Nathaniel Mendez-Laing provided a burst of energy and pace when coming on against Burton Albion so could he be a key alternative in Cardiff City’s bid for promotion?
The 25 year-old former Rochdale and Peterborough winger was excellent in the second-half when coming on against Burton Albion and his directness and tenacity helped the Bluebirds to a 1-0 victory at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.
Laing was a constant menace for the Brewers defence and every time he received the ball out wide, he looked to create something - and this is something Neil Warnock was definitely missing in the first-half, with Nigel Clough’s side taking the initiative and being by far the better side.
The Bluebirds were almost unrecognisable from the first-half performance. Another substitute in the form of box-to-box midfielder Loic Damour also impressed during the second-half.
But it was Mendez-Laing who caused experienced full-back Stephen Warnock the most problems and his pace and power proved to be overwhelming for the former Villa man at times.
Eventually Neil Warnock’s men prevailed, with a moment of genius from Kenneth Zohore, who buried his 20-yard effort into Stephen Bywater’s right-hand corner.
But there is no doubt that Mendez-Laing presence and his fresh legs from the bench in the second half changed the game.
If Laing can produce performances like he did on Saturday on a regular basis, he will have a fantastic opportunity of becoming a starter in Warnock’s XI, and could definitely be the perfect alternative in the Bluebirds’ bid for promotion this season.
Before his introduction, Cardiff looked rusty and were lacking any kind of creativity but his determination and hunger for the game was just as important as Zohore’s winning goal.
He may have been signed as a back-up player, but he could prove to be a fantastic option and even a game changer this season for the Bluebirds.
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