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.

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.

Hat-Trick - Hudson joins Cardiff City

Cardiff City completed a successful Wednesday after confirming the record signing of Michael Chopra and the contract extension of fellow striker Ross McCormack by confirming the capture of Charlton Athletic skipper Mark Hudson.

Hudson is seen as the replacement for Roger Johnson and was highly respected at Crystal Palace where he was a pivotal player, the only grumbles mainly surround his lack of pace, but he took the opportunity to jump ship on a free to Charlton last summer. That may have been financially worthwhile but it was a footballing disaster with The Addicks bottom of the Championship and relegated.

The fee - reportedly worth upto £700,000 or £1,000,000 (depending on which newspaper you read) is Cardiff's 3rd signing of the summer following Chopra and also goalkeeper David Marshall who joined from Norwich City.

McCormack commented on his new extended contract that, "I am really pleased to have sorted things out. I enjoyed last season. Like the other lads, I want the opportunity to go that step farther than last season.”

Jones is looking to bring in 5 more players but, clearly, in order to do that, he needs movement out of the club.

Key man Joe Ledley is still hoping for a Premiership move with Everton interested but no club has yet made their move leaving Joe in pre-season training with City but with a contract running down.

Warren Feeney is set to be confirmed as a Leeds United player before the weekend but the club wouldn't mind losing the likes of Paul Parry, Tony Capaldi amongst others.

Mr. Hudson set for Cardiff gig

CARDIFF CITY have confirmed they have had a bid accepted for an unnamed defender but it is supposedly someone other than Motherwell's captain and right back Paul Quinn and believed to be Charlton Athletic skipper and centre half Mark Hudson, the deal reportedly worth what strikes me as a rather inflated £700,000. Surely not that much?

Hudson "proud" wears a Charlton scarf last summer
Bet he'll soon "proudly" be wearing a Cardiff one

At 27, Hudson doesn't fit the vastly experienced category with just 170 league outings under his belt, the majority with Crystal Palace where he made his name before switching to Charlton last summer on a free transfer and managing 43 starts and 3 goals as The Addicks finished bottom of the Championship and were relegated to League One.

However Cardiff badly need two centre halves with Darren Purse departed and Roger Johnson sold so reinforcements are urgently required. He is also a known Cardiff City target as manager Dave Jones tried but narrowly failed to bring him to the club in the January transfer window.

The player was reportedly engaged in talks with Cardiff City today but there is no more news as yet.

Player links to Cardiff City hot up

With Roger Johnson gone, more players set to go and 7 new faces promised, paper talk is hotting up. Here's a quick round up of the latest mutterings for what it's worth since newspaper gossip very rarely equals reality.


OUTGOING
Rumours are circulating that left back Tony Capaldi with link with his ex-Plymouth boss Ian Holloway at Blackpool if they can find the package to match his handsome City package. Holloway briefly tried to take him for Leciester City when he was their manager too.

Premiership suitors are playing a waiting game for Joe Ledley, obviously hoping to get him for a last minute cut price deal after City declined £6M bids for him in January and now find they have a player who can leave for nothing out of contract next season. Arsenal, who have watched him many times, are being linked to him but there's a queue including Spurs, Everton, Stoke, West Ham who have expressed interest but have done nothing to date.

Dave Jones is also willing to offload Paul Parry, Miguel Comminges, Warren Feeney (forgot we still had him after his 2 seasons in Scotland but Norwich are rumoured to be in for him) and maybe Peter Whittingham too while they are willing to listen t offersd for Ross McCormack to raise more funds even though he is set to sign an extended deal.

THOSE LINKED TO CITY
An ever lengthening list includes defenders Paul Quinn (Motherwell), Damien Delaney of QPR who we are rumoured to be competing with Ipswich at around £1M package deal (a price that would seem to rule out any move by City) and another QPR man in Latvian defender Kaspar Gorkss. Another paper link is Millwall defender Zak Whitbread.


