Cardiff City: Is David Marshall staying the best outcome?
The prospect of David Marshall leaving during Cardiff City’s first season in the Premier League would have been deemed a disastrous blow against the prospect of a relegation battle.
Despite facing relegation from the Premier League, Cardiff managed to agree a new four-year deal with Marshall in February 2014. At that point, the contract extension was considered superior to any signing made in the previous transfer window. With 226 games in a Cardiff jersey, it is clear to see why fans are reluctant to see their current longest serving player, goalkeeper and captain leave – regardless of the fee, a view ideal to hold two years ago when the club were mounting a survival campaign in England’s top division of football.
Two seasons on and the mind-set has altered within the Cardiff City Stadium after last seasons Premier League hangover where the majority of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s silky passing footballers failed to deal with the battling dimensions of the Championship and this season the transfer targets have been those with experience with the battle required to survive and compete.
Since the Premier League operation, Cardiff’s highest point of achievement, it is clear to see that as well as on the pitch both owner Vincent Tan and chairman Mehmet Dalman have a different vision; a different strategy for the club behind the scenes. The appointment of Russell Slade is a key factor in this approach with his ‘wheeling and dealing’ methodology adhering to the board’s new vision.
In the build up to promotion from the Championship in 2012/2013 season Cardiff spent around £9milion on incoming transfers, in the 2013/2014 Premier League campaign that figure quadrupled to £36million and even after relegation, the board still spent £13million for an immediate return to the Premier league. Compared with Russell Slade’s tenure, who hasn’t hit £1million yet based on confirmed transfers, it is clear to see the club is trying to stabilise it’s financial activity whilst rebuilding the squad before attempting another promotion push.
This is where the thought of £6million for captain Marshall has to be considered a realistic and beneficial amount to accept for the club. In terms of profit, Cardiff paid only £500,000 in 2009 for the then-Norwich shot stopper and after 226 games incorporating a record of play-off final defeats, eventual promotion to the Premier League, relegation the year after; still being named the goalkeeper in the Premier League Team of the Year in the same season and receiving an international call up and subsequent debut; it’s admissible to accept that Cardiff have had their ‘money’s worth’ out of Marshall who deserves to still be playing in the top division.
The man himself has been very quiet during the speculation surrounding him and has shown the club and its fans a great deal of respect by keeping any negotiations behind closed doors. As one of the best goalkeepers in the division the transfer amount is speculated as being between £5million and £6million, a fee the club have set against him due to his string of successful seasons between the posts for Cardiff.
As much as he has become a legend amongst the Bluebirds supporters the time is right to allow Marshall to leave and utilise the transfer money to rebuild the squad in the areas that need enhancing, at this level his valuation will only decrease as he advances into his thirties. Simon Moore has impressed in his last couple of matches since his blunder against Fulham on the opening day of the season and could be a solid replacement for Marshall should he go, with the experienced Joe Lewis and 23-year-old Ben Wilson who has impressed, could also compete for the number one jersey.
