Cardiff City boss Russell Slade turns his attention to replacing Kenwyne Jones after Blackburn win
By Steve Tucker (Wales Online)
Cardiff City boss Russell Slade saw his side earn a vital win over Blackburn, but admitted his attentions have turned to replacing striker Kenwyne Jones.
As WalesOnline revealed recently Jones is leaving the club and is in talks with a foreign club, thought to be one in Dubai.
Last season’s top scorer, Jones will be a big loss for Cardiff, but his replacement against Rovers, Joe Mason, got the winner that moves the Bluebirds back to within four points of the Championship play-off places.
Mason might be the club’s top-scorer with six now, but Slade said a new player was needed in the now-open transfer window to partner Tony Watt whose loan deal from Charlton should be made permanent this month too.
“Kenwyne is in dialogue with a club abroad and that is likely to be concluded shortly,” said Slade.
“I’ve no idea about a fee. You will have to speak to the chairman. It’s a financial decision because he is on a huge wage.
“When Kenwyne is on the team-sheet the opposition see that as something that needs to be dealt with. He’s a real threat, particularly in the air.
“We did not have the threat against Blackburn and we need to bring that threat back.
“We need the option of having a target man. With Kenwyne going a big striker would be a necessity.”
As for bringing players in, Slade has targeted at least three fresh faces, adding: “I would like to think it will be a busy few weeks.
“We’ve targeted the players we would like, we are hoping to bring them in however tight financially it might be.
“I hope there is some money from the Kenwyne deal of course.”
On the pitch against Paul Lambert’s Blackburn things were rarely pretty with both teams struggling to create chances on a poor playing surface at Cardiff City Stadium.
Slade said he was pleased with how his men stuck to their task and how they had seen out the game after Mason grabbed what proved to be the winner just before the hour mark.
The Cardiff boss urged his men to now keep the play-off push going through the second-half of the campaign.
“We probably have played better than that and not won recently,” added Slade.
“Sometimes it’s not about the most complete performance.
“The game was flat in the first period, but you have to take into consideration how difficult it was on that surface to move the ball quickly.
“It was difficult to get any intensity or tempo. For both teams, not just for us.
“That slowed the intensity of the whole afternoon. What was pleasing was that despite the busy schedule, we came out in the second period and really got on the front foot."
Slade continued: “We got a goal and could have wrapped it up with a Tony Watt one-on-one. That would have been nice.
“I was pleased with the way we managed the game at the end too because we have surrendered a couple of leads before when we have been in control.
“But I’m delighted with the clean-sheet. We have won at home - we are difficult to beat at home. That’s important to us. We are four points off the play-offs too now.
“I summed it up by saying the half marathon is over, we are into the second half of the marathon now.
“There are no trophies at the half-way stage, there are no medals, but we are in striking distance of the top teams and that is the most important thing now.”
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