City Want to Renew NML Contract - Rumoured Interest From Burnley and Others

According to Sky Sports:

http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...aings-contract

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Cardiff will not allow winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to leave the club this summer, Sky sources understand.

Sky Sports News understands Burnley are among the teams who have expressed an interest in signing Mendez-Laing, who scored six goals in 38 appearances last season as Cardiff secured promotion.

The 26-year-old joined Cardiff on a free transfer last summer after his Rochdale contract expired, and the Welsh club have opened talks about extending his deal.

Already this week Premier League new boys Cardiff have secured Junior Hoillet to a new deal and arranged medicals for Bristol City forward Bobby Reid and QPR goalkeeper Alex Smithies ahead of potential transfers.

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Are Burnley watching the same player as me?
He was brilliant in the first month with that scoring streak taking us into the promotion zone but after that he was average at best.
He picked us some sort of form near the end but I don’t rate him

They may not be watching the same player as you, but I think they are watching the same player as me.

I rate him a lot - he was good last season and I think he will improve. He has the right attributes, attitude and coaches to get better.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

They may not be watching the same player as you, but I think they are watching the same player as me.

I rate him a lot - he was good last season and I think he will improve. He has the right attributes, attitude and coaches to get better.

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This. Not sure what player he's been watching

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Originally Posted by jon1959

They may not be watching the same player as you, but I think they are watching the same player as me.

I rate him a lot - he was good last season and I think he will improve. He has the right attributes, attitude and coaches to get better.

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What player are you watching then? He's effective, that's for sure, if he gets into a foot race with most fullbacks, then they're ****ed, he can also cut inside onto his right foot quite well, part from that, his awareness is poor, his touch isn't great, he is prone to running the ball out of play when he runs out of ideas and his passing isn't great. If you can elaborate on what else he does well apart from his pace and directness, then i'd be interested to hear it.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

What player are you watching then? He's effective, that's for sure, if he gets into a foot race with most fullbacks, then they're ****ed, he can also cut inside onto his right foot quite well, part from that, his awareness is poor, his touch isn't great, he is prone to running the ball out of play when he runs out of ideas and his passing isn't great. If you can elaborate on what else he does well apart from his pace and directness, then i'd be interested to hear it.

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It says much that Liam Feeney is a better and more natural crosser of the ball than NML.

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Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

It says much that Liam Feeney is a better and more natural crosser of the ball than NML.

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To be fair to Feeney, he could cross a ball, more composed than NML, just lacked the pace and direct style of play.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

To be fair to Feeney, he could cross a ball, more composed than NML, just lacked the pace and direct style of play.

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I think Mendez-Laing has been totally wasted on the right hand side. He scored some wondergoals early in his City career playing out on the left. Swapping him and Hoilett didn't happen nearly enough, mainly because both like cutting inside on their right foot.

Strange one , I was wondering if he'd make our side next year in the Premiership never mind a better team with a stronger squad than us wanting him ?

He was quality.

He got injured.

He was maybe rushed back cos we’ve got a small squad.

He seemed a bit average.

He got fit.

He was quality again.

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Originally Posted by Pandemicplanet9

Are Burnley watching the same player as me?
He was brilliant in the first month with that scoring streak taking us into the promotion zone but after that he was average at best.
He picked us some sort of form near the end but I don’t rate him

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I reckon a manager like Dyche would look at Mendez-Laing and think he's got pace and power that even Premier League defenders are going to struggle to contain, if me and my coaching staff can just work on the other elements of his game to bring him up to the standards of this league, we would have some player - like Zohore, the basics are already there to make a very effective top flight forward, it's just other things, which good coaches and managers should be able to get out of them, that need to click into place to get them to fulfill that potential.

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Originally Posted by BlueArmy 86

He was quality.

He got injured.

He was maybe rushed back cos we’ve got a small squad.

He seemed a bit average.

He got fit.

He was quality again.

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THIS.....^^^^that summed up his season brilliantly :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

What player are you watching then? He's effective, that's for sure, if he gets into a foot race with most fullbacks, then they're ****ed, he can also cut inside onto his right foot quite well, part from that, his awareness is poor, his touch isn't great, he is prone to running the ball out of play when he runs out of ideas and his passing isn't great. If you can elaborate on what else he does well apart from his pace and directness, then i'd be interested to hear it.

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What else he does apart from his power, pace, directness and effectiveness? That about covers it for now.

What I said - and others in this thread have said similar - is that NML had a good season (with a dip in the middle when he was injured and lost form) and has got the attributes and attitude to improve again. We seem to have the coaching staff to make that happen.

I agree that he isn't a consistent supplier of quality balls and there are other obvious weaknesses that need to be worked on. But the strengths outweigh them.

I remember when he came on as a sub at Burton in the first game last season (it may have been for Tomlin?) and he transformed the game by just running at defenders and causing panic. He had no end product himself in that game (that changed next time out) but he completely changed the dynamic and Ken's winner came from that.

I don't think anyone would claim that NML is the complete or the finished package. He needs to step up again. But the OP said he doesn't rate him and cannot understand the Burnley interest. I can.

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Originally Posted by BlueArmy 86

He was quality.

He got injured.

He was maybe rushed back cos we’ve got a small squad.

He seemed a bit average.

He got fit.

He was quality again.

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That is NML's season summed up. When he's fit and on form he's very dangerous.

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Originally Posted by Heisenberg

According to Sky Sports:

http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...aings-contract

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IMHO this is just a bit of smoke and mirrors...

