The written-off Cardiff City duo set to lead Neil Harris'

The written-off Cardiff City duo set to lead Neil Harris' evolution and the telling crowd reaction that says so much

Wednesday 27th November 2019


Two players have been brought back in from the cold and are set to play a huge part under the new Bluebirds boss

With 59 minutes on the clock, Cardiff City Stadium stood to attention and gave Gary Madine a raucous reception as he made way for Omar Bogle.

The striker had worked his socks off against Stoke City . He was the target man when Cardiff City needed to get out of trouble and the link-up man with his back to goal when the Bluebirds were breaking on the counter-attack.

Yes, there are people whose views will not change on Madine, they will not countenance the idea that he played well. But for the thousands of people who rose to their feet and applauded him as he walked off, they appreciated the monumental shift he had just put in.

And you can look at the numbers, of course, 24 games without a goal is a dreadful return for a £6m Championship striker. And Madine will know that.

But in the two outings he has had under new boss Neil Harris, he has proven himself a real handful and, who knows, perhaps that illusive first goal will be the catalyst to spark a real turnaround for him.

He was just inches away from that goal last night, when Jack Butland's outstretched right hand miraculously denied the City striker from just five yards out. A wonder-save by anyone's reckoning.



But it seems Madine will continue to get the chances and on the evidence we've had over last week, he deserves it.

"He was very close at the weekend and he was extremely unlucky tonight," Harris said after the match of Madine.

"He is showing a bit of confidence and the crowd reaction to him was really good. They are desperate for him to get that first goal.

"I think Gary's come from out the cold a little bit, for whatever reason, and I've given him an opportunity to play and he's shown his importance.

"He's shown he can deliver good performances."

Who would have thought that just a few short weeks ago? Madine's number appeared to be up at Cardiff City and he looked likely to be the first name out the door in January.

But he has been brought back in from the cold and appears to be relishing the opportunity.

Similarly Lee Tomlin. Rewind a couple of months and he was frozen out at Cardiff City Stadium and, to all intents and purposes, the future looked a little bleak for him.

Of course he was brought back into the fold a little by former manager Neil Warnock, however that always felt a little bit forced.



Warnock was pressed into bringing Tomlin back in due to the poor form and lack of fitness of Callum Paterson, the deadline-day departure of Bobby Reid and the inability to select all three central midfielders - Marlon Pack, Leandro Bacuna and Joe Ralls - at the same with any regularity due to injury troubles.

That might well be the case under Harris, perhaps Ralls will slot straight back in when he is fully fit. The same applies for Paterson, who was thought to be carrying a knock from the weekend.

But Harris has really talked up 'maverick' Tomlin and he appears genuinely hellbent on affording him a real chance to stamp his mark on that No.10 role, or perhaps it is more apt to call him a second striker in the new manager's system.

Tomlin, too, though, has repaid the manager's faith in him, earning the man of the match award last night following another stellar display.

So could it be, then, that this unlikeliest of pairings will form the attacking backbone of Harris's play-offs charge?

One thing is for certain, the new boss appears to be a man that will stand by his words and give players every opportunity to grab their chance with both hands.

Tomlin has always given 100% for us as far as I am concerned. He may not have been in Warnocks plans but his commitment and ability for me can not be questioned.

Madine looks a different man since Harris has come in. He battled hard and was vital in bacunas goal and only just missed out on one for himself. If he keeps working hard then he deserves his chance. He may not be prolific but he has done well at championship level.

100% aggree.

Yes he work his socks off, but he missed another golden chance that Butland saved. Strikers are judged on goals. Not clinical enough.

It was obvious as soon as a new manager came in he would get a run of games

Got a great assist last night, clearly lacking in confidence at the moment and I don't expect he will ever be massively prolific but probably better than Ward and Bogle. ill be interested to see if Glatzel is given a chance and how he does under Harris.

Yes he work his socks off, but he missed another golden chance that Butland saved. Strikers are judged on goals. Not clinical enough.

Last night if he had miss hit ball he would have scored unfortunately he hit it just right and keeper managed to be in right place at right time...such are the fine margins in football... lovely set up for goal mind you

Madine isn’t match fit, no fault of his own and our only real option last night with Danny Ward serving his last match of his 3 game suspension.

Showed some promise and was unlucky on a few occasions, don’t think he can play target man on his own all game, he needs somebody playing off him (same way Keifer Moore gets the help for Wales. Hope he gets a decent run of games and finds the back of the net for us

Madine worked hard last night and I think we're all willing him to break his duck. I'm glad he was given a good ovation when he was subbed, and hopefully it will give him a huge boost in confidence.

Yes he work his socks off, but he missed another golden chance that Butland saved. Strikers are judged on goals. Not clinical enough.

None of them are clinical unfortunately. For now we need to make do the best we can and if that means unlike any of the others, madine can reliably bring others in to play and be a threat then maybe he is something Harris can work with?

The problem is we are never going to get very far if we play with a striker who never scores a goal. I mean not that he does not score a enough goals there aren't any.

Is Madine the new Ronnie Moore?

Maybe if Madine gets a goal could be a start of something as he can score as he has proved at Bolton just lacking confidence
however Tomlin when we got him was very unfit over weight and in trouble in court so Warnock did the right thing at the time
but in fairness Tomlin has worked hard to get fitter and they both gave 100% last night

Is Madine the new Ronnie Moore?

No, I saw Ronnie Moore score

Always liked Tomlin as a playmaker ...offers something different and said preseason he was the fittest he had been for years ..

Madine is a real target man and just hope he gets a goal and then another......lookEd a different player last night

Is Madine the new Ronnie Moore?

I think we signed Ronnie Moore the season after he scored a hatful for Tranmere Rovers. Off the top of my head it was something like 37 goals in a season, an incredible return, so we expecting big things from him but it just didn't happen. His confidence drained from him and he only scored 6 in 50 odd games for us.

Is Madine the new Ronnie Moore?

No I think he is the new Eddie Johnson, we all willed him to score and eventually he did! Keep the faith, Gary will come good too.

Yes he work his socks off, but he missed another golden chance that Butland saved. Strikers are judged on goals. Not clinical enough.

your probably correct about being judged by goals. its certainly the case with our fans..
not sure managers see it like that though as prolific he has never been.

Is Madine the new Ronnie Moore?

More like the new old Adam Le Fondre, proven striker but he wanted out of CCFC.

At least Ronnie Moore scored a few.