Premier League exile shows Cardiff City what they are missing
Published:The purchase of Andreas Cornelius may have played a part in the sacking of Malky Mackay at Cardiff City but the decision of his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to sell the big Dane back to former club FC Copenhagen back in January could yet cost him his job.
Signed by the Scot as the man to lead the line for the Bluebirds during their first season in the Premier League, the 21-year-old struggled to adapt, making just eight appearances before being shipped back to FC Copenhagen – the team Cardiff first paid £7.6m to – at a significant loss.
The deal prompted club owner Vincent Tan to criticise Mackay who was accused of being given the funds to buy a Bentley only to return to him with a Toyota – Cornelius.
But while the Dane may has struggled on the Premier League stage, he is already revving fans up back in his homeland where he has hit the ground running in sensational style.
An early hat-trick in a friendly match against Slovan Liberec – his first appearance back at the club – has set the tone for his goalscoring return The Lions’ fold.
A further two goals in three domestic appearances was impressive enough, but it was the second of these strikes, scored in the 1-1 draw with Randers at the weekend, that provided Cardiff and club owner Tan with a glimpse of what they are missing.
Picking up the ball on the left hand edge of the box, Cornelius danced his way past four defenders before slotting home in sensational style to send the home fans delirious.
For Mackay, the goal served as some justification that, had the player been given time to settle, then the money shelled out may have proven a bargain.
As it is, the Dane is likely to go down as a Premier League flop, but as the example of fellow countryman and forgotten Newcastle United forward Jon Dahl-Tomasson shows, failure to make the grade in the English top flight is not the be-all and end-all.
Solskjaer is also 16/1 to be the next manager to leave his post in the English top-flight – let’s hope he doesn’t live to regret the departure of Cornelius.
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