Routledge Rumours Have Some Sunstance

For the past week, there have been rumours that Wayne Routledge - who earned notoriety in South Wales after fleeing to sign for QPR after reportedly telling Cardiff City that he wished to join them - was on his way back to them.

Routledge was roundly booed when coming back to Ninian Park last season
... but fans would still love to see him back at Cardiff in a City shirt

It seemed way too left field but news has emerged that "Routs" has been in contact with other Cardiff players saying he is unsettled with The R's and would be interested in coming back to The Bluebirds.

Whether anything can happen is unlikely since Cardiff have since taken Chris Burke and if Rangers were willing to sell, the fee would be likely to be prohibitive.

How QPR fans will take this news is another matter ... ...

Friendly: FATIMA 0 CARDIFF CITY 1

In the first of two friendlies on Portugeuese soil during a week long pre-season traing cam, CARDIFF overcame local second division side Fatima 1-0.

City give Fatima a good seeing to ...
that's the footie team not the unfeminine javelin chucker

Details are spare on the game so far but the solitary game was a second half header by Slovakian centre half turned midfielder triallist Maros Klimpl.

City play one other game this Saturday morning against a Portuguese Select X1 consisting of discarded youngsters which acts as a trial to put them in the shop window.

How (not) to be popular with the missus

Amazing Cricket Dismissal

This incredible dismissal last week saw Ed Joyce out as he struck the ball beautifully straight into the pocket of a fielder turning his back. Unlucky my son!

Hull stall moves for Ledley and McCormack (but did they offer anyway?)

On a day that Hull City signed Sunderland forward Daryl Murphy, manager Phil Brown hinted that a deal to try and sign both Joe Ledley and Ross McCormack from Cardiff City may progress becuase the price being quoted is too high.

However, by contract, Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale has flat out denied having any approach or offer from Hull but a South Wales Echo report confirms what fans know - that there is a 'log jam' at the club and they can't bring any more players in until others leave.

The most interesting quote of the day came from Hull City manager Phil Brown who told press in Yorkshire that, "Where Ross McCormack and Joe Ledley are concerned, you're looking at players who have done very, very well at Cardiff in the Championship. Yes they would interest us but not at the prices that are being quoted. Until those prices are brought down, if there is such a price, we're not interested. It is difficult when players want to move from a selling club and agents think they can progress them quickly."

The clear inference here is that agents of Ledley and/or McCormack are in talks with Brown and possibly other clubs too.

With Ledley clearly wanting away and Ross wanting a chance in the Premiership despite signing a new 4 year deal with City only last week, the club appear to have accepted both may go but wnat matters sorted quickly.

The newspaper price quoted for the pair of £10M seems excessive but if sold, Cardiff City could clearly introduce some significant signings into the squad and improve the balance sheet which is their way.

The next move appears to lie with City ... or the player agents anyway.

Another day, another load of Cardiff City rumours

Once again, the newspapers are speculating over imminent arrivals and departures at Cardiff City but leading the way is the Hull Daily Mail who report that Hull City are set to bid upto £10M for the Bluebirds duo of Ross McCormack and Joe Ledley and that the club expect to have two players for medicals on Wednesday.

Tigers boss Phil Brown directly named the players but was non-commital over whether they are in his sights saying, "Joe Ledley, Ross McCormack and Daryl Murphy are all names who have been bandied around but it is important that we do our business behind the scenes. "

Hull may find competition in the form of long-term Ledley admirers Everton and Stoke City, both understood to be ready to make their move ... according to the papers of course.

And if Ledley goes, The Daily Mirror have reported Dave Jones already has a replacement lined up in the shape of Liverpool's French 21 year old midfielder Damien Plessis. Cardiff are said to want him on a 1 year loan. He played 5 times for Liverpool last season - twice in the Champions League, twice in the Carlign Cup and 1 Premiership start.

Let's see what tomorrow brings

The Rumour Rounadbout Hits Full Speed

If specuualtion isn't bad enough in the week, you can always rely on the Sunday papers to take it to another level. Once again, they haven't let us down with Cardiff City news.

Of current personnel, it's two big stars and one fading star in the news.

Everton, long-time suitors of Joe Ledley but who have never made any approach, are reported to be ready to bid £3M to £3.5M for the midfield star but they now apparently face stiff competition from fellow Premiership side Hull City who are ready to gazump them and meet Cardiff City's current asking price of £4.5M.

Yesterday, Ross McCormack declared on his Facebook account that "I am staying at Cardiff City until 2013!!!!". Of course, the new 4 year deal also makes sure Cardiff get the price they want sure anyone make a move for the hot property and 24 hours on, it is being reported that Hull City are also ready to bid £3.5M for him after their key terget and exp-loan success Frazier Campbell dumped them at the 11th hour for Sunderland.

