After a summer of bad news and the club in the doldrums, while then problems remain, the club have finally managed to release some shackles in the nick of time.
Having resolved some of its immediate financial debts (to the tax man, former players and transxfer fees to other clubs), the Football League lifted the club's transfer and player registration embargo on Friday afternoon.
This enabled the registration of goalkeeper Tom Heaton and on loan midfielders Danny Drinkwater (from Manchester United) and Jason Koumas (from Wigan). It also enables the club to try and arrange new contracts for existing personnel, defender Kevin McNaughton being one who agreed a new deal but it could not be registered under embargo.
However it may well be a temporary reprieve as Cardiff's problems are significant and may well take a long time to overcome. It is believed the club face major financial demands in September- after the transfer window closes - which may see the embargo return.
Relieved manager Dave Jones said, "It’s a good thing for the club the embargo’s off. We just have to move now as quick as we can to bring the players in we’ve been chasing. Everything seems to be sorted, but we could be hit again over the tax issue. We can’t rule us being hit again with an embargo. If I can four new faces before the transfer window closes, and keep the ones I have, then we will be in good shape.”
Various names have been banded about with some said to be training with the club already but nothing has materialised so far.
Meantime the N-Power Championship season opened last night with promoted Norwich being surprisingly outplayed and beaten at home (2-3) by relegation-fancied Watford. 10 more games are being played today before Cardiff open their season in front of Sky tv cameras at home to Sheffield United tomorrow lunchtime.
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.
After being released by Cardiff City last week, former Bluebirds skipper DARREN PURSE is opening talks with Sheffield Wednesday, the club who beat City on the season's final day to deny us a play-off spot in Purse's final Cardiff outing.
Purse held talks with Norwich in January and was believed to have wanted to go there next season but with their relegation to League One confirmed a fortnight ago, plans had to be changed. While Purse is not a leading Championship player, there is little doubt that he is a competent one who will do a very good and professional job with a club like the Owls. Good Luck Dazza!
Whispers also suggest tht despite being linked to several clubs, star midfielder JOE LEDLEY is closer than ever to a move to F.A. Cup Finallists Everton and could even be meeting them for talks during this weekend.
Joe is linked to half a dozen Premiership clubs but Everton are not only the best ranking side of all suitors but they also have the carrot of European football next season. It strikes me as the sort of club where he could flourish.
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?!?!?
They had the third worst defence on the Championship conceding 70 and got relegated in 22nd spot but Cardiff City have tonight confirmed Norwich City goalkeeper DAVID MARSHALL as their first capture for next season after The Canaries accepted a six figure Bluebirds bid.
His final game for Norwich was hardly the occasion for his 100th appearence with the club as his side were beaten 4-2 at bottom club Charlton and relegated to League One with them. After that game 10 days ago, Marshall said, "I've no problems staying here because I don't think there are clubs lining up for any of the boys when we've just had 46 games to stay in the Championship and got relegated." However with 12 months left on his contract, he was the first to get out and said afterwards, referring to intenational ambitions how "Scotland won't look at third division players so I've got to think about that".
At 24 and 6'3", Marshall was the only ever present for Delia's boys last season after joining the club from Celtic for a cool £1M two years ago. He caused a stir with his hometown club by getting an emergency call to a famous European tie against Barcelona a couple of years ago and starring as man of the match to help them to victory including a penalty save against Ronaldinho.
Norwich supporters have displayed natural angst about it all. They will the fee is circa £400,000 but are gutted at his lack of loyalty and jumping ship. Sour grapes will always play their part but they're not exactly full of praise for a keeper they talk about being disorganised, a poor communicator and quiet, not good with crosses who stands his line but a good shot stopper. Sound just like what we're used to then! As if to contradict that opinion, ACTIM official stats made him the top performing Norwich player and ranked him the 49th best player in the Championship last season so it can't be as bad as they say especially after he starred for Scotland B last week and is on the verge of a first team squad call up.
After City rid themselves of loan men Tom Heaton, Dimi and Stuart Taylor last week, Marshall goes head to head with Peter Enckleman for the goalkeeper spot next season and is likely to be favourite while Enckleman also recovers from injury.
