LEX IMMERS: REJUVINATE OR REPLACE!

Why Cardiff City need to rejuvenate Lex Immers or sign a number 10 in January
By Dominic Booth


LEX IMMERS: REJUVINATE OR REPLACE!

Sunday 4th December 2016


An analysis of a position where Neil Warnock's side are under-strength at the moment


Lex Immers has struggled to nail down a first team spot so far this season

Neil Warnock might prefer to concentrate on a new goalkeeper or adding pace to his forward line in January, but attacking midfield has become a real problem position for Cardiff City.

The Bluebirds were content to allow Brighton to control the tempo during a lifeless 0-0 draw at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday. Chris Hughton's side were fairly limp and the game reached a standstill.

It was an excellent point against a good side. Yet as the 16,000 or so Cardiff fans drifted home on Saturday evening, they would have felt a tinge of disappointment.

That same disappointment has been felt at Cardiff City Stadium for two or three seasons, since the club were in the Premier League. Since Kim Bo Kyung, Jordan Mutch and even Mats Daehli were bringing skill and invention to the Bluebirds' forward line.

In the proceeding years, the football has been different. Straightforward, straight-laced, straight lines, call it what you want, Cardiff have lacked a creative spark. It's a problem that is still holding back the Bluebirds, irrespective of the positive impact made by Warnock.

All the good work done by Russell Slade to trim the Bluebirds' bloated wage bill had a devastating effect on the attacking weapons at his disposal. Warnock has a similar problem now.







So how can Cardiff inject energy and invention into this side?

They need more forward options

Against Brighton, with Joe Ralls and Peter Whittingham virtually anonymous, Aron Gunnarsson busy tidying up in front of the back four and Junior Hoilett and Kadeem Harris both required to track back to fulfill defensive duties. Cardiff were relying on Frederic Gounongbe to fashion opportunities in the absence of Rickie Lambert.

Frederic Gounongbe has struggled

It was a big ask. And although Gounongbe earned praise from Warnock , you couldn't help but feel Cardiff could have omitted either Ralls or Whittingham in place of a central attacking player to operate between the lines.

Although Lambert was badly missed as a focal point, a target man who can bring onrushing midfielders into play, even with Rickie in the team you feel there is an element missing in Cardiff's attacking play. They have scored 18 goals this season. Only Wigan Athletic and Ispwich have scored fewer.





Can Immers be the man?

But before Warnock turns to the transfer market, he could give one more chance to a player whose Cardiff future appears bleak.

Kim Bo and Mutch have long departed but Lex Immers remains in South Wales, seemingly disillusioned and destined to leave.

Yet the Dutchman is Cardiff's only true number 10. The only player with the craft and invention to operate in a crucial position.

Lex Immers has not made an impact this season

It's unfair to compare Cardiff to the Premier League big hitters but Liverpool's recent success is borne out of Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana interchanging around the number 10 position. Manchester City do the same with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.

Even in the Championship, luxury players like Ayoze Perez, Kemar Roofe and Jack Grealish are afforded integral roles by their managers. A quality number 10 can transform the outlook of a side.

It might be too late for Immers. He didn't feature in the matchday squad of 18 against Brighton and looks sure to leave. But his departure would be greeted with great sadness by Bluebirds fans who watched some magnificent displays last season. They know he has talent but the Championship relegation battle seems to have gobbled him up and a return to Holland looks likely.





Whittingham's role

For all his qualities, Whittingham does not possess the spark to operate behind the striker. Junior Hoilett or Anthony Pilkington not naturals in that position either.

But shoehorning Whittingham into the side has been a problem for a succession of Cardiff managers. The solution for Warnock has been to sacrifice a number 10 in order to accommodate Whittingham as a deep lying playmaker, with Ralls doing the running ahead of Gunnarsson in a solid midfield three.

Cardiff were resolute against Brighton, but rarely were they threatening.

They must start creating more chances and score more goals. And that might mean looking beyond the talismanic Whittingham and place the emphasis on further up the pitch. Pace is absent at the moment.

Acquiring a quality attacking midfielder in January looks a tough ask, especially as Cardiff will need to offload players to fund any transfer.

The best number 10s will come at a premium price and it might be difficult for Warnock to attract skillful, mobile, talented attacking players to come to the Welsh capital with a relegation fight looming.

A loan move for a young Premier League player might be possible. Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom has been linked with the Bluebirds already and Warnock's scouts are working overtime to try and bring players in before the clash with Aston Villa on January 2nd.

Whether an attacking midfielder is on Warnock's shopping list remains to be seen, but if Cardiff want to pushing for the play-offs in 12 months time, they ought to consider altering the complexion of the team. Direct football might be well-suited to the survival scrap but it's hardly a viable long-term option.

Chris, Some players are excellent on loan, as soon as we sign them they seem to go missing and thats whats happened with Immers.

I think it's all down to Lex.
His hunger, effort and commitment were there to be seen last season, but have lacked when he has featured this season. Fair enough he needs a run in the side, but he is a shadow of his former self.
Pilks has his limitations, but he always shows effort.
Those qualities should be basic requirements for professional footballers. What we never know is what else is going on with him. Maybe in his terms Lex feels he made it with his move, and he has been distracted by his darts tournament and misses his mates in the Netherlands.
Whatever it is, we should be expecting more from him.
He's shown us what he's got.

Chris, Some players are excellent on loan, as soon as we sign them they seem to go missing and thats whats happened with Immers.

Annis, I agree with you (and Chris Holmes above) and it seems that several players have 'gone missing' after signing contracts. The odd thing for me is that successive managers have failed to reverse the trend!

One thing though, I have faith in Neil Warnock to 'sort it/them out out' and (finally) I think he'll get the backing he needs from above, albeit within the FFP financial restraints we now know we must adhere to!

For once, I'm expecting a fun Cardiff City Transfer Window this Xmas!

I see absolutely no harm with Immers being given a few starts in the lone target man role. He impressed there last season, has the engine to run the channels, is good at holding the ball up and his distribution linking the play with his back to goal is as good as anything we currently have. He can also finish and will get goals up front.

Trollope messed him about playing him deeper, Immers is much better playing with an attacking freedom. He was awesome up front last season so why we are messing about with playing him deeper where he clearly isn't as comfortable, is anyone's guess.

He's got to be a better option than Fred,who I felt did okay yesterday,but doesn't have that touch of class that we need at the moment.

I see no one knows that he has a chest injury which is not clearing up, and therefore injured, and has been for a while

There is obviously a reason while his form has dipped, as last season he was a revelation. The start of this was when it was reported that he had suffered a dead leg but I just wonder if there is something else because he was a game changer. How he was is precisely one of the positions that we need to fill in January and I hope that he returns to to the form that he consistently displayed when he joined us.