The Cardiff City goal crisis and why this man holds the key to Bluebirds' Premier League fate
Kenneth Zohore has to return - and start scoring goals - if Cardiff are to avoid relegation
Paul Abbandonato
Cardiff City's Kenneth Zohore celebrates his last competitive goal — against Norwich in April (Image: PA)
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Today sees potentially one of the most significant moments of Cardiff City's season - one that could yet determine their Premier League fate.
Sadly, we're not able to bring you news just yet of a new £20million striker being ushered into the Welsh capital to end the Bluebirds' goal drought.
But one who Cardiff rated in that bracket just 16 months ago, when Brighton tried to sign him, does at least return to full training from injury.
Kenneth Zohore's comeback will be dismissed as irrelevant by a section of Cardiff fans, who have already written him off as someone who doesn't try hard enough, isn't interested and can't score goals in the Premier League.
For others, he is the man who holds the key if Neil Warnock's Bluebirds are to avoid relegation in the closing months of the season.
Cardiff's problems in front of goal have been laid bare in recent games.
Just one goal - that Victor Camarasa wonder effort - in their last five matches. They never looked like scoring against rock bottom Huddersfield Town and that is a clear worry.
Victor Camarasa scores against Leicester, a rare Cardiff City goal in recent times (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
On a more positive note, at the other end of the field the Bluebirds have kept three clean sheets in their last four Premier League matches.
Given that foundation, get the other, far more difficult bit right and Cardiff should be fine.
Trouble is, they appear a million miles away from it at the moment.
Callum Paterson is loved by the fans, runs his socks off, is perhaps eclipsed only by Harry Arter as Cardiff's biggest trier. What's not to love?
But Paterson came here as a right-back. His limitations as a striker, where you have to run in behind, hold up play and ideally stretch the defence with pace, have begun to be exposed.
Paterson didn't look fit versus Huddersfield, it's almost as if running himself to a standstill for the cause means he has also run into something of a brick wall for the time being.
Danny Ward, another fans' favourite, has been hit by injury. But for many supporters he's not the answer, either.
Callum Paterson has done better than expected, including this winner v Southampton (Image: PA Wire)
Gary Madine, who Warnock invested so much belief in, has disappeared up to Sheffield without a single Cardiff goal to his name. Rhys Healey appears back in favour, but it's asking an awful lot to go from MK Dons in League Two to scoring in the Premier League.
As for transfer targets, somebody is likely to come in. Emiliano Sala, whoever - but Warnock himself concedes it's something of a gamble because he doesn't know how the ones being chased will fare in the English game.
Warnock also says something else. "I'm not sure, when I look at some of these strikers, if they're better than what we've already got in Zohore."
With the rider - "Provided he is fit."
Therein is the key. Warnock has been exasperated by the calf and thigh issues which have hampered Zohore's progress this season, even questioning the big Dane's pain threshold.
But he's said to be over the worst, is back this morning and could come into consideration for Newcastle at the weekend. If not Zohore will feature at Arsenal on January 29.
This is Zohore's last chance to prove those of us supportive of him are correct in our judgement - that he is Cardiff's best centre-forward option. And by some distance.
At his best, big Ken has everything. Pace, vision, a ferocious shot, aerial ability, link-up play, the ability to challenge defenders with clever runs.
He may not have Paterson's nuisance values, but Cardiff need those other qualities, and goals, if they are to secure the wins that will continue to keep them out of the bottom three.
Zohore has barely played this season, just 36 minutes of football since September and with only three early season starts against Newcastle, Huddersfield and Burnley to his name. He has not bagged a single goal.
So why, given that wretched record, should we pinning so much hope upon him?
The answer to that is because we know what Zohore can do, that's why. Cardiff have started to fire blanks and have to try something.
The pre-Warnock Zohore wouldn't be a loss to anyone. But once he started playing - and shining - it inevitably created a sense of expectation amongst the fan base who wonder why we don't witness more of it.
We need to see again the Kenneth Zohore who destroyed seasoned centre-backs John Terry and James Chester when the Bluebirds ran riot against Aston Villa last season. Terry won't have been given the runaround like that too often during his great career.
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We need to see the Kenneth Zohore who bagged two goals against Leeds.
Or even the one who looked sharp and effective when coming on against Manchester United just before Christmas.
He played almost half an hour that day. One seasoned football observer reckoned Zohore showed more centre-forward quality in just five minutes than anyone else in the season to date.
That, of course, is incredibly harsh on Paterson. But you can only do an emergency job at this level for so many matches, before it catches up with you. Paterson has been stoic and unrelenting in his willingness to battle to the end, but from here on do Cardiff City not need a bit more than that from their centre-forward?
Paterson can still be in the team, played further back, from where his undoubted strengths can help Cardiff anyway.
What a footballer you'd have if you could mix Zohore's raw talent with Paterson's work ethic.
Zohore gave Terry the runaround last season (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
Zohore owes Warnock. The Bluebirds manager tells a fabulous tale of how, when he first took over, the Dane was about to be shipped out on loan to Belgian football.
"I was on the side during a practice game. Suddenly this player just did something down the left, cutting through and racing away at speed. 'Who's he?' I asked.
"When told it was Ken, in that moment I realised he deserved a chance. He got it when we played Wolves. We were losing, had no pace up top, I had nowhere else to turn.
"Ken was a substitute. At half-time I pulled him to one side, said, 'I'm going to send you on. But you've GOT to want to do it yourself. Make the runs, keep making the runs even if the ball doesn't come. Keep going - if not you WILL be heading off to Belgium'."
Neil Warnock has grown frustrated by Kenneth Zohore this season
Warnock says Zohore was brilliant that night, turning the game 2-1 Cardiff's way. It's wrong to say he hasn't looked back since, but Cardiff need a re-run of the scoring streak which saw him bag 11 goals from the end of January onwards during that first season.
Last year, the promotion campaign, there was far too much insonsistency. Promise and effectiveness at times, followed by the lackadaisical.
This season he hasn't had a sustained run. He needs to make sure this is the start and he becomes undroppable.
It's easy to dismiss Zohore. But given Cardiff's plight, and knowing what he is actually capable of, doesn't it make you feel this could be the missing link of the jigsaw?
Of the current front-men, do you want to play centre-forward?
Kenneth Zohore
Rhys Healey
Bobby Reid