Oumar Niasse must be dropped, Bobby Reid has been unfairly t

Oumar Niasse must be dropped, Bobby Reid has been unfairly treated and the Cardiff City player who must be picked


Tuesday 9th April 2019

By Scott Johnson


Clean through on goal with just the keeper to beat, Oumar Niasse fluffed his lines, much to the disbelief of everyone watching on. But enough about West Ham a few weeks ago. A similar chance presented itself against Man City and the outcome was just the same.

Niasse seems to be an instinctive player. Given too much opportunity to think, he seems paralysed by indecision. You can just imagine Kenneth Zohore disposing of these chances without undue complication. They’re his bread and butter; through on goal with space to accelerate in to.

Zohore has his faults, but Cardiff City could have done with him in these particular instances.



Cardiff now approach a pivotal time in the season and the next two games are likely to go a long way towards keeping them up or relegating them. Basically, they have to beat at least one of Burnley or Brighton away in order to reel either of them into the relegation mix.

One of their fundamental struggles this season has been finding the right balance between sticking and twisting. When to defend and when to attack. Cardiff can’t afford to sit back in these games, they have to seize the initiative and take their chances.

Were one of those chances to fall to Niasse, would you back him to tuck it away? I certainly wouldn’t.

I have nothing against Niasse. I think he has been a positive presence, has the right attitude and Cardiff have improved with him in the side. Yet he never looks like scoring. You could put Joe Ralls up front and he would put a shift in, but chances are that he wouldn’t look much like scoring either.

Niasse has done little to justify Neil Warnock’s unshakable faith in him. Where other forward players, like Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid, have drifted in and out of favour, Niasse remains an automatic pick, despite failing to find the back of the net, which is after all his primary function in the team.


Niasse holds the ball up, chases lost causes and knits the attack together to some extent, but he is not exceptional in any of those areas. All of his positives tend to be undermined by just as many negatives. He may be the most rounded forward at their disposal, but he’s also reliably unreliable.

At this level, your mistakes are often punished and Cardiff have made too many mistakes this season. Against Chelsea, they cut out the mistakes and were instead undermined by an officiating error.

Cardiff are not doing a lot wrong at the moment, if truth be told.

They’re probably playing at the peak of their powers and as the underdogs every single week, they have done well to have not already gone the way of Fulham and Huddersfield.

The situation with Niasse is different though. Matters are not out of their control in this regard, Cardiff have other, arguably better, options and it is surely now time to finally explore them.

Zohore is the reason why Cardiff didn’t spend big on a striker in the summer. Warnock appears to be both his biggest fan and his harshest critic and despite Zohore’s notoriously fluctuating form, he put all his eggs in one basket. As we now know, that was a mistake because Zohore failed to rise to the challenge.

Warnock has commented on his improved attitude and application since the new year, but it has not translated into starts.

Zohore deputised for Niasse, who was ineligible to play against his parent club Everton and he created a couple of chances out of nothing through his pace and power. No one else in the squad is capable of doing that.

Zohore started the subsequent game alongside Niasse at Wolves and both underwhelmed. Pairing them left Cardiff short elsewhere and it is unlikely that they will line up alongside each other again any time soon. They were Zohore’s only starts this calendar year, while Niasse has started all nine games he has been available to play.




Surely the time has now come to throw Zohore a bone?



I think he would give Burnley and Brighton far more to think about. The former were willing to part with a nine-figure sum to acquire his services last season after all. His selection would also give Cardiff a psychological boost.

It’s also hard not to feel for Reid. It remains mystifying how little game time he sees, despite impressing pretty much every time he features. I know it is difficult to find space for both him and Victor Camarasa, but crowbar him in if you have to.

Play him on the right if necessary, just get him in there. It feels like Cardiff have Raheem Sterling on the bench and don’t even realise it.

Reid is the only one that seems capable of knitting together midfield and attack. He is technically a cut above and his first thought is always to attack. Cardiff spent big on Reid and Murphy in the summer, while banking on Zohore and I assumed that the plan was to play them as a three, but there has been a reluctance to do that and it remains nothing more than a tantalising prospect.

Some seem to think that if Niasse gets one goal, others will soon follow, but he does not look like a player short of confidence to me, he looks a player that is not fit for purpose.

I expect he will start against both Burnley but Cardiff don’t need the new Eddie Johnson, they need the old Kenneth Zohore.

I think the things is with Niasse is that he does make very intelligent runs and that allows us to get out of our own half and allows the wide men and midfielders to join up rather than being exposed. It's no coincidence that the team as a whole has done better with him upfront rather than Paterson.

