Bluebirds bosses answer for new faces and now he
THE final day of the transfer window is rarely quiet, but for Cardiff City it was positively manic.
From early in the morning right through to 11pm (and beyond), there was frantic activity as Neil Warnock signed Gary Madine for around £5million from Bolton, Jamie Ward and Armand Traore from Nottingham Forest – and let Lee Tomlin, Omar Bogle and Lee Camp leave on loan.
Some of the moves raised eyebrows amongst Bluebirds fans, but Warnock had sound footballing reasons for every decision in his bid to secure promotion to the Premier League.
But what are they and just how did Warnock get the deals done? This is the inside story of a dramatic morning, noon and night for the promotion-chasing Bluebirds... GARY MADINE £5m (from Bolton) This, of course, is the headline act – the biggest sum of money paid by the Bluebirds for a striker since Andreas Cornelius.
Warnock has real belief in 27-yearold Madine and feels he can be the final part of the promotion jigsaw. This is big money Cardiff have paid and it is up front – but the Bluebirds feel he can prove value for money.
Warnock has wanted Madine for the past four months and two previous bids were put in, each rejected by Bolton, who were 100 per cent against losing their leading scorer as they battle against relegation.
Lewis Grabban was a back-up, but Madine was the man Warnock really wanted.
As we approached closure of the transfer window, Warnock seemed resigned to missing out on his number one target.
Then came an 11th-hour twist of fate that started to turn the deal Cardiff’s way. Bluebirds chairman Mehmet Dalman was in Monaco and discovered, quite by chance, that Bolton owner Ken Anderson was also there.
He suggested a face-to-face meeting over a coffee on Tuesday, to which Anderson agreed. It was over these cappuccinos that the terms of another bid were made and agreement in principle was finally struck.
There was still the matter of Vincent Tan sanctioning the financial outlay, while, back in Cardiff, chief executive Ken Choo had to begin preparing the paperwork.
But although there was still a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, Bolton finally gave permission for Warnock to speak to Madine at lunchtime on Wednesday and he travelled down to the Welsh capital for talks and a medical.
Although Warnock, Dalman and Choo were also dealing with a raft of other transfer issues, Madine had to be prioritised and he put pen to paper at 9pm. Deal done, Warnock delighted.
Of course, the capture of Madine throws up questions. Why does Warnock rate him so highly, where does it leave Kenneth Zohore, can the two of them play together?
The answer to the first bit is that at 6ft 3in, Madine has presence, is physical, good in the air and scores goals – as he has proven with a struggling Bolton side.
He offers such a threat that he draws two defenders to deal with it, Warnock feeling that can free up space for Junior Hoilett, Nathaniel MendezLaing or Yanic Wildschut, another January signing. Cardiff need a fresh spark going forward and this is it, believes the manager.
So, what about Zohore? Well, he has been kingpin for the past 12 months, but, for whatever reason, the goals have dried up.
Warnock could choose to pair the two together. On paper, they would be a real handful for any Championship defence, but that would leave Cardiff a man light in midfield, so probably won’t happen.
So it’s likely to be one or the other. Cardiff’s kingpin, subject of a multimillion pound bid during the summer, or the newcomer Warnock has just paid £5m for? How do you choose between them?
At the very least, Warnock knows Madine will put pressure on Zohore, who will have a point to prove to remain as Cardiff’s number one man.
If, between them, they can score a further 18 goals this season, with Holett and Mendez-Laing also dipping in with their new found freedom, it is Warnock’s view that could prove the key to promotion. THE JAMIE WARD-LEE TOMLIN LOAN SWAP (Nottm Forest to Cardiff; Cardiff - Nottm Forest) This one hasn’t gone down well with many Bluebirds fans, but again Warnock has sanctioned the deal because he believes it makes sound football sense.
First Ward. He is a busy player who can line up anywhere across the front line, but, with Cardiff, he may well have a significant role to play as a secondhalf substitute.
The bigger question for the supporters is why on earth Cardiff have let Tomlin go the other way to Nottingham Forest, having captured him as their blue riband summer signing from Bristol City.
Tomlin didn’t come cheap, but he has hardly had a look-in this season. When he has appeared, there have been glimpses of artistry and goal threat that have left Cardiff fans desperate for more.
Warnock has huge admiration for Tomlin’s talent, even making an analogy with Adel Taarabt, his mercurial QPR creative kingpin.
But Tomlin hasn’t always looked fit and, with 18 must-win Championship matches looming, it seems Warnock has come to the conclusion this is a luxury he cannot afford.
Tomlin will play more regularly at the City Ground and build up that fitness, returning to Cardiff in the summer and ready for a crack at the 2018-19 campaign – be that in the Championship or Premier League.
It’s a shame things have not yet worked out for Tomlin in south Wales, but Warnock feels Ward can do a better job right at this moment in time. ARMAND TRAORE (from Nottm Forest) This one kind of went under the radar and only happened with around 20 minutes of the transfer window to spare.
Warnock has wanted a back-up or alternative option to Joe Bennett and has previously admired Preston’s Greg Cunningham.
However, another left-back wasn’t a priority – until Bennett was sent off against Manchester City .
Warnock has always been an admirer of Traore, who is quick, tigerish in the tackle and has top-flight experience with Arsenal, Juventus and Senegal at international level.
Once he realised he was without the suspended Bennett for Saturday’s visit to Leeds, Warnock deemed he needed another full-back. If he plays well at Elland Road, Traore might make it