THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Fri Jul 29, 2016 3:39 pm
THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Madness in my opinion.
Declan John will impress this season
The inside story of Declan John's return to Cardiff City favour and why Bluebirds' have a real talent on their hands
Friday 29th July 2016
BY PHIL SMITH
The left-back is flourishing further forward and his speed is making him a key attacker for Cardiff
The return of Declan John has been one of the main sources of excitement for Cardiff City fans in pre-season.
John burst onto the scene during the 2013/14 Premier League campaign but that he has played only seven league games in the past two seasons has been a source of frustration and bemusement amongst the Bluebirds' supporters.
He played his part in edging Chesterfield into the League One play-offs in the last campaign but was kept out of Cardiff contention by Scott Malone.
Malone's subsequent departure for Fulham has given a big opportunity and the left-back has flown throughout pre-season.
So what has been the key and is he a realistic contender to play against Birmingham City next Saturday?
We took a closer look...
What the Manager has said
Trollope's desire to get young Welsh talent in the team has been well documented and it looks like John could be a part of that.
Here's what he told us after the final game of the pre-season tour to Germany:
“We've got great options in that position, with Dec, Fabio and Jazz Richards.
“Dec's had a wee opportunity and he's had some good action through pre-season, he's staked a real claim. We've been pleased with what we've seen from him so far.
“He's had the opportunity in a new system, I've let him have his head a wee bit and let him play, in the end I pick the team but the player's performances also do that.
“He's had his chance in these games and he's done pretty well, as has Fabio and Jazz Richards coming in against Bochum, so I've got good options.”
Why has he been so impressive?
As Trollope alluded to, John looks to be one of the big winners from the switch to a back five.
John, and Fabio on the opposite flank, are responsible for providing the width and actively encouraged to abandon their defensive posts in possession and head up towards the byline.
Trollope is obviously spending an enormous amount of time on the team's shape in training and the importance of the wing-backs means they are receiving a lot of tactical attention.
During games, the manager has urged them to get forward and provide the option for Cardiff to switch possession with a long diagonal pass.
It's a great way to catch teams out, with Sheffield Wednesday and their left-back Daniel Pudil doing it regularly to the Bluebirds' during last season's 3-0 defeat.
John is clearly enjoying that role and he looks to be growing in confidence by the game.
The goal against Vfl Osnabruck may have been a fluke, with an attempted cross to Lex Immers at the back post drifting into the top corner, but it was rich reward for his bold attacking play and his willingness to try and make something happen.
He gave his team an extra-dimension and against Vfl Bochum, his introduction made a big difference. He had the defenders back-pedalling and Cardiff were able to get up the pitch more easily. It helps, of course, that the extra centre-back gives him real protection, particularly when it is a player of Matt Connolly's experience and nous.
In an attacking sense, it's all been very positive.
So is he a realistic contender to start against Birmingham?
He definitely is, though it is far from certain that he'll be in the starting XI.
Much may depend on how Trollope assesses Jazz Richards. So far, the new signing has had only 45 minutes of action in a Bluebirds' shirt and in normal circumstances that would probably not be enough to convince a manager that a player is ready for the new season.
However, Richards has of course been in training all summer with Wales and so was starting from a strong position in terms of his fitness. The coaching staff have been impressed by his and Aron Gunnarsson's application in training, while Richards also has the major benefit of knowing the formation well through his Wales duty.
If he can get more minutes and a good showing under his belt against Bournemouth, he'll be a strong contender.
It is also unclear where John sits in terms of the 4-3-3. John was one the many to be substituted when Trollope used it against FC St Pauli, with David Tutonda moving across to play at left-back.
Playing with a back four clearly requires a lot more defensive discipline and with Lee Peltier also on his way back to fitness, the competition for the full-back spots in that system will be fierce. This is particularly relevant for John because his speed makes him a really attractive option in terms of an attacking substitution as opposition defenders tire.
What's the next step for him in order to cement a place?
Consistency is clearly going to be the buzzword for the youngster and playing alongside such experienced and established defenders, his concentration will have to be exemplary.
It is no fault of his own that the quality of opposition meant the defensive aspects of his game weren't particularly tested in Germany, but he'll know that proving himself when his team are under pressure and wingers are driving at him will be the key.
If he can show he can cope with the physicality of the Football League, then his attacking displays so far show he could be a key part of Trollope's team for next season.
Fabio is in many ways the perfect role-model. The Brazilian offers great service in possession but is also using the freedom from playing higher up the pitch to engage the opposition on the ball and break up their attacks at source. If John can add that to his game then Cardiff have a serious player on their hands.
Madness in my opinion.
Declan John will impress this season
The inside story of Declan John's return to Cardiff City favour and why Bluebirds' have a real talent on their hands
Friday 29th July 2016
BY PHIL SMITH
The left-back is flourishing further forward and his speed is making him a key attacker for Cardiff
The return of Declan John has been one of the main sources of excitement for Cardiff City fans in pre-season.
John burst onto the scene during the 2013/14 Premier League campaign but that he has played only seven league games in the past two seasons has been a source of frustration and bemusement amongst the Bluebirds' supporters.
He played his part in edging Chesterfield into the League One play-offs in the last campaign but was kept out of Cardiff contention by Scott Malone.
Malone's subsequent departure for Fulham has given a big opportunity and the left-back has flown throughout pre-season.
So what has been the key and is he a realistic contender to play against Birmingham City next Saturday?
We took a closer look...
What the Manager has said
Trollope's desire to get young Welsh talent in the team has been well documented and it looks like John could be a part of that.