However, I do agree with the points about his finishing and that has to be a worry. We can only hope that he get's a couple like he did for Hull when they were struggling at the end of the season.

If we had the choice of Zohore at the top of his game and Niasse then I would go for Zohore. The problem is that it's a long time since we have had Zohore at his best. I just don't see that we can risk starting with Zohore at the moment but it's a really tight call.

As for Reid; he's been unlucky. Unfortunately he is at his best in the position Camarasa plays and Camarasa is better than him right now. Both are good finishers, both join up with the front players and both have a pass in them but unless we change our system (unlikely with 6 games to go) I just can't see how we can fit Reid in too. He doesn't seem comfortable out wide and he's too small to play upfront on his own in this system.

That's a good article and I agree with it. Bobby Reid needs to start more often. If we do get relegated, he'll have a big part to play for us.. just as he did with Bristol City.

Oumar Niasse must be dropped, Bobby Reid has been unfairly treated and the Cardiff City player who must be picked


Tuesday 9th April 2019

By Scott Johnson


Clean through on goal with just the keeper to beat, Oumar Niasse fluffed his lines, much to the disbelief of everyone watching on. But enough about West Ham a few weeks ago. A similar chance presented itself against Man City and the outcome was just the same.

Niasse seems to be an instinctive player. Given too much opportunity to think, he seems paralysed by indecision. You can just imagine Kenneth Zohore disposing of these chances without undue complication. They’re his bread and butter; through on goal with space to accelerate in to.

Zohore has his faults, but Cardiff City could have done with him in these particular instances.



Cardiff now approach a pivotal time in the season and the next two games are likely to go a long way towards keeping them up or relegating them. Basically, they have to beat at least one of Burnley or Brighton away in order to reel either of them into the relegation mix.

One of their fundamental struggles this season has been finding the right balance between sticking and twisting. When to defend and when to attack. Cardiff can’t afford to sit back in these games, they have to seize the initiative and take their chances.

Were one of those chances to fall to Niasse, would you back him to tuck it away? I certainly wouldn’t.

I have nothing against Niasse. I think he has been a positive presence, has the right attitude and Cardiff have improved with him in the side. Yet he never looks like scoring. You could put Joe Ralls up front and he would put a shift in, but chances are that he wouldn’t look much like scoring either.

Niasse has done little to justify Neil Warnock’s unshakable faith in him. Where other forward players, like Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid, have drifted in and out of favour, Niasse remains an automatic pick, despite failing to find the back of the net, which is after all his primary function in the team.


Niasse holds the ball up, chases lost causes and knits the attack together to some extent, but he is not exceptional in any of those areas. All of his positives tend to be undermined by just as many negatives. He may be the most rounded forward at their disposal, but he’s also reliably unreliable.

At this level, your mistakes are often punished and Cardiff have made too many mistakes this season. Against Chelsea, they cut out the mistakes and were instead undermined by an officiating error.

Cardiff are not doing a lot wrong at the moment, if truth be told.

They’re probably playing at the peak of their powers and as the underdogs every single week, they have done well to have not already gone the way of Fulham and Huddersfield.

The situation with Niasse is different though. Matters are not out of their control in this regard, Cardiff have other, arguably better, options and it is surely now time to finally explore them.

Zohore is the reason why Cardiff didn’t spend big on a striker in the summer. Warnock appears to be both his biggest fan and his harshest critic and despite Zohore’s notoriously fluctuating form, he put all his eggs in one basket. As we now know, that was a mistake because Zohore failed to rise to the challenge.

Warnock has commented on his improved attitude and application since the new year, but it has not translated into starts.

Zohore deputised for Niasse, who was ineligible to play against his parent club Everton and he created a couple of chances out of nothing through his pace and power. No one else in the squad is capable of doing that.

Zohore started the subsequent game alongside Niasse at Wolves and both underwhelmed. Pairing them left Cardiff short elsewhere and it is unlikely that they will line up alongside each other again any time soon. They were Zohore’s only starts this calendar year, while Niasse has started all nine games he has been available to play.




Surely the time has now come to throw Zohore a bone?



I think he would give Burnley and Brighton far more to think about. The former were willing to part with a nine-figure sum to acquire his services last season after all. His selection would also give Cardiff a psychological boost.

It’s also hard not to feel for Reid. It remains mystifying how little game time he sees, despite impressing pretty much every time he features. I know it is difficult to find space for both him and Victor Camarasa, but crowbar him in if you have to.

