Jon Lewis looks at the positives for all concerned in NML’s departure from Cardiff City.
Nathaniel Mendez Laing, the player that disappeared in a swirl of rumours is back. Now working with one of the few managers that will be capable of handling such a situation. But NML’s departure from Cardiff City was no major loss to the club.
The real reason for his contract being terminated has finally come to light. UKDA announced the findings of a breach of The FA Anti-doping Regulations. These findings, which resulted in a second ban in the space of a year, completely justified Cardiff City’s decision to terminate Mendez-Laing’s contract. It also allows the club to come away from the situation with a set of clean hands.
A player whose contract was due to expire in the summer of 2021 was able to be offloaded by the club without a payoff. Rather than having him sat in the stands for the final nine months of his contract, earning thousands of pounds a week to do little more than attend training sessions, a decision was made. His actions had proved a breach of contract. He could no longer remain a part of the club he agreed to joined from Rochdale in May 2017.
Opening season 2017-18
From a playing perspective he always seemed like the kind of player that needed to start games and build into them. Rather than being someone to bring on with 20 minutes to go to turn a game on its head. Very few players begin their careers at a new club and level as successfully he did; scoring four goals in his first four league appearances, and adding another one in a cup game, but that is as far as it went. His final goals for that first season came in the 36th and 38th matches of a successful campaign for the club. Ensuring he played his part and earned a contract extension heading in to the Premier League.
Limited time in the Premier League
Injury blighted the early stages of his debut Premier League season, so questions can be asked whether his struggles upon his return were due to his injury, his ability or the strength of opponents. Again, he managed to make a starting impact in games, especially during victorious visits to the Amex Stadium and Old Trafford. But this time it was too late in the season.
His final impact at Cardiff City was in the aftermath of the sacking of Neil Warnock. Or was it mutually agreed? Laing found himself in a position to impress a new manager and coaching set-up by scoring twice in the first three games under the stewardship of Neil Harris. First, by scoring in the draw away to Charlton as the club came back from 2-0 down to earn the new manager a debut point, and then by scoring the only goal as the team won away to Nottingham Forest.
Nathaniel Mendez Laing and Breach of Contract
When you can whittle a 3 year stint at a football club down to fewer than ten games, you have to ask yourself what kind of loss a player like NML is. The enduring interest around his time at Cardiff City will constantly revolve around a club announcement. On 9th September 2020 it stated in only 27 words that the contact of NML had been terminated.
Of course he will have had an impact in more than the ten or so games that he scored in, contributing key passes, moves and assists in far more fixtures over his 3 years at the club. But he was never going to be a player the club would look to build a squad around moving forward. A player that would have had a pay increase to go with his contract extension upon arrival in the Premier League. The club will have identified him as one of those they would need to accept a lower wage as part of another extension to his contract. Or earmarked him as one to sell on the cheap before leaving for nothing.
Player options increasing
Two days prior to Mendez-Laing’s departure, the club had finalised the loan deal of Sheyi Ojo. This added more competition in the wide areas of attack, alongside Hoilett, Murphy and Whyte. Mendez-Laing would not be seen as versatile enough to move into a central role. Especially at a time when Tomlin and Paterson were active at the club. Any chance in that position would’ve been severely reduced.
As the season has ebbed and flowed under the stewardship of two managerial set-ups. From winning four in a row to keep Neil Harris in a job, to a barren Christmas and New Year resulting in the appointment of Mick McCarthy. And with MM’s best start to a club job, the question to ask is has the NML been missed? Have there been games where fans have said to themselves, “You know who we need, Mendez-Laing, he would’ve changed the game”?
Positives for Cardiff City
If the club are going to lose money on one forward player for a year, they have been wise in doing so on Harry Wilson over Mendez-Laing. Harry Wilson will not be in a Cardiff City shirt next season. What chances Mendez-Laing had at earning a contract extension were slim, based on on-field performances. And became almost non-existent now his repeated off-field indiscretions have come to light.
That breach of contract has resulted in positive outcomes for all parties involved. Cardiff City freed up a portion of the wage bill with immediate effect. Normally they would shell out thousands for someone to sit in the stands. Or face a hefty payout to cancel a contract, if no other club came calling to take the player on loan or on the cheap. For Mendez-Laing he was able to take an extensive break from football. Hopefully, he’ll refocus his efforts, and ensure he has the support network in place to prevent him from continuing down a career threatening path. And he finds himself at Middlesbrough working with the man that led him to the Premier League. They will all harbour ambitions to break into the playoffs come the end of the season
7 May 2018 Jon Candy from Cardiff, Wales, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.