" LEON BRITTON? "

Cardiff City should sign Swansea City legend Leon Britton and build their Championship team around him

Sunday 7th June 2015


By Scott Johnson




Bluebirds season ticket holder and blogger Scott Johnson believes Swansea's out of favour Britton should be Cardiff's principal transfer target


Value for money in the transfer market is hard to find. Everyone is looking for it, but most clubs end up either missing out on their top targets or paying over the odds for players while their stock is high.

It’s been a while since Cardiff City have landed anyone that strikes you as genuinely shrewd. Fraizer Campbell looked and proved to be a smart signing, the kind of transfer that Dave Jones would have produced, despite working with a restricted budget.

It’s also a quality that is very much in the eye of the beholder. Take Cardiff’s reported interest in Ipswich’s Daryl Murphy, which appears to have divided opinion.

'New Peter Thorne'
On the one hand, he is 32, coming off comfortably the best season of his career and his stock has never been higher. Should he demand a £4m fee, would he be worth such a sizeable fee?

Well that depends. In some respects, he is exactly what Cardiff need; a strong, mobile, leader of the line. The new Peter Thorne, potentially.

Should he plunder the goals to fire Cardiff back in to the top flight, his price and age would not matter. On the other hand, if that did not happen, Russell Slade has spent a lot of money on a player with no resale value.

Daryl Murphy was the Championship's top scorerDaryl Murphy

The whole pursuit raises questions over the scouting, in my opinion. Murphy was the top scorer in the Championship last season, so let’s go for him could be the school of thought.

Likewise Crystal Palace’s Dwight Gayle, another target. His club were hammered for paying so much money for him a couple of years ago and despite being a moderate success, they are looking to cash in on him and recoup a large proportion of the fee paid.

Not exactly a Moneyball target either.

But there is value to be found, close to home too. Leon Britton anyone?


I know what you’re thinking; no chance, but bear with me.

Britton a standard-setter

Cardiff have a talented squad, but they are lacking in certain key areas. It is short of experience and leadership in midfield, plus someone who can win possession, maintain positional discipline and relieve pressure on the back four.

Britton is the dictionary definition of these qualities. He is a standard-setter, trains as hard as he plays and a positive influence on and off the pitch.

Despite his attributes and cult status at Swansea City, the fact is that Britton is well down the pecking order there and that is not likely to change any time soon.

He is still good enough to be playing in the Premier League, but that does not necessarily mean that a Premier League club will make a move for him.

Britton has been unheralded throughout his career, playing in a position that is neither attractive nor valued by football fans on these shores.



His age is also sure to work against him. He’s 32, the same age as Murphy, some will see this as a big negative, valuing youth and vitality over experience and nous.

Sure, there is the whole Cardiff/Swansea thing, but there is such a gulf between the two sides these days that the rivalry is in danger of becoming rather one-sided.

Britton may not be willing to jeopardise his bond with the Swansea fans, but you never know until you make the call. Dave Jones would have been right over it.

There is a perfectly valid point to be made, which is that Cardiff are not exactly renowned for their passing football and patient building from the back.

This is true and there is a danger that someone like Britton would be wasted and bypassed. But he is the sort of player worth building the side around and also, who knows what the future holds, with regards to the team, manager or club as a whole.

Never know until you ask
He is one of those players that have seen their stock fall slightly, despite their undoubted talents. Other players in this role that find themselves in this sort of scenario include Stoke’s Steve Sidwell, who is struggling to cement a place in their team.

Liam Bridcutt is one of the best players I have witnessed at this level and joined Sunderland to link up with his former Brighton manager Gus Poyet, who has since been dismissed, leaving the diminutive midfielder out of favour.

I’m also a big fan of Stephen Quinn, recently relegated from the top flight with Hull and soon to be a free agent.

Each of them solid options, but none of them are quite as enticing as Britton. At the end of the day, you never know until you ask.

Liam Bridcutt gets stuck into Craig NooneLiam Bridcutt playing for Brighton at the Cardiff City Stadium
Not many people would have fancied Leicester’s chances of landing Argentinian legend Esteban Cambiasso last summer, an Inter Milan icon and Champions League winner.

Twelve months on, he helped inspire his side’s remarkable rise up the Premier League table and secure their top flight status. He also scooped their Player of the Year accolades in the process.

Cardiff spent the January transfer window frantically cost cutting, so the idea of them lining up big money signings again is rather disappointing in my view.

I would have thought that they would have learned from their mistakes, but here we go again.




Proven Premier League quality
As the club has discovered, striking the right balance between aiming too high and too low is easier said than done. But a limited budget does not mean you cannot also be ambitious in your transfers.

Scouring League One as Slade has done is well and good, but you have to complement those signings with some proven Premier League quality, if the goal is to return to the top flight.



Which is where Leon Britton comes in.

“I’m not complaining because there are other players who haven’t played as much as they would have wanted,” Britton conceded recently. “But if they take my place in the squad, I am going to be training the whole week and then running round the training ground on my own on a Saturday, and that’s not what I want at my age. I said to the manager that I can’t do another season not playing.”