City are known to be looking to offload several other players to bring in new faces and it is being reported that Paul Parry is closing in on a move to League One outfit Norwich City whose assistant manager Ian Butterworth knows him well form his time at Cardiff. That deal is being speculated as a possible swap with Canaries midfielder and early summer linked player, Sammy Clingan, coming to South Wales.

If Cardiff sell Ledley and.or McCormack, they they have funds to build and players linked include Wayne Routledge, Dos Santos of Spurs, Zheng who has just left Charlton, Ched Evans to name just a few.


Meantime, the entire City squad - including McCormack, Ledley and Parry - flew out to Portugal for a week's training and 2 informal games. Which perhaps makes it unlikely much, if any, business will be done this week.

Cardiff stuck with Feeney, Feeney stuck with Cardiff

After all the talk of moving to Leeds, Hearts, Gromsby and others - it has emerged that the reason for Leeds United's sudden loss of interest in WARREN FEENEY was becuase he failed their medical due to hip damage.

Cardiff City have now decided the only course of action is surgery meaning Feeney will be going nowhere in this transfer window and will stay with The Bluebirds. It is a blow for the player - who wants away to play football - and the club - who need to move men out before others can sign.

Peter Ridsdale confirmed: "Medical staff tell us it's exactly the same problem Roger Johnson had last season. Warren is back with us and will have surgery to sort out his hip. He'll be back to 100 per cent in a short time."

Cardiff will now look to sell or loan out the player in the January transfer window before his contract expires in May. He is still being tipped for a move to Leeds United at that time instead.

Cardiff City 4 Chasetown 0 - the media reaction

ON VIDEO

Dave Jones’ reaction

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8146077.stm

Josh Magennis on his goal

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8146091.stm

THE CARDIFF CITY VIEW

Bluebirds make winning start

Yahoo! Eurosport

Teenagers on mark in Cardiff City friendly win

WalesOnline

THE CHASETOWN VIEW

http://thelichfieldblog.co.uk/2009/07/11/post-match-report-cardiff-city-4-chasetown-0/

http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/07/11/charlie-proud-of-battling-scholars/

Pre-Season Friendly: CARDIFF CITY 4 CHASETOWN 0

CARDIFF CITY played their first fixture at the new stadium (following former legends playing the first context last weekend) and ran out eventual 4-0 winners against non-league Chasetown under the new lights (floodlights are no more).

A literal game of two halves - City fielded near different line ups in both 45 minutes – City scored twice each time. Bothroyd and Chopra netted in the opening period after a tricky start in which the visitors posed most problems then youngsters Josh Magennis and Adam Matthews netted 2nd period as the visitors, mostly using the same men, tired.

The crowd of 5,273 included around 300 from Chasetown, the lowest ever ranked club to make F.A. Cup Third Round. At all City fans know, that day in 2008, the played a Cardiff outfit starting their glorious 2008 run to Wembley and the final. A relationship started as City visited the Staffs club last pre-season and The Scholars were invited to play the first competitive fixture at the new stadium (and also given 600 seats from Ninian Park to help towards a new stand at their ground).

It was surreal walking past Ninian Park to the new ground, entering the ground by scanning a stadium instead of handing over a ticket and then entering the wide sprawling mass that were the walkways under the stand instead of finding a dingy cramped zone. It didn’t feel natural at all to me and to others but I’m sure we’ll get used to it in time. I could have been walking into Coventry, Reading. Stoke away but this was ours. Large sized bars and catering zones (still over-priced but reduced after last week’s furore), facilities are clearly to arrive in the form of tv’s and hopefully shelves to prop our drinks on. However some things don’t change – a visit to the enormous toilets, filled hands full of liquid soap and there’s no water.

Inside the stands, no pillars to obstruct the view, no pitch camber, smarter seats offering more leg room but not necessarily more width and all clinical. Ali’s p.a. apparently worked well in the Grandstand but in the largest Ninian Stand (that’s the pitch-length one closest to Ninian Park equivalent to the Bob Bank) it was as echoey and indecipherable as Ninian’s used to be – some tuning required then.

The big screen hadn’t arrived and the Grandstand had two spotlight Bluebirds at the top – which, no doubt, will be two Cardiff Blues logos when the egg chasers play there. The views are excellent and the atmosphere – even with such a small crowd – was pretty good so I’m sure it’ll be a superb sound and sight when the serious stuff starts and the bigger attendances are inside.

One of the toughest jobs of the night was working out who was who in the City side. The biggest question of the first half being who’s number 4? The blonde yellow lump that looked keen but not quite the part was Slovakian centre half turned midfielder triallist Maros Klimpl. The rest of the side were Marshall, McNaughton-Hudson (capt)-Gyepes-M Kennedy, R McCormack-Klimpl-McPhail-Burke, Bothroyd-Chopra.

I believe the new Puma kit worn is training kit only which was just as well as it was bland while keeper David Marshall must have felt embarrassed in his shocking Day-Glo pink number.

