' When will we see him again? '

Omar Bogle's moment of madness and Bristol City defeat shouldn't mask Cardiff City progress under Neil Warnock



By Paul Abdanatao

Sunday 5th November 2017


Two goals, two games, one sending off... when will we see Omar Bogle again?


The 24-year-old Cardiff City striker saw first-hand the truism of the cliché about how football can be a cruel old game when his stupidly reckless challenge cost the Bluebirds dearly as they crashed to Severnside derby defeat.

Having followed his first Cardiff goal against Ipswich with another splendid strike against Bristol City, things could hardly have been looking more rosy for Bogle.

Then came his 54th minute moment of Ashton Gate madness, a two-footed lunge at midfielder Marlon Pack. A straight red (he was almost lucky it wasn’t two), a three-match ban to look forward to, doubtless stewing through the second half about how he cost Cardiff this game.

If Bogle was looking for any sympathy from his manager over his misfortune, then he’s got the wrong boss in Neil Warnock.



His reaction was refreshingly candid - probably mirroring the exact thoughts of 3,000 travelling Bluebirds fans - who suddenly saw their hopes of a joyous journey back across the Severn Bridge evaporate.

“I’ve no good words to say about him. He’s cost us the game... and if he doesn’t get back into the team after his ban it serves him right,” declared Warnock.

No half measures there then. With Kenneth Zohore expected to return for the next game, at home to Brentford after the international break, it’s hard to envisage just when Bogle will feature next.

So, two goals in two games could be followed by a spell in the wilderness.

Warnock could easily have molly-coddled Bogle, put an arm around his shoulder. Used protective ploys, the kind of ‘love’ modern-day players have come to expect.

But the Yorkshireman is old school and was in no mood for sympathy when he met the Welsh press afterwards. And why should he have been?

Bogle knew more than anybody else that he had just handed the initiative to Bristol City. Let down his manager, his team-mates, so too the supporters.

At 1-1, with Bogle’s first-half goal cancelling out an earlier Callum O’Dowda strike, Cardiff were looking good. On the front foot at last. Suddenly, a man down, they had a mountain to climb.

When Aden Flint headed home from a long throw 10 minutes after Bogle’s red card, that mountain in front of the Bluebirds seemed bigger than Everest.

In truth it was mission impossible and it should never have been that way.

Cardiff had ridden the Bristol City storm and, thanks to Bogle’s 40th minute equaliser, they appeared ready to seize the day themselves during the second-half.

Bogle, boosted by his second goal in four days, was looking sharp. The midfield, over-run in the first-half, had some ball. Hopes were high.

Then Bogle was given perhaps the biggest lesson he will get in his football career. Having gone down under a challenge, and holding his head, Bogle clearly felt referee Mike Jones should have stopped the game so he could receive treatment.

Rightly or wrongly, the official was having none of it. The home crowd were baying at what they saw as play-acting, Bristol striker Bobby Reid tried to haul Bogle to his feet - only to be met with an angry exchange from the Cardiff striker.

Eventually Bogle did get up and carried on with the game. I’m not sure exactly how many seconds passed between that and his lunge on Pack - but it wasn’t very many.

The red mist had clearly descended - and Bogle saw red. He won’t be doing that again in a hurry, whenever the next opportunity in the team does arise.

Warnock pointed afterwards to the irony of Bogle’s challenge being on Pack, who the Cardiff boss felt should have been sent-off himself following a wild challenge of his own on Sol Bamba six minutes earlier.

It wasn’t as bad as Bogle’s, but given Pack had already been booked Warnock was adamant it should have been a second yellow and that it was Bristol City who could have been down to 10 men.

Ifs, buts and maybes unfortunately. The cold fact of the matter is that it ended up a disappointing afternoon for Cardiff in what had been the most eagerly anticipated Severnside derby for years.

Two sides flying high in the top four, each desperate to close the gap on leaders Wolves. In the end it was Bristol City enjoying the celebrations.

So where does that leave the Bluebirds, with a third of the season almost gone?

Well, in a better state than many envisaged at this stage of the campaign, that is for sure.

