Fifteen years ago today.

[Monster munch]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

Quality signing, as said above at the time I don't think I fully appreciated how good he was for us, particularly a few seasons.

Best part for me was the nonchalance, score a worldie, everyone is going wild and he is just meh.

This, the best but also the most chilled out player i've seen in a Cardiff shirt.

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

One of Dave Jones's masterstrokes was to give him penalty duty. That seemed to give him more confidence and, while he barely showed it, he must have loved the feeling of the ball hitting the back of the net.

My favourite Whittingham goal was the one at Reading where the ball just broke slightly in his direction and, with hardly any time to think about it, sent a one touch curling lob into the top corner from at least 30 yards. Many think his goal against Barnsley was his finest, fair enough, but for pure instinct and skill, that has always stood out for me.

It was a shame we didn't see the best of Whitts in the Premier League. It was also a shame that he started to struggle in his last couple of seasons with us. In hindsight he perhaps should have retired, but he wanted to play regularly, something he wasn't going to get under Warnock, and rightfully so.

Good post. :thumbup:
Spedger

[willo1927]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

350 grand.
What an absolute snip.
Value for money has to be our best singing in the last 50 years if not more.

[Swiss Peter]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

What a player

Dave Bennett will always be my favourite City player. Just my age I suppose, and when I had most fun watching City. Peter Whittingham would be a close second though.

[willo1927]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

I don't know whether you can 'coach' someone to take free kicks like he did.
It's a talent that you either have or don't have. He would have developed a lot of those skills in his teens, honed through just hours of practice, practice, and more practice, until he's acquired the muscle-memory.

Sorry to disagree but I think you can coach somebody to strike a dead ball better.
Take Rugby and NFL they both employ kicking coaches.
Neil Jenkins being a prime example.
All of the Welsh goalkickers improved under him.
Every golfer has a coach to improve their ball striking.
It takes someone to take a look at say Ralls for example at tell him how he can be better at deadballs.
You can only do this by hours of one on one coaching.
Not saying you can be as good as Whitts was but I would wager that he would have made players better.

[Tokyo Blue]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

I'll always remember how surprised I was when we bought him for only 250-350k given how he still had his best years ahead of him and how many games he'd already played in the prem, an absolute steal.

The man couldn't score a bad goal, and I still can't believe he's no longer with us.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Re: Fifteen years ago today.

Fair comment. :thumbup:

(In reply to willo1927)