Cardiff City’s Koumas Promises ‘Better To Come’
Cardiff City midfielder Jason Koumas is yet to produce the sparkling form he is capable of but was boosted by a lengthy substitutes appearance to help build up the match fitness he needs to get his season kick-started. The on-loan Wigan Athletic man wasbrought on after an early injury to Chris Burke, and while he was unable to influence the game heavily, he did contribute and had a large part to play in the fourth, killer goal as his shot was turned in by Seyi Olofinjana.
Fans have been split on whether Koumas should be thrown in, to give him vital match experience, or whether he ought to remain a bit-part player until he can show more influence when coming off the bench. It`s clear he is nowhere near top gear, but he is starting to look more comfortable on the ball.
Speaking after the 4-2 victory over Scunthorpe, Koumas told BBC Sport:
“It`s been a slow start, I`ve missed a lot of football. Before I came here, I`d not kicked a football in 8 months, it`s a long time.”
“The manager knows what he`s doing with me. I`m starting to feel a lot better. I`m getting fitter, stronger and I think in the next few weeks – you`ll see better performances.”
Koumas also has a number of players vying for his favoured position, as we currently have Craig Bellamy and Peter Whittingham available to occupy the wide left (of a 4-4-2) set-up he excelled in during his previous spell with the Bluebirds. An alternative position for Koumas would be as a ball-carrying midfielder as part of a midfield three – however, he will need to build up his fitness further, and improve his overall contribution if he is to win his place.
Koumas is likely to be amongst the substitutes once again on Saturday for the visit of Nottingham Forest. However, should Chris Burke fail to recover from the injury that saw him replaced early on – Koumas, along with Keogh or McPhail (with Whittingham playing wide right) would be a serious contender to deputise.
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