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?

Championship 2010/2011 - a throwback to yesteryear?

The Sarf Lan-danners of Millwall won today's League One play-off final at Wembley beating Swindon 1-0, recovering for their play-off final defeat 12 months ago, to become the 24th team in next season's Championship.

It has a distinctly nostalgic feel about it - not necessarily in a good way -with Cardiff City, Leeds United, Millwall, Portsmouth, Swansea City and Bristol City all in the same division.

The 'look' last time all these clubs were on equal terms

A real throwback to the 1970's and, no doubt, media will be quick to pick on on the potential for problems. In fact. I've already heard 1 national radio station discussing exactly that.

The Cardiff City Week - McCormack asks to go, Parry set to go, McNaughton crocked and 2 x 0-0's

Hello Everyone

I've been away in Turkey for a week so it's catch up time and, as usual, 1 week with Cardiff City had its usual shares of mayhem and shocks. Life is never dull with the Bluebirds.

ROSS McCORMACK ASKS TO LEAVEHands Up if you want out

The major talking point and disappointment of the last week was forward star ROSS McCORMACK asking to leave the club. This only 2 weeks after signing a "double your money" new 4 year deal with the club, agreeing to no trigger clauses which could self-prompt an early release and excitely announcing on his Facebook page that he "Is Staying AT Cardiff City FC Till At Least 2013!!!". Ross likes exclamation marks in all his posts(!!!). In fact, his Facebook page still currently says that.

However last Thursday night - 24 hours after Cardiff fought a goalless draw with Celtic officially opening the new stadium watched by Hull City boss and McCormack admirer - Sky Sports announced that the diminuitive, tricky Scotsman had submitted a transfer request.

Clubs officials were bemused and spoke out against it while a section of supporters vocally turned on their hero in a goalless draw at Swindon last weekend, many labelling him greedy, many more thinking he may have been tapped up. This from a player loved by the fans after his first season with season scoring 23 times also starring and scoring World Cup winners for Scotland - a sensational return for £120,000.

Today, McCormack broke his silence denying that he has requested a transfer and upset that 'someone' (his agent? at the club??) leaked his intentions to Sky Sports.

He told press that he was unhappy playing second fiddle to Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra although he got on fine with those players and being made to play wide to get games. He was also concerned that in a World Cup season and his country in a good position, this may affect his selection with the national side.

Those points are understandable, many City fans agree Ross is being wasted playing wide and City do not like as balanced as Dave Jones uncomfortably tries to fit the three strikers into a system. However Ross knew this last season, he knew it all summer, he knew it when hi8s contract was penned and he had all the time in the world to ask questions and sort his position. To question the club 2 weeks before the new season kick off and disrupt pre-season is poor form.

Cardiff have stressed Ross is contracted to the club and they will be not sell cheap sending out a clear message to any club thinking there is an opprtunity to sign him for a lesser fee. It is believed that figure is circa £5M.

PAUL PARRY PREPARES FOR PRESTONPaul Parry is currently in Lancashire discussing a possible move to Preston North End after Cardiff City agreed a sale worth upto £300,000 last Friday.

It's a sad state of affairs when many Cardiff City fans will say "amen to that" to a player who has been a star for 3 years but who, last season, was poor (and that's being kind). Disinterested with Wales and reiting from international football, Parry often looked disinterested at Cardiff City as well last term and a shaow of the player he can be. He appeared to have added a couple of punds to his frame - although supremely lean by the standards of the average fan! - and lost that ability to get past players. Fans only saw fleeting glimpses of the talent that we know he has and he had become a whipping boy for Cardiff City's failures at the end of the season.

In fairness, Parry himself recognises he had a bad time and has recently spoken of his determination to see out the final year of his contract making up for it with Cardiff City. However it has equally become clear that he is one of a number of men that boss Dave Jones would like to move on if he can and the figure quoted is certainly good business. DJ has declared that he already has a replacement lined up if he leaves.

