Cardiff City, the club that has never heard of the term "middle ground".

[bobh]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

Sadly,

[Lawnmower]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

Point conveniently missed it seems.

[ken smith]

Not at all, I agree with you in the fact is we have all been worn down and everything the club does is met with negativity. I also blame Tan for everything. The reason our club is a joke worldwide where loyal passionate fans barely give a shit anymore stems from the contempt and stupidity of one man.

[The Lone Gunman]

You and other writers constantly overlook FFP and when the current rules came in and where we were at the time and don't see the link with the change of plan.

When did the current FFP rules come in? And what is the link with CCFC's alleged change of plan?

[Vimana.]

If you view the current 'happenings' at City from Tan's perspective, it's quite simple - buying & owning the club was a vanity project which quickly lost it's lustre as soon as we were relegated. I'm guessing that his prime objective is to recoup what he can and also set the club up so it is effectively paying it's own way - until he can sell...

Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner.

I do wonder about the competency to carry out the process.

[The Lone Gunman]

Not sure this was ever true.

After Mackay departed, Tan regularly voiced the opinion that it was his money that got City promoted to the Premier League, while the work of the 'mediocre manager from Watford' was scorned. He's since discovered that you can't simply buy your way out of the Championship and that Mackay undoubtedly did a better job than the Emperor has ever given him credit for.

[Father Dougal]

Club are literally damned if they do and damned if they don't at the moment. I'd rather watch the likes of revell, Doyle, Kennedy etc than kenwyne jones and I bet they all cost less money. Not sure if the club deserve stick for managing to get kenwynes huge wages off the wage bill.

[Father Dougal]

Not sure this was ever true.

I'm absolutely 100% certain it is true.

Dubai Dai wasn't saying tan gave him credit. Rather he was saying Malky didn't actually do that good a job.

[bluethrough]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

Agree with this .

[Tuerto]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

There is no business sense, just an outright reaction to failure and mis-management. Wouldn't you say that what we are seeing has been forced rather than thought out and nurtured?

[Father Dougal]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

Re philosophy of football- there have been a few signs recently that slade is building one- it will take time and I can't see how kenwyne would fit into it anyway.

[surge]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

It's true that we've spent the past few years lurching from one plan to the next, like a drunk on Caroline street , and it's also true that we seem to be approaching some stability. But for how long? I imagine it's another big transfer window coming up then if Slade hasn't improved performances he'll come under pressure before Christmas, another change and another big window... I don't think we're approaching stability as much as spending less on not knowing what we want to be, which is an improvement.

[Lawnmower]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

For all you know we could have done everything right.

[Tuerto]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

I can't see a plan or stability, just cost cutting due to inept management and ownership. Tan's hand has been forced because he didn't have a plan or attempt to get decent people around him in order to nurture the club. Because of this we are seeing the flood defences go up.

[DubaiDai]

Not sure this was ever true.

I'm absolutely 100% certain it is true.

After Mackay departed, Tan regularly voiced the opinion that it was his money that got City promoted to the Premier League, while the work of the 'mediocre manager from Watford' was scorned. He's since discovered that you can't simply buy your way out of the Championship and that Mackay undoubtedly did a better job than the Emperor has ever given him credit for.

I don't mind finishing 14th if it is with a manager that is on some kind of 3 year course to attaining a decent squad while reducing debt.

[Spooky Tree]

The main issue I have with that article is the notion that the club is lurching towards a period of severe austerity. As far as I'm aware our playing budget still far exceeds the clubs income even with the £20m parachute payment. I fear the cuts will have to go a lot deeper in the summer. I fully expect to see the back of almost all the highest earners. The only ones left will be the ones that other clubs don't want, or at least won't pay enough to tempt them to leave.

Give me years of building a proper sustainable club and squad over throwing money at short term success any day.

[the other bob wilson]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

What is there that the club have done this season which suggests they have a plan? I'm not talking about what has been happening since Russell Slade was appointed, I mean from August to March - whether it's spending a fortune on two centrebacks in August and then talking about a clear out in January a month or so later or the owner saying "Cardiff will stay red" on Christmas Day only to change his mind a fortnight later, there has been an impression of policy being made on the hoof.

[Baloo]

Not sure this was ever true.

I'm absolutely 100% certain it is true.

After Mackay departed, Tan regularly voiced the opinion that it was his money that got City promoted to the Premier League, while the work of the 'mediocre manager from Watford' was scorned. He's since discovered that you can't simply buy your way out of the Championship and that Mackay undoubtedly did a better job than the Emperor has ever given him credit for.

