Halford’s a cut above as City’s Swiss Army knife
GREG Halford is an acquired taste. He’s never going to be a fans’ favourite, but has enough admirers within the game to ensure that he is never short of offers when he becomes available.
At Cardiff, Halford has been used as a specialist to date. A jack of all trades, he is proving to be Neil Warnock’s Swiss Army knife. Need someone to sit on an opponent’s creative lynchpin? Greg is his go to guy. Need someone to plug a gap anywhere across the defence? Halford is a safe pair of hands.
It is not uncommon to see Halford summoned from the bench in the closing stages of a game when Cardiff are protecting a lead. His arrival is a signal for you to start your car, as the party is over.
Cardiff have won all three of the games where has been required to help protect a lead. It’s never the going to be a change that inspires enthusiasm and the groans are sometimes palpable, but it’s undoubtedly effective and Halford was one of Cardiff’s best players against Newcastle last week.
Halford is 32 now and the swashbuckling right back that once starred for Colchester feels like a very distant memory.
The 2017 version is a bit more lumbering and one-paced, but there are certain mitigating circumstances.
It should not be forgotten that he was injured when he signed for Cardiff and it is likely that Warnock vouching for him was what got the deal over the line.
Having struggled with an Achilles problem he picked up playing for Rotherham in November, he admitted on arriving that: “I was out for a month and I probably came back a bit too early. It could have been career ending. I’m still getting over it now but every day I feel stronger I feel fitter and hopefully I can just keep on going.
“To be honest I don’t want the season to end because I just feel like getting to that fitness where I need to be,” he added.
“I’m sort of playing still with a ruptured ligament in my ankle, so I’m probably playing at 70, 75% at the minute.
“It’s getting better and everyday it gets stronger and I get stronger.”
It was no surprise to see Halford follow Warnock to Cardiff.
One of his trusted lieutenants at Rotherham, Halford used to get teased for being a Warnock’s favourite by his teammates, after a period when he was out of favour under his predecessor Neil Redfearn.
Halford’s adaptability has served him well at, deep breath; Colchester, Reading, Sunderland, Charlton, Sheffield United, Wolves, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Rotherham, Birmingham City snd now Cardiff.
Warnock is clearly a manager that values versatility, a quality which has not been traditionally valued on these shores and is sometimes even frowned upon, when ‘types’ are preferred.
Sol Bamba has also been moved in to midfield on occasion, if a manmarking job is required and he has said that Halford can feature in “five or six positions.” He even enjoyed a spell up front under Billy Davies at Forest.
Halford may prove to be the prototype Warnock signing, should he favour familiarity in the transfer market over the unknown and with a year remaining on his contract, he will be around to plug any holes next season.
After a summer of rest and recuperation, here’s hoping that Cardiff see the benefit from his return to full fitness. KARIM Benzema’s brilliance booked Real Madrid a place back in the Uefa Champions League final in Cardiff after the holders survived an early scare to see off city rivals Atletico at the Vicente Calderon.
Early goals from Saul and Antoine Griezmann gave Diego Simeone’s men realistic hope of hauling back a 3-0 first-leg deficit before a goal from Isco late in the first half effectively ended the contest.
And it was Frenchman Benzema who shone brightest as Real ultimately cruised to a 4-2 aggregate win, setting up Isco’s effort and having a major impact on a much more consistent second-half showing from his side.
Simeone’s men pulled their first goal back after 12 minutes when Saul rose highest in the box to power home from a Koke corner.
The goal raised hopes of a sensational comeback and they were further realised four minutes later when Atletico reduced their aggregate deficit to a single goal.
Sweeping irresistibly forward, Fernando Torres was fouled by Raphael Varane in the box and Griezmann calmly slotted the resulting penalty past Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Simeone’s intentions were clear on the sidelines as he urged his team and supporters on, but Real drew on all of their Champions League experience to weather the storm and limit the damage from the early spell of pressure.
And the visitors grabbed what would prove to be a crucial goal three minutes before the break when Isco fired home after a moment of magic from Benzema tight on the left flank.
Benzema wriggled out of a seemingly impossible situation surrounded by three Atletico defenders and crossed for Toni Kroos, whose initial effort was blocked by Oblak before Isco shot home the rebound.
The goal took the sting out of Atletico who, from the cusp of an improbable leveller, suddenly found themselves needing to score five times on the night to give themselves a chance to advance.
Real started the second period on top, with Ronaldo’s free-kick from a tight angle well saved by Oblak, but Atletico were in no mood to give up as Griezmann looped a free-kick just over the crossbar.
Kevin Gameiro also should have done better on the end of a swift Atletico counter-attack but Cristiano Ronaldo in particular was growing in prominence and Real played out the final quarter of an hour to ease into a final place