Lawrence looking to Cut Squad Size!

Cheerio Disco Dez?!
By Chris O'Brien
July 21 2002

Today's Sunday Mirror has reported that Lennie Lawrence is looking to reduce the size of the Cardiff City squad. The squad currently carries 30 players, many of who didn't even make one league appearance last season.

Lennie to Cut Squad Size!

Today's Sunday Mirror has reported that Lennie Lawrence is looking to seriously reduce the size of the Cardiff City squad. The squad currently carries 30 players, many of who didn't even make a one league appearance last season. Lawrence is expected to sell, release and loan out players before the Bluebirds kick-off their season on August 10th when City face Oldham at Boundary Park.

It has been reported that Bluebirds chairman, Sam Hammam is getting worried about the size of the Cardiff City wage-bill. Hammam is currently forking out over £350,000 a month to pay the Bluebirds squad, and many of the players are not playing any first team football at all.

The clubs wage bill is one of the highest in the football league, and is said to be bigger than both Ipswich Town and Derby County's who were relegated from The Premiership last season.

Robert Earnshaw was recently offered a lucrative new contract with Cardiff, getting an incredible £5,000 a week, and a huge £2,000 for every goal he scores too! So it looks like both Sam Hammam and Lennie Lawrence wants to hold on to the bigger name players.

Players likely to leave the club are Kevin Evans, Des Hamilton, David Hughes, Andy Jordan and Michael Simpkins.

Evans, who started his career with Premiership giants, Leeds United was a regular during the promotion season of 2000/2001, but failed to make one league appearance last season and although he is still in his early 20s, it would seem Evans is not in Lawrence's plans for the future.

Hamilton is another player who has player for a big Premiership club, having a spell at Newcastle United. United. Unfortunately, since joining Cardiff, Hamilton failed to make an impact and failed to establish himself as a regular first team player. Perhaps a loan spell would benefit Disco Dez, giving him some much needed match practice. Newcastle paid Bradford City 1.5million for Hamilton and then £8,000 an appearance until the fee topped up to 2million, unfortunately for Des he never hit the big time.

Simpkins started off as first choice left back for Cardiff last season, but got injured and ended up losing his place to Andy Legg. Now that Chris Barker has also joined the Bluebirds it is unlikely that Simpkins will get back into first team contention.

Personally, I think David Hughes should be a regular in the City line up. He joined us for £500,000, but has only made 18 appearances, and perhaps has been treated a bit unfairly. It would be disappointing to see him leave Ninian Park, and again he may be a player to loan out instead of sell.

Andy Jordan has only made 6 starts for the Bluebirds since signing from Bristol City, and has already netted 2 own goals. I doubt very much that he will ever play another game for Cardiff City!

Other players, who could possibly be leaving the Bluebirds include, Leo Fortune-West, Josh Low, Lee Kendall (who is currently on loan with Shrewsbury Town), Gavin Gordon, and Mark Walton.

You have to feel sorry for some of these players, as perhaps they have not been given the chance they deserve, but as now the club has very high expectation and ambition, some of the smaller name players will have to leave.

The last players to leave Ninian Park were Kurt Nogan and Paul Brayson who were released by the club about a month ago.