Chopra Out, Austin to Motor In?

It’s being reported this evening that Ipswich Town are returning with their third, and possibly final offer, for Cardiff City striker Michael Chopra, a bid exceeding £4M which may reluctantly force Dave Jones’ hand to sell the player.

Chops had a hit and miss season with The Bluebirds after his £4M capture from Premiership Sunderland but is a fans firm favourite and still managed 21 goals in 2009/10 despite two barren spells.

Ipswich boss Roy Keane, his manager at Sunderland, sees Chops as the perfect foil for their prospect 17 year old striker Connor Wickham and help Ipswich put in a promotion bid. Having declined a second bid of £3.75M last week, it is claimed Dave Jones will sell and turn to Swindon Town’s Charlie Austin as a replacement.

Austin had a sensational season for the League One side scoring 19 in 29 starts after arriving from non-league Poole Town.

Cardiff fans will be disappointed and hope it doesn’t happen but is it a sign of more prudence and business sense in the running of the club?

Reading & City in battle for Stoke's Andy Griffin

So claim the press in Reading.

Griffin's a right back, spent the second half of last season on loan at Reading when they went on that fantastic run from a relegation spot to play-off challenger and doesn't seem to be wanted by Stoke.

They reckon Cardiff are offering the better financial package but appear to be bankiong on the fact he was there last season to help their cause.


From the Wokingham Press
Royals fight Cardiff City for Andy Griffin
By Jonny Fordham
June 04, 2010

Reading FC are still confident of landing Andy Griffin despite interest from Championship rivals Cardiff City.

Dave Jones's beaten play-off finalists have the financial edge on Royals, who have been trying to sign the Stoke City right-back since he ended his successful spell on loan at the club last month.

Although Reading are unwilling to pay a fee, director of football Nick Hammond could offer the promise of a cash windfall if Griffin helped the club win promotion next season.

Ledley - he's out of our league

One of the nationals claim Celtic have offered him in excess of £20k weekly. That's about the minimum I expected bearing in mind they get him for free. It's still a bargain package.


However, as I suspected, he's not rushing any decision and is apparently going on holidays to Portugal for a while anyway. He may yet also visit clubs in Greece (Panathanaikos) and Turkey (Galatasary and Fenerbache) as well as Rangers having also been to Roma in Italy. He's either collecting AirMiles or getting as many bargain flights with Ryanair as possible!


It's interesting that with so many Premier League clubs reportedly interested, none seem to be making any move so far while this is going on.


Personally, as much as I'd love Joe to stay, I don't believe we could or should compete with those sort of wages and I suspect Joe is just not willing to spend another year in the Championship, he's ready to push on now.


I just hope he makes the right football choice, not the richest money choice and, of course, I do hope he goes tro the Prem and Cardiff City get some benefit from it too.

Ledley's Ryanair Tour of Europe continues ... now he's off to Roma!

Joe Ledley seems determined to clock up air miles while he decides where his footballing future lies. After visiting Glasgow on Monday to see Celtic comes news that he's off to Rome and talks with AS Roma tomorrow.

No doubt his agent has been touting him and the attractiveness of no fee being involved for Cardiff City if he leaves for a new club in Scotland or Europe. I just hope Joe makes the right decision and it is a footballing one.

It must now be increasingly unlikely that he will stay at Cardiff. Both fans and the club would ideally like him to go to the Premier League where he has many admirers too so don't be surprised if he checks out more clubs before making a final decision.

Taiwo - from a Bluebird to a Canary

The best Cardiff City fans saw of Taiwo
Play for Dagenham & Redbridge against City!

It is being reported that Championship returnees Norwich City have agreed a deal with Cardiff City to sign midfielder Solomon Taiwo subject to a medical over the next few days.

A gamble signing by Dave Jones last August, Taiwo has had a very forgettable time in South Wales managing just two starts (and one of those where when 9 players were rested in the final league game of the season) and another 6 brief outings from the sub's bench. Cardiff were happy to release him to League One Colchester in January until City's injury crisis and transfer embargo forced hom to stay essentially to help make up the numbers.

Cardiff fans will generally be pleased the club are shipping out a player who did not like he would succeed here and amazed the club are also to reportedly pocket £150,000 too.


I happen to think Taiwo is a better footballer than we ever saw at Cardiff. He was highly rated at The Daggers and his best display of the season was probably the game he played for them against us in the Carling Cup.

However he didn't get much of a chance at City and when he did, he looked like a player with shot confidence.

Lambert at Norwich will have seen him play in the lower leagues and probably recognises that he's worth a punt and can get something more out of him.

However Taiwo is 25 and this will be his 12th or 13th club I think which is ridiculous. He's running out of time to live up to the promise he can sometimes show.