With two centre halves required, the names mentioned in dispatches to date are ex-City man James Collins (I don't see him dropping out of the Premiership), a loan move for Manchester United's promising Craig Cathcart who spent time last season at Plymouth and Birmingham City's Liam Ridgewell whose place there is in jeorpardy with the arrival of three new centre halves including Roger Johnson of course.


Cardiff City's midfield engine room has misfired and lack goals for a couple of years and, to me, seem an important area of the side to get right. Links so far are uninspriring. Misfit Liam Miller, a player of talent but who throws it away with poor attitude, is linked but if he wasn't afraid of Roy Keane at Sunderland (who threw him out of the club after continally being late), what chance has Dave Jones got with the 27 year old? Others have been mentioned in dispatches, all with unremarkable goal contributions to the cause. Mayeb it's just me but I thought Charlton's Nicky Bailey or Chinese midfielder could do tremendous jobs for us.


Up front, it's hard to remember Michael Chopra becomes a permanent signing next week for £4M from Sunderland. Fans hold their breath he can rediscover his form, fitness and goals which were all missing in his end of last season loan with us. Eddie Johnson has returned, Ross McCormack appears set to stay but another forward is needed regardless yet the only name linked to date, Motherwell's Dave Clarkson, appears to be on his way Bristol City with Cardiff reportedly declining to follow up initial interest as his price tag has increased to circa £750,000.


More of this silliness over the next few days but, hopefully, we will finally see activity in Cardiff's Arrivals Lounge.

City to nab more relegated players?

After capturing Norwich City keeper DAVID MARSHALL on Tuesday, Cardiff City are rumoured to be returnign to The Canaries and also bottom club Charlton Athletic in persuit of new midfield men.

It is being speculated that Cardiff are about to make a move for Norwich midfield man SAMMY CLINGAN, the 25 year old Northern Irish international having spent just one season there after moving from Nottingham Forest last summer for free after his contract expired. His current deal has 1 year remaining fuelling speculation thta Cardiff may get a cut price deal, the type of deal they're trying to avoid affecting Joe Ledley. In 40 Championship outings last term, Clingan scored 6 times - that's 6 times as many goals as Rae and McPhail managed!


Another player being linked in Charlton's influential goal- scoring midfielder NICKY BAILEY.
Player of the Year, he was the one shining light in the South London club's dismal season - netting a hugely impressive 13 goals from midfield. But could Dave Jones cope with an attacking central midfield player?!?!?

Charlton 2 Cardiff 2 - the press have their say

Dave Jones tells his stars to relax

WalesOnline

Cardiff dig deep to claw back a point at the Valley

WalesOnline

Mixed emotions for Dave Jones

WalesOnline

Cardiff City earn valuable point with late show

WalesOnline

Jones hails battling Bluebirds

SkySports

Last-gasp Bluebirds earn point

SkySports

Cardiff pull off comeback at Charlton

Telegraph.co.uk

Bluebirds target Hudson set for Valley show against Cardiff

WalesOnline

Parkinson Post Cardiff

Vitalfootball

Addicks fans right to boo - boss

Clubcall

Parkinson slams 'naive' Addicks

GiveMeFootball.com

Legend lends a hand

Charlton Athletic Football Club

Jones prepared to limp to line

4TheGame

Parkinson empathises with fans

Sportbox

Phil Parkinson won't go for youth

This is London

Championship: Charlton 2-2 Cardiff

Mirror.co.uk

Charlton 2 Cardiff City 2

The Wharf

GAB GETS CITY OUT OF JAIL

Mirror.co.uk

LAST-GASP GAB SAVES CARDIFF

Mirror.co.uk

ACCEPTING: Phil Parkinson

UK Express

Charlton 2 Cardiff 2: Doomed Addicks show their weakness again to ...

Daily Mail

Parky unhappy at Charlton's naivety

Charlton Athletic Football Club

Charlton 2 Cardiff City 2

The Sun

Charlton 2-2 Cardiff

Sportbox - ‎

Charlton 2-2 Cardiff City

News Shopper

Gyepes Creepers! Addicks spurn two-goal lead again

Charlton Athletic Football Club

Champ Game 44: CHARLTON ATH 2 CARDIFF CTY 2

Cardiff City somehow recovered from Saturday’s devastating 6-0 hammering at Preston and facing certain defeat to bottom of the Championship and already relegated Charlton by dramatically scoring 2 in the last 5 minutes to snatch a point at The Valley.

