' BRUNO MANGA MUST STAY '

Cardiff City can mount a Premier League challenge based around a Bruno Manga-Sol Bamba defensive partnership


Bruno Manga could forge a solid centre-back pairing with Sol Bamba,we must hold on to him.


By Nathan Blake

Friday 17th March 2017


Neil Warnock will spend the summer seeking to bring in the four or five new players he believes can help Cardiff City win promotion to the Premier League next season.

But the more I think of it, the more I feel he already has the personnel at the club to provide the foundation for that promotion push... with a bit of significant tinkering, that is.

One area that definitely doesn't need strengthening is centre-back, where Warnock has skipper Sean Morrison, Sol Bamba, Matt Connolly and Bruno Manga to pick from. Lee Peltier and Greg Halford can also cover there, too.

But for me, what Warnock does in these two positions holds the key to how successful the Bluebirds will be.

I really believe Bamba and Manga would be an absolutely awesome partnership, for reasons I will outline in a moment.

With Aron Gunnarsson and possibly Halford just in front of them offering protection, an experienced new goalkeeper behind, plus Kenneth Zohore up top , that is an incredible Championship spine.

Trust me, no other team would fancy playing against that lot. Think about it. Definitely a 'Mate, that's got a wow to it' type of feeling for me.


It's a backbone as good as anything you'll be seeing come down from the Premier League this season.

From Warnock's perspective, he'd just need to fit pieces of the jigsaw around the others. With a really quick, tricky winger and a creative 10 to play off Zohore, I honestly think Cardiff would have a team capable of winning the League.

Of course, this may seem harsh on Sean Morrison, the skipper who Warnock always picks. But it's my personal opinion that a Bamba-Manga combination would offer more.

That partnership has the lot. Power, pace, tackling, heading, leadership. It's potentially fearsome. Put it this way, no centre-forward would be relishing the 90 minutes ahead.

Bruno Manga could forge a solid centre-back pairing with Sol Bamba


I like Connolly, always have done, but for me Bamba would be my first pick of the lot. He's a beast, a real leader. Just as you think you've got past him, he sticks out one of those gangly legs to nick the ball away.

Next to him I'd definitely have Manga, who seems to have every quality needed for a classy modern day centre-back. He's quick, powerful, great in the air, clips the ball forward superbly, reads the game well.

Right and left, they'd dovetail beautifully.

With Gunnarsson and Halford shielding just in front, Warnock could afford to pick two overlapping full-backs and I'd be confident of Cardiff not getting exposed.

It's not worked out for Manga under Warnock and there have been suggestions he will be sold, but I think that would be a mistake.

If anybody is capable of getting the best out of the big man, then it is Warnock. He needs to get into Manga's head because physically the defender is imposing. I'm convinced it's a mental battle the manager needs to win.

Manga could do a lot worse than take a leaf out of Zohore's book. He was nowhere in Warnock's plans. Suddenly, having trained hard and impressed behind the scenes, Zohore has absolutely blossomed.

Blakey wants to see Gunnarsson in front of the back four offering protection from midfield (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
He was given his chance and he took it. That's what confidence, and feeling wanted, can do for you.

Zohore can be a top Championship striker next season and Manga has similar talent as a defender. Injured or not recently, I don't know why he hadn't figured more previously under Warnock because I'm not a fly on the wall inside the dressing room.

But I do know when I see ability and Manga has it by the bucketload.

In fact, the comparison I will make is with Wes Morgan. When we used to watch Morgan playing against Cardiff in the Championship, be it for Nottingham Forest or Leicester, he didn't look to have any more to his game than Manga or Bamba.

No way would you have said he was a better player than those two look at their best.

Yet he's suddenly in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Champions League. Three weeks ago, would you have said Morgan was playing like the captain of a title-winning team?


No. Yet with what I believe is a difference in attitude, he is looking a colossus again.

That's what Warnock needs to see from Manga in training. Commitment, desire, putting the body on the line. He has every other attribute required to be a Premier League defender.

Morrison is Warnock's pick next to Bamba, his choice of captain, and that's fair enough. We each have opinions on the game and Warnock likes Morrison.

But for me, while Morrison looks threatening at set-pieces in the opposition penalty area when he invariably wins headers, in Cardiff's own box I feel it's Bamba who heads the ball away most.

Manga is quicker and better on the ball. Him next to Bamba would be the perfect blend in my eyes.

That partnership could win Cardiff the league. Why? Because with a good goalkeeper behind and Gunnarsson in front, they wouldn't concede many goals.

That is as important as two strikers bagging 40 between them at the other end.

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That's a great write up by Blake.
I've always believed Manga is class and the partnership Blake talks about would be awesome.
I hope we can get him to re-sign but I'm not hopeful.

Good article by Blakey...don't always agree with him but this makes sense.

Problem is Manga is out of contract, injury prone and would probably want too much money to re-sign.

Just can't see this happening

Just to correct Blakey. We won't be selling Manga, he will simply walk away and there's nothing the club can do about it other than to try and negotiate a new contract.

I doubt very much he'd agree to wage drop especially as Warnock has hardly picked him anyway (even when he wasn't injured or at the Africa Cup) and are we really in the market to pay £25K per week for a centre back even if he was playing every week ?

Everything else said I agree with. Bamba and Manga would be an awesome partnership at this level and I'd love to see it, but I just can't see Manga staying. I hope I'm wrong.

