SOL BAMBA FIRES WARNING TO STEVE MORISON

Sol Bamba publicly warns Steve Morison after Cardiff City boss humiliates Max Watters

The striker was hauled off before half-time during the win over the Sky Blues on Tuesday
By Tom Coleman


Cardiff City legend Sol Bamba has warned manager Steve Morison to be careful in the way he handles his players after subbing off striker Max Watters before half-time against Coventry City.

Watters was hauled off before the break in Cardiff's 2-0 win over the Sky Blues, with Morison bluntly admitting after the game that he felt the young forward wasn't good enough to stay on the pitch.

The 22-year-old was visibly disappointed as he took his place on the substitutes' bench, with Bamba himself admitting at half-time that he wasn't sure why he was hooked.

Asked if he understood the logic behind the move, Bamba replied: "Not really, if I am honest, because he had the two best chances for Cardiff. He makes a great run behind the back three, he's onside and it's a good effort and a good save from the goalkeeper.

"I don't understand at all why he's been substituted. I don't think Cardiff changed the shape. If you change the shape maybe you can understand why, but it doesn't seem like they changed the shape so it's a surprising one really."

It's not the first time Morison has caused a stir with his substitutions.

Back in December, the Cardiff boss decided to hook Isaak Davies during the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, just 30 minutes after the youngster had come off the bench.

Davies was labelled a 'hindrance' by his boss, but has since produced a strong run of form, potentially vindicating Morison's decision.

But Bamba has warned that such bold calls may not always yield such positive outcomes.

"We don't know how long he's going to be here. It's a results business and he needs results as quick as he can," he continued.

"But you have to be careful here. You have to take it two ways because Steve has done it before to a young kid, Davies, and we have to be careful that it doesn't become a habit, where if something doesn't go well for 20 minutes he just changes it.

"That will affect the players. Fair enough, he wasn't doing what the manager asked him to do, so he can change, and obviously at the end he got a result so the end justifies the means.

"But you have to look at the bigger picture and be careful on the players. The welfare of the players as well and the whole dressing room because the lads will have seen that and will be thinking 'that can happen to me' and will worry about going out and putting a performance together.

"It's a fine line and today was the right thing to do because they got a result. Jordan Hugill came in and made a difference, so today you can applaud him.

"But in the long term you need to be careful with that."

Jay Bothroyd, also on pundit duty in the Sky studios, hopes the forward can bounce back, and has urged him to seek counsel with his boss this week.

He said after the game: "When that kind of thing happens, you just think 'it's my fault'.

"When he came off, you could see he looked gutted. He looked dejected. But I think the good thing is that the coaches came to him straight away and said 'listen, today wasn't your day, keep your head up and keep working hard'.

"But he needs to go back in tomorrow or whenever it is and speak to the manager and say 'can you show me where I could have been better'. He's young. He can improve, and I think step by step with the help of the coaches, he can get better.

"But right now, he's going to take that personally. He's going to get upset, but the main thing is they've got three points, so he can't stay upset for too long. Games come thick and fast in the Championship, so he's got to focus on that."

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I love Bamba but think he’s wrong here. It was obvious why waters was taken off, and it was evident how we improved after he was. The main striker’s role in this system isn’t just to get 2 chances in the first 30 minutes, it’s to press hard. The whole team’s shape relies on the hard work of that front man, and if he’s not pressing, he’s giving Coventry impetus to play out and potentially punish us.

Why not wait till half time? Why risk another 10 minutes of poor play just to save someone’s feelings?

I love Bamba but think he’s wrong here. It was obvious why waters was taken off, and it was evident how we improved after he was. The main striker’s role in this system isn’t just to get 2 chances in the first 30 minutes, it’s to press hard. The whole team’s shape relies on the hard work of that front man, and if he’s not pressing, he’s giving Coventry impetus to play out and potentially punish us.

Why not wait till half time? Why risk another 10 minutes of poor play just to save someone’s feelings?

Totally agree

Employee upset by Boss decision.. if I’d started that as a thread, I’d expect to be banned.

Morison waits till ht. tells the players it’s not good enough, Watters in particular needs to up his game. Gives it till 60 minutes, hauls Watters off, we lose the game, Morison is slated.

Hauls Watters off before ht, much improved second half, we win 2-0. Morison slated.