It’s a result that almost signs, seals and delivers a play off place. Cardiff can only make automatic promotion by winning their final two matches and hoping 4 teams now above them somehow mess up while they can only miss a play off berth if they lose their final two games and Swansea or Preston win both of theirs. In reality, Cardiff head into Ninian Park’s last ever league match this Saturday looking for a point to wrap up a play off berth and put the club within 180 minutes of Wembley and 3 matches away from the Premiership – what a sign off for the old lady.

Dave Jones made 4 changes following the Deepdale debacle. One was enforced as Kevin McNaughton was injured and replaced by Miguel Comminges while Peter Whittingham, Steve McPhail and keeper Stuart Taylor were apparently dropped and none of them were in the 16 either meaning City had no reserve stopper. The bench contained surprises too as Riccy Scimeca and first year defender Adam Matthews were included.

CARDIFF CITY: Heaton; Comminges-Gyepes-Roger Johnson-Kennedy; McCormack-Ledley-Rae-Parry; Chopra-Bothroyd.
Subs Not Used: Burke-Eddie Johnson-Purse-Scimeca-Matthews.

Charlton’s relegation to League One – just 2 years after being a Premiership club – was confirmed last weekend having been obvious from some time after an 18 match non-winning run mid-season. However, with pressure off and long term injuries improving, they have gone unbeaten in 5 and stopped the likes of Birmingham and Wolves scoring against them recently.

The official crowd on a beautiful evening was 19,390 including over 1,250 from South Wales but pundits reckon only 13-14,000 were present with a couple of thousand Charlton season ticket holders giving up the ghost until next August.

Charlton: Elliot; Butterfield-Hudson-Ward-Youga; Sam-Zhi-Racon-Bailey; Shelvey-Burton.

The first half was rarely riveting and devoid of chances but the home side, led by prodigy 17 yr old Jonjo Shelvey, started to shine and cause problems. Comminges was being exposed on the right hand side so it was shocking but no shock (if that makes sense) when Shelvey – almost running the entire show - opened the scoring by latching onto a stray Roger Johnson header and poking past Heaton with Comminges once again gone to sleep. For City, keeper Elliott made two superb stops to deny Chopra and a stunning Ledley effort.

The second half saw constant Cardiff pressure but few real chances although Bothroyd was unfairly denied as a Charlton defender and keeper clashed allowing Jay to turn home a loose ball but it was interpreted as Bothroyd making a foul.

Chopra went off (again looking far from fit), City pushed Johnson up but against the run of play, Charlton doubled their lead with 7 minutes remaining as Bailey rammed home a corner barely cleared by more poor defending.

That was a sickener and City were in crisis but up stepped Chris Burke off the bench, after recently being ignored, to drill home a goal within a minute of the restart.

It was set up for a grand finish as City threw everything into an equaliser and they were rescued by a stunner as Gabor Gyepes controlled, turned and fired home with the skill and aplomb of a world class striker. That was the cue for bedlam amongst the City support as Cardiff avoided the embarrassment of what would otherwise have been losing to all the current bottom three in the past 6 weeks.

We can only pray that was the boost and lift City needed. Autos may be gone but the Ninian send off and play off dramas look set to begin.

*** Elsewhere tonight, Reading put an end to their terrible form with a win at Derby, a result that saw them leapfrog City.

		P	GD	PTS
1	Wolverhampton	44	27	86
2	Birmingham	44	17	80
3	Sheff Utd	44	24	76
4	Reading	44	31	74
5	Cardiff	44	16	74
6	Burnley	44	8	72
7	Swansea	44	15	68
8	Preston	44	10	68

Bothroyd looks forward to Charlton tonight

and, obviously, is keen to put the Preston debacle behind him and the club. Listen/watch at lonk below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/8008637.stm

Burnley Blunt Blades

Burnley overcome Sheffiled United 1-0 at Turf Moor tonight. On the face of it, that's a result that means both sides are likely to join Cardiff in the Championship end of season play-offs.

