Nathan Blake: I’m finding myself a little vexed

Cardiff City are just like a dog chasing its tail and Neil Harris will pay the price for the club's lack of planning

The Bluebirds have admitted they spent too much money under the stewardship of Neil Warnock, but what sort of message does that send the new manager?

By Nathan Blake

Friday 7th Feb 2020



I'm finding myself to be a little vexed over what came out of last Friday night's fans' forum at the Cardiff City Stadium.

If the board have decided they will pump more money into the team only if they are higher up the league and pushing for promotion, as appears to be the case, what sort of message does that send to the manager? It's like he is being punished for the squad being too big and the overspending under the last manager.

The club should show the foresight to have a continual plan. That doesn't work on the premise of giving money if the club is successful and then cutting off the supply line if they are not.

The idea of this game is to try to get into the Premier League, grow and sustain. It shouldn't be a horses for courses mentality - all roads should lead to the Premier League.

In order to become successful, you need money and you obviously need investment.

I'm not someone who advocates massive expenditure in every transfer window, especially when the squad has 40 players in it!

This window, in fairness, seven players out and three players in, albeit on loan, seems to have addressed that imbalance. So a little blue tick for the hierarchy there.

In the summer, I would be looking to really cut this squad, even if it meant giving golden handshakes. That's easy for me to say, of course, it's not my money.

But I just look at two of my old teams, Wolves and Sheffield United, and look at what they are achieving. They are proof that if you have the capability, the will and the correct plan in place then you can elevate your club very quickly.

At the moment, we are sitting in 12th position in the Championship table and the mid-season transfer window has already come and gone.

Many supporters will have said that we could have done with a few players and a few players out, which I suppose we did do, but have we added sufficient quality in those three loan players? I don't know and I am open to them coming in and really improving this squad for the rest of the campaign.
Albert Adomah is one of three players to have signed for Cardiff City last month (Image: Cardiff City FC)

But it always just feels like that horse has already bolted with Cardiff City and it's so frustrating. Decisions are always made after the event. The club need to be far more proactive instead of reactive.

This club is so strange in that, in recent years, we have earned two promotions to the Premier League, but we still don't seem to have an identity. That has to be a concern.

Neil Warnock must have signed 30 or 40 players during his time here, chief executive Ken Choo last Friday said the club spent around £100m on transfers during the former manager's reign. So saying they need to tighten the purse strings now, well, the damage has already been done.

How are the board showing foresight, leadership and direction if, three months after Warnock leaves, the chairman and chief executive say the club spent too much money? Especially when they were the ones signing it off.

It's all OK saying it after it has been done, but while it was going on, no one was questioning it. It's like a dog chasing its tail, we are just going round in circles.