BLAKEY: BLUEBIRDS MUST KEEP ZOHORE
Zohore is key to promotion blend
The quality of the goals he scored last season were outstanding... there aren’t many strikers of his quality Nathan Blake on Kenneth Zohore
I always wait and reserve judgement whenever Cardiff City sign a new player. Past experiences tell me that’s the wise thing to do.
This time, with the signing of Lee Tomlin, Cardiff believe they’ve got the missing piece of their jigsaw but it will take time before things really come together. With the players Cardiff have signed this summer, I’m going to be really interested to see Neil Warnock’s first choice line-up.
How many of these players have been signed for the first team, and how many just for the bench? You never know these days, it’s a squad game and if certain players impress Warnock in training, they’ll get the nod on Saturday afternoon.
There are no guarantees when you’re signing players, but someone of Tomlin’s ability, you’d expect him to be starting.
These signings for me also suggest Warnock wants to play with a back three, maybe a 3-5-2 with Tomlin playing off Kenneth Zohore. You also have to factor in Danny Ward, who Warnock rates highly. Loic Damour is another player I believe could be a great option as a holding midfielder, a ‘No.6’ to allow Aron Gunnarsson to bomb forward as the No.8. But, as I say, we’ll have to wait to see how the puzzle meshes together.
The jury is out on the whole team in fact, but it’s great for Cardiff to finally have options. What we cannot do is judge them too early; 10 to 15 games and then we can develop a good understanding of the entire picture.
The one thing that worries me slightly is if someone approaches Cardiff with a bigger offer for Zohore.
The transfer window is still open and, for me, Zohore is a £15million striker maybe even £20million with add-ons.
Traditionally over the past few years, Cardiff have bitten people’s hands off when they’ve been offered decent money.
That seems to be changing now, largely thanks to Warnock, and it’s great to see the club knock back Hull’s interest in the striker.
You simply don’t sell your best players even when a few million quid is put on the table. Look at Zohore’s potential, his age and how he fits perfectly into the Cardiff team. He’s ideal for the modern game when most teams want to play with one centre forward. But he’s adaptable, he can play in a two, in a three, or as a solo striker. In football now, the new TV deal has precipitated an extortion in transfer fees and wages. And what you’ll find is Premier League clubs – or recently relegated clubs – will have the cash to pay these inflated prices. That’s the trickle down effect and with Zohore – as arguably the most dangerous striker in the Championship – who could have another four years before he hits his peak – you can see why people will be interested.
The quality of the goals he scored last season were outstanding, and such a variety of goals as well. There aren’t many strikers, even in the Premier League, of that calibre.
Could Cardiff use a potential £15million transfer fee to boost their squad in other areas? Perhaps. Warnock certainly has a knack of finding value in the market, as he’s shown already this summer. The club have to weigh up their options and they clearly feel keeping Zohore is integral to their
promotion ambitions.
Looking at the squad as a whole, I’m confident now – with more depth – that they’ll finish strong. From March to May is a crucial time of the season but in keeping Bruno Manga and if they keep Zohore, Cardiff will be a lot stronger than they’ve been in the past. Others like Damour and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are fine physical specimens.
The sheer physicality and power of the squad is impressive. That’s no coincidence with Warnock in charge who knows better than anybody the demands of the division. So he’s assembled a squad with fantastic levels of energy, strength and determination.
At the start of this summer, after the first two or three Cardiff signings, I wasn’t overly enthused. But with some more coming in I would ask: is the squad better than it was last season? In my opinion, 100 per cent yes. That’s not a bad place to start.
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