Play him on the right if necessary, just get him in there. It feels like Cardiff have Raheem Sterling on the bench and don’t even realise it.

Reid is the only one that seems capable of knitting together midfield and attack. He is technically a cut above and his first thought is always to attack. Cardiff spent big on Reid and Murphy in the summer, while banking on Zohore and I assumed that the plan was to play them as a three, but there has been a reluctance to do that and it remains nothing more than a tantalising prospect.

Some seem to think that if Niasse gets one goal, others will soon follow, but he does not look like a player short of confidence to me, he looks a player that is not fit for purpose.

I expect he will start against both Burnley but Cardiff don’t need the new Eddie Johnson, they need the old Kenneth Zohore.

Not having that no chance. Niasse works his socks off down the wings and across the whole front line. His goal will come don't worry about that, and if we do go down we need to keep him he would be awesome in the championship.

Oumar Niasse must be dropped, Bobby Reid has been unfairly treated and the Cardiff City player who must be picked


Tuesday 9th April 2019

By Scott Johnson


Clean through on goal with just the keeper to beat, Oumar Niasse fluffed his lines, much to the disbelief of everyone watching on. But enough about West Ham a few weeks ago. A similar chance presented itself against Man City and the outcome was just the same.

Niasse seems to be an instinctive player. Given too much opportunity to think, he seems paralysed by indecision. You can just imagine Kenneth Zohore disposing of these chances without undue complication. They’re his bread and butter; through on goal with space to accelerate in to.

Zohore has his faults, but Cardiff City could have done with him in these particular instances.



Cardiff now approach a pivotal time in the season and the next two games are likely to go a long way towards keeping them up or relegating them. Basically, they have to beat at least one of Burnley or Brighton away in order to reel either of them into the relegation mix.

One of their fundamental struggles this season has been finding the right balance between sticking and twisting. When to defend and when to attack. Cardiff can’t afford to sit back in these games, they have to seize the initiative and take their chances.

Were one of those chances to fall to Niasse, would you back him to tuck it away? I certainly wouldn’t.

I have nothing against Niasse. I think he has been a positive presence, has the right attitude and Cardiff have improved with him in the side. Yet he never looks like scoring. You could put Joe Ralls up front and he would put a shift in, but chances are that he wouldn’t look much like scoring either.

Niasse has done little to justify Neil Warnock’s unshakable faith in him. Where other forward players, like Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid, have drifted in and out of favour, Niasse remains an automatic pick, despite failing to find the back of the net, which is after all his primary function in the team.


Niasse holds the ball up, chases lost causes and knits the attack together to some extent, but he is not exceptional in any of those areas. All of his positives tend to be undermined by just as many negatives. He may be the most rounded forward at their disposal, but he’s also reliably unreliable.

At this level, your mistakes are often punished and Cardiff have made too many mistakes this season. Against Chelsea, they cut out the mistakes and were instead undermined by an officiating error.

Cardiff are not doing a lot wrong at the moment, if truth be told.

They’re probably playing at the peak of their powers and as the underdogs every single week, they have done well to have not already gone the way of Fulham and Huddersfield.

The situation with Niasse is different though. Matters are not out of their control in this regard, Cardiff have other, arguably better, options and it is surely now time to finally explore them.

Zohore is the reason why Cardiff didn’t spend big on a striker in the summer. Warnock appears to be both his biggest fan and his harshest critic and despite Zohore’s notoriously fluctuating form, he put all his eggs in one basket. As we now know, that was a mistake because Zohore failed to rise to the challenge.

Warnock has commented on his improved attitude and application since the new year, but it has not translated into starts.

Zohore deputised for Niasse, who was ineligible to play against his parent club Everton and he created a couple of chances out of nothing through his pace and power. No one else in the squad is capable of doing that.

Zohore started the subsequent game alongside Niasse at Wolves and both underwhelmed. Pairing them left Cardiff short elsewhere and it is unlikely that they will line up alongside each other again any time soon. They were Zohore’s only starts this calendar year, while Niasse has started all nine games he has been available to play.




Surely the time has now come to throw Zohore a bone?



I think he would give Burnley and Brighton far more to think about. The former were willing to part with a nine-figure sum to acquire his services last season after all. His selection would also give Cardiff a psychological boost.

It’s also hard not to feel for Reid. It remains mystifying how little game time he sees, despite impressing pretty much every time he features. I know it is difficult to find space for both him and Victor Camarasa, but crowbar him in if you have to.