He will certainly feel at home in South Wales with City also having Scotsmen Ross McCormack, Kevin McNaughton, Gavin Rae and Chris Burke. Welcome to Cardiff Mr Marshall.
When (or should or if!!!) Cardiff City confirm their play-off place this weekend, they now know that they can only finish 5th or 6th and will be facing one of Birmingham City, Sheffield United or Reading in a two legged semi-final with the first leg at Ninian Park the weekend after next and the return at their ground in the following midweek.
That much became clear after Reading won 2-0 at Norwich City last night, a result that means it’s a three way battle between the Brummies, Blades and Royals for the second automatic promotion spot this weekend while Norwich and their well publicised 18,000 season ticket holders look set to join Southampton and Charlton as recent Premiership sides who will be relegated into League One next term.
That’s means no more night time football at Ninian Park and those majestic floodlights have seen their last but City signed that off in style with a 4-1 demolition of Derby County. We can only hope they confirm their play-off spot and make the last ever NP home game a better occasion to remember than the shambles against Ipswich last Saturday in the last league game.
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!
For the 7th time in 10 club football Saturdays, Cardiff City fans had to wait and watch other results and they won't be feeling too bad at how they worked out.
At the top, Wolves grabbed another 3 points, this time a late Michael Kightley goal grabbing them victory at Nottingham Forest in a tight, dull affair but it's the time of season where only results matter. The Fat Lady isn't quite singing yet but it looks as certain as can be that they will grab oone of the automatic spots and prbably be Champions as they're 5 points clear of 2nd and 9 points ahead of 3rd with just 6 games to go.
The Molineux Men extended their lead as Birmingham slipped at home in the afternoon while Reading failed to take advantage of that in an evening game.
Birmingham have been playing awful for some time but grabbed a couple of recent results and must have been confident going into a home encounter with relegation-threatened Norwich. They found themselves outplayed first half but took the lead through ex-Bluebird Cameron Jerome after The Canaries keeper dropped a cross. However even then, they couldn't hold on as Clingon smashed home an early 2nd half free-kick ... much to my delight!
Reading had a 5:20pm kick-off at Crystal Palace for Setanta tv but produced a timid 0-0. They were annoyed not to be awarded a first half penalty after loan man Dave Kitson appeared to be fouled but, in the end, were grateful for their draw after losing a couple of men to injury and then playing the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Liam Rosenior was dismissed for a second yellow card.
Burnley leap-frogged City with a 2-1 victory at lowly Plymouth, Robbie Blake grabbing a late winner as the sides swapped goals in the opening 20 minutes. The Clarets are the form side of the front runners having now taken 13 of the last 15 points on offer to them.
However, those of the Bluebird faith, will be pleased seeing that none of the sides tring to get into the play-offs won today. 7th placed Preston could only draw 0-0 at bottom club Charlton, Swansea rose to 8th with a timid 0-0 at Sheffield Wednesday meaning they've only won 1 of their last 7 while I'm thrilled to see The Wurzles go down again, this time by 2-1 at QPR.
It would need a disaster for Cardiff to miss making the play-offs now but beat Sheffield United tomorrow and we may yet be chasing down an automatic spot. Game On!
SwanseaCity celebrated making the play-off positions last night while laughing at their ex-loan man Dimi a major cock up for CardiffCity.Fast forward 24 hours and they’re back out of the frame after Burnley hit back from trailing 2-0 at home to CrystalPalace in the night’s only Championship game to win 4-2.Their last 3 gopals came in the final 7 minutes as they were facing defeat, their 88th minute clincher coming from ex-CardiffCity man Steven Thompson.Who’s laughing now then?
Thommo earned some infamy for his lack of goals at Cardiff – his tally was 17 in 106 appearances, most of those coming against Burnley, Southampton and Plymouth.Since joining Burnley in August, he’s now scored 10 for them in 37 games.
The rest of the Championship, of course, were in action last night.Cardiff fell badly at Norwich making them the only losers in the Top 10 during midweek but, amazingly, the damage was limited as the Top 3 all failed to win.