They are still in the top three, have been turned into a formidable force by Warnock, and look likely to have a real crack at promotion from here on in.

They will be bolstered by the return of star striker Zohore soon, irrespective of whether Bogle had kept on scoring, while Lee Tomlin is also ready at last with his well publicised court case behind him.

We know Cardiff will be resolute, hard-working, organised and highly efficient under Warnock, that Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing offer real zip out wide.

But it is the Zohore-Tomlin partnership, a mix of pace, power and football artistry, that will have most fans drooling and can make the difference between continued success and a disappointing fall down the table. Between them, when fit and fully firing, those two will score and create lots of goals.

That should start with Brentford on November 18.

Omar Bogle’s red card or not, Cardiff City are in a good place right at this moment in time.

There is also an unexpected bonus. They have a number nine ready to stand in for Zohore who actually looks quite decent and can score goals himself.

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Good article from Paul

Can see the reason he made the challenge he was pissed off

Although he shouldn't of gone in like that , if he didn't go in our fans would of been on his back anyway

He will be back in December he's had 2 decent games now our fans want his head because one moment of madness some of our fans are absolute mongs, no one called for gyepes head when he got sent off for a rugby tackle or was that just cos we won ? Would they be calling for his head if we won yesterday ? Doesn't make any difference to the tackle fickle

Best player for us til the send off and has been a breathe of fresh air up top

2 goals in 2 games and looked one of our better players until the red card..
but could find himself in the wilderness.

Warnock said all the correct things to the press for public consumption..but he is a winner and is probably gutted he cannot pick Bogle next game..let alone be looking to punish him.
you would think this journo who has only been doing the job for about a hundred years would have figured out by now that what is said to the press imediately after a defeat might not be whats being said Monday in training.

Great article, very well written obsevation, let's hope the lad learns from his rashness because he has talent and it is yet another shrewd purchase from the manager.

Maybe a bit harsh from Warnock imo.. everyone makes mistakes he got fouled just before his red card, he’s been playing well and scored 2 in 2. The 2 games I’ve seen him this season he’s done more than zohore had in his last 5-8 games imo

2 goals in 2 games and looked one of our better players until the red card..
but could find himself in the wilderness.

Warnock said all the correct things to the press for public consumption..but he is a winner and is probably gutted he cannot pick Bogle next game..let alone be looking to punish him.
you would think this journo who has only been doing the job for about a hundred years would have figured out by now that what is said to the press imediately after a defeat might not be whats being said Monday in training.

Agree, Warnock will have been disappointed and will use this to educate Bogle, but he won't cut off his nose to spite his face, if he thinks Bogle can do a better job that Zohore he will pick him. He does give us an option and with Ward and Heally to come back we are looking strong up front.

Good to see a more balanced view rather than just blaming the ref (as we do every single time we lose) for our defeat. It was'nt the ref who made a ridiculous lunge at Pack. Yes, the ref was bad and Pack should not have been on the pitch. The fact that he was on the pitch does not excuse Bogle's behaviour. No excuse for that sort of tackle, and it was the fault of Bogle that reduced us to 10 men and no-one else. Can't blame him entirely for the loss because there is no way of knowing what the outcome would have been if we had 11 men on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes.
Of course we will see him again. He is not the only player to have been sent off in a game of football, and I don't recall anybody else being banished for life because of a moment if indiscretion. He looks a tidy player, and is already only one goal short of Zohore's total so far this season, despite having very little game time.
If anyone had told me that we would be top 3 a third of the way through the season, I would have wondered what they were on. We are in with a shout, and as I have predicted since day one, we may just get into the play offs if we get a little luck now and again.

Stupid hot headed challenged that lost us the game.

One of the worst articles I ever read.

Never seen anything blown into more proportion in my life.. you swear he got done for drinking driving or killed someone.

He got a red card for a challenge that I personally think was way too harsh for a red.

Only challenged for one aerial ball in the match, ducked out of most of them including the one where he claimed a foul.
Had he actually jumped he may have had a case.

He does provide another option upfront, but not for while now.