'He does what he wants' It's rarely safe and steady being a fan of CCFC.
Just when you think everything is hunky dory : in the Prem with the best manager I've known (yes, better than Scoular, DJ or Frankie), just after we've beaten Man. City, drawn with Man U at home and, above all, beaten Swansea.......just when we've signed class acts like Caulker, Medel and young Theo.....it all goes awry.
Moody, the head of recruitment and manager Malky Mackay's trusted side-kick gets the boot from owner and full-time megalomaniac Vincent Tan, Malky himself is told in an email from Tan to resign or be sacked and then summarily dismissed.
The players only find out about it on TV , as Tan does his best to out-crazy the Venkys at Blackburn. Malky is supported fully by just about every pundit, manager and , indeed, Cardiff City fan.
Afterwards, there's even talk of the return of Dave Jones ( will he bring back Bothroyd and Chopra?). Tan himself is quoted at 66-1 to get the job. Any significance in the demonic numerals?
Finally, the candidate everyone seemed to want, Ole Gunnar Solskaer, is appointed and we win away at Newcastle in the FA Cup, his first game in charge. Moreover, both subs score in very good imitations of the 'Baby-faced Assassin' as a player.
If we carry on doing well, there's no doubt that 'Ole, Ole, Ole!' will be embraced by those selfsame fans who were so enraged at the treatment of Mackay.
Many like myself, truly wish Tan would sell up and get out, so we revert to our traditional colours and bluebird badge. However, this is wishful thinking at present.
Should Solskaer fail to keep us in the Premier though, I believe there will be a very strong backlash.
So far , he gives the impression of being an excellent choice. He is intent on signing the right kind of players to alter our style of play to one more suited to the top league, rather than the overly defensive and cautious approach Malky understandably deployed.
Solskaer has rightly identified this problem and will change tactics to encourage more possession and patient build-up, rather than the tendency to play long balls out of defence.
Some players will find it hard to adapt. Ben Turner for example, is a resolute defender, yet never comfortable on the ball and , too often, passes long straight to the opposition.
In times of such upheaval it's hard to look at the many positives from this season to date.
Amazingly, despite the conflicts caused by our intransigent owner, players have tried to remain focused, even though our poorer run did coincide with the tribulations.
Craig Noone has come into the team recently and looked the part, Campbell threatened without sufficient support, Theo has been dangerous as an attacking full-back and Medel superb as the modern 'libero' (in front of the back four).
Keeper Marshall has saved us on many occasions with truly world class stops and how captain Caulker doesn't get into the England squad is totally baffling.
Mutch and Kim have promised, well......much. The former looks a real prospect, especially when running at defences.
Yet in many games the one player who has oozed Premier class has been one Peter Whittingham. Against Man U he executed several long passes to Campbell which, from the boot of Giggs would've had the commentators swooning.
Though he has scored less goals than usual, he has had many assists (often from free-kicks and corners) and has been asked to take on various roles ( wide, defensive midfielder and play-maker) and risen to each one.
It seems shocking to me that, in picking their ideal Cardiff teams for the West Ham game, not one of Wales Online's experts selected Whitts. Odemwingie and Bellamy, both of whom having been largely ineffectual, are preferred, as is Kim, who seldom looks like scoring.
Whitts may be a little slow, but he has improved markedly over the years, under both DJ and Malky.
He began as a talented left-winger, signed from Villa for only £200,000. He was always full of skill and scored many spectacular goals, some from free-kicks. As penalty-taker and dead ball specialist he is one of the best.
He never used to tackle much , track back, or use his right foot and this meant he would get stick from some fans.
In the last five years he has acquired much more aggression, defends well and even uses that right foot.
This week Solskaer signed his first player, Norwegian international midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem, described as a 'quarter-back' (I thought that was American football?), and pundits have suggested that Whitts' place is threatened.
I sincerely hope that one of our longest-serving and most improved players continues to play a major role.
When I recently bought a blue away shirt for my daughter, she let me decide the name on the back. I had no hesitation!
He is special. His goal celebrations are so fascinating because they are so different : he'll shrug his shoulders or give a bewildered stare. When he scored with a header against West Brom I honestly thought Campbell had got it because he ran away in jubilation, while Whitts collapsed on his face!
He is football's anti-hero. A genuine rarity.
ODE TO WHITTS
He sits on his steps
outside his house supping tea,
takes his dog for a walk along the prom,
on Play Station all evening long
while the others are out on the town.
He heads a great goal
then falls flat on his face,
curls a free-kick into the net with grace,
powers an unstoppable pen.,
or his corner bends onto a willing head.
His goal celebrations the ultimate anti
as he walks away almost apologetically,
never punches the corner flag
kisses the badge, does a heart sign,
swings babies, golf clubs
or does a somersault like Earnie.
He'll raise an eye-brow maybe.
Whitts, quietly-spoken, with a hint of Nuneaton ,
can execute a long pass as good as Giggsy
and , with the years, he's tackling back
and using that once obsolete right peg.
In an age of the tweeting
ranting look-at-me celebrity,
Whitts, with his unshowmanship,
is humble and extraordinary.
