PILKS AND TOMLIN: WHY THEY DIDN'T LEAVE IN AUGUST

Why Lee Tomlin and Anthony Pilkington didn't leave on loan and the situation with their Cardiff City futures
By Dominic Booth


Tuesday 4th September 2018

Nottingham Forest were linked with Tomlin but neither player left Cardiff and cannot play in the Premier League


It was the news that went largely unnoticed in many quarters — as Cardiff City prepared for a huge game against Arsenal — but Lee Tomlin and Anthony Pilkington did not leave the club on deadline day.

Neil Warnock said he received loan enquires in the pipeline for both players, unwanted by the Bluebirds and excluded from the club's 25-man Premier League squad.

But in the end, nothing transpired, with Cardiff now lumbered with two players who cannot play league football, nor in the Carabao Cup following the Norwich City defeat.

Neil Warnock chose not to select either Tomlin or Pilkington for that fixture regardless, preferring to hand opportunities to fringe players who had a chance to play in the league.


So what happened? And where do we stand now?

Tomlin was a long-term loan target for Nottingham Forest, after starring for Aitor Karanka's side during the second half of last season following a loan-swap deal with Jamie Ward.

But when the City Ground side splashed money on the likes of Joao Carvalho and Diogo Goncalves from Benfica in the summer, Tomlin's chances of making the move to Nottingham permanent grew slimmer. He simply wasn't needed.

In mid-August Karanka said: “We have almost 30 players in the squad, so I prefer to focus on the players who I have in the squad.

"No, I don’t think it is something we would look at.”


Pilkington was long linked with an exit from Cardiff since the summer of 2018, but ended up playing a key role in last season's promotion from the substitutes bench.

His goals against Sheffield United and Leeds United will live long in the memory for Cardiff fans and he will be remembered fondly even if he plays no part over the next few months.

But it was understood as soon as Pilkington and Tomlin were included in the Under-23s team during the tour of Devon and Cornwall — instead of the first team — that Warnock had no plans for them in the top flight.

Yet whereas Tomlin attracted interest, with fans of Peterborough, Birmingham and even Middlesbrough imploring their clubs to launch late loan bids for the mercurial playmaker, Pilkington wasn't linked with any clubs.

Both will play Under-23s matches, as Tomlin has done against Leeds today (Monday), for the foreseeable future.


What does the future hold?

Pilkington, with a year to run on his Cardiff contract, will most likely be content to let that deal expire and seek pastures new at the end of the campaign.

He will be allowed to leave the club in June 2019, but Tomlin signed a bumper deal until 2020 when he agreed a move to Cardiff from Bristol City, reportedly including a wage hike if and when the Bluebirds won promotion.

Pilkington signed his contract extension shortly before Warnock was appointed, so both players' hefty wages ultimately proved the biggest obstacle to loan exits this summer.

Those on lower wages, such as Rhys Healey, Omar Bogle, Lee Camp and Stuart O'Keefe all successfully secured the loan moves that Cardiff wanted for them, but Tomlin and Pilkington are now stuck until January.

If there is sufficient interest in the New Year, Tomlin will surely seek a loan or permanent departure.

But it's a frustrating story for all concerned and a situation in which nobody is benefitting.

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This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

We should have put these two experienced players who can win a game and who both have Premiership experience in our squad of 25 and sent two younger players Harris and Damour out on loan to a Championship club to give them games,they’ll never improve sitting in the stained or bench?

This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

Spot on Ian, their wages are beyond for the quality of players they are.

I was told Tomlins wage is now past £35,000 a week and Pilks over £25,000, due to promotion, that’s way way to high for Championship players.

This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

Quite right but at the end of the day the club offered the wages and contracts so can’t really blame the players.

Sad but true. All about the money.

Feel for them cos who wouldn't do the same thing in reality?!

Perfectly reasonable clause for Tomlin's wages to rise on promotion, as it was probably deemed if we achieved the impossible then he'd be playing a key part, little did we know.

Pilks was a key player for us when we gave him his good contract.

we are lucky in a way that we can take the hit now we are in the prem, if we were still in the championship paying these two it would be a much bigger blow.


dont completely disagree with the guy above who said they should be in the 25 man squad. a 50% fit tomlin is better than damour who seems a bit of a waste of a space to me.

Firstly Pilkington would have been a good striking option in the 25 man squad.

However, as soon as they didn't make the squad and there were no loan offers because of the cost..... they should have been offered for nothing with Cardiff covering all wages.

It would have been the same expense as it is now but they would be getting game time.

You never know, they may have made themselves indispensable to their clubs and we would have the upper hand in January.

Pilks I'm not bothered about, he is out of contract at the end of the season and off the wage bill.

Tomlin not going out on loan doesn't make sense to me even if we paid a large amount of his wages, at least he would be staying fit-ish and some good form may generate a move in Jan. Come Jan he isn't going to be a state to do anything.

This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

Spot on Ian, their wages are beyond for the quality of players they are.

I was told Tomlins wage is now past £35,000 a week and Pilks over £25,000, due to promotion, that’s way way to high for Championship players.

I can see the reason givng such a contract to Tomlin at the time. He definitely looked like he could step up to Prmeier level if we got there which we did. Unfortunateyl he had a crap season and it can take some doing to get back to the level he was.

Regarding Pilks I've always considered him a backup guy that can play in a number of positions. Perhaps that is why his wages are high.

This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

Quite right but at the end of the day the club offered the wages and contracts so can’t really blame the players.

Indeed and at the time their contracts were worth it specially Tomlin.

Pilks I'm not bothered about, he is out of contract at the end of the season and off the wage bill.

Tomlin not going out on loan doesn't make sense to me even if we paid a large amount of his wages, at least he would be staying fit-ish and some good form may generate a move in Jan. Come Jan he isn't going to be a state to do anything.

we just don't know what has or not been offered regarding percentages of wages paid...we do know previously that our club were prepared to stump up 7k per week for Emyr Huws to go on loan to Ipswich so its not unheard of..
Pilks is a strange one never the star man but never really lets you down either but its difficult for anyone to pidgeon hole him as a winger/striker or midfield player..

Tomlin. .maybe its just a bridge or club too far...5 clubs in 4 years and nobody really wanted him to hang around for long either, im sure other semi interested clubs look at the managers who have failed to get him anywhere near his potential and passed no matter what financial incentives there might be..

This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

Quite right but at the end of the day the club offered the wages and contracts so can’t really blame the players.

Indeed and at the time their contracts were worth it specially Tomlin.

Agree - when we signed Tomlin I was bouncing!

This could be summed up in one word.....money.

Both players could quite easily generate their own moves for first team football if they took a wage drop.

Quite right but at the end of the day the club offered the wages and contracts so can’t really blame the players.

Indeed and at the time their contracts were worth it specially Tomlin.

Agree - when we signed Tomlin I was bouncing!

i think most of us had high expectations...
but looking back....the fee was peanuts.? and the view from over the water seemed to be more a case of fear that we would get the best out of him than losing a player who had become less and less effective for them.