" INTERESTING REGARDING JOE LEDLEY,NEXT MATTHEWS"

Top Ten Players of the Season - No 5: Ledley
Written by James Kelly
Tuesday, 07 June 2011 19:46

Last season - (NE)

Even during a period of considerable transfer activity last summer Joe Ledley in many respects stood out from the start as one of the more high profile recruits for the club. Whilst relatively little was known of players such as Beram Kayal and Emilio Izzaguire who would arrive from far flung corners to become future lynchpins of the team, Ledley was a player already on the radar of many following his exploits with Championship side Cardiff City, which in the seasons prior had seen the Welsh international linked with moves to Premiership clubs Everton, Stoke City, and West Brom, as well as enter into talks with Italian side AS Roma.

In the end, his move to Parkhead and a club outwith the English league system meant that, having wound down his previous contract, his old club were due no compensation for the move, and the consensus was Celtic had picked up for nothing a player valued at around the £5m mark. His performances since, although stuttering in parts (he would not be alone in that respect in a team bedding in so many new faces), would appear to bear out such a valuation, with the 24-year-old only like to continue improving with experience.

Ledley's transition was not entirely smooth to begin with, as Celtic's early season troubles in Europe combined with continuing uncertainty over the precise shape a midfield not without significant competition for places would take, made it difficult for players to hit the ground running.


Then again during an uncomfortable spell prior to new year, when form and results took a severe dip, and during which spell Ledley like many of his teammates would be considerably afflicted. It is testament to his professionalism and resilience however that by the time of the title run-in he had rebounded to become an indispensible figure during the club's best run of form in some years, producing some of his best individual showings of the season, only to for his role to be cruelly curtailed by injury during the run-in.

Understated yet effective, there is a certain maturity to Ledley's game belying his relatively few years, and his steadying influence has been instrumental in the development of a new look side. A player with a canny knack for finding space and constantly available as an out ball to his teammates, the new bhoy quickly began complementing the more industrious and energetic Scott Brown, his calm demeanour and precise passing reminiscent of Paul Lambert's role in Martin O'Neill's succesful sides.

In keeping with a healthy goalscoring record at his previous club, Ledley is also willing to gamble on the odd attacking foray, ghosting forward for sniffs at goal and with the technique and composure to make them count. It was a tendency which would see him rewarded by season's end with a tally of five goals from midfield.

Those goals admittedly arrived in fits and start, two in the league versus St Mirren and Aberdeen, followed some months later by a clutch in the cup competitions, to deliver victory in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Inverness and then shortly after at Hampden to level the League Cup final versus Rangers. Not long after that, with Neil Lennon having taken a gamble on the player's fitness for the final derby of the season at Ibrox, Ledley's season was over when a hamstring tweak was aggravated, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the run-in.

Like his fellow midfielder Beram Kayal, his worth to the team was to be underlined and then some by his absence from the team every bit as much as his contributions when fit, as - among other factors admittedly - the disruption to what after much fidgeting had eventually become the tried-and-tested midfield formula played its own part in a defeat at Inverness. Sadly, that would ultimately spell the end for our championship hopes.

But Ledley can be more than pleased with his own contribution in what was always going to be a thoroughly testing inaugural season for the new arrivals, though doubtless he shares in the determination of many to correct the eventual outcome of this season with an even stronger showing, next.

Assuming he continues in the manner he has begun, there is every reason to look to that future with real hope things will indeed pan out that way. There is an element of assuredness to his game that is surely fundamental to any side aspiring to ally expansive, entertaining football with winning results, as Neil Lennon's team appear intent on doing. The term 'water carrier' is a crude one, but there is no question a figure like Ledley can be an ideal counterweight to the verve and elan of traditional game-changers like Izzaguire, Commons or Hooper.

Whilst he may not have grabbed the plaudits and headlines as readily as those others, his contributions nevertheless gave rise to a firm appreciation of his worth amongst the support, where many will also have picked up on the apparent keeness with which he has taken to life both on and off the park in Glasgow, having for one thing become on the first team's more enthusiastic and prolific 'tweeters'. If nothing else, like many others he has succeeded this season in creating for himself the ideal platform to go on and properly seize some glory with Celtic. I see no reason he won't be a central figure in our succeeding in that task next season.

