Rivals drawing a blank as transfer window starts to shut 30/01/2011

With Cardiff not playing until Tuesday it was good to see both Q.P.R. and Norwich dropping points Saturday.

Both the Hoops and the Canaries were favourites to take all three points away to Hull and Crystal Palace respectively, but luckily neither managed that as both games ended in 0-0 draws.

Never mind Norwich overtaking Cardiff on the table. It’s only temporary.

Another good thing is that Q.P.R. in particular has a tough schedule with yesterday’s match being followed by a home match against Portsmouth already on Tuesday and then they play away against Reading Friday. I know the players are top trained professional footballers, but three games in under a week is still tough, so let’s hope that fatigue might play a part!

Speaking of Q.P.R., there was a two page article about their Norwegian newcomer Petter Vaagan Moen in Bergens Tidende yesterday. I won’t be surprised if Vaagan Moen’s transfer to Q.P.R. will result in a number of new Norwegian Q.P.R. fans, as the midfielder is very popular in Norway and especially in Bergen. The increased attention given to Q.P.R. and the Championship because of him playing there is already notable. Should Q.P.R. get promoted this season I think the likelihood of a sudden increase in Norwegian youngsters supporting the Rs is even bigger.

According to Bergens Tidende Q.P.R. are also after Brann’s versatile tough guy Rudolph Austin, who I’ve mentioned in one of my previous posts,  and Neil Warnock actually tried to get him on loan recently for the rest of the season. Brann wouldn’t allow that, but Bergens Tidende writes that the Londoners will continue to watch Austin and probably try to buy him in the summer. This according to Austin’s agent. Perhaps Dave Jones and Cardiff should be alerted by this and take a closer look at the Jamaican international? The newspaper story also says that Q.P.R. didn’t want to buy Austin now, as they could not afford it. If someone could explain to me how that can be the case for a money bags team like Q.P.R., then please do!

Danny Drinkwater’s sudden recall to Manchester United last week surprised me, but I guess there’s more to the story than what is publicly known. I’ve seen it suggested that perhaps the limited appearances for Drinkwater lately combined with the loan signings of Aaron Ramsey and Emmanuel Jay-Thomas is what made Sir Alex Ferguson end Drinkwater’s loan at City prematurely, but it could just as well be that Dave Jones and Cardiff was aware that Manchester United considered recalling their young talent and for that very reason went after Ramsey.

After a fine start at Cardiff Drinkwater got injured and after he returned from injury he’s found his chances in the starting eleven limited. In that sense it’s not too surprising that he’s been recalled but I for one wasn’t aware that this so called season long loan even had a clause that enabled Manchester United to cut it short. Although I would have liked to see Drinkwater a part of our squad until May I don’t think him being recalled will have too much on an effect on our promotion hopes.The biggest negative effect for Cardiff might actually be indirect should Drinkwater do well for our promotion rivals Watford who have now secured themselves the midfielder’s services for their remaining 20 Championship games.

I’ve already in an earlier post mentioned how I think the label “star” is misused in the press, and I had to smile when I saw Sky Sport’s headline about Drinkwater:  “United recall star from Cardiff” (sic)! Since when did Drinkwater, who hasn’t played a single game for the Red Devils, become a star? No disrespect to the talented youngster, but I don’t think he would disagree with me that his name doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it that Rooney, Berbatov and Giggs have! Not yet anyway.

Tomorrow is the last day of the January transfer window, so it’ll be interesting to see if there’s going to be any activity involving Cardiff City.

Might there be some desperate last minute offers for Jay Bothroyd, or perhaps someone comes in for out of favour Gavin Rae? And will there be one or two new faces coming in?

Former Bluebirds hero Danny Gabbidon has been mentioned, but I don’t expect it to happen. Gabbidon played the whole of West Ham’s FA Cup fourth round match today, and as long as he’s under contract at Upton Park and  manager Avram Grant says he wants the player to stay on, I don’t see the player’s apparent wish for a transfer to Cardiff materializing this time around.

Another question is whether or not we need another center back after Dekel Keinan was signed,  and if so if Gabbidon is of the quality we want or if he’s too injury prone and a bit over the top of his career.

I’m still going to keep an eye on the all the dealings and wheelings going on during tomorrow though, and the best news I guess would be Q.P.R.’s Adel Taarabt signing for Manchester United!