The game's sole goal came from The Clarets leadign scorer Martin Paterson on 23 minutes and put a massive dent in Sheffield United's automatic promotion hopes.

It was a result Championship play-off chasers Swansea and Preston didn't want as only miracles will now surely get those sides into the play-off zone.

Cardiff visit bottom of the Championship and already relegated Charlton at The Valley tomorrow seeking the 2 points to confirm the play-off place.

	Team	P	GD	PTS
1	Wolverhampton	44	27	86
2	Birmingham	44	17	80
3	Sheff Utd	44	24	76
4	Cardiff	43	16	73
5	Burnley	44	8	72
6	Reading	43	29	71
7	Swansea	44	15	68
8	Preston	44	10	68

Bluebirds Fly to 4th - Championship Round-Up

Cardiff City's magnificent victory at Crystal Palace has not only lifted the Bluebirds to a season's best place of 4th spot and kept alive outside hopes of automatic promotion but, along with other results, mean City now only require a maxium of 4 points from their final 5 games to guarantee a play-off berth.

Birmingham City grabbed a fortunate draw at bottom but vastly improved club Charlton, The Addicks having a perfectly good goal disallowed. It means Cardiff are now just 6 points from automatic promotion and with a game in hand.

Results of play-off chasers benefitted City as well. Burnley travel to Ninian Park on Monday 2 places and 1 point below Cardiff having seen off QPR at home, Clark Carlisle nodding home a winner while Swansea are the best placed club outside the play-off zone after beating Norwich 2-1 at Liberty Stadium with ex-City striker Alan Lee netting for the Canaries.

However other play-off contenders Preston and Bristol City both suffered disastrous defeats. Preston lost 1-0 at home to local rivals Blackpool while Bristol City somehow conspired to have a man sent off and turn a 2-1 lead into 3-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest inside the final 10 minutes.

Cardiff are now 8 points clear of the play-off chasers and can finish no lower than 9th so it'll be a Championship best for them whatever happens but surely just 1 win more win will be more than enough to secure a play-off berth although the aim will be 5 wins of course!

		P	GD	PTS
1	Wolverhampton	42	25	80
2	Birmingham	42	16	76
3	Sheff Utd	42	25	75
4	CARDIFF CITY	41	20	70
5	Reading	41	29	69
6	Burnley	42	9	69
7	Swansea	42	12	62
8	Preston	42	2	62
9	Bristol City	42	5	59
10	QPR	42	-1	57
11	Ipswich	42	4	56
12	Sheff Wed	42	-9	54
13	Crystal Palace	42	-1	53
14	Watford	42	-4	52
15	Coventry	41	-8	52
16	Doncaster	42	-13	52
17	Derby	41	-7	51
18	Blackpool	42	-12	50
19	Plymouth	42	-9	49
20	Barnsley	41	-12	46
21	Nottm Forest	42	-18	45
22	Norwich	42	-10	43
23	Southampton	42	-20	41
24	Charlton	41	-23	33

Charlton defend last weekend's psotponement vs City

Charlton Athletic has been under fire after their game was called off against Cardiff City more than 27 hours before kick-off with their pitch three-quarters covered in snow more than 3 days after snowfall.

There has been gossip that their players did not even train after a game at Bristol City 4 days earlier and they had injury problems ... which ahem ... some speculate saw a lack of desire to sort out their pitch. A large number of Cardiff City fans have complained to the Football League - each receiving the same template reply - while The Addicks own fans have grumbled as well.

Whatever the rights and wrongs - and I certainly don't think they did enough to protect their pitch and try to make it playable - it's interesting to read their home reserve game against Millwall was postponed today as the pitch is still waterlogged while their operations man felt compelled to issue a statement today saying, "Although Saturday turned out to be quite a sunny day, the damage was done overnight. The pitch was still under snow, much of which had turned to ice. Had a referee carried out a pitch inspection on Saturday the game would definitely have been called off, so the fact it was postponed 24 hours earlier proved to be the correct decision."