Leaders Wolves pressed at home but could not find a way past Ipswich, the game ending 0-0.Birmingham were on their way to defeat at lowly Barnsley as a Taylor defensive gaffe gifted The Tykes their score but he atoned with a late equaliser.Reading messed up at home to bottom club Charlton – they turned around a 0-1 deficit in the 2nd half but allowed The South Londoners who are absolute certainties for the drop to level 2-2 at the death.
Cardiff dropped to 5th but even then, Sheffield United failed to capitalise more having to settle for another 2-2, this one at home to lowly Blackpool while Preston became the 5th side of last night’s Top 6 to draw, theirs in a home 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday.
The winners came from below with BristolCity – Cardiff’s next opponents at Ashton Gate in a live Sky tv game this Sunday – having few difficulties brushing aside Coventry (2-0) and SwanseaCity requiring a dubious penalty to beat Plymouth 1-0 at The Liberty.
Ipswich clung on to forlorn hopes of making the play-offs with that 0-0 at Wolves but QPR must be hoisting the white flag – they were comfortably beaten 2-0 at Doncaster and have now taken just 4 points out of 24.Altogether, let’s all laugh at Routledge, let’s all laugh at Routledge, la la la la.
A terrible night for Cardiff City in East Anglia saw them crash 2-0 to relegation strugglers Norwich City, they deserved no better. The result was bad enough but as City were the only losers in the top 9, it proved to be doubly damaging.
The inquests will be conducted into how City were so bloody awful and let themselves down badly away at relegation threatened Southampton and Norwich in the last I0 days but, by contrast, so impressive beating Barnsley and Doncaster at home. It makes no sense.
Three players limped off on Saturday – Kennedy, Bothroyd and Chopra – and only Chops was fit and flew with the team yesterday. In came the almost forgotten Tony Capaldi for his first outing of the season at left back while Eddie Johnson was rewarded for his recent excellent form – and a goal! – with a start.
The bench was a strange affair with no goalkeeper once more, Purse and McPhail recalled, Burke recovered from injury and there no sign of Comminges who is good defensive cover and performed well off the bench in the last 2 games.
Norwich are staring relegation in the face and the game was an absolute ‘must win’ for them after continuing a poor run under their’ legend Bryan Gunn and former Cardiff # 2 Ian Butterworth which had seen them collected just 6 points out of 24, 3 of them coming in a shock win at QPR last midweek.. They remain in the bottom 3 and still have an uphill task to survive but their support is as impressive as ever – 23,717 were inside Carrow Road including 500 or so Bluebirds who, vocally, were giving as good as they got and, at times, better.
However City started slowly and never really got going. The home side missed two good chances in the opening half hour. City were under pressure but coping relatively well before they faced further injury as Darcy Blake was forced off with a calf so Paul Parry had to be converted into an emergency right back with Quincy coming on, the loan man sparking life into The Bluebirds who were far from fluent or impressive but slowly starting to assert themselves with Rae shooitng wide, then Roger Johnson fired straight at Marshall from a corner before Eddie Johnson deflected a rebound wide.
Half-time: NORWICH 0 CITY 0
Hopes that Cardiff would take their first half finish into the 2nd period were quickly dashed as The Canaries missed a sitter in the opening minute of the restart then flew ahead with, for City, an awful goal that – once again – hapless Greek keeper Dimi was completely to blame for. He is continually an accident waiting to happen and, objectively, it can now be argued that his erratic ways have cost City 3 points (2 at Wolves and another here tonight).
There was nothing on as Norwich hit a long ball over the top, Capaldi was slow to react but Dimi came out and should have booted the ball away yet waited for it to entre his area to pick up. In came Reading debutant loanee DAVID MOONEY (bet his club thanked him for this!) to nip in and plant a shot into the net with Dimi apparently feigning injury to cover his embarrassment.
City almost immediately levelled but Marshall made a superb stop to meet Eddie’s flicked header from a Whitts free-kick but the game just became one huge frustration for City. Subs were made, three were thrown up front and then 4 but all it produced were a succession of moves that broke down in the final third or scuffed efforts.
