Who is Tan’s man?

Drago Cotar, investment banker

The Daily Telegraph has reported that Vincent Tan has bought Bosnian club FK Sarajevo with the deal to be completed in February at the club’s next board meeting. Tan has set a budget and announced an ongoing co-operation between the club and Cardiff City.

While all this might make good football and business sense, or not, the question remains, who is advising Tan?

If it’s true that Tan has been providing tactical and other football related tips to Mackay, you have to believe he is being fed these nuggets of advice from somewhere.

Secondly, how does Tan know enough about European football to be buying first Cardiff City and then FK Sarajevo?

It seems to be common knowledge around the club that Etien Velikonja was bought without Malky Mackay’s knowledge or consent. This probably explains why the striker has failed to find himself in the Cardiff manager’s plans. It also goes someway to explaining how this could also be one of the issues Tan has with Mackay listed on the dreaded ‘resign or be sacked’ e-mail. Maybe Tan’s trusted advisor, whoever he is, was a part of the process of getting Velikonja to Wales?

Interestingly the President of NK Maribor the club Velikonja first played for is investment banker Drago Cotar, a director of KBM Infond who deals in mutual funds, hedge funds and derivatives.

There is also the eastern European connection of Alisher Apsalyamov, the 23 year-old from Kazakhstan who briefly and infamously took over from Iain Moody as Cardiff’s head of recruitment. Little is known of Apsalyamov who is thought to be no more than a son of a friend of Vincent Tan’s. His treatment while shadowing Moody is probably another grievance added to the e-mail.

Whatever these relationships imply, they provide direction toward an eastern European influence in Tan’s thinking. Is there somebody trying to work Mackay out for their own agenda or is Tan just listening to somebody who is no more than a wealthy football supporter and business connection?

It could be somebody on the fringes of the professional game. It could be somebody deeply involved in the game, someone with a reason to stay silent. It could easily be somebody in the financial realm or with connections to top level agents.

All of this is speculation of course. As with most things though, when it doesn’t seem to make sense you usually have to follow the money to find the answer.

The moneyman in this case is Mehmet Dalman.  Dalman was until recently the chairman of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) resigning back in April of 2013. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and also secondarily on the Kazakhstan exchange. Its business is centered in Kazakhstan. Connection made.

The Serious Fraud Office launched a criminal investigation into ENRC’s business practices also in April of 2013.The ENRC annual report released on 30 April said that UK authorities are investigating whether ENRC breached Britain’s rules for a listed company.

Dalman is Turkish-Cypriot born, British educated, whose background is in European banking before moving on specifically into the Asia-Pacific region. This is where the connection to Tan comes in.

While Dalman appears to be the go-between in the Tan-Mackay saga, it could well be that the manager is placing his trust in someone who is simply Tan’s man.

The current manager at FK Sarajevo is Robert Jarni, the former Real Madrid star and Croatian international. Jarni once signed for Real Madrid from Coventry City without ever playing a game for the Midlanders. It was a strange transfer affair.

Could it be that Jarni is the man with the ulterior motive, the one feeding Dalman and by inference Tan the tactical information? Certainly Jarni’s playing career eclipses that of Malky Mackay both internationally and in terms of European competition. His words may well be over-valued but heard they will be.

Is it a coincidence that the Mackay saga has come to a head while the Bosnian Premier League, in which Sarajevo are currently second, is on its winter break and has been since November closed. The season doesn’t reopen until the end of February. I wonder what Robert Jarni is up to during this time?

While I acknowledge this is all speculation, perhaps the professional Jarni together with the football fringe influence of Dalman combined, is the current wisdom of Vincent Tan? What say you?

Mackay hands Pellegrini a lesson

Masterclass from Mackay

Despite trailing 1-0 to powerhouse Manchester City, just about everything that could go right did for Cardiff City on their Premier League home debut.

That’s not to say there was any luck involved in their unlikely comeback win. The Bluebirds had neutralised the classy Man City midfield and attack right up until Edin Dzeko squeezed a thunderbolt between two closing defenders. It rocketed past goalkeeper David Marshall and into the upper corner of the Cardiff net.

The valiant and impressive Cardiff defending had been almost faultless until then and could hardly be blamed for not preventing Dzeko from scoring with such a tremendous strike. Cardiff had been well worth the goalless half-time scoreline.