However that all depends on Parry agreeing to the deal and he appears reluctant with young fmaily and friends in the area and always having lived in the Cardiff to Hereford region. He is due to start a second day of talks with Preston boss Alan Irvine tomorrow.

TWO GOALLESS DRAWS

While I was away, Cardiff took their unbeaten pre-season record to 6 games and still hadn't conceded a goal but they have stopped scoring as well as they played out 0-0 draws with the first team at home to Celtic and with the rest of the squad at Swindon. The blog will update match reports to those games.

SUPERKEV OUT FOR 6 WEEKS

A year has 4 seasons and a season normally has 4 Kevin McNaughton injuries. The fans favourite, a 110%er and Mr Totally Committed "Naughts" sadly crocked himself in the pre-season friendly with Celtic and is set to miss 6 weeks with ankle ligament damage.

That is a blow as Kev was reverting to left back this season but Cardiff have Mark Kennedy and Tony Capaldi ready, willing and able in the wings. Kennedy looks set to satrt the season against Scunthorpe next weekend.

This Blog Takes A 1 Week Holiday

I'm away for a few days so there will only be scheduled updates to the blog over the next 7 days.

Cardiff City are home to Celtic in midweek and away at Swindon next Saturday which I will update when I'm back.

First Team Friendly: CARDIFF CITY 1 SWINDON TOWN 0

Although kept quiet by City, the official Swindon website has revealed they played a friendly against Cardiff at the Vale Hotel training base this afternoon.

The game was arranged as both sides have been inactive with ecent postponements and City not playing until Arsenal next Monday night.

Michael Chopra got the game's only goal with a free-kick, someone missed a penalty.


Some details from the Swindon Town website:

http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10341~1552596,00.html

CHRISTIAN ROBERTS RETIRES

Robbo, at the age of just 28, has officially announced his retirement after failing to recover from summer knee surgery having made his last appearence for Swindon Town in March 2008. He made Cardiff City supporters aware in private when attending a recent Ninian Park fixture but now the news is official.

The player had a decent, but chequered career. Starting out at Cardiff City, he showed plenty of promise and potential - and I recall how he turned Man United's Wes Brown inside out when also scoring in a friendly vs Man United - but he was at the club at a time when finances were tighter than a trumpeter's bum cheeks hitting a top note, and with Robert Earnshaw also emerging, they could not afford to have both on the books.

Roberts therefore was sold to Exeter City for just £5,000 when he was 20 having scored 3 times in 6 starts for City but many more substitute appearences.

His subsequent clubs - Exeter, Bristol City and Swindon Town - all saw a player with problems as he had injury troubles and battled alcohol addiction but he also produced the goods scoring at around 1 in every 3 or 4 games .... what Cardiff City would give for a player who could produce anywhere near that at the moment!!

On a personal note, I met Christian Roberts when he was at City and we had one fantastic night when I sat next to him at a Player of the Year Awards. After he left the club, I also had the very occasional chat and drink with him as he frequented The Village Inn in Pentwyn with his lifelong friends ... where I have to say, I only ever saw him having a quiet drink and was shocked to learn of him needing rehab in later life but he's now moved on from that.

Shame to hear about any player packing it in early, especially a local boy who is a genuinely nice guy. He did well for himself but it's a pity he didn't do even better. Good Luck with his future.

Friendly Result: SWINDON TOWN 1 CARDIFF CITY 1

City remain unbeaten pre-season and will be relatively happy that a mix of mainly youth and experience possibly featuring no more than 2 players - if that - like to start Championship action in 12 days as they fought back to gain a 1-1 draw at Swindon who fielded their first team.

City's squad players used included Paul Parry, Enckleman, Purse, Dennehy, Blake, Comminges (playing against his former club), Scimeca and Brown with the rest made up of Academy boys.

Perhaps it was no surprise that Swindon had a strong first half and a deserved lead after several attempts on goal while City only mustered two Paul Parry efforts.