He's impressed in the big games I think and I'm pleased for him. I don't buy into this 'f**k him, he left us' ideology that some people have. He's a Cardiff boy and I wish him the best. Glad he's made a positive impression. Matthews will be even better if he's coached properly.

Good luck to him (And Matthews.)
Our loss.

He's impressed in the big games I think and I'm pleased for him. I don't buy into this 'f**k him, he left us' ideology that some people have. He's a Cardiff boy and I wish him the best. Glad he's made a positive impression. Matthews will be even better if he's coached properly.

SPOT on Steve

Good for him!

Most deffo good luck to him, he was shit on from a great hight by CCFC. Particularly Ridsdale

He's impressed in the big games I think and I'm pleased for him. I don't buy into this 'f**k him, he left us' ideology that some people have. He's a Cardiff boy and I wish him the best. Glad he's made a positive impression. Matthews will be even better if he's coached properly.

Agree - I think every single one of us should be pleased for him, I certainly am

He is class but I wouldn't have him back. I want to move on, just as we let him.

I dont get theese Joe haters good luck to him

I dont get theese Joe haters good luck to him

Its simple mate, they are ignorant to why he had to find a new job i.e. Celtic.

It would be great that once we make it to the Prem we buy them both back.

It's f*cking criminal to let Matthews more or less go for f**k all.

It would be great that once we make it to the Prem we buy them both back.

It's f*cking criminal to let Matthews more or less go for f**k all.

Matthews was only on about £700 a week, But DJ could not stand him.

I'm glad things are going OK for Joe but I do think the guy who wrote that thinks the SPL is a better league than it actually is but thats another debate.

What that article shows is the cost to Cardiff City of having a stubborn manager I believe we turned down £6m twice for Joe because of DJ and a terrific young player like Adam, once valued at £4m was ruined, excluded from the team criticsed in public and as a result we have lost him.

Add to that the cost of losing players like Bothroyd and Burke for nothing is another example of serious money being lost for a club heavily in debt.

Chopra and Hudson are out of contract at the end of next season and both a high wage earners we should get what we can now and shop them both out.

I'm glad things are going OK for Joe but I do think the guy who wrote that thinks the SPL is a better league than it actually is but thats another debate.

What that article shows is the cost to Cardiff City of having a stubborn manager I believe we turned down £6m twice for Joe because of DJ and a terrific young player like Adam, once valued at £4m was ruined, excluded from the team criticsed in public and as a result we have lost him.

Add to that the cost of losing players like Bothroyd and Burke for nothing is another example of serious money being lost for a club heavily in debt.

Chopra and Hudson are out of contract at the end of next season and both a high wage earners we should get what we can now and shop them both out.

Spot on Gary

I was listening to Paul Lambert on Talksport last week and he was saying that Norwich have already promised him the £37m initial payment for TV rights but he was not going to use any of it on big name players.

He has decided to expand his squad by buying young and hungry players who will be cheaper but are more likely to play with 100% effort every match. He said I know we will have no experience of the PL but I know I've got hungry players and that policy has seen us win back to back promotions.

Complete opposite of DJ no room for young players just highly paid over the top players like Fowler, Hasslebaink, Sinclear and Koumas.

Said it all for me.

I'm glad things are going OK for Joe but I do think the guy who wrote that thinks the SPL is a better league than it actually is but thats another debate.

What that article shows is the cost to Cardiff City of having a stubborn manager I believe we turned down £6m twice for Joe because of DJ and a terrific young player like Adam, once valued at £4m was ruined, excluded from the team criticsed in public and as a result we have lost him.

Add to that the cost of losing players like Bothroyd and Burke for nothing is another example of serious money being lost for a club heavily in debt.

Chopra and Hudson are out of contract at the end of next season and both a high wage earners we should get what we can now and shop them both out.