Yet it took just seven second half minutes for the visiting City to knock the legs out from under the home City and their fervent fan base. As it turned out though, not for long. Within eight minutes Aaron Gunnarsson arrived to slide the ball home after Joe Hart had saved Frazier Campbell’s close range effort. The impressive Kim Bo-Kyung’s run and pass had opened up the Man City rearguard with some aplomb.

Cardiff drew inspiration and heart from the leveling goal and grew in confidence as an unlikely point looked a distinct possibility as they continued to thwart the Man City attacks. Then with 20 minutes remaining in normal time they unbelievably took the lead as Frazier Campbell bundled home Peter Whittingham’s divine corner-kick. Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart was totally absent from the scene misjudging the flight and the danger of the whipped in kick.

A further eight minutes and it was 3-1 and the valleys around Cardiff were echoing with the hymns and arias of victory bellowing out of the Welsh capital. Frazier Campbell repeated the dose, this time heading home substitute Don Cowie’s corner-kick in similar fashion to his first, only this time from the opposite side. The crowd roar could be heard across the Severn Bridge and probably down to the Mumbles in Swansea.

Before Cardiff scored their second, Manuel Pellegrini had brought on James Milner and Alvaro Negredo to go for the win and while Milner proved ineffectual Negredo pulled one back in injury time to set up a tense final four minutes that Cardiff saw out to take the epic win and three precious points.

While Pellegrini bemoaned his teams defending at the corner-kicks, Malky Mackay can boast that he outcoached the former Real Madrid manager now tasked with returning the Premier League title to the Etihad Stadium.

Cardiff’s set-up of Gary Medel and Aaron Gunnarsson as defensive midfielders in front of the back four proved the master stroke. As the visitors probed ceaselessly through the middle of the field for the pockets of space and openings they wanted, their slick passing and movement was constantly thwarted as Medel and Gunnarsson plugged the gaps time after time. The other Cardiff players tracked runners and the now squeezed space in front of Bluebird keeper David Marshall continued to deny Man City their usual routes to goal.

Frazier Campbell worked hard up top to disrupt the Man City center-backs and his pace was causing problems on the break along with the speed and industry of Craig Bellamy. Kim Bo-Kyung reveled in the space he was given and he showed what a class player he might become.

Where Cardiff were bad on the opening day at West Ham they were as good during their opening home game. Yet the reason for that was not so much Cardiff but their opponents. Sam Alladyce showed Cardiff respect by negating their strengths allowing the Hammers to then win the game by exploiting the Bluebird’s weakness on the flanks.

Cardiff full-back Matt Connolly was given a torrid time by West Ham as was the inexperienced Declan John if not quite so much. You have to believe that if the new Man City boss had to do it all again he would have widened the game and attacked from the flanks going over and behind the Cardiff full-backs.

Yesterday in Cardiff, Pellegrini did not give Cardiff the respect they deserved. It was enough to cost him dearly when Icelandic international Gunnarsson netted from England international Frazier Campbell’s blocked shot, set up as it was by South Korean international Kim Bo-Kyung.

With Scottish international David Marshall, England international Steven Caulker, Chilean international Gary Medel and two internationals coming on from the bench in Danish striker Andreas Cornelius and veteran Scot Don Cowie, Pellegrini should have had good reason to be respectful.

And finally a word about the Cardiff center-back pairing of Caulker and Ben Turner. The two center-backs were exceptional and they should continue to grow together into a decent Premier League pairing. Calls for the return of Mark Hudson were premature and the former skipper looks set for a back-up role for now.

In the end maybe a lesson learned for Pellegrini but a lesson given by Malky Mackay’s masterclass.

Point proven, title beckons

Dai Thomas – one member of the not so good old days teams

Finally it’s over. 51 years of mainly poor and mediocre football at Ninian Park splattered with a few seasons of highs and promotions from lower leagues. A First Division play-off win against Queens Park Rangers a decade ago was the genesis of todays promotion party. Strangely enough the Bluebirds will replace the R’s in the Premier League this coming season. Yes, two losing cup finals were days to be proud of. A play-off loss to Blackpool the toughest loss of all. But when you count losses amongst your good times you know the cupboard has been bare.

