Tale of two strikers
WHICH ONE OF THIS PAIR WOULD BLUEBIRDS BOSS WARNOCK LIKE IN HIS TEAM TODAY? CARDIFF CITY V FULHAM:
NEIL Warnock hasn’t been afraid to launch the proverbial rocket into the off-colour Kenneth Zohore this season and his latest comments spell more bad news for the forlorn Cardiff City striker.
Warnock issued an ultimatum to Zohore earlier in the season, suggesting that the Danish striker needs to improve his attitude.
And, as Cardiff’s winless run continued into its eighth game a fortnight ago – with Callum Paterson the latest to be tried in the problem centre forward position against Tottenham – Warnock revealed the one player he thought could cure the Bluebirds’ ills in front of goal.
That man? Fulham’s Aleksandr Mitrovic, who will be lining up for Cardiff’s opponents today.
Although Warnock admitted Cardiff were never truly in the hunt for Mitrovic in the summer, due to a lack of funds, he is a big admirer of Fulham’s No.1 striker.
“I think if we’d had got Mitrovic, we’d be in a better position than we are if I’m honest,” said Warnock when asked who he considers Fulham’s biggest danger man.
“We couldn’t afford Mitrovic, but if I could have done, I would have loved somebody like him.
“I think he epitomises English football really: he can handle himself, he knows how to get the freekicks off the referees, he’s a threat and he just wants to play.”
Warnock’s comments on the Serbian international are in stark contrast to his recent musings on Zohore.
The 24-year-old has scored just eight goals in his last 44 Cardiff appearances and has been in and out of the first team this season.
“He’s got to get that hunger back that he had, we can only do so much,” said Warnock before Cardiff ’s 2-1 defeat to Burnley which Zohore then started but was removed after 70 minutes.
“As a manager you try everything to try and get someone firing on all cylinders,” added the veteran boss at his pre-Fulham press conference.
“You put your arm around (him), you give him a shouting, you do all sorts of things.
“Apart from cooking him a meal I don’t know what else to do with Ken!
“He’s got to really find his form himself, got to stand up and say ‘I want that shirt’. He’s got every attribute, but it’s disappointing he’s not got to that level.
“But there’s still opportunities for him. I think Ken will be here longer than me though, if I’m honest.”
The form of Zohore and Cardiff’s other struggling strikers prompted former Bluebird Nathan Blake to claim the current crop should be “embarrassed” that Paterson was selected up front versus Spurs at Wembley.
Mitrovic was always destined to make his loan move to Craven Cottage from Newcastle United a permanent one in the summer and his transfer for a reported £22 million was agreed in July.
And, on the player who scored 12 goals for Fulham in the second half of last season to fuel Slavisa Jokanovic’s side promotion bid – plus a further five in the Premier League so far this term – Warnock spoke in glowing terms.
He is also wary of Fulham’s strength in depth after a summer spending spree in excess of £100million.
“I would think he’s the main man, but they’ve got people from all over the world, top players,” Warnock added.
“It’s a good test for us. We were told last year how good Fulham were but it didn’t phase us. We just kept plugging away and we managed to get that automatic position.
“It’s different this season as we haven’t invested that sort of money, but we feel we’ve got an opportunity.
We’ve got to keep firing and the lads have to come up with a clean sheet and a couple of goals.
“I don’t think money is everything and I said that to Vincent last summer.
“But if we’d had signed a Mitrovic I’d have been delighted. We were looking at players at £10-12million that were no better than Ken.
“So, it’s difficult to improve a squad at this level unless you’ve got that £20million to £30million to spend on a player.”