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What a Caulker: Mackay salutes Cardiff signings in dig at owner Tan
MALKY MACKAY launched a thinly-veiled attack on Cardiff owner Vincent Tan by praising his staff for the signings made in the summer – one of whom, the impressive Steven Caulker, netted to win Wales’ first top-flight derby.
Tan sacked head of player recruitment Iain Moody last month, replacing him with a 23-year-old friend of the owner’s son. But Moody helped to secure defender Caulker for £8million from Tottenham in the summer and he scored a corker of a header yesterday to give Cardiff a 1-0 victory against Swansea.
Tan was in the stand, with his manager’s future still uncertain.
Mackay said: “We had done our homework on Caulker. We knew it was going to be a good signing for us, as we did all our summer signings. I was really pleased with the summer haul of players.
Malky Mackay PressConference
“We’ve brought in over 30 players in the last two and a half years. There’s a system attached to that and it’s why we are in the situation we are in right now. The signing of Steven was very much one of the key signings. I couldn’t believe we got him, certainly not for the price we ended up paying. He was very brave to step out of Spurs, walk away from being a squad player there and dropping down to us.
“He did it knowing that it was the best intentions for his football career and not his pocket. That’s huge, and it gives him great credit.”
Caulker has played one game for England, and Mackay said: “He’s 21 years old, and our captain, playing regularly at a high level to a high standard. And he will have a long England career.”
About 200 supporters protested against Tan after the game and a stadium announcement asked them to leave as the lights were turned out on them following the victory.
Mackay added: “I’ve not spoken to the owner yet.
“But what I am delighted about is the performance and the three points for our fans, our staff and our players because they have had a tough three or four weeks to endure.
“For us to come out with a performance like that, it puts smiles on the faces of everyone both in the stadium and the 50,000-odd in Cardiff who watched it at home. It is something that really pleases me.
“We desperately want to make sure that we are here next year in this division because it is fantastic.”
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup said his players were distraught at the defeat. He said: “We had four chances; Cardiff had one. But they took it.
“My players are in the dressing room with heads down at what happened. We know it means so much to everyone. Losing is always a disappointment – but it is even more in these games.”
Laudrup said star striker Michu will miss upcoming games with Kuban Krasnodar and Stoke after picking up an ankle injury, that forced him off.
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