Why Gunnar’s return will give Bluebirds a big top-two boost The fan’s view
AGAINST all odds, Cardiff remain very much in the Championship promotion picture, still trading blows with bigger, more affluent clubs.
Were it not for the remarkable form of Aston Villa and Fulham, Cardiff could have been sat in second place with a very comfortable lead over the chasing pack, but until Villa’s defeat to QPR last night, they have matched Neil Warnock’s men every step of the way.
The Championship is particularly brutal this year.
There are usually a couple of clubs way out in front of everyone else at this stage of the season, but this year everything is very much up for grabs and things are likely to remain undecided until the very last few games.
Most of the teams in the mix still have to play each other and it’s likely that those games will go a long way towards deciding the final placings. It will all come down to small percentages in the end and holding your nerve. The survival of the fittest. Cardiff have already demonstrated that they have the required staying power. The season has been littered with grit, determination and gutsy performances.
I can’t imagine that any of Cardiff’s rivals have racked up as many individual injuries over the course of the season and I can’t recall a season like it during Cardiff’s many years in the second tier.
Warnock deserves so much praise for managing to patch them up and send them out over and over again without results suffering – witness last night’s fine win at Brentford.
But can it last? Is it a trick he can keep pulling off in the final few weeks or will it trip them up at the worst possible time?
Fortunately, the cavalry are coming to ease the burden and provide some fresh legs.
The recent return of Kadeem Harris was a sight for sore eyes, but he is not alone. Sean Morrison, Lee Peltier and Gary Madine all returned against Birmingham at the weekend, with Armand Traore back last night, giving Cardiff a wealth of experience and options.
Aron Gunnarsson is the big one though. He is the one player that can truly make a significant difference and give Cardiff that extra edge.
Now back in training after a fourmonth absence, Gunnarsson, arguably Cardiff’s best player, will be keen to make up for lost time, especially with a pivotal double-header against Wolves and Aston Villa at the start of April fast approaching.
Evidently, Cardiff have done just fine without Iceland’s captain, with Joe Ralls in particular thriving in his absence, but there have been times when Gunnarsson’s leadership and influence might have made a difference.
Chances are that they wouldn’t have been hemmed in to such an extent in the second half against both Barnsley and Birmingham with Gunnarsson’s nous and experience to hand.
As Cardiff’s most recent accounts will attest, they certainly have plenty riding on this season, more than most of their rivals in many respects. That also includes the future of Gunnarsson, who will see his current contact expire in the summer.
Warnock has already confirmed that Gunnarsson, 29 next month, is not looking to spend another season in the second tier, so will only consider extending his stay if Cardiff go up.
“We’ve spoken numerous times with Gunnars,” Warnoock recently admitted. “I have been asking him now since pre-season to commit himself. But I understand Gunnars’ point of view really, he has been in the Championship for 10 years [and] it’s hard on your body. To play 46 games, plus your cup games, plus internationals all over the world, he feels he doesn’t want to play in the Championship next year.
“I can understand that and I don’t blame him. But he said ‘I would love to get us up,’ and then it’s a different ball game. He would stay and play in the Premier League,” Warnock added, before landing a cheeky dig: – “if I wanted him.” Ralls is currently sidelined, but a midfield of Gunnarsson, Ralls and Marko Grujic could be the golden ticket for Cardiff. It may appear like a trio with plenty of gusto yet little guile, but all three have shown a willingness to break forward when permitted. I think they would offer both steel and attacking intent. Gunnarsson will be keen to make up for lost time and regain his match fitness ahead of this summer’s World Cup, where he will captain Iceland, who are competing for the first time. Should this prove to be Gunnarsson’s last season with the club, he will be looking to end his seventh year with the club on a high. But if he does help propel Cardiff back in to the top flight, he might find the prospect of a longer stay hard to resist.
Either way, Gunnarsson’s return to the side may give Cardiff a much needed edge.
With plenty to play for, anything can still happen and everything is up for grabs. The return of a determined and reinvigorated Gunnarsson could tip the scales in Cardiff’s favour.