Dubai Dai wasn't saying tan gave him credit. Rather he was saying Malky didn't actually do that good a job.

So without interference I think it's reasonable to think we had an opportunity to gain more points at home in the 2nd-half of the season and he left us outside the relegation zone.

[DubaiDai]

Not sure this was ever true.

I'm absolutely 100% certain it is true.

After Mackay departed, Tan regularly voiced the opinion that it was his money that got City promoted to the Premier League, while the work of the 'mediocre manager from Watford' was scorned. He's since discovered that you can't simply buy your way out of the Championship and that Mackay undoubtedly did a better job than the Emperor has ever given him credit for.

Dubai Dai wasn't saying tan gave him credit. Rather he was saying Malky didn't actually do that good a job.

Absolutely correct.

I know many people quote that statistic, however, the way we were playing (1 win in his last 8-9 games), we were one point above the relegation zone (WBA and WHU having played one game less) with three of the next 4 fixtures being Arsenal, Man City and Man Utd ALL AWAY, I think there was every possibility of us dropping well into the bottom 3.

[Loramski]

Not sure this was ever true.

I'm absolutely 100% certain it is true.

After Mackay departed, Tan regularly voiced the opinion that it was his money that got City promoted to the Premier League, while the work of the 'mediocre manager from Watford' was scorned. He's since discovered that you can't simply buy your way out of the Championship and that Mackay undoubtedly did a better job than the Emperor has ever given him credit for.

Dubai Dai wasn't saying tan gave him credit. Rather he was saying Malky didn't actually do that good a job.

Absolutely correct.

Malky has yet to win a home game with Wigan in 12 attempts, his current record is 6 wins in his last 31 home games as a manager.

[Baloo]

Not sure this was ever true.

I'm absolutely 100% certain it is true.

After Mackay departed, Tan regularly voiced the opinion that it was his money that got City promoted to the Premier League, while the work of the 'mediocre manager from Watford' was scorned. He's since discovered that you can't simply buy your way out of the Championship and that Mackay undoubtedly did a better job than the Emperor has ever given him credit for.

Dubai Dai wasn't saying tan gave him credit. Rather he was saying Malky didn't actually do that good a job.

Absolutely correct.

Malky did a good job up to the point of promotion. The football was dire at times but he was given a target by Tan to get promotion, and he did. I personally believe that the Championship was very poor that year and with the war chest he had and the signing of Bellamy, most clubs and pundits had us nailed on for promotion.

Nobody really knows for sure but I just don't think there was evidence at that stage to suggest we were relegation fodder as suggested above.

[Lawnmower]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

The club are finally doing what fans, including yourself have been crying out for for months and getting the shit ripped out of them for doing it !

[the other bob wilson]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

I gave up half way down, after you failed to see the reasoning over the Connolly move, blamed the club for the Rhys Healey issue, and started talking about the subjective and romantic term 'philosophy in football ' and saying you could name what this was for most clubs, which to me is not true. What's more relevant is the club having a plan, communicating it to fans and then sticking with it for long enough to assess whether it works.

You say I'm not making sense then choose to ignore what I said about spending a reported £9 million on two centrebacks one minute and then going on about the need for economies the next! Let's not forget that a fortnight or so after signing Bruno Manga, Messrs Dalman and Choo were talking about us being in serious financial trouble if we didn't go up in a meeting with Trust representatives and then the following week we completed the pointless, and very costly, loan signing of Ravel Morrison! You may want to see all of this as some sort of coordinated plan of action, but I'm afraid I can't, City have been making it up as they went along for years and a decade after Black Friday, we are now going through much the same sort of thing again.

[Lawnmower]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

I gave up half way down, after you failed to see the reasoning over the Connolly move, blamed the club for the Rhys Healey issue, and started talking about the subjective and romantic term 'philosophy in football ' and saying you could name what this was for most clubs, which to me is not true. What's more relevant is the club having a plan, communicating it to fans and then sticking with it for long enough to assess whether it works.

You and other writers constantly overlook FFP and when the current rules came in and where we were at the time and don't see the link with the change of plan.

Being criticised when you think you've done the right thing isn't nice is it ?

[ragbone]

Not one of your better articles that Bob.

No real balance and just looks like a negative pop at anything the club does.

I thought the return to red was cleared up ,it was Tan's mum who decided this , therefore not so much an "on the hoof" decision and more of a sensible lady talking sense ,where would be without mum's, hey, she our mum of the Bluebirds now .