Swindon's goal came just after the half-hour as Lee Peacock met a through ball and squeezed his shot home despite Purse trying to keep the ball out.

However Paul Parry equalised within 3 minutes of the restart with a simple goal and simple finish as he latched onto a pass and finished comfortably.

The rest of the game was rather non-eventful. Half-chances at both ends but nothing to excite greatly - the closest being Swindon denied a penalty shout while Dennehy fired over for City after a goalmouth scramble.

City's next and final pre-season friednly is Friday evening when they entertain Dutch masters, Ajax. They will also be sure to feature all those absent tonight.

CARDIFF CITY 1 CELTIC 0 - City win the Algarve Cup

CARDIFF CITY have won their first silverware of the season ... 16 days before it start ... with a professional, richly deserved 1-0 success over Celtic to claim the Algarve Cup tournament.

Tournament or not, it was still very much a pre-season friendly lacking the pace, intensity and bite as both sides strived to get match fit for their big kick-off in a fortnight.

The Bluebirds were close to full strength with the resources they currently have. Enckleman, Whittingham and Parry on the bench and a side which was Heaton, McNaughton-Johnson-Loovens-Capaldi, Comminges-Rae-McPhail-Ledley, MacCormack-Thompson. The rest of the squad were listed as our 9 substitutes but Dave Jones gave all the starters a full 90 minutes, only Comminges coming off in added time for Darcy Blake as precaution for a knock.

Celtic meanwhile put out ,mainly a second string - only 4 players are likely to start their first league game - but they did beef it up using all 5 subs with more experience in the second half.

The Glasgow side may have had a fair bit on the ball but walked off at half-time without even testing Heaton with a cross, let alone any efforts on or off target and they were made to look second best by City were in charge in all departments and playing the more flowing, better passing football even if it was largely at training pace.

Three big chances fell City's were in the first half with Thommo smashing the bar with a superb shot on the turn form an angle in 6 minutes and just being snuffed out before the interval but the goal fell to The Legend - JOE LEDLEY - on 17 minutes, a superb finish after McNaughton launched a high ball, Thommo beat the commanding Balde in the air, MacCormack flicked on with his thigh and the ball sat up just right for Joe to lash home across Celtic's keeper Brown.

Once ahead, Cardiff were happy to control the game by staying tight, organised, hard working and disciplined with some smart passing and movement at times and Celtic just weren't good enough to do anything about it.

The second half saw Celtic make those changes and try to step it up but still City remained calm and comfortable, Heaton did have a couple of saves but none of any significance. When Celtic sent off their fearsome striking due of Van Hesselink Long-name and Scott McDonald for the final 120, you wondered whether it would change but City got tighter again.

Dave Jones will be pleased with the individual and team performance of his side. Heaton in goals had very little to do did that well, shouted and organised. The back four - McNaughton, Capaldi, Loovens and Johnson played as well as they did last season, Loovens can only have impressed the watching Rangers management team as he bossed Celtic around.

Rae and McPhail showed why City can do with an extra midfielder as they dominated first half but faded after the interval - something that was observed a few times last season. .

Joe Ledley showed his class and Miguel Comminges raised eyebrows with an energy packed performance working his socks off and no mean pace either while Thommo and MacCormack linked very indeed but didn't pack enough punch emphasising why Jones needs to get his squad numbers 8 and 9 positions filled urgently.

Overall though, City will be very satisfied with their Portuguese training camp and can come home and prepare for games away at Swindon (next Tuesday) and home to Dutch side Ajax (next Friday) while Celtic will surely bring back their big guns for a bigger clash with Sporting Lisbon this weekend before heading tp Holland for another tournament next week..

Ee-ay-adio-We won the Cup!

27th TIME LUCKY IN BLUEBIRDS ELUSIVE STRIKER HUNT ???

Peter Ridsdale - who didn't want to talk about signings anymore until the deal was done! - has confirmed that Cardiff City have had what has been described as "a multi-million for a young European club striker" accepted and talks over personal terms are about to start with the club hoping to have the man in place for next Tuesday's away friendly at Swindon Town.