The game is rescheduled for Tuesday April 21st

New Date for Charlotn Away

After last Staurday's posptponement, the away game at Charlton has been rescheduled for Tuesday April 21st. I don't feel the Londoners wanted to play us on Staurday and could have made their pitcvh playable, interestingly many Charlton forums suggest the same. With any luck, they'll be relegated when City visit The Valley.

However the congestion leaves City to play 17 league games in 68 days - an incredible programme which will test them to the max.

Tonight's show reviews the postponed game at Charlton(!) and all matters CCFC. Click the link below to listen to, or download, the show.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mz4ndjyezje





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Was Charlton Postponed Prematurely??

I'm really peed off today's scheduled Charlton Athletic vs Cardiff City game was postponed more than 24 hours before kick-off and am wondering if it was playable this afternoon?

No game fell foul of the overnight weather, temperatures were 5 to 7 degrees this afternoon, there was no travel problems. Games were played in the London area including Brentford FFS.

As a Prem club until 2 yrs ago, surely Charlton have undersoil heating anyway?

I'd love to have seen what The Valley pitch was like at 3pm today. I got a funny feeling it was neither icy or flooded as it was yesterday morning!

New Date for Charlton vs Cardiff City

No sooner postponed and Charlton and Cardiff City arrange a new date to play their Championship fixture at The Valley.


Tuesday April 22nd it is - hopefully, by that time Charlton will be relegated and disinterested while City help themselves to 3 points ... here's hoping!!!

Charlton vs City is OFF

With the freezing tempertaures and snow affecting most of the country this week, wasn't it just sod's law that the first game of the weekend programme to be postponed - almost 28 hours before kick-off time - was Charlton Athletic vs Cardiff City.

These Londoners are softies, I tell you. After Arsenal cancelling playing us this week, Premiership ref Andy D'Urso ruled The Valley playing surface unplayable.

I was looking forward to a day in The Smoke but it'll have to wait for another time.

More seriously, it puts City's league programme into problem. They are set to be 4 games behind schedule due to postponements and face playing Saturday or Tuesday (Wednesday) for the rest of the season, international breaks apart and it may be worse if we progress in the F.A Cup.

Hope not but got a funny feeling this will impact on the club.

Charlton game awaits Friday decision

CARDIFF CITY's fixture at Charlton this Saturday is in danger of postponement with a lunchtime inspection scheduled tomorrow.

Although the worst of the extreme weather has passed in London and the Valley pitch is not in bad condition, it's the upcomign weather causing some concern. A Charlton spokesman explained, "Unfortunately, heavy rain predicted today (that was expected to shift remaining snow) hasn't materialised and the latest forecast around three hours of snow in SE7 from around 6am tomorrow (Friday) with temperatures predicted to reach minus four degrees on Friday night".

City, already, 3 due to fall 3 games behind the league schedule and with barely any free midweeks remaining this season due to rescheduled games can ill afford more disruption.

Gyepes hopes to be back for Arsenal

Roger Johnson's wrist injury sustained against Nottingham Forest last weekend proved to be non-serious but Gabor Gyepes who limped away early holding the back of his thigh had worst fears confirmed with a hamstring tear.



However while the initial diagnosis was an absence of 3 weeks, the latest news is more encouraging with the player hoping to be back to face Arsenal in the F.A. Cup replay on Monday week.

More details in this Echo report:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city-fc/2009/02/04/cardiff-city-s-gabor-gyepes-desperate-to-keep-cup-date-with-arsenal-91466-22849163/

PURSE INTERESTS THE OTHER CCFC

The club may say in public that they wish Darren Purse to stay but you wonder how much they mean it when he didn't feature in the 16 at Birmingham today ... and that despite Gabor Gypes not being 100% and having to pass a late fitness test.

Morning speculation has it that Coventry City are joining Leeds and Charlton to take Pursey on board. Given Darren lives in the West Midlands, I wouldn't be surprised if he finds his way there very soon.