WALES v SCOTLAND friendly confirmed for CCS

Following on from weekend rumours, the FAW have now verified that Wales will play a friendly game against Scotland in Cardiff at the new Cardiff City Stadium on Staurday November 14th.



This is likely to be a trial run for the new stadium being used as the main international venue as Wales bid to move games away from Muillennium Stadium as completes a Scottish double as Glasgow giants Celtic officially opened the new stadium for club football in July.

Wales and Scotland last met 5 years ago when Robert Earnshaw at the peak of his powers smashed home a hat trick in a 4 - 0 Millennium Stadium demolition. The last time Cardiff City hosted a football international was 11 years ago when the Red Dragon beat Belarus 3 - 2 at Ninian Park.

Friendly: WALES 1 ESTONIA 0 Ledley captains, Earnie scores

With an average age of 21, the youngest Welsh side in history beat Estonia 1-0 in a friendly this evening. It’s a sign of the time the crowd at Llanelli’s rugby ground Parc Y Scarlets was just 4,201 despite all tickets being £5 and £10.

It’s also a sign of the time that a relatively meaningless friendly a month after the season had ended passed me by and I didn’t even find out the result until a couple of hours later. For John Toshack and his Juniors, it was arranged ahead of Wales playing a World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan on June 6 … and we’re already out of contention for that.

However, for the record, Wales were deserved winners and put on an excellent passing display captained by Cardiff City’s Joe Ledley but a lack of urgency, taking chances and tendency not to shoot meant teams were separated only by ROBERT EARNSHAW’s 26^th minute penalty.

Wales: Myhill (Hennessey 46), Gunter, Bale, Williams, Morgan, Nyatanga, Ledley, Ramsey (Edwards 67), Vokes (Church 59), Earnshaw (Evans 59), Collison (Allen 80), Evans (King 89). Subs Not Used: Price, Tudur Jones, Eardley.

Cotterill and Earnie look ahead to Wales v Finland

WALES' STRIKING PROBLEMS

Just what Toshack, and Wales fans, didn't want. Already facing kicking off a World Cup campaign with a depleted squad minust the likes the Gabbidon and Collins, John Toshack is now faced with losing key strikers as well ahead of this weekend's home clash with Azerbaijan and next week's visit to Russia.

Craig Bellamy only returned from his latest lengthy injury last weekend and is not ready for international football, Tosh had to concede that. However his problems have been compounded by Freedie Eastwood and Rob Earnshaw being injured too.

Eastwood is definitely out for the double header while Earnie is currently being treated at Nottingham Forest. He is set to be absent this weekend but shoudl be ok for Russia. He will leave him turnign to kids and, in particular, maybe it's time for Ched Evans - a player who may also consider going on loan now that Man City have mega riches and already pushed him further down the order with yesterday's stunnign capture of Robinho.


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EARNIE'S BACK FOR WALES!

After being dropped by Tosh and expressing his frustration this morning, Robbie Earnshaw has been immediately reinstated to the squad as Wales have other injury worries.

I wonder how Tosh and him will get on as there definitely seems to be a problem between them.

EARNIE TO FOREST, CITY’S WHITTINGHAM NEXT???

Nottingham Forest seem hell-bent on making a splash on their return to the Championship and made what may yet prove to be the division’s most expensive signing of the season by taking Robert Earnshaw (my mate on Facebook!) off Derby’s hands for a cool £2.65M.

The price seems a huge gamble and excessive but Earnie, while failing and out of favour in his two Premiership attempts with West Brom and Derby, has been Championship Gold with Cardiff City and Norwich City and you’d think Forest have bought him with this in mind. It’s a good move for the player who certainly needs to be playing and hopefully it’ll help him recapture his Wales place too as he’s fallen from grace with the national side also.

Forest have been linked with Earnie and also Cardiff City’s hugely talented but frustratingly inconsistent but much improved Peter Whittingham since the end of the season. With Earnie now secured and national media reporting Whitts is on his way, it’ll remain to be seen whether his move is next and about to take place.

Personally, I really hope Whitts stays and he offers City pace, quality and goals but if Forest are paying out silly money, you get the feeling City will be looking at a 7 figure fee which would hardly be bad business.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/nottm_forest/7427107.stm

EARNIE TO FOREST??

After last night's strong rumour in this Blog that Robert Earnshaw was set to switch to Premiership new boys Stoke City - and it may still happen - news emerged today that Derby have accepted an offer of £2.5M from Championship new boys Nottingham Forest.

Clearly, that is a price beyond City's reach at present while despite losing £1.1M if the sale goes ahead, it is still a high price for a player who really hasn't produced in the last couple of years.

It remains to be seen whether Earnie wants to drop to the Championship having shown little interest in doing that for Cardiff, even for a short-term loan.

But the boy needs regular football now. both for himself and for Wales' best interests.

CARDIFF CITY'S STRIKING PROBLEM

Here's a very worthy appraisal by Steve Tucker of City's problem in the forward department and Dave Jones' dubious record bringing in the men to get him goals from this morning's Western Mail.

I endore the entire article.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2008/05/07/cardiff-city-boss-jones-must-find-hitman-91466-20871198/

EARNSHAW - in love with City again???

After appearing, without a thought, to have any consideration to join Cardiff City on loan during this season and telling us how he was a Premiership player, reality finally seems to have dawned on Robert Earnshaw.

Earnie has recently been dropped from Wales squads and his move to Derby County has been little short of a disaster no matter how he tries to protest otherwise. Joining the Rams as the record transfer last summer at £3.5M (bringing his total transfer fees to a cool £10M), he could barely get a game for the Premiership's worst ever team, let alone a goal.

Six starts and 14 late sub outings this season and Earnie is yet to net in the Prem, his only goal for Derby has come in a F.A. Cup replay against Championship side Preston when his side got hammered (but he did also score for Wales in San Marino).

At 27 with his career going nowhere, unwanted at his present club, Earnie knows he has to move and with newspaper talk of Cardiff City thinking about him again, this time he is keen to play on it. Only problem is, I doubt Derby would loan him and I can't see City wanting to pay a significant fee for someone whose career has been in fast decline.

SOUTH WALES ECHO
CARDIFF CITY idol Rob Earnshaw has given the strongest indication ...

SPORTING LIFE

EARNIE KEEN ON BLUEBIRDS RETURN