It was a probably a combo of new players, rustiness and just the fact it was first outing and nobody needs to be near peak yet but City were uncomfortable and possibly second best over the opening 25 with poor distribution and a worrying looking defence. Gyepes showed the form that saw him dropped from the side when it mattered at the business end of last season – some quipping how he had inherited Darren Purse’s genes – while Mark Hudson lack of pace would have saw Chopra skin him if he also had to run with an egg and spoon.

The visitors were lively and only two very smart saves from David Marshall – the first brilliant reactions to a close range header, the second tipping over a piledriver – and the visitors would have scored the first goal in any Cardiff City match at the new stadium after Kennedy was comprehensively beaten and a ball across the box tuned home had it not been for an offside flag.

However the first goal honour went to City and Jay Bothroyd scoring a skinhead cut. A smart move too with Mark Kennedy – dazzling when attacking, no so dazzling when defending – and McCormack combing before BOTHROYD’s far post looping header across goal finished it nicely.

The second goal came from the lively MICHAEL CHOPRA – looking in better menace and form – than he did at the end of last season finishing smartly for a deserved goal after he had one disallowed, had hit the inside of the post and caused problems every time he was on the ball.

Chasetown now spent the rest on the game on the back foot and only smart saves from the keeper prevented more before the interval in which Kennedy, Burke, Chopra stood out.

H/T: CITY 2 CHASETOWN 0

After a £3 pint of Brains in the aircraft-hangar sized spaces under the stands, it was time to guess the City player again. The one who caused most questions was guessing our goalkeeper but it turned out to be Peter Enckleman who has transformed into Yul Brynner. For the record, only Ross McCormack played the 2nd half (maybe as he was the only one who looked as if he had added a couple of pounds to his frame over the summer) and the side was Enckleman, Capaldi-Quinn-Gerrard-Ledley, Aaron Morris-Whittingham-Rae-McCormack, Parry-Magennis.

This was one way traffic towards the new Grange End whose occupants had managed to defy attempts to make them sit – often by starting a Stand Up If You Hate Swansea chant – as stewards surrounded them.

The records show that a chuffed and JOSH McGENNIS – goalkeeper at Anfield 2 seasons ago but now converted into a raw but fast and powerful striker – stroked home the third after great build up play and the promising ADAM MATTHEWS, who came on for McCormack just past the hour, smacked home the fourth and was equally delighted.

That it wasn’t more owed much to City’s over-elaborate build up play when, invariably, someone would make an error and some fantastic saves by Chasetown’s keeper who went off to huge applause as he ayatollahed to give the sub keeper a chance. He came top boos until he ayatollahed as well – I say ayatollah, he just glued his hands to his head. However that wasn’t as funny as the guy in the stand who headed back Josh McGennis’ wayward blaster and found himself knocked over by it.

Anthony Gerrard certainly impressed at centre-half and had the pace that was absent in that area first half although it was a stroll for him on the whole. He certainly shouted and organised though but quite funny hearing him shout to players by their shirt numbers as he didn’t know their names. Adam Matthews also stood out as he got forward time and again.

A reasonable work out, a first glimpse of the new stadium but it didn’t feel right to be going there over a month before the season starts on an early July Friday night and it felt less right to walk out looking towards a derelict and now fenced up Ninian Park but we’ll get used to it.. Thankfully, the weather was overcast and dull so at least it felt like the football season in climate.

Cardiff City 4 Chasetown 0 in pictures

A few photos from tonight’s first Cardiff City outing at the new stadium – a comfortable 4-0 victory over Chasetown FC.

Now it's Charlton for Feeney

League One Charlton Athletic are the latest club to be linked with CARDIFF CITY's Warren Feeney is in deparate search for a new club and to play football.

Leeds, Grimsby, Hearts are just three clubs who either spurned Feeney or were spurned by him and it has prompted the South Londoners to make their move.

“He’s someone we’ve enquired about,” said Charlton boss Phil Parkinson - a quote that means little but the feeling is that this may well develop over the weekend.

The Rumour Mill Rolls On while Player Movement Stalls

CARDIFF CITY fans get their first chance to see the team this season as the club play Chasetown at the Cardiff City stadium tomorrow night but with no new signings since last weekend.

The club, for differing reasons, would listen to offers for Joe Ledley as well as assist the transfers of Warren Feeney, Tony Capaldi, Paul Parry, Steve McPhail to name a few. I suspect until some of that log jam is cleared, new arrivals may wait as well.

Maros Klimpl continues to train with the club and other trialists are linking up but the rumours are getting more sensational and ridiculous with focus on midfielders and a forward. Jason Koumas gets linked forever and a day, Wayne Routledge returning is way too left-field, Dietar Hammam coming for a year from Liverpool before returning to his homeland seems to be madness but today's Echo reveals a more realistic target - Leyton Orient's Cypriot international Jason Demetriou. However we appear to be one of five or so clubs linked to him and Cardiff never win out in those situations ... assuming there is any merit to it in the first place.

The wait goes on.