' SO WHY THE HELL DID THEY ALL LET HIM GO ? '

' SO WHY THE HELL DID THEY ALL LET SOL SAMBA GO? '

BY DOMINIC BOOTH

Tuesday 18th October 2016

Bamba has blown hot and cold for his former clubs, but started his Bluebirds' career in fine fashion on Friday night


It was no surprise to see Sol Bamba excel on his Cardiff City debut. Anyone who watched the Ivorian make an immediate impact at Leeds United after joining from Palermo could have foreseen it.

He's an eye-catching player, a blood-and-guts, no-nonsense defender who enjoys the thrill of battle. Neil Warnock admitted he'd earmarked Bamba as a potential signing well before the 67-year-old even knew he was to be appointed at Cardiff City. No surprise there. Both men were free agents, but Warnock, who at the weekend revealed he told Bamba to play it simple and 'cut out the Beckenbauer stuff', wanted Bamba by his side wherever he went.

What came as more of a surprise -- at least to Cardiff fans -- was when Whites' supporters warned their exhilarated Bluebirds counterparts that Bamba's form could drop off a cliff. After all, his time in West Yorkshire came to a rather abrupt end.

After beginning by bursting through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain as a teenager, Bamba has found adulation and belonging the hard way. His progress has often hit speedbumps.



Pit stops at Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian made a lasting impact on the 31-year-old who still speaks with a Scottish lilt. A fleeting spell at Leicester saw Bamba sidelined by Nigel Pearson. He never found favour at Palermo. And two seasons at Leeds United ended in ignominy as Bamba was deemed surplus to requirements by Garry Monk.




So how did Bamba end up at Cardiff City Stadium?

How did he drift from his enviable position as Leeds captain into the footballing wilderness and how do we explain his fluctuating form down the years.






We asked those who have followed his progress closest in the past couple of campaigns.

The journalist's view

Phil Hay knows Leeds United better than anyone, following the club for the Yorkshire Post for years.

He remembers Bamba, inevitably, as a physically-imposing character but also as an outspoken leader on and off the field.

"At his best he was what you'd expect of a defender with his physique - strong and dominant in the air," said Phil. "People here warmed to him quickly. But he was prone to errors, particularly when it came to playing out from the back.

"Politically, he was an interesting character - one of the few players at Leeds who was prepared to publicly criticise Leeds owner Massimo Cellino and the management of the club. On the final day of both the 2014-15 season and the 2015-16 season, he came out and spoke his mind.

"That earned him a fair amount of respect amongst the supporters. On the first occasion, he was on loan from Palermo and hoping for a permanent deal at Elland Road so it was something of a risk for him to take Cellino on. Leeds signed him regardless."


Sol Bamba captains Leeds United in a pre-season friendly
That the Whites hierarchy thought Bamba was an astute addition, despite his criticism of the board, speaks volumes about his ability and the esteem in which he was held at Elland Road.

The fan's view

Dan Chapman (alias Moscow White), who writes for Leeds United fanzine 'The Square Ball', remembered how Bamba instantly endeared himself to the Whites' faithful with his performances and charisma.

"Sol Bamba seemed the like the nicest guy we'd signed for years," he said. "One of his early games, a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, stands out not only because Bamba was a rock, but for grinning his way through Sky's post-match interview while the fans sang Marching on Together behind him."

That is very much the impression (albeit after one game) Cardiff City fans are gleaning from Bamba. Solid on the pitch and a likeable character off it.

But at Leeds, Bamba is perhaps most fondly remember for his exploits off the field, where his criticism of Cellino was unwavering.

Dan added: "It was great to have a player at the club who was willing to stand up for the fans' point of view. In short (the fans' feeling) was love, for his smile and his character, if not always his ability.

"That brilliant performance in the win at Middlesbrough was one extreme; his performance in the 4-0 defeat at Brighton last season was the other, and we never knew what we'd get from Bamba: the art of defending, or a colouring book. We definitely miss having him around, but watching our defence is a more relaxing pastime without him."

Sol Bamba has felt Leeds' frustration this season
Sol Bamba became frustrated at Leeds and fell out of favour
Which goes to explain Monk's haste in jettisoning Bamba this season, despite the goodwill of the supporters.

The reason Leeds let him go

It was those inconsistent performances which knocked Bamba down the Elland Road pecking order and hastened his exit. When Monk arrived at the outset of the current campaign -- like Pearson had at Leicester -- he couldn't find a place in his plans for Bamba and began to instigate the defender's departure.

Phil said: "(Monk) wanted two new centre-backs in the summer and duly signed them - Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson. Jansson joined Leeds in mid-August so Bamba began the season in the starting line-up but he was poor throughout the first month. He admitted that himself.

"By the time it came to the last day of the transfer window, he was fourth choice behind Bartley, Jansson and Liam Cooper. I don't think Monk thought it was a healthy situation to have the club's captain so far down the order so a deal was done to sever his contract. It was due to expire in June 2017.

"The feeling about him leaving was twofold - in general, the majority felt that it was time for him to move on. Bartley and Jansson have been excellent. But people generally had a lot of time for Bamba and he went with plenty of good wishes."


Kyle Bartley has excelled since joining Leeds United on loan from Swansea City and replaced Bamba in the side
If Bamba can create the same rapport with Bluebirds fans he will surely be inundated with the same good wishes when, eventually, his time at Cardiff City Stadium comes to an end. But those hot-and-cold performances might be a worry for Warnock. We've only seen the colossal, brilliant Bamba so far.

It's Warnock's job to ensure the fire remains in Bamba's belly. The Ivorian's willingness to criticise Cellino might be an aspect Warnock seeks to discourage considering Vincent Tan's status at Cardiff City, but the new manager is all about what happens on the pitch.

He will be hoping Bamba can play a major role in the Bluebirds' revival.

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Really like the look of him. Be interesting to see how he's playing in a few months

Part of his problem was playing the ball out of deffence Warnock has told him not to do that , and that is what he did in his first game for us, if he carries on doing that and does not try to play like Franz Beckenbauer as Warnock has said, he will do alright

Part of his problem was playing the ball out of deffence Warnock has told him not to do that , and that is what he did in his first game for us, if he carries on doing that and does not try to play like Franz Beckenbauer as Warnock has said, he will do alright

I agree. We all go on about playing football the 'right way' keeping possession etc. but the reality is the Championship is a blood and thunder league. No need for any Beckenbauer's in this league just someone to get in the way and clear the frigging ball.

Thought this was an A Cornelius thread
He is playing against Leicester tonight in the Champions league.

Thought this was an A Cornelius thread
He is playing against Leicester tonight in the Champions league.

Notice he didn't score

Hope he can put in consistent performances at his age. He was simply excellent against Bristol City.