In added time, the game was ended as City tired playing the offside trap but failed leaving McDONALD to race clear and finish with ease. Gyepes made Marshall produce a wondrous late save to deny a consolation that would have been no consolation at all.
It was a game when central defence apart, our big names just didn’t show up. Rae and Joe struggled in midfield, the wide men produced very little and Chopra verged on being anonymous.
Next up is Bristol City on Sunday and it’s clear that City somehow need most of their main men back. Whether the likes of Enckleman, McNaughton, Kennedy, Bothroyd and co will be there, we can only wait and see… and start praying!
Cardiff City flew out to Norwich yesterday afternoon and, if rumours are to be believed, they took off without Jay Bothroyd, Mark Kennedy and SuperKev (McNaughton).
If true, this means a likely two changes from the side that comprehensively rolled over Doncaster at the weekend with Darcy Blake continuing to deputise at right back, it’s a choice between Comminges or maybe Tony Capaldi at left back and, up front after his fine recent showings, Eddie Johnson looks as if he will get the chance to play along Chopra who will be starting.
Norwich are in deperarate trouble.In 23rd, having played 3 games more than anyone around them, the relegation trap door is wide open and nothing less than a win will do for them tonight.That should be good news for City as they will push on us and it will suit Cardiff’s style but, mindful of what happened at Southampton 10 days ago, Dave Jones is rightly wary.
Talking to local media, Jones commented, “Nothing is guaranteed in this division, if you don't do things right" but wanting to dismiss any fear caused by the Soutmapton reverse adding, “You have to put things into perspective. We have lost one league game since November. It's like everything - because you are getting to the finishing line and you lose a game, everyone gets out the doom clouds and sticks them over their heads and starts panicking. Every time we lose there is a negativity and we have to shut that out."
City tossed two points away at Ninian Park to the Canaries early season allowing the visitors to snatch two late goals and being outplayed all game. Let's hope they make amends for that tonight.
There’s a full Championship programme tonight and most of City’s rivals have, on paper(!), fixtures where they are expected to get good results.The games affecting City are;
Reading v Charlton
Reading arrested their slide with 4 points on the road last week and now return to Madejski facing the Championship’s bottom who are, being frank, without a hope of survival 10 points adrift with 10 games to go.
It’s a shock to see Charlton drop from Premiership to League One in two years and it would seem they will throw in a couple of youngsters tonight so Cardiff can’t rely on ahelping hand there.
Barnsley v Birmingham City Barnsley, one place outside the bottom three, needa good result and I fancy them to shock Birmingham who look fragile and catchable.Come on The Tykes!!
BristolCity v CoventryCity Bristol late late at Derby on the weekend and face City on Sunday in a live Sky game next.It’s a must win for them against mid-table Coventry who will be licking their wounds after being played off the park in a F.A. Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
Doncaster Rovers v QPR QPR – and Wayne Routledge (bless him!!!) – have collapsed and theor play-off bid is all bar over.There’s paper talk of replacing their manager for the 3rd of 4th time this season.The rest of the Championship snigger.They must win, they won’t.
PrestonNE v Sheffield Wednesday I don’t know how or why Preston are in the play-off frame but they are.However their results are wildly inconsistent so who knows how this one will go.
Sheffield United v Blackpool The Blades are the closest of the play-off pack to City and Blackpool can surprise and disappoint equally.Come on Blackpool tonight!!
SwanseaCity v Plymouth Argyle Poor old Swansea. They continually fluff their chances to get into the play-off frame and are back drawing again.It’s now 3 on the bounce and it’s an incredible 18 out of 36 in the Championship.Plymouth, rediscovering form, may make it another.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Ipswich Town Wolves looked on the edge of collapse but bounced back with two away wins last week to keep them at the top.So close to the Premiership but still so vulnerable it seems.Ipswich, meantime, have lost ground and need a big result to maintain a fading play-off challenge.Could be interesting.
Burnley v Crystal Palace
After Burnley getting demolished in the F.A. Cup at Arsenal, just like Cardiff, this game is put back to tomorrow. They lie 7th and I think they will take the final play-off place but they must win this one.