NML + agent discuss getting him a new contract now CCFC are in the Premier League.
Agent advises NML we'll wait until Junior contract is resolved before really pushing it - the timing will be better etc.

Junior deal is done. Agent puts out a story Burnley are interested in NML in order for some mild scare tactics and generate more money / strengthen their position / push Cardiff into giving them what they want etc so Cardiff offer a new and improved contract.

IMHO I wouldn't expect NML to be going anywhere and soon enough NML to sign a new deal.

But I could be wrong.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

What else he does apart from his power, pace, directness and effectiveness? That about covers it for now.

What I said - and others in this thread have said similar - is that NML had a good season (with a dip in the middle when he was injured and lost form) and has got the attributes and attitude to improve again. We seem to have the coaching staff to make that happen.

I agree that he isn't a consistent supplier of quality balls and there are other obvious weaknesses that need to be worked on. But the strengths outweigh them.

I remember when he came on as a sub at Burton in the first game last season (it may have been for Tomlin?) and he transformed the game by just running at defenders and causing panic. He had no end product himself in that game (that changed next time out) but he completely changed the dynamic and Ken's winner came from that.

I don't think anyone would claim that NML is the complete or the finished package. He needs to step up again. But the OP said he doesn't rate him and cannot understand the Burnley interest. I can.

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Fair enough, but a reliance on coaching isn't a given, although you would know that anyway. When he's in full flight, he's unstoppable, when he isn't in a game or struggling, and he has to drop deeper, then his game suffers dramatically, he's not a very good 'footballer' in my opinion, but very good at what he does when the ball is knocked into space, or if he gets the fullback 1 on one and exposed, like a steam train coming at you. I make a comparison with Earnie, one of the most unorthodox footballers I've ever seen, he played in an almost identical way from his debut up until his final game with us, the only difference I saw to his game was that his movement improved bit. I believe that a player like Earnie just couldn't be coached, and I reckon that NML is the same, both players lack an intricacy to their game, both players looked very poor with their back to goal and the deeper they were forced to play, the more their game suffers. Both players play on instinct, neither could probably tell us what they're going to do when they get into those positions that suit them, plenty of better players could! I like NML, and i'm fully expecting him to tear the arse off a few unsuspecting premier league defenders this season. As for more cultured......Nah...

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

What player are you watching then? He's effective, that's for sure, if he gets into a foot race with most fullbacks, then they're ****ed, he can also cut inside onto his right foot quite well, part from that, his awareness is poor, his touch isn't great, he is prone to running the ball out of play when he runs out of ideas and his passing isn't great. If you can elaborate on what else he does well apart from his pace and directness, then i'd be interested to hear it.

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He is fast and at the start of the season enjoyed killing defenders with these footraces, I agree, but throughout the other months he looked perplexed when trying to beat the defender.
He is fast, young, physical and skillful but he doesn’t understand what to do where. He has no end product and regularly loses us the ball. There are many times in a game where we’re on the break and an easy ball is open and he tries to take on another man. He reminds me of an old Craig Noone where he’d always cut inside and shoot.
We’re in the Premier League now and I believe he simply isn’t good enough for the top flight yet

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Originally Posted by Pandemicplanet9

He is fast and at the start of the season enjoyed killing defenders with these footraces, I agree, but throughout the other months he looked perplexed when trying to beat the defender.
He is fast, young, physical and skillful but he doesn’t understand what to do where. He has no end product and regularly loses us the ball. There are many times in a game where we’re on the break and an easy ball is open and he tries to take on another man. He reminds me of an old Craig Noone where he’d always cut inside and shoot.
We’re in the Premier League now and I believe he simply isn’t good enough for the top flight yet

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Possibly not, but when I watch the 'better' players they also have flaws in their games. NML learnt a lot last season, which suggests he can still learn. Let's see how he gets on this year before judging him. I'm hoping that having better players around him will help his all round game move forward the steps he needs to take. He's earned the right to have that attempt - and looking at him already hard at work in the gym a few weeks ago I'm happy that he's determined to take his opportunity.

The offer of a new contract was being discussed long before any supposef interest from Burnley, long before.

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Originally Posted by Igovernor

The offer of a new contract was being discussed long before any supposef interest from Burnley, long before.

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You never provide any sources when you make these statements... And you're almost always wrong.

Not a fan of his. He can obviously do some good things but that blazing start at the season bought him a lot of games. When I look at weak spots in our squad him and the centre of midfield look like the biggest issues.

Over runs the ball a lot of the Time doesn't get his head up and think he will struggle against defenders who are quicker than him next season.

What a start to last season he had, blistering.
Showed glimpses throughout the rest of the season and was pivotal in Morrisons second goal against Hull.
Good enough for the premier league though? Nah.

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Originally Posted by Heisenberg

You never provide any sources when you make these statements... And you're almost always wrong.

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https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...tract-14784441

and Burnley interest reported

http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...aings-contract

by my reckoning that is 13 days from when city were reported to be looking at making an offer to when Burnley interest surfaced on sky sports

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Originally Posted by The Bob Banker Spanker

What a start to last season he had, blistering.
Showed glimpses throughout the rest of the season and was pivotal in Morrisons second goal against Hull.
Good enough for the premier league though? Nah.

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In theory how many of our players are good enough for the premier league?

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Originally Posted by jamieccfc

In theory how many of our players are good enough for the premier league?

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John Toshack quote about some players being premier league players and some players just playing in the premier league.

I don't know about NML yet. He mentioned Rochdale in the promotion celebration interview so seems able to think beyond the moment, maybe enough to suggest that he's got the intelligence to succeed.

Horses for courses