Here's what he told us after the final game of the pre-season tour to Germany:
“We've got great options in that position, with Dec, Fabio and Jazz Richards.
“Dec's had a wee opportunity and he's had some good action through pre-season, he's staked a real claim. We've been pleased with what we've seen from him so far.
“He's had the opportunity in a new system, I've let him have his head a wee bit and let him play, in the end I pick the team but the player's performances also do that.
“He's had his chance in these games and he's done pretty well, as has Fabio and Jazz Richards coming in against Bochum, so I've got good options.”
Why has he been so impressive?
As Trollope alluded to, John looks to be one of the big winners from the switch to a back five.
John, and Fabio on the opposite flank, are responsible for providing the width and actively encouraged to abandon their defensive posts in possession and head up towards the byline.
Trollope is obviously spending an enormous amount of time on the team's shape in training and the importance of the wing-backs means they are receiving a lot of tactical attention.
During games, the manager has urged them to get forward and provide the option for Cardiff to switch possession with a long diagonal pass.
It's a great way to catch teams out, with Sheffield Wednesday and their left-back Daniel Pudil doing it regularly to the Bluebirds' during last season's 3-0 defeat.
John is clearly enjoying that role and he looks to be growing in confidence by the game.
The goal against Vfl Osnabruck may have been a fluke, with an attempted cross to Lex Immers at the back post drifting into the top corner, but it was rich reward for his bold attacking play and his willingness to try and make something happen.
He gave his team an extra-dimension and against Vfl Bochum, his introduction made a big difference. He had the defenders back-pedalling and Cardiff were able to get up the pitch more easily. It helps, of course, that the extra centre-back gives him real protection, particularly when it is a player of Matt Connolly's experience and nous.
In an attacking sense, it's all been very positive.
So is he a realistic contender to start against Birmingham?
He definitely is, though it is far from certain that he'll be in the starting XI.
Much may depend on how Trollope assesses Jazz Richards. So far, the new signing has had only 45 minutes of action in a Bluebirds' shirt and in normal circumstances that would probably not be enough to convince a manager that a player is ready for the new season.
However, Richards has of course been in training all summer with Wales and so was starting from a strong position in terms of his fitness. The coaching staff have been impressed by his and Aron Gunnarsson's application in training, while Richards also has the major benefit of knowing the formation well through his Wales duty.
If he can get more minutes and a good showing under his belt against Bournemouth, he'll be a strong contender.
It is also unclear where John sits in terms of the 4-3-3. John was one the many to be substituted when Trollope used it against FC St Pauli, with David Tutonda moving across to play at left-back.
Playing with a back four clearly requires a lot more defensive discipline and with Lee Peltier also on his way back to fitness, the competition for the full-back spots in that system will be fierce. This is particularly relevant for John because his speed makes him a really attractive option in terms of an attacking substitution as opposition defenders tire.
What's the next step for him in order to cement a place?
Consistency is clearly going to be the buzzword for the youngster and playing alongside such experienced and established defenders, his concentration will have to be exemplary.
It is no fault of his own that the quality of opposition meant the defensive aspects of his game weren't particularly tested in Germany, but he'll know that proving himself when his team are under pressure and wingers are driving at him will be the key.
If he can show he can cope with the physicality of the Football League, then his attacking displays so far show he could be a key part of Trollope's team for next season.
Fabio is in many ways the perfect role-model. The Brazilian offers great service in possession but is also using the freedom from playing higher up the pitch to engage the opposition on the ball and break up their attacks at source. If John can add that to his game then Cardiff have a serious player on their hands.
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Re: THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:32 pm
That's a great article, positive and pretty much accurate of the players mentioned. Much better than his predecessor Tucker would ever come out with.
I hope Declan makes his mark this season in the new formation as he's always been pretty good going forward and deserves a chance. The good thing about it is that it's very flexible and can easily be changed with a substitution or two to become a 4-4-2 or whatever. We have the players for it.
Time will tell of course but it's a much better outlook than this time last year in my opinion.
I hope Declan makes his mark this season in the new formation as he's always been pretty good going forward and deserves a chance. The good thing about it is that it's very flexible and can easily be changed with a substitution or two to become a 4-4-2 or whatever. We have the players for it.
Time will tell of course but it's a much better outlook than this time last year in my opinion.
Re: THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Sat Jul 30, 2016 8:47 am
OriginalGrangeEndBlue wrote:That's a great article, positive and pretty much accurate of the players mentioned. Much better than his predecessor Tucker would ever come out with.
I hope Declan makes his mark this season in the new formation as he's always been pretty good going forward and deserves a chance. The good thing about it is that it's very flexible and can easily be changed with a substitution or two to become a 4-4-2 or whatever. We have the players for it.
Time will tell of course but it's a much better outlook than this time last year in my opinion.
Totally agree
Re: THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:19 am
After seeing how much faith Trollope is putting in the younger players it becomes more apparent what damage slade was doing whilst at the club, leaving players with the quality of Declan John to rot in the stands.
Re: THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:38 am
I don't think it's fair to slade was bad for youth etc, he was told it's play offs or sacked, he had no choice to stick with experience in the hopes of getting play offs. Declan john has never looked good enough for us IMO. He's had a tidy pre season and everyone thinks he's quality. We got fabio, Richards, peltier, as wing backs more often wingers are deployed there, so there's plenty more options than Declan to play.
Re: THE PLAYER RUSSELL SLADE REFUSED TO PLAY/INSIDE STORY
Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:14 pm
Where is the inside story? Where is the quotes from staff saying Russ refused to play Declan? This is just an article about John no information in this that we never already knew. (I do agree though that he was bad for youth, but the headline is misleading)