I’m not knocking Lenny Lawrence’s team, Eddie May’s wizards, Jimmy Andrews’s ball players or Len Ashurst’s classy contenders. Jimmy Scoular brought European nights of glory beating no less than Real Madrid at the old lady, Ninian Park. If you’re ancient enough, like me, you might even have watched the City in the old First Division (the current Premier League). There were great days when we defeated the double winning give-and-go Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 and I remember my first away trip which was to a now demolished Highbury Stadium to watch Derek Tapscott return with the Bluebirds to face his old Gunners team. We drew 1-1. How high would we would jump for joy if we achieved those two results next season. Even that was soured with relegation.

My 50+ years have been filled with many happy memories but so many more awful ones, so many relegations and poor performances. I remember the day my father gave in. During an old Second Division game he watched a player who shall remain nameless, a Welsh international striker, a young lad, balloon one too many shots over the old Canton Stand and guffawed, “If that’s what we have and that is a Welsh international then I’ve had enough’. He never bought another season ticket, he stopped selling the old BIF and BAF fundraiser tickets and spent his time watching footie on the telly from his armchair. He was one of the missing thousands who never returned. He watched a promotion game every once in a while but the love affair was over. He’d truly been cheated the day John Toshack had been sold to Liverpool and with it Cardiff’s promotion back to the top flight.

But enough of the reminiscence. It’s all about the future now. Cardiff have Championship title to claim, some real silverware to grace the boardroom. It’s cost our combined current and previous owners something like 80 million pounds to purchase this promotion. Sure, there’s much more than that to collect from the season ahead but still a precarious financial minefield to diffuse. Let’s hope our glorious leadership from Vincent Tan to Malky Mackay can negotiate it. It wasn’t so long ago that Portsmouth were winning the FA Cup.

 

Dai Thomas – one member of the not so good old days teams

But for now let’s enjoy the moment and prepare for the title that beckons, the promotion point has been proven.

 

 

The thrill is gone and Whitts proves it

The thrill is gone

With the Bluebirds promotion push back on track following a thoroughly efficient display at struggling Sheffield Wednesday and the international break upon us, now’s a good time to reflect and to look forward.

First the good news. We are an amazing nine points clear of third place and with a game in hand. Thanks to Hull, Watford and Palace for all ‘doing a Cardiff’ last weekend, the victory at Hillsborough was even more valuable than anyone could have hoped for.

Nottingham Forest are fast on the heels of the nervous threesome and Messrs Bruce, Zola and Holloway may be more concerned about holding off the ever more serious challenge of Billy Davis’ resurgent team than in catching Malky Mackay’s Bluebirds. Only one of the long chasing promotion pack will take the second automatic promotion place and that is a huge pressure. A pressure Leicester could not manage.

Surely now, Cardiff can relax and play a more confident, open game than they have over the past few weeks? The Leicester game in particular was agony to watch with very little flair being shown by either team. The will not to lose was more evident, rather than a willingness to win. Even with players like Bellamy, Whittingham and Campbell on the home team and Dyer, Nugent and Wood on the visitors, mediocrity reigned supreme.

Last week I had the pleasure of watching Real Madrid at the magnificent Bernabau Stadium. They twice trailed lowly Mallorca only to sweep the minnows aside with a second half blast of four goals, three inside the first 12 minutes of the restart. The flair of players like Ronaldo, Higuain and Modric was too much for the visitors despite a creditable performance in which they displayed no little flair of their own.

This was not the Real Madrid that played Manchester United so tightly and was losing until that very debatable red card for Nani.  Now La Liga is not the Football League Championship of course. Where Los Blancos can rely on their far greater talent, the gap between top and bottom in Spain is huge, there is no such gap in the Championship. If ever a division was more even from top to bottom than the Championship, it would be rare.

And thereby hangs the story of the league leaders Cardiff City. When Malky Mackay talks of a ‘monotonous consistency’ he isn’t joking. Cardiff are top because of consistency, grinding out wins, something Dave Jones’ teams could not do.

Peter Whittingham is the player who proves the point. What Peter Whittingham has become compared to what he was under Jones, is the difference between being top of the table and missing the boat. Whitts, Bothroyd and Chopra, Bellamy too, played with style and flair and at times were pretty to watch. They also folded like a deck chair on the Titanic. Mental strength and doing the grunt work deserted the teams of Dave Jones at crucial times.