Is a move to Cardiff unlikely? Yes.

Is it worth a try? Absolutely. Heck, he wouldn’t even have to move house.

Decent player in fairness. BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT! !!!

Both sets of fans would be against it and the player would have to take a big leap of faith so to speak. He would have to perform and settle quickly as pressure would be huge from stands

Sort Annis

Can you delete mine. Just posted on same topic

Personally, I don't want him but I'd accept it for football reasons
and certainly wouldn't boo the JB!!!!

Decent player in fairness. BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT! !!!

Both sets of fans would be against it and the player would have to take a big leap of faith so to speak. He would have to perform and settle quickly as pressure would be huge from stands

Worked for Andy Legge - why not ?

Blooobirds Forever !!!

Sort Annis

Can you delete mine. Just posted on same topic

Personally, I don't want him but I'd accept it for football reasons
and certainly wouldn't boo the JB!!!!

Oops we posted exact same time

Keep it on,it makes it interesting

No thanks

Little dwarf - prefer Nigel Vaughan

Decent player in fairness. BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT! !!!

Both sets of fans would be against it and the player would have to take a big leap of faith so to speak. He would have to perform and settle quickly as pressure would be huge from stands

Worked for Andy Legge - why not ?

Blooobirds Forever !!!

It did work for Andy legge and I always like him and think of him more of a bluebird than a jack but leon has been at scumsea all his career which is why I think the pressure etc would be a lot more intense this time. Would Ryan giggs sign for man city ??

Decent player in fairness. BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT! !!!

Both sets of fans would be against it and the player would have to take a big leap of faith so to speak. He would have to perform and settle quickly as pressure would be huge from stands

Worked for Andy Legge - why not ?

Blooobirds Forever !!!

It did work for Andy legge and I always like him and think of him more of a bluebird than a jack but leon has been at scumsea all his career which is why I think the pressure etc would be a lot more intense this time. Would Ryan giggs sign for man city ??

I can see your point and somewhat agree, Gwentbluebirds, but what is the line between professionalism and club rivalry

Blooobords Forever !!!

At his age I think he would go for anyone who offered him a 2yr deal,even us.

He's a good player and has a great attitude and work rate, albeit a bit less than a couple of seasons ago. The comparison with Legg is valid but he spent a lot more time at City than over there. Dean Saunders would be another one to cross the M4 divide.

At the end it comes down to money and maybe his fee could be a bit tasty. He's not a goal scorer so to justify paying out for a mid-fielder is questionable. However, other clubs will be interested and it could be regretted after if he goes to a rival outfit.

Watch this space.

He's a player the can keep the ball, Slade would hate him.

Balls to that,build the team around ralls he's the future not bringing in old players for a season that just hampers the younger players development

He's a player the can keep the ball, Slade would hate him.

Blooobirds Forever !!!

Balls to that,build the team around ralls he's the future not bringing in old players for a season that just hampers the younger players development

Jimmy Floyd cashinthe bank worked well enough ????

Bloobirds Forever !!!

Why would any cardiff fan want that little jack c**t at our club?

Vile vermin.

Like f**k we should sign that jack c**t.

Who is this joker. Clearly not a Cardiff fan.

Would be a very good signing, IMHO!

As stated, Andy Legg was in a similar position and had the game to win over the Cardiff fans!

I reckon he'd accept the challenge, too...and he'd get to live in a real house!

I don't think we need him.

He wouldn't have the bottle to come and play for us like Alan Curtis Nigel Stevenson Robbie James rip andy legg

Dim diolch - JACK INBRED SCUM

Some of our best ever players came from the Jacks....Robbie James, Alan Curtis, Chris Marustik....well, maybe not the latter. Britton would be great. Why not?

Would rather slam my chopper between two bricks than have him here. Nothing against him decent player but he is a Jack through and through and that's the way it should stay.

Would rather slam my chopper between two bricks than have him here. Nothing against him decent player but he is a Jack through and through and that's the way it should stay.

At last, the correct answer.

Would rather slam my chopper between two bricks than have him here. Nothing against him decent player but he is a Jack through and through and that's the way it should stay.

At last, the correct answer.

100% agree. Britton is a jb legend who has been a loyal servant. He would not fit into slades style of play either. I remember when he joined Sheffield Utd and their hoof ball club did not suit him.

I have always thought Johnson has strange opinions. But this takes the biscuit.

Never rated him

Would rather slam my chopper between two bricks than have him here. Nothing against him decent player but he is a Jack through and through and that's the way it should stay.

agree he's to much of a Jack and he wont be given the chance anyway by the fans the way the club is atm . Decent player but would not suit Slades anti football tactics

Out of all the players that we could attract and Leon Britton is the one player that this clown thinks we should bring in to build a team around? Is he living in 2008? Britton could handle the physicality of Championship football back then because he was so agile and sharp. He's now 32 and not getting any younger or fitter. I think we should be looking for something with a bit more of a long term strategy. Clown.