making his mark on Cardiff City Football Club.


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Watching the team go about their business in Germany leaves you with the strong impression that those cries of 'same old, same old' will quickly go out the window.

For a start, there is the tactical flexibility already on show through the trialing of the 3-5-2 system.

Trollope appears to have decided that navigating the choppy waters of the Championship will require regular adjustment and refreshment, an encouraging approach which will get the best out of a squad featuring many players who can perform a number of roles.

On the pitch, there is already a clear desire to press opponents high up the pitch. 'Don't let them out' is a regular cry from the dugout and the Bluebirds' faithful can surely look forward to a higher intensity this season.

Of course, pre-season counts for nothing.

Despite their assured performance and impressive poise in possession, RW Ahlen play in a semi-professional league and a 0-0 draw over 45 minutes clearly is nothing to get carried away about.

Trollope will know that there are tougher times ahead and how he manages those remains a mystery.

What is clear, however, is that no mater how things turn out, he will have done things his own way.

His background staff are built in his own image - enthusiastic, positive and meticulous.

No stone is being left unturned, with every aspect of the players' performance and fitness analysed. Many close to the club felt the addition of Dr Ryland Morgans as performance director would be one of the summer's most significant additions.

From a distance, some might be wondering how a staff so prepared were able to let the frustrating scenes in Ahlen take place.

That's difficult to answer. All that can be said is that the pitch was looked at before the trip and was in an acceptable condition. Sources have also said that a game was played on the the same turf around a fortnight ago without any problems.

The frustration was palpable and the blame can't be laid at Cardiff's door.


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In the end, getting 45 minutes of football out of the evening was a decent result.

The challenge for Trollope now is to get more bodies in who can fit into his vision, and make sure he gets minutes for the key squad players yet to feature in pre-season.

The task ahead is a massive one. Eye-watering sums of money continue to be thrown around by Cardiff's promotion rivals, with Newcastle United potentially picking up a £60 million war-chest from the sales of Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko.

It is the most impressive managerial line-up ever seen in the history of the second tier and a daunting environment for Trollope to make his return to the dug-out.

Much is still to be done and it will not be easy to make turn this into an Indian summer for the Bluebirds still basking in the glow of their national team's success.

It is reassuring, however, that Trollope has the confidence to do things his own way.

That at least gives him every chance of making his time a success.

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spot on let's give the guy a chance to see what he can do and not be calling for his head if we don't get off to a good start

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

Well, I guess time will tell but the early signs are far more positive than when RS was prepping for us last season

Totally agree about making Gunnar captain. We need a leader on the pitch and, though Marshall is a great keeper, Aron is the obvious choice. He's done it for Iceland, so why not for us? Plus, we get to do the hoot-chant and he leads us in it!

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

Totally disagree, he wasn't manager, his role was to do put in practice what Slade wanted.

That's like me being blamed for my bosses decisions when Its totally out of my control.

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

Totally disagree, he wasn't manager, his role was to do put in practice what Slade wanted.

That's like me being blamed for my bosses decisions when Its totally out of my control.

Spot on

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

Utter nonsence. He was a coach. His job was to do whatever the manager tells him to do, not implement his own tactics or ideas.

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

He's already proved you wrong.He had to do what Slade instructed him to do and just advise and coach.In most walks of life if you try and tell your boss how to do it its not long before your looking for another job,a bit like trying to teach your father how to f**k.The good feeling around this club at the moment is largely down to him.It may not last long if results don't go our way but thats the nature of the job.

Not calling for his head, however I still don't like his appointment.
Mainly because I don't see how he can completely divorce himself from the mistakes made whilst under Slade. Is he saying his role carried no responsibility for the lack of passion shown against Wednesday? Or the lack of any plan A let alone plan B was not partly his fault?
I sincerely hope he proves me wrong and that now he has nowhere or nobody to hide behind, that he gets some steel back into the side and comes out fighting.
Making Gunnar captain would be a good start.

Totally disagree, he wasn't manager, his role was to do put in practice what Slade wanted.

That's like me being blamed for my bosses decisions when Its totally out of my control.

If he can't take any blame for Cardiff last season, he can't take any credit for the success of the Welsh team either. He was'nt manager and his role was to put in practice what Coleman wanted.