Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Evans set for exit?

CARDIFF are aiming to beat Celtic to the signature of City youngster Ched Evans.

Bluebirds chief executive Peter Ridsdale claims he is battling it out with the Scottish champions to land Wales striker Evans, 20.

Ridsdale hopes Evans' Welsh heritage will see him snub a move to Scotland in favour of a return home.
>>MEN.

Although Evans has featured on occasion this season, in truth he doesn't appear ready to be a regular contributor - if he will ultimately be at all.

That said, if he did depart on a permanent basis it would be disappointing given his young age, and any fee we received would be minimal at best. But equally I'm not convinced a loan would benefit either the player or ourselves given he has proved himself at that level on loan at Norwich last season.

Far preferable to keep him at the club and let him work and develop his game under the guise of Hughes and his staff, plus learning far more from the players at the club than he would out on loan in the Championship.

vote it up!

4 comments:

simonh said...

Hughes did say that it was our young players that attracted him. Yet Evans seems to be off and there are persistent stories about Johnson and Richards. Onuoha doesn't look likely to establish himself and Hart will be demoted if Given comes, though he has done little wrong. Sturridge gets the occasional game but will drop down the pecking order if RSC joins Bellamy. Ireland's done well, though...

Anonymous said...

I think we would be right to release Evans, in spite of our natural desire to keep youngsters we've been nurturing. I don't think he's got the head to be a top Premiership striker and sometimes a player is better off establishing himself in a slightly lower league rather than sitting in the reserves.

I'm not sure the same can yet be said of Onuoha. The player himself seems absolutely set on staying and Hughes has given him the odd chance. I seem to be a bit of a lone voice in thinking that he's lost a fair bit of pace and sharpness since coming back from injury. But I still think he should be kept as cover and to give him a fair chance.

Johnson is a different story. Apart from his injury the big-time Charlie behaviour was a major disappointment. I was a big fan of his until this and would love to see him succeed at the club but if his heart isn't in it and Miguel Veloso is on offer then may be better to release him.

Richards is again a different story. His is simply one of form and possibly motivation. Releasing him would be a poor decision by the club because with the right guidance and management he has it in him to be a top class defender. Is giving him the right back berth and using PZ as cover or as a right midfielder when appropriate an answer? Either way he has City in his blood and we can't buy that.

Sturridge is another we should and I think will definitely keep. He just needs games, experience and development and even more so than Onuoha, it's far too early to call ability to be a class player at the top level.

Nice to be talking about our own players for a change!

newsoftheblues said...

i reckon it's best for him to move on, to a level which he is better suited. Been watching he for a while and have never been impressed, despite his strike rate.
- I dont think he has enough promise or ability and the comparision with Sturridge shows the extent of the class difference between the two.

simon said...

Malcy - good analysis, I think and I agree, on balance, that we should send Evans on his way. My worry is that these players are at risk of being squeezed out by the more experienced ones we are bringing in. We could well go Zab - Dunne - Kompany - Bridge in defence, leaving Richards and Onuoha as squad players. Sturridge and Johnson face an equal fight to establish themselves - though Ireland shows what is possible.

I'd be very sorry if City turned into a team of foreign players, no matter how good, while our homegrown talent languished on th ebench or flourished at other clubs.