Just when you think everything is hunky dory : in the Prem with the best manager I've known (yes, better than Scoular, DJ or Frankie), just after we've beaten Man. City, drawn with Man U at home and, above all, beaten Swansea.......just when we've signed class acts like Caulker, Medel and young Theo.....it all goes awry.
Moody, the head of recruitment and manager Malky Mackay's trusted side-kick gets the boot from owner and full-time megalomaniac Vincent Tan, Malky himself is told in an email from Tan to resign or be sacked and then summarily dismissed.
The players only find out about it on TV , as Tan does his best to out-crazy the Venkys at Blackburn. Malky is supported fully by just about every pundit, manager and , indeed, Cardiff City fan.
Afterwards, there's even talk of the return of Dave Jones ( will he bring back Bothroyd and Chopra?). Tan himself is quoted at 66-1 to get the job. Any significance in the demonic numerals?
Finally, the candidate everyone seemed to want, Ole Gunnar Solskaer, is appointed and we win away at Newcastle in the FA Cup, his first game in charge. Moreover, both subs score in very good imitations of the 'Baby-faced Assassin' as a player.
If we carry on doing well, there's no doubt that 'Ole, Ole, Ole!' will be embraced by those selfsame fans who were so enraged at the treatment of Mackay.
Many like myself, truly wish Tan would sell up and get out, so we revert to our traditional colours and bluebird badge. However, this is wishful thinking at present.
Should Solskaer fail to keep us in the Premier though, I believe there will be a very strong backlash.
So far , he gives the impression of being an excellent choice. He is intent on signing the right kind of players to alter our style of play to one more suited to the top league, rather than the overly defensive and cautious approach Malky understandably deployed.
Solskaer has rightly identified this problem and will change tactics to encourage more possession and patient build-up, rather than the tendency to play long balls out of defence.
Some players will find it hard to adapt. Ben Turner for example, is a resolute defender, yet never comfortable on the ball and , too often, passes long straight to the opposition.
In times of such upheaval it's hard to look at the many positives from this season to date.
Amazingly, despite the conflicts caused by our intransigent owner, players have tried to remain focused, even though our poorer run did coincide with the tribulations.
Craig Noone has come into the team recently and looked the part, Campbell threatened without sufficient support, Theo has been dangerous as an attacking full-back and Medel superb as the modern 'libero' (in front of the back four).
Keeper Marshall has saved us on many occasions with truly world class stops and how captain Caulker doesn't get into the England squad is totally baffling.
Mutch and Kim have promised, well......much. The former looks a real prospect, especially when running at defences.
Yet in many games the one player who has oozed Premier class has been one Peter Whittingham. Against Man U he executed several long passes to Campbell which, from the boot of Giggs would've had the commentators swooning.
Though he has scored less goals than usual, he has had many assists (often from free-kicks and corners) and has been asked to take on various roles ( wide, defensive midfielder and play-maker) and risen to each one.
It seems shocking to me that, in picking their ideal Cardiff teams for the West Ham game, not one of Wales Online's experts selected Whitts. Odemwingie and Bellamy, both of whom having been largely ineffectual, are preferred, as is Kim, who seldom looks like scoring.
Whitts may be a little slow, but he has improved markedly over the years, under both DJ and Malky.
He began as a talented left-winger, signed from Villa for only £200,000. He was always full of skill and scored many spectacular goals, some from free-kicks. As penalty-taker and dead ball specialist he is one of the best.
He never used to tackle much , track back, or use his right foot and this meant he would get stick from some fans.
In the last five years he has acquired much more aggression, defends well and even uses that right foot.
This week Solskaer signed his first player, Norwegian international midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem, described as a 'quarter-back' (I thought that was American football?), and pundits have suggested that Whitts' place is threatened.
I sincerely hope that one of our longest-serving and most improved players continues to play a major role.
When I recently bought a blue away shirt for my daughter, she let me decide the name on the back. I had no hesitation!
He is special. His goal celebrations are so fascinating because they are so different : he'll shrug his shoulders or give a bewildered stare. When he scored with a header against West Brom I honestly thought Campbell had got it because he ran away in jubilation, while Whitts collapsed on his face!
He is football's anti-hero. A genuine rarity.
ODE TO WHITTS
He sits on his steps
outside his house supping tea,
takes his dog for a walk along the prom,
on Play Station all evening long
while the others are out on the town.
He heads a great goal
then falls flat on his face,
curls a free-kick into the net with grace,
powers an unstoppable pen.,
or his corner bends onto a willing head.
His goal celebrations the ultimate anti
as he walks away almost apologetically,
never punches the corner flag
kisses the badge, does a heart sign,
swings babies, golf clubs
or does a somersault like Earnie.
He'll raise an eye-brow maybe.
Whitts, quietly-spoken, with a hint of Nuneaton ,
can execute a long pass as good as Giggsy
and , with the years, he's tackling back
and using that once obsolete right peg.
In an age of the tweeting
ranting look-at-me celebrity,
Whitts, with his unshowmanship,
is humble and extraordinary.
RSS Feed