The Riddler confirmed that, “We have made a substantial offer ... I am talking to his agent but we will keep the identity of the player private until we know exactly where we are".

City are looking for other players, mindful of all the previous let downs, but remain tentative about Wolves forward Jay Bothroyd who has been linked all sumer loan. If him, Ridsdale added, "He is available and a player we have talked about" but continued, "We have not made any offer ... and he is not a player we are in contact with.”

In the outgoing scene, Rangers still seem to be on the trial of entre-half Glenn Loovens apparently with 3 of their managerial team in Portugal to watch him oplay against Celtic tonight and rumours that R's boss Walter Smith will also fly in to make a personal check.

CARDIFF CITY COMPLETE FIRST SUMMER SIGNING

Manchester United #3 goalkeeper Tom Heaton has signed a season long loan for 2008/09 with Cardiff City - a move that had been widely predicted since before the end of last season.

Heaton hasn't never played for United but sat on the bench for them several times last season. He is well regarded and an excellent shot-stopper but, at 22, needs first team football with his only previous experience being half a season with Swindon three years ago.

Cardiff need goalkeepers having released Michael Oakes and David Forde while another, youngster Josh Magennis, is continuing his stay at Ninian Park but as a forward instead! City have also offered terms to Peter Enckleman, he of the Wembley clanger and the two keepers would be expected to compete head-to-head.

Last season, Cardiff City singed a 22 yr old Premiership keeper on a season loan but Ross Turnbull turned out to be awful and soon found his way back to 'Boro.

This blog wishes Heaton a more successful time in South Wales and that he proves a worthy addition.

SWINDON TOWN have bemaoned losing Comminges to Cardiff City.

The player cannot offically sign until July 1st on a 'freebie' but is widely believed to have been in Cardiff and taken a medical this week. Not that this means anything until contracts are signed as Cardiff have a recent history of havign players 'in the bag' only for them to skip at the last minute.

However it is hard to disagree with the thoughts of the Wiltshire club. His agent appears to have been behind the move but agents exits to get better deals for their players and moving up ot the Championship represents that.

All being equal, it may also be the case that he will be cover for our defence and not be a regular next season but that's the game. It's no different to Cardiff losing players to the Premiership who we hate to see leave. I'm sure it must annoy more however when no fee is onvolved but that's the danger when you get to the end of the season without a new contract signed.

Fitton claims Comminges' agent has lured player to Cardiff
Swindon Advertiser
but it is believed a

Fitton claims Comminges' agent has lured player to CardiffSwindon Advertiser

City's First Summer Signing ... or Is It??

On Tuesday night this week, Miguel Comminges was awarded Player of the Season by Swindon Town supporters. Less than 24 hours later, he informed the club that he would not be signing a new contract and was going to join Cardiff City instead as is therefore set to be The Bluebirds’ first singing of the 2008/2009 season, the last to take place at Ninian Park. But in a twist to the tale, City have denied even having spoken with the player or offering a contract. Life’s never simple with City!

The 26 year old 5’9” French right side defender born in Guadalope was signed by the Wiltshire club last summer from Stade de Reims and has been a huge success playing in 40 of Swindon’s league games, the club like Cardiff are perfectly placed in mid-table obscurity. Comminges didn’t score but appears to be an aggressive type with 9 yellow cards to his name

At his age, there would be no compensation and he can join Cardiff on July 1st as a free transfer and describes himself as a late developer. Swindon appear to agree as they have been desperate to tie him to a new contract but also talked of needing to improve him but City are woefully short on defensive options so anyone bolstering the ranks has to be a welcome addition.

However after this initial news broke, by lunchtime today, Cardiff City turned around and denied even having made any contact with the player. Is it another example of an excitable agent getting carried away or are City being coy?

If it goes ahead, welcome to Kairdiff Miguel!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/7377159.stm