Play him on the right if necessary, just get him in there. It feels like Cardiff have Raheem Sterling on the bench and don’t even realise it.

Reid is the only one that seems capable of knitting together midfield and attack. He is technically a cut above and his first thought is always to attack. Cardiff spent big on Reid and Murphy in the summer, while banking on Zohore and I assumed that the plan was to play them as a three, but there has been a reluctance to do that and it remains nothing more than a tantalising prospect.

Some seem to think that if Niasse gets one goal, others will soon follow, but he does not look like a player short of confidence to me, he looks a player that is not fit for purpose.

I expect he will start against both Burnley but Cardiff don’t need the new Eddie Johnson, they need the old Kenneth Zohore.

Not having that no chance. Niasse works his socks off down the wings and across the whole front line. His goal will come don't worry about that, and if we do go down we need to keep him he would be awesome in the championship.

have they got jacamo goalposts in the championship ?

He has blown a few really good chances and I dare say he knows that himself but he gives us options we never had before he arrived and for that reason alone he starts every week for me.Like many have said its hard to see anyone being prolific with the type of football we play.

The problem is we've been waiting for the old Zohore for over 2 years now. I also don't think Zohore would put himself in the position to get those chances however he's technically much better than Niasse and is a better finisher. Whatever happens next season we need a new striker.

I think the things is with Niasse is that he does make very intelligent runs and that allows us to get out of our own half and allows the wide men and midfielders to join up rather than being exposed. It's no coincidence that the team as a whole has done better with him upfront rather than Paterson.

However, I do agree with the points about his finishing and that has to be a worry. We can only hope that he get's a couple like he did for Hull when they were struggling at the end of the season.

If we had the choice of Zohore at the top of his game and Niasse then I would go for Zohore. The problem is that it's a long time since we have had Zohore at his best. I just don't see that we can risk starting with Zohore at the moment but it's a really tight call.

As for Reid; he's been unlucky. Unfortunately he is at his best in the position Camarasa plays and Camarasa is better than him right now. Both are good finishers, both join up with the front players and both have a pass in them but unless we change our system (unlikely with 6 games to go) I just can't see how we can fit Reid in too. He doesn't seem comfortable out wide and he's too small to play upfront on his own in this system.

Agree,but at least paterson scored a few he does give us more options,pity he hasn't hit the net yet although ken has had few chances this season,,I would stick with niasse, but bring ken on earlier if it's not working,not with 10/15 mins left expecting him to rescue us

Utter tripe....He keeps saying about zohore putting those chances away, but fact is zohore wouldn't have made those opportunities and wouldn't have put half the shift in a game helping the rest of the team.

Can you see any of the above scoring 20+ goals next year?

While I agree Reid should have been used a lot more this season to me it's a no brainer and Niasse starts, we have finally started to play well and people want to chnahe it.

Can you see any of the above scoring 20+ goals next year?

I'm the prem obviously not but then who does.

I'm assuming you mean if we are in the championship and if so does it matter, we didn't when we were prompted last season.

Championship 442 formation...Reid and Niasse i'd back them to smash it providing midfield is sorted out with Gunnars, Camarasa and Arter gone.

The fact of the matter is we are arguing about replacing a striker who has failed to score a goal all season for two teams with a striker who has managed one goal all season says it all. Granted playing up front for Cardiff is not a rewarding thing but Niasee's finishing is absysmal by anyone's standards.The worry is he is still possibly our best forward.

Championship 442 formation...Reid and Niasse i'd back them to smash it providing midfield is sorted out with Gunnars, Camarasa and Arter gone.

your not the first to say this and I proper don't get it..
Niasse has his uses he is a willing worker seems to have bundles of energy and gets you /himself into the final quarter..
then he seems to lose all control of his legs its not just his finishing his awareness of who is where and what option / pass is required just doesn't exist. the idea that him and another striker could conjure up a tosh keegan type telepathy is in peoples heads not in their eyes..

Championship 442 formation...Reid and Niasse i'd back them to smash it providing midfield is sorted out with Gunnars, Camarasa and Arter gone.

your not the first to say this and I proper don't get it..
Niasse has his uses he is a willing worker seems to have bundles of energy and gets you /himself into the final quarter..
then he seems to lose all control of his legs its not just his finishing his awareness of who is where and what option / pass is required just doesn't exist. the idea that him and another striker could conjure up a tosh keegan type telepathy is in peoples heads not in their eyes..

If we went down it would be Reid and Zohore for me although im not sure Warnock would consider that physical enough.