No such soft under belly for Mackay’s team. It is difficult to remember a team playing at the top of the table and looking so dour, so lacking in imagination and afraid to take a risk. This possession style of keep ball is possession for a very cynical purpose. We keep the ball in a sideways, backward motion with our top player (Whittingham) so deep that he never looks like scoring despite his ability to do so. Dave Jones in his post-game criticism was right to talk about us looking for corners and throw-ins in the final third as a tactical plan. It’s a plan to keep the pressure on less than formidable Championship level players who will always make mistakes, switch off or simply be bettered by a Bellamy or a Campbell. There is no doubting our aerial threat from Hudson, Turner, Connolly, Helguson and young Nugent.

He who makes the least mistakes wins the game is the mantra of Cardiff City style soccer. And it works. If an opposing team defends without error, we can only hope for the flair of Bellamy and co to do something special, or Rude Gestede to head home. Even so they are not Ronaldo and co. Real Madrid can also play the numbers game, for that is what Cardiff plays. We play percentage football. The top teams must do it too when they face each other. The great player finds a way, the opponent makes a mistake or the ref blows a call. These are the ways the top teams win against one another.  It’s the way Real beat United. Against Mallorca, their overwhelming skill is enough.

In a division as tight as the Championship and with so little difference between comparable teams, the percentages are even more important. Malky Mackay has done his homework and his arithmetic. It’s now a game of equations and analysis. To the winner go the spoils, Premier League football. Mackay has been better at it than everyone else. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not criticising, I’m explaining.

When City fans dreamed of winning the Championship title in years past, did you, like me, see flair and imagination? In my dreams we took teams apart, we cut them to ribbons. Now I know these were dreams but you get the point. I didn’t dream of monotonous consistency.

As Championship level football turns from an art form to a science, Cardiff are leading the way but the thrill is gone, just look at Whitts. Can it return? Perhaps in the final games with promotion all but assured we will see some flair and a cutting edge from our best players. Maybe there is a three or four goal whipping ahead for someone, maybe even more than one. But don’t bank on it.

Let’s hope the rarefied air of the Premier League isn’t quite so monotonous. I have a feeling it can’t be.

 

Maybe the soccer gods will act kindly?

The Bluebirds faltering and stuttering promotion campaign seems unlikely to be over until it’s over. Such is the way of heartaches.
Despite the lack of recent wins the also stuttering performances from Cardiff’s Championship rivals keeps leaving the door open. Certainly any team who can take the bull by the horns at this stage should find the play-offs well within their grasp and that includes the Bluebirds.
West Ham’s recent run of draws opened the way for Reading to surge past them and for Southampton to hold onto top place. Who finally ends up in the top two and four play-off places is still anyone’s guess.
A Birmingham win over Cardiff today would probably have ended Bluebird’s hopes. But the point keeps Mackay’s men on life support for now. Birmingham manager Chris Hughton complained of having tired players. He and Malkay alike.
With Brighton still not too far away and Middlesboro anything but convincing, there is still hope for those outside the top six.
Blackpool have faltered, much like Cardiff, while Hull squandered the good fortune they received while beating the Bluebirds 3-0 just a short few games ago.
Leeds’ win yesterday keeps them faintly in touch. Leicester and Derby will be needing a final push and a winning run to enter the shake down but it’s not unimagineable. Who gets the final momentum roll onto the play-offs and into the Wembley game?
When it all comes down to it, maybe Cardiff will have to rely on the soccer gods to even out the fortunes of recent years. So close, yet so far away in previous attempts when better placed, let’s pray that Mackay’s men find a second wind, some good fortune and the soccer gods ready to right the wrongs of years gone by. How sweet would it be to avenge the Blackpool game and the Reading debacle?
If the gods do, expect the anticipated Barcelona-Real Madrid Champions League final to be denied also. Surely the soccer gods will award to Chelsea the righting of wrongs when they lost to Barcelona in the 2009 semi-final. A Real Madrid-Chelsea final for Jose Mourhino would be the stuff of fairy stories. In this case my heart says yes, my head says no. And in the case of Cardiff City’s play-off hopes the same heart-head response.
However, I’m not allowing for the soccer gods to choose their will, you might ask Celtic and Rangers about that.