I agree that we probably should've sold Joe for £6m, and maybe Burke as well since both of them weren't really absolutely critical to the team's success, whereas Bothroyd for me was a different matter. Maybe we should've cashed in on him but IMO he was very important to us and really had to be in our side if we were to achieve promotion. We had to take that risk really if we wanted promotion knowing it could backfire on us and that we could lose him for nothing at the end of the season had we stayed in this league, which of course has now happened. As for Matthews, there were a lot of rumours flying around about Manchester United coming in for him but I'm not sure if anyone did actually make a concrete offer for him (I'm probably wrong, so feel free to correct me ).

Chopra's had his chance and should leave as is now likely. I know that the maximum we'll get from Ipswich isn't what it should be for a player of his calibre but there we go we need him off the wage bill.

Hudson is different. I don't know how much he's on but he's nothing like Chopra - I don't think he goes out on the piss that often and he certainly isn't prone to gambling hundreds of pounds away as and when he wants. He is actually one of the most important players in our squad (just behind Kev for me) and we need him if we want promotion, as he plays in a crucial role for any side at centre-half !

He's impressed in the big games I think and I'm pleased for him. I don't buy into this 'f**k him, he left us' ideology that some people have. He's a Cardiff boy and I wish him the best. Glad he's made a positive impression. Matthews will be even better if he's coached properly.

SPOT on Steve

Glad he has prooved himself - everything being said about his move at the time - there was a lot more to it than the money!



Good Luck to him for his next season up there and Adam that they show the potential they have

Where was his child born?

I'm glad things are going OK for Joe but I do think the guy who wrote that thinks the SPL is a better league than it actually is but thats another debate.

What that article shows is the cost to Cardiff City of having a stubborn manager I believe we turned down £6m twice for Joe because of DJ and a terrific young player like Adam, once valued at £4m was ruined, excluded from the team criticsed in public and as a result we have lost him.

Add to that the cost of losing players like Bothroyd and Burke for nothing is another example of serious money being lost for a club heavily in debt.

Chopra and Hudson are out of contract at the end of next season and both a high wage earners we should get what we can now and shop them both out.

I agree that we probably should've sold Joe for £6m, and maybe Burke as well since both of them weren't really absolutely critical to the team's success, whereas Bothroyd for me was a different matter. Maybe we should've cashed in on him but IMO he was very important to us and really had to be in our side if we were to achieve promotion. We had to take that risk really if we wanted promotion knowing it could backfire on us and that we could lose him for nothing at the end of the season had we stayed in this league, which of course has now happened. As for Matthews, there were a lot of rumours flying around about Manchester United coming in for him but I'm not sure if anyone did actually make a concrete offer for him (I'm probably wrong, so feel free to correct me ).

Chopra's had his chance and should leave as is now likely. I know that the maximum we'll get from Ipswich isn't what it should be for a player of his calibre but there we go we need him off the wage bill.

Hudson is different. I don't know how much he's on but he's nothing like Chopra - I don't think he goes out on the piss that often and he certainly isn't prone to gambling hundreds of pounds away as and when he wants. He is actually one of the most important players in our squad (just behind Kev for me) and we need him if we want promotion, as he plays in a crucial role for any side at centre-half !

It's fine saying all that with hindsight! At the time Ridsdale, and credit to him, wanted to show the supporters that we were no longer a selling club, that statement was ratified by holding out and keeping Ledley as part of a team for a promotion push. Things could have so easily turned out differently, if we had beat Blackpool and got promoted. Ledley, would have been happy as a pig in shit, with a big money new contract with the club, and City would have added a couple of zeros his value.
Shit happens, I bet you and most others on here, were behind Ridsdale for holding on.
You have to take big decisions with players, some the club gets right some wrong. Annis, at the moment, is fully behind keeping Chops, only in the hope that he regains his form, but what's most likely to happen, is that he will carry on with his downward spirral, as IMO the boy has problems here. So for the club to decide to pay £80k a month and let him go for next to nothing at Christmas would be suicidal.