ZOHORE VOWS TO STAY WITH THE BLUEBIRDS
KENNETH Zohore has no interest in leaving Cardiff City this January and is keen to fight his way back into Neil Warnock’s first-team plans, the Echo has learned.
Speculation surrounding Zohore’s future has intensified in recent weeks, with reports of a swoop by Turkish giants Fenerbahce ahead of a potential January move.
Other clubs will also be monitoring Zohore’s situation, with the Dane, a key part of the Bluebirds’ promotion-winning side, not starting a first-team game since the 2-1 defeat to Burnley.
He has lost his place up front to Callum Paterson, a player Warnock signed as a right-back, a situation Cardiff legend Nathan Blake believes should be an embarrassment to Zohore.
However, Zohore intends to stay in South Wales and score the goals that can keep the Bluebirds in the Premier League.
A source close to the player confirmed Zohore is fully focused on winning back his place in the Cardiff team.
That remains his entire focus, not talk of a big-money move to Turkey when the January transfer window opens in the new year.
He clearly has plenty of work to do to impress his boss, with Warnock criticising the forward on several occasions this season.
Asked about his striking options ahead of Cardiff’s clash with Wolves tomorrow night, Warnock said: “I imagine there’ll be changes given there’s three games in eight days.
“I think it’s a reflection that I’m playing Callum Paterson up front.
“I know what he gives and he never lets me down.
“It’s how to fit others in.”
After Wolves, Cardiff go to West Ham next week before hosting Southampton – three crucial games against sides in the lower-half of the table they have to take points from.
ANOTHER week and another massive game for Cardiff City, with Neil Warnock set to once again go head-tohead with old foe Nuno Espirito Santo, who brings his out-of-form Wolves side to the capital tomorrow night (8pm).
There was no shortage of drama the last time these two sides met, with a Ruben Neves freekick enough to seal a dramatic win for the eventual Championship winners, who remarkably survived two missed Cardiff City penalties in stoppage time to hold on for all three points.
Warnock was soon involved in a heated exchange with his counterpart at full-time, although relations between the two are a little more amicable now
Nevertheless, the Yorkshireman would surely love to get his own back with a win this time around, against a Wolves side without a win in their last five outings.
The Cardiff boss turns 70 on Saturday and a win would surely be the ideal birthday present, and would also present a significant boost to his side’s hopes of Premier League survival.
Defeat to Everton last weekend means Cardiff have only won one of their last four games – a run of form that will need to be turned around if the Bluebirds are to prove their critics wrong and stay in the top flight.
Here’s what Warnock had to say yesterday...
Question: Would three points be the perfect birthday present?
Neil Warnock: Yeah, it would be.
Obviously, at this level, every game is so difficult. We’ve had some good games against Wolves over the last couple of years. So I’m looking forward to it, not looking forward to my birthday quite so much. I think the game promise to be good..
Q: Have you spoken to Nuno Espírito Santo?
NW: I spoke to him a couple of times at the end of last season. They’ve done fantastic, haven’t they? They’ve got different ambitions at the moment to us.
They’re trying to break into that top 10, we’re trying to survive. It’s a little different in that respect but same pressures for managers wherever you are. He knows it will be a tough game but we’re aware of how good they are and the players they’ve brought in.
Q: Are you envious of the players they’ve brought in?
NW: Yes! I’d like that sort of budget! We knew it would be difficult and we’d got to try and establish ourselves and then improve our squad in the January window.
We’re a little bit different in that, in the two years I’ve been here, this is the fifth window where we’re trying to improve. We’re always on the catch up, trying to improve it every six months. It is difficult but we’re working down that line to try and bring two or three in to give us a chance to stay up.
Q: Is Cardiff City an attractive proposition for players?
NW: We’re not going to get certain players. Wolves had six Portuguese players in the team so that market is collared off. We’ve got to look elsewhere and players are going to think twice if they’re top players because they are thinking are they going to get relegated?
But we’re looking at bringing in what we’d call top players and trying to bring the right ones in. I’m aware of what Vincent wants as well, the possibility of some loan players which won’t be such a gamble. I’m aware of that too.
Q: How good a salesman are you?
NW: I think it’s the difference in the type of players. I spoke to Victor Camarasa and I think I was instrumental in him coming. I had a good chat and I don’t think he’d spoke to a manager like me. Same with Harry Arter. He had two or three opportunities.
Those sort of players know if we’re relegated, they’re back to their clubs. It’s about bringing the right type of player. It’s about increasing the quality, not just bringing players that are as good as what we’ve already got.
Q: Are you optimistic?
NW: I’m always optimistic. It’s just difficult getting deals over the line. January is worse than the summer. As much as I agree with bringing the deadline forward, it really backfired on us. That was a disaster for us. Two more weeks would have been great as we did all our business with two hours to go.
Now, we’re working hard in October and November to guarantee people but a lot are waiting to see what pops up. You can’t blame them. You talk about Cardiff being a proposition but a lot of players think about the wage packet and then the agents think about what they get - there’s a lot of factors that change a player’s mind
Q: Have you put to bed the spat with Nuno from last season?
NW: I’ve already done that. I had a good chat with him last year. I phoned him when they won promotion. It’s not all about money.
I think Wolves is a good club. I’ve always had a soft spot for Wolves. My first game in the Football League with Scarborough was against Wolves. That shows the difference in football. They are pushing for Europe and Scarborough have since gone defunct. We met up at the League Managers.
Q: Other teams are starting to win matches and gain momentum? How do you view what’s going on in the bottom half?
NW: I don’t think much is changing. Other teams will win games, so will we. It’s a matter of trying to keep in there.
We know we have to hang in until January until I can get players. We aren’t going to improve dramatically in the next seven games until January. But we’ve got to get players in right away that can give us a fighting chance the rest of the season..
Q: Is this a good time to play Wolves?
NW: I don’t know when is. They’re always difficult games. They’ve got a physical aspect. People say we are, but so are Wolves. It’s always good to see teams who have fought their way up and I’ve got a lot of time for them. It’ll be good to pit our wits against them on Friday.
Q: You’ve used different striking options? Do you know the best one yet?
NW: It always depends on the game. I imagine there’ll be changes given there’s three games. I think it’s a reflection that I’m playing Callum Paterson up front. I know what he gives and he never lets me down. It’s how to fit others in. We can never play five or six strikers because we’re not good
enough defensively. Maybe we’ll play eight strikers and have a right go at them! Then I’ll get criticised for that!
Q: Is there more pressure on Wolves?
NW:
It’s a different type of pressure. When you spend £100m, you have pressure. But you also have top players. It’s a different level of pressure. I wouldn’t mind a bit of that pressure. But there’s only 20 teams so everyone’s under pressure
Q: Latest on Nathaniel MendezLaing’s recovery?
NW:
He’s doing well. I’d play him but you know what I’m like. I’m trying to listen to the physios. When you’ve had a bad injury, you have to listen to the experts. When you see him in training, you wonder why he isn’t with us but I have to bite my tongue and know he’ll be there shortly.
Q: Who’s taking penalties after last year’s drama?
NW:
I haven’t even thought about it. To be honest, I can’t even see us getting one in the Premier League! Unless someone catches the ball and throws it at the referee. The one on Greg Cunningham last week didn’t even get mentioned on TV.
I can’t imagine us getting two like last year. I don’t want a penalty for my birthday, I’d ask for a win!