Cardiff City Squad Review (11/12): Rudy Gestede

A brief look at the individual contributions of all the major Cardiff City players over the course of the 2011/12 season. The 'rating` as given is not purely based on performance but more the impact that player had compared to what we could realistically have expected at the start of the year and given their own standards and reputation.


15 - Rudy Gestede

renchman Rudy Gestede was signed after impressing in a trial period with the club, earning himself a 1 year deal. Little was known about the striker, but it soon became apparent he was similar to Jay Bothroyd in looks, stature and a languid style. He made an immediate impact, providing Kenny Miller with an excellent assist only minutes after coming on for a debut at West Ham. He continued to feature, mostly from the bench and was somewhat erratic but always caused problems aerially.

Gestede provided a much needed 'alternative option` for the Bluebirds, and had a very impressive header win ratio. Whilst he always caused problems, there wasn`t always an end product and he often struggled with positioning. Though you could say his flicks were sometimes wayward and aimless, there were numerous occasions where no team-mate was near him, or Kenny Miller was being marshalled by several opponents. He was a threat from set-pieces, including the long throws of Gunnarsson but a return of just 2 goals suggest he is not a natural goalscorer.

Gestede was a long shot, but one that had a significant impact over the season, playing far more than most would have anticipated. Simply, we looked better with him on the pitch and Mackay showed his faith by playing the youngster in the Carling Cup final where Agger and Skrtel both struggled in the air against him. Gestede earned a new contract, and will look to continue improving next year. A good find.

Season`s Rating: 6.5/10

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