Bluebirds boss Neil still working out just how to solve a problem likeTomlin
THAT it took Cardiff City until the 79th minute to introduce Lee Tomlin against Reading was alarming in itself.
Despite the love Bluebirds fans clearly have for the enigmatic No.10 – and there was lots of it after his stoppage-time equaliser at the Madejski on Monday night – there is clearly a problem here.
From a possible 1,890 league minutes this season, Tomlin has played just 320. He is yet to complete 90 minutes in the league for Cardiff, despite arriving in the summer as Neil Warnock’s marquee signing.
So while Cardiff fans can bask in the warm glow of a Tomlin-inspired comeback against Reading, there are some serious questions to answer on why the talented attacking midfielder hasn’t featured more prominently.
There is no doubting Tomlin’s talent and ability to change a game in Cardiff’s favour. So why has he been used so sparingly?
Is it simply a question of match fitness?
Tomlin has had his problems this term, which have hampered his progress on the pitch.
There was the court case that hung over him for months at the start of the season. Warnock admitted it had disrupted Tomlin’s training routine, with journeys up to Leicester Magistrates’ Court for various hearings.
But after verdict was delivered – with Tomlin ordered to complete 80 hours’ community service – his schedule looked to be back on track. Yet Warnock has not been compelled to start his playmaker on a single occasion since the legal proceedings were wrapped up on November 3.
Tomlin’s last Bluebirds start came in the 3-1 win against Ipswich on October 31 when he was outstanding.
In fact, whenever he’s been given a chance on the pitch, he’s made a difference: coming on at half-time to play a pivotal role against Norwich; that 11-minute cameo at the Madejski Stadium on Monday; even when he started the games against Burton Albion, Sheffield United and Ipswich his talents looks unrivalled.
Behind closed doors Warnock clearly needs to see more.
Does it simply take Warnock to change his mind?
“Everybody’s got opinions, haven’t they? I think Tomlin knows my views on him and he’s working hard to get into my thoughts on a regular basis.”
That was Warnock’s latest answer to the Tomlin question, which keeps cropping up in press conferences.
You can’t really argue with a manager who has led his team to second in the table, defying all pundits’ predictions in the process. But if there’s one blemish on Warnock’s record this season, it’s his reticence to fit Tomlin in his team.
Why? Well, Warnock’s reasoning has invariably been that ‘you don’t change a winning team’ — there’s logic in that.
Yet with the likes of Craig Bryson and Loic Damour (not natural No.10s) getting picked ahead of Tomlin, many have scratched their heads. Some games, perhaps this weekend’s against struggling Hull City, require Tomlin’s creativity. The home clashes with Derby and Millwall certainly needed him from the start, but we only saw the former Bristol City man for 37 minutes across the two games.
Warnock’s comments last Friday show he does perhaps have faith in Tomlin, if that fitness issue can be resolved.
“Lee know he’s a matchwinner for us, but we’ve got to try and hope he can eventually start a game rather than just be a substitute. He has to work very hard at his fitness which he doesn’t find easy.
“He is working very hard and we need him.”
It seems the ball is in Tomlin’s court. Warnock is not blind to his talents.
How much impact will the fans have?
Fans have made their opinions clear on Tomlin.
For them, he’s a lovable maverick. Some have even compared him to Bluebirds legend Craig Bellamy in reference to the kind of unconventional genius he brings to the team.
Before Tomlin was signed in the summer, there were grave doubts over Cardiff’s lack of creativity. Peter Whittingham’s departure left a chasm in the Bluebirds midfield that many were mightily relieved to see filled by a player of Tomlin’s calibre.
And while you wouldn’t think Cardiff’s gameplan isn’t based around a tricky No.10, and that they don’t play the possession-orientated football which suits Tomlin, the way he’s linked up with Omar Bogle on occasion this season shows he can adapt