Etien Velikonja needs to toughen up

Etien Velikonja needs to toughen up if he is to prove himself at Cardiff City.
Manager Malky Mackay says his highly-talented young striker must be stronger to cope with the physical rough and tumble of Championship football.
Slovenian international Velikonja, a £1m signing from NK Maribor, has played less than half an hour's Championship football for City plus 90 minutes in the FA Cup tie at Macclesfield.
He has fired 10 goals for Cardiff's development squad, but has been unable to make the big breakthrough at Championship level.
Manager Malky Mackay and his staff have worked closely with Velikonja, who has been following a strict weights programme to increase body strength for the intensity of British football.
Mackay could yet send Velikonja out on loan, perhaps to a lower league club, to continue that process.
There is no doubting Velikonja's talent. He is calm and assured when striking with his left foot in particular and has scored two hat-tricks in his 10 goals.
His link-up play and awareness has improved and Velikonja is steadily reaching the point where he needs to be tested.
Velikonja is older, at 24, than Joe Mason, but there is little comparison in their development. Irishman Mason grew up in the League Two school of hard knocks and learned to deal with the physical side of football in Plymouth Argyle's first team, while Velikonja played in the far less physical Slovenian League.
Now he is making solid progress, but the problem for Mackay now, though, is how to fit the young striker into a squad. Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Fraizer Campbell and Mason are all poachers who are ahead of Velikonja in terms of experience and know-how, while Robert Earnshaw is another goalscorer simply itching for his chance.
Heidar Helguson and Rudy Gestede offer far different options in attack with their aerial power and they, too, are pressing for places in the matchday squad.
There is no doubt Mackay rates Velikonja and he says: 'It's been about nurturing him this season and bringing him along step by step.
'Championship football is far different to Slovenia and he has been working hard on his physical attributes. He is working hard, is certainly part of our first-team group and making good progress.
'Etien likes to play off the shoulder of a target man and score goals.
'It has been frustrating so far for him this season, but he knows that we have a development plan in place for him.'

I've lost faith in him making it tbh. Toughen up at the age of 24, if you are not tough enough by then you will never be surely.

I've lost faith in him making it tbh. Toughen up at the age of 24, if you are not tough enough by then you will never be surely.

I used to play against a brilliant lad for years. A mate of sorts. He was a big strong lad
but you could put him out of the game with a good hard challenge, he'd disappear!!!
Then he suddenly realised he was bigger and stronger than most of the people he was
playing against and f**k me did he come on. It was like trying to mark a truck! He was
about 23-24 whan he got the message, so its not too late for Velikonja.

But like you, I dont hold out much hope. Sadly.

I've lost faith in him making it tbh. Toughen up at the age of 24, if you are not tough enough by then you will never be surely.

I used to play against a brilliant lad for years. A mate of sorts. He was a big strong lad
but you could put him out of the game with a good hard challenge, he'd disappear!!!
Then he suddenly realised he was bigger and stronger than most of the people he was
playing against and f**k me did he come on. It was like trying to mark a truck! He was
about 23-24 whan he got the message, so its not too late for Velikonja.

But like you, I dont hold out much hope. Sadly.

More of a mental thing then.

I've lost faith in him making it tbh. Toughen up at the age of 24, if you are not tough enough by then you will never be surely.

I used to play against a brilliant lad for years. A mate of sorts. He was a big strong lad
but you could put him out of the game with a good hard challenge, he'd disappear!!!
Then he suddenly realised he was bigger and stronger than most of the people he was
playing against and f**k me did he come on. It was like trying to mark a truck! He was
about 23-24 whan he got the message, so its not too late for Velikonja.

But like you, I dont hold out much hope. Sadly.

More of a mental thing then.

Its all mental!! Velikonja is bigger than Messi isnt he!!!

Players develop at different ages. Hopefully Etien will prove himself and get himself in the starting 11 sometime soon