My Cardiff Manifesto

Ok, here is what I would do lads if I was in charge. Listen to me, abuse me, agree with me. This is my intention to stir debate and I hope not everyone agrees with me because that's what I love. Differing views. Maybe together we can come up with the perfect solution.

Anyway, here's my point plan...

1. Offer Dave Jones to stay but on a reduced wage citing financial troubles.
2. Release the players we have done.
3. Look to actively sell Hudson and Rae.
4. Refuse to sell the following players for less than the stated amounts: Bothroyd £2m, Chopra £3.5m, Whittingham £3.5m, Matthews £3m but with a sell on and Burke £2m.
5. Offer Ledley a new contract but not expect anything.
6. Sign a tall (emphasis on tall!) central midfield ball winner to replace Ledley. Someone like Michael Tonge on loan.
7. Sign a left back to start ahead of Kennedy but offer Kennedy a one year extension as a back up player.
8. Sign a big striker like Gary Taylor-Fletcher or Jon Parkin to win balls and then a smaller striker who can get 20 goals a season.
9. Sign a back up centre back for Gerrard and Blake who I believe should be our first two. Saying that, Quinn could do a job at centre back I reckon.

I know it sounds simple but it'll be hard finding those sorts of players, especially on the cheap. I reckon we can do it though. We just need more bottle and I am beginning to think it's our better players who we need to replace. When it's come to the big games, the only players who have turned up who are big names are Ledley and Chopra. Whittingham does this and that but his cons outweigh his pros more often than not.

Ideally, I would like us to keep everyone we have and just add to it, but that's not a luxury we have. We're going to have to do it the hard way.

One thing I hope we all have over the next year or two though is patience. Things may well get worse before they get better... and we all know who to thank for that!

some very good points, Robert Koren has been released by WBA i think we should go for him and if we get any sort of money for ledley / whitts then try and get koumas

Also we need need to get two or three season long loans sorted from premier clubs

I also think we should avoid selling chopra at all if possible

Before we do anything we should replace the manager and do that TODAY.

Before we do anything we should replace the manager and do that TODAY.

i think we should give him one more season but make him take a pay cut i ask this befor did jones applaud the fans at the final whistle i know the players did

Before we do anything we should replace the manager and do that TODAY.

Too damm right.

However if we are going to end up keeping him then we need to keep our best players, get rid of the wood and replace them with better. Then we need to bring in loanees.

Before we do anything we should replace the manager and do that TODAY.

Too damm right.

However if we are going to end up keeping him then we need to keep our best players, get rid of the wood and replace them with better. Then we need to bring in loanees.

I agree we will probably get stuck with Jones (unless the miracle of another job offer comes along). So if that's the case then we have to be the early bird with the loan system rather than waiting until the end and picking up the dregs like we have in the passed 2 seasons (Eddie/Kelvin)

Let's push the boat out and go for a Gibson from Man United, Wiltshire from Arsenal or even a Koumas from Wigan. Let's get quality rather than quirky this time.

If we sack Jones who should we bring in? Bare in mind the costs. It will probably have to be an unemployed manager because we wouldn't be able to afford to compensate Jones AND compensate another club for stealing their manager. Tony Mowbray was a decent shout but it would be a gamble. I still think Jones can deliver. He's not perfect but he's been consistently successful with us. I think sometimes we forget who we are and how we don't have the divine right to be in the Premiership. Look at the teams we finished ahead of this season.

Reading, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Swansea, Preston, Ipswich, QPR and others who all have decent managers and decent players. We just need to sit back and gain some perspective here. Maybe a better manager would have got us promoted but who are these better managers? The one thing I would have about Mowbray is that he's Jones Mark II. Stubborn, not very emotional... if you want to swap him for Jones, might as well keep Jones!

If we sack Jones who should we bring in? Bare in mind the costs.

Sean O'Driscoll. Dont know how much it would cost but we would certainly save alot on a wage bill. Give O'Driscoll the resources that Jones has had I feel we would have got further. There are a few managers I believe would have got us alot further but O'Driscoll would have been my choice.

Nathan Blake! or me? I'll do it for £2000 a week.

I agree, I am a big fan of his as well. Love the Doncaster battling spirit but could he do better than Jones has done? Plus the costs would still probably be too much even taking into consideration the money Jones is on.