Taking him off changed the game,we won 2-0 therefore good management.

Taking him off changed the game,we won 2-0 therefore good management.

Yup! He did it with young Isaacs recently, got slated by the same people and look at him (Isaacs) now...

Morison should have waited until half time. I can’t see any benefit from humiliating a player and it could also cause unrest in the camp that won’t do us any good going forward

Taking him off changed the game,we won 2-0 therefore good management.

Yup! He did it with young Isaacs recently, got slated by the same people and look at him (Isaacs) now...

I get what you're but not everyone reacts to criticism & humiliation (being pulled off for being crap) in the same way. On the other hand I presume that the manager knows the players & how Watters will react once the sulking is out of the way.

Hugill coming on changed the game, I'm not sure what there's not to get. This is about getting points and securing safety not protecting people's egos. We all thought Morrison got it wrong when he blasted Davies, but look how he reacted.

I thought it was the wrong call when I watched the match the other night but having seen some of the debate on here I know think it was right.

We are awful when conceding the first goal. Morison did what he felt he needed to stop that from happening.

Worked a treat.

I thought it was the wrong call when I watched the match the other night but having seen some of the debate on here I know think it was right.

We are awful when conceding the first goal. Morison did what he felt he needed to stop that from happening.

Worked a treat.

Correct from the team perspective (and result) but I guess the debate is the treatment of Max Watters

It is known 'modern' fact that more and more people are unable to handle/accept the truth in layman's terms. I see it in my own work environment and I'm sure you see it in yours

Max Watters is the recipient on this occasion, Isaak Davies was a previous recipient and under the Watch of Steve Morison it is highly likely to happen again

He (Steve Morison) is a professional trying to do a professional job and who on here can say he hasn't been successful to date with his insistence that the players put in the same creditable effort that he does?

For me, the manager has been a breath of fresh air and is effectively telling his players to shape up or ship out!

He (or his Head Coach, Vincent Tan ) will have drilled his players with his vision of play and Max Watters would have been part of that

Clearly, Steve Morison felt he wasn't doing his job, had Jordan Hugill on the bench to do the job properly, so made a 'team' decision and sent him on

A 2-0 win and a good performance from Hugill suggests Steve zmorison got it bang on!

For me, Max Watters brought the humiliation on himself, if there was any; particularly with his half-time 'vigil' and I ferl sure it has all been adressed at the training ground

A 'professional' Max Watters will listen, learn and lead the line prpperly the next time he is picked; or see the old shepherd's staff come out from the dugout again

Good on Steve Morison, I say. We're a professional football club and support who, after a lull, can now move forward with a sense of expectation'

I love Bamba but think he’s wrong here. It was obvious why waters was taken off, and it was evident how we improved after he was. The main striker’s role in this system isn’t just to get 2 chances in the first 30 minutes, it’s to press hard. The whole team’s shape relies on the hard work of that front man, and if he’s not pressing, he’s giving Coventry impetus to play out and potentially punish us.

Why not wait till half time? Why risk another 10 minutes of poor play just to save someone’s feelings?

Good post and I agree but the other thing Watters wasn’t doing is holding the ball up and linking up play. The ball was coming straight back and causing us trouble.

Hugill changed that immediately.

He’s not the only manager to haul ineffective players off before half time.

Dry your eyes Watters and play better next time.

People need to except and absorb critisiscm and learn from it. Especially when it comes from their manager who will be fired well before the worker. Or in Morisons case not get the contract he is fighting for. Bambas great but if he was a manager and a player wasn't doing as he'd been instructed he'd do the same thing.

I’ve got no problem with Steve Morrison making a decison to benefit the team plenty of managers have done it over the years for all kind of reasons all I hope is that he doesn’t ignore the lad in training and explains why he did it max has got plenty of time on his side he was very keen to come back to city when they called him back from his loan spell at m k dons apparently he loves it here

Bamba ain’t a manager yet, far from it, what Morison did proved right.
Some of these younger ones need toughening up

Morison should have waited until half time. I can’t see any benefit from humiliating a player and it could also cause unrest in the camp that won’t do us any good going forward

i cant agree, if a manager feels a change is needed he should do it at any time. if theres anything i disagree with its talking about it publicly.

ive posted a bit about watters this week, not too much more to add, just hope he gets another chance to prove himself this season and takes it.