Cardiff City, slowly but steadily, are stabilising themselves under the tutelage of Neil Warnock in the Championship. Although the play-off spots are still a distant dream for the Bluebirds, Warnock is arguably creating a core team by minimising their loopholes in every aspect and is has to be noted that they are getting back to a decent run of form. In his pursuit, he is also aiming to strengthen his goalkeeping slot.
Someone with galvanising experience is sought after by him as he is yet to find the no. 1 stopper for his side. In one of the latest reports, Allan McGregor is the goalkeeper he has his sights on. Cardiff City have been leaking goals this season and thus, the position remains of paramount importance.
The 34-year old Hull City goalkeeper has fallen behind in the pecking order for the Tigers. Despite being their go-to man between the posts for many seasons prior to this one, but Marco Silva has trusted Eldin Jakupovic after taking over the managerial reins and this has reduced McGregor to the stature of a complete outcast at the KCOM Stadium.
As a matter of fact, Silva hasn’t handed a single league appearance to Scottish international so far this season, and it looks highly unlikely that he will be upped from the status of a deputy to Jakupovic for the remaining matches as well.
David Marshall, prior to his move to Hull City last summer, was Cardiff City’s no. 1 and after his departure, there have been a lot of woes with respect to the goalkeeping slot. The statistic that Cardiff City have managed to bag just a couple of clean sheets in 14 games after Warnock took the charges is indeed a morale dampening one and speaks volumes of the flaws at the back. Thus, one might believe that Warnock worry is quite a justifiable one at the onset.
McGregor has the experience of plying his trade at the top tier and thus, a loan move with a view of making it permanent, can solve the dilemma. He has had 12 clean sheets from 56 appearances in the Premier League and ticks a lot of criteria of a very decent goalkeeper.
It was his injury that cast shadows on his worth, though one might share the view that he still has a couple of years, at least, of being the guardian at the back and if Warnock successfully negotiates the deal, it will be a win-win situation for all the parties concerned.