Hell, he was away for the nations cup, and he has been injured so how is Warnock going to pick him, and was he not carrying an injury when Warnock took over? sometimes Blakey writes without thinking

At 25k a week for an injury prone player who's defensive qualities are questionable on a persistent level! Positive NW can do better and a lot cheaper.
How can Blake say must keep him I'm not sure considering we are cost cutting or doesn't he know that?

Bruno Manga could be set for a shock return to first team action, albeit from the bench this Saturday

At 25k a week for an injury prone player who's defensive qualities are questionable on a persistent level! Positive NW can do better and a lot cheaper.
How can Blake say must keep him I'm not sure considering we are cost cutting or doesn't he know that?

Allan, I agree with a lot you've said there and for me Rickie Lambert is even costing us more as we've had virtually nothing back from him and won't get much in the future, a few games and he will always be getting injured.

At 25k a week for an injury prone player who's defensive qualities are questionable on a persistent level! Positive NW can do better and a lot cheaper.
How can Blake say must keep him I'm not sure considering we are cost cutting or doesn't he know that?

Allan, I agree with a lot you've said there and for me Rickie Lambert is even costing us more as we've had virtually nothing back from him and won't get much in the future, a few games and he will always be getting injured.

Never understood the lambert signing not about injury side just his overall stats age ect wasn't worth the risk, now he could be blocking 2 or 3 xtra signings next season if cannot move him on which I seriously doubt?

Is he going to take the pay cut required to stay? I don't think so.

The fat his agent wanted him to go back to France for 6 weeks to recover from his injury suggests to me he might want to go back to France.

At 25k a week for an injury prone player who's defensive qualities are questionable on a persistent level! Positive NW can do better and a lot cheaper.
How can Blake say must keep him I'm not sure considering we are cost cutting or doesn't he know that?

Allan, I agree with a lot you've said there and for me Rickie Lambert is even costing us more as we've had virtually nothing back from him and won't get much in the future, a few games and he will always be getting injured.

Never understood the lambert signing not about injury side just his overall stats age ect wasn't worth the risk, now he could be blocking 2 or 3 xtra signings next season if cannot move him on which I seriously doubt?

Nor could I Allan.

I really hope he does not block some signings.

Just to correct Blakey. We won't be selling Manga, he will simply walk away and there's nothing the club can do about it other than to try and negotiate a new contract.

I doubt very much he'd agree to wage drop especially as Warnock has hardly picked him anyway (even when he wasn't injured or at the Africa Cup) and are we really in the market to pay £25K per week for a centre back even if he was playing every week ?

Everything else said I agree with. Bamba and Manga would be an awesome partnership at this level and I'd love to see it, but I just can't see Manga staying. I hope I'm wrong.

Totally agree with you, we all know how good manga is but with him being out of contract in three months time he will sell himself to the highest bidder.

At 25k a week for an injury prone player who's defensive qualities are questionable on a persistent level! Positive NW can do better and a lot cheaper.
How can Blake say must keep him I'm not sure considering we are cost cutting or doesn't he know that?

Allan, I agree with a lot you've said there and for me Rickie Lambert is even costing us more as we've had virtually nothing back from him and won't get much in the future, a few games and he will always be getting injured.

Never understood the lambert signing not about injury side just his overall stats age ect wasn't worth the risk, now he could be blocking 2 or 3 xtra signings next season if cannot move him on which I seriously doubt?

Nor could I Allan.

I really hope he does not block some signings.

Not sure if will block signings but certainly can reduce amount of players we can sign? But having said that presume the meetings NW as had with finance director took into acount all the players currently on 1yr + contracts so money available takes into acount lambert wages!! But be great to move him on .

Totally agree with the fruit machine robber.

The best I have seen Bamba play was when he played in Midfield and Bruno was centre back

I wonder if a lot of we will be able to spend is based on definiely losing Manga and somehow offloading Lambert? That amounts upwards of £50k a week saving! Could get 3/4 half tidy players who will actually play some games for that amount!

Manga' out of context on high wages, injured a lot and buggers off to Afcon.
We've got 3 decent centre halfs without him.

The money is better spent elsewhere.

The best I have seen Bamba play was when he played in Midfield and Bruno was centre back

I agree Bamba put in a great performance in the defensive midfield role, probably the best display in that position by anyone this season.

Manga' out of context on high wages, injured a lot and buggers off to Afcon.
We've got 3 decent centre halfs without him.

The money is better spent elsewhere.

But this is Cardiff City where Magna is just the type of player we target

Manga' out of context on high wages, injured a lot and buggers off to Afcon.
We've got 3 decent centre halfs without him.

The money is better spent elsewhere.

But this is Cardiff City where Magna is just the type of player we target

Unfortunately, this has been the case many many times of late, & that's why I personally think that Manga's departure wouldn't be such a bad thing. IMO he's going anyway, & like an earlier poster said, with Bruno & Lambert gone, then it opens the door to possibly three or four good quality replacements.

He has had next to no impact on us this season and we have coped.

I like him but conman sense says he will leave.

Hell be off back to France, I don't even think we could offer him half on what he is on now.

The only way we can afford to keep Manga is offer him half his current wages and a very large promotion bonus. A very good player at his best but should be playing at a higher level.

Undoubtedly Solskjaers best signing.