KENNETH ZOHORE COMMENTS ALL TOO FAMILIAR!

The Kenneth Zohore comments that are all too familiar for Cardiff City and show how Neil Warnock's stance on the striker has never really changed
By Ian Mitchelmore

Is Zohore in the last chance saloon under Warnock?


Kenneth Zohore remains unavailable for Cardiff City's Premier League clash with Southampton despite stepping up his recovery from a calf problem this week.

The 24-year-old has not featured for the Bluebirds since replacing Bobby Reid late on in the 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in October.

And it's safe to say the Dane's top flight debut hasn't gone as planned.


So where exactly has it all gone wrong for the forward?

We took a closer look at his ups and downs under Neil Warnock and the stark contrast in how he has been viewed by his current boss since the Yorkshireman arrived in the Welsh capital little more than two years ago.


A slow start

The Dane was brought in on an initial loan deal from KV Kortrijk for the latter half of the 2015/16 campaign.

And after a slow start, Zohore soon started to find his feet in South Wales, scoring in back-to-back games against Brentford and Bolton in the penultimate month of the season under Russell Slade.

He ended his loan stint with two goals in 12 Championship appearances for the club.


But after signing a permanent deal with the club in July 2016, he was quickly left fighting for a place in the starting XI as Paul Trollope opted in favour of Rickie Lambert and Frederic Gounongbe up front.

He made just five appearances under Trollope before the manager was sacked, and he had to wait more than two months to make his debut under Warnock.


The rocket that ignited the Dane

After encouraging performances against Wolves and Barnsley, Zohore netted his first goal since signing a permanent contract with the Bluebirds in Cardiff's 2-2 draw with Brentford at Griffin Park on Boxing Day two years ago.

And while injuries had played a part, there was a key reason why the frontman had had to wait so long to be given a chance under Warnock.

"He’s been a little bit lazy since I’ve been at the club but, at half-time the other night, he showed what he could do," said Warnock after the home defeat to Barnsley in his debut campaign.

“He’s been a massive plus for us because I’m looking to spend decent money on a striker in January, and I can’t buy anybody better than him at the minute."


The Bluebirds brought in Ibrahim Meite in January 2017, although the youngster was never going to be thrown straight into the first team, instead plying his trade in the youth set-up.

Gounongbe made just three appearances under Warnock in the 2016/17 season, with the last coming in December, several weeks before the transfer window while Lambert struggled with form and injuries under the Yorkshireman.

So the onus was firmly on Zohore to deliver.


The gamble that paid off

Having put his faith in Zohore, the Dane knuckled down and soon showcased his talents with a wonderful run of goalscoring form in the latter half of the season.

"He was not a waste of time, but he wasn't far away from being a waste of time," said Warnock in March last year.

"He walked about, wouldn't tackle, wouldn't chase back and he wore gloves everywhere.

"But he's a good lad and the chat I had with him against Wolves at half-time was obviously vital, because he's been a revelation since then."


A truly stunning solo effort in a 2-1 win over Preston North End triggered a glut of goals, including back-to-back braces against Rotherham and Fulham as well as key efforts against the likes of Leeds and Huddersfield.

The fact Zohore ended the season as the club's top scorer with 12 goals despite not bulging the net for the first time until the final week of December is an achievement in itself.

And it certainly got the attention of those away from the Welsh capital.


A key summer, and another gamble

Having ripped up the Championship for five months, Zohore quickly became a wanted man.

He signed fresh terms with the Bluebirds prior to their penultimate Championship clash of the 2016/17 season against Newcastle, but clubs soon came calling.

Brighton and Hull City were both heavily linked with a swoop for the forward, but Warnock persuaded the top brass at Cardiff City Stadium to resist the temptation to cash in on Zohore.

Quite simply, on the eve of the 2017/18 season, it seemed unfathomable that Cardiff could achieve promotion without Zohore.

"If I'm to have any chance, he won't be going anywhere," was Warnock's blunt view on the forward's importance.

Zohore was retained. And it was time to focus on promotion.


More highs, more lows and even more questions

It took just 87 minutes of the 2017/18 season for delirium to kick in as Zohore struck a stunning winner to earn Cardiff an opening day victory against Burton Albion.

But a run of eight games, five of which Cardiff won, without a goal for the striker soon had the alarm bells ringing again.

A brace in the stunning 3-1 win over Leeds was followed by another injury problem that ruled Zohore out for two months.

And while he scored a stunner in a 4-2 defeat to Fulham on Boxing Day on his first start since returning from injury, Zohore then went 11 games without a goal.

His hot and cold form continued with a purple patch that consisted of five goals in 10 Championship matches in the final months of the season as Cardiff ultimately secured promotion into the Premier League.

But he has seemingly hit a brick wall since. And this time, the damage could be beyond repair.


The final straw? And what next for Zohore?

"He's got to get the hunger back," said the Cardiff boss ahead of his side's clash with Burnley earlier this season.

"There's only one person who can do that. We can only do so much. What's that saying about taking a horse to water?"


But the criticism was to become even more scathing this month.

"I don't think I could tell you how I really feel," Warnock said on Monday.

"You could say I’m mildly frustrated. I see so much talent in those legs. He should steamroll this league and that’s my frustration."


Even when evidently frustrated by Zohore, Warnock has still thrown him a bone. Every time.

But while it looked for all to see that Zohore's 'lightbulb moment' came shortly after Warnock's arrival at the club, questions have been, and will continue to be asked, ever since.


The all too familiar Zohore comments

He still has a year-and-a-half left on his current contract with the club, but even if Cardiff wanted to cash in on the striker, would there be any suitors?

The eight figure sums quoted as his asking price in the summer of 2017 would now be way off the mark, and would it represent a huge missed opportunity if they did allow him to leave either in January or in the summer?

The one encouragement must be that he will get chances due to the injuries and form of the likes of Danny Ward and Gary Madine, but will Zohore take any chances that do come his way?

It remains to be seen. But the last chance saloon could well be beckoning if Warnock's latest comments are anything to go by, because his patience can only last for so long.

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He is not doing his job. In any other industry he would have been sacked by now. He is just taking wages under false pretences. This is taking the piss out out the club and the fans. Sell the lazy B.

Neil Warnock is fiercely protective of his players, so for him to publicly question his attitude, in the way he has, tells you that something is not right with the player.

Sadly, I don't think he has enough appetite for the game. We could still cash in on him though, although we won't get anything like the £6m that Hull and Brighton were reported to have offered (wasn't his transfer value touted at £14m at one point?). If we put him up for transfer at £1.5m I think there'd still be takers and we could make a small profit on our initial outlay.

The worrying thing is Warnock stating that at the moment there is nothing out there better than Zohore. Come off it Neil don't insult our intelligence.

The worrying thing is Warnock stating that at the moment there is nothing out there better than Zohore. Come off it Neil don't insult our intelligence.

I have never got the people that take his comments personally,he's hardly gonna come out and say anything bad about him in case he needs to sell him.If anyone's let him down its Tomlin.

He is not doing his job. In any other industry he would have been sacked by now. He is just taking wages under false pretences. This is taking the piss out out the club and the fans. Sell the lazy B.

funnily enough my best mate has been off work for 6 months and is starting back after xmas ..thank god you are not in charge he would be on the dole..

I don't believe he is even injured, just protecting his profile. Paterson puts him in the shade for work rate, and he is reaping the rewards. Ken will always live in my memory as someone who couldn't be bothered.