Scapegoat bites back

Outcast after the high-profile acquisitions of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Fowler, two high-mileage Premier League veterans, Thompson's plight was compounded by a spate of bizarre injuries that would put a hypochondriac to shame. To say he is accident prone is to suggest Evel Knievel liked an adrenaline rush.

His return has coincided with a much-needed upturn in form for Cardiff. Four goals in his last six outings have re-established his cult status among a support who are more appreciative of Thompson's unquestionable endeavour than the manager who has been deliberately oblivious to the prodigal son's return.

Matters came to a head this week when Jones credited the medical staff for Thompson's prominence and naughtily sidestepped the player's future at the club by stating he had not asked to be removed from the transfer list. Thompson has had enough. Having exceeded his limit of pent-up frustration - he refuses to speak to a local media he perceives to be unbalanced in their coverage of a simmering feud - he revealed to The Herald the grim extent of the dysfunctional relationship with Jones, the constant lack of support and encouragement shown and his utter determination to succeed in Cardiff in spite of the irreparable breakdown.

"It is a battle of wills at the moment," he conceded. "I really did burst my balls to get back fit again, yet I read him in the papers saying I am fitter than I have ever been and that it is a testament to the Cardiff staff. The physios have had a lot of input and kept my spirits up throughout it all but I feel I deserve some praise for doing the work.

"I have shown character to overcome everything that has gone on and that character has helped me get back into the team and score goals. I just found that statement odd - it is as if he is loath to praise me even though he has found it necessary to bring me back.

"We rarely speak to each other but we have a working relationship. He said I have not asked to come off the transfer list. I never asked to be put on it in the first place, so how can I request that I come off it?"

Thompson won instant acceptance after his £1m transfer when he and Michael Chopra propelled Cardiff to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship. But promotion hopes were dashed after a calamitous spree of defeats in the second half of the season. As morale began to wilt, Thompson found himself with an undeservedly large share of blame. He was publicly criticised for his lack of goals and then matter-of-factly put up for sale.

"I was in a dark place after that: there were times when I went out on the pitch knowing there was no chance I was going to score," he said, frankly. "That is not a good place to be for a striker but that's how I felt. I felt I was being made scapegoat for our promotion challenge faltering.

"I was convinced that I would never play for Cardiff again. My confidence had gone. We were flying at the start of the season but it all went pear-shaped. Nobody else played that well after Christmas but it seemed it was me the criticism was focusing on from the manager."

Having sliced through a tendon in his hand while chopping an apple, Thompson's misery deepened when he ripped a groin muscle riding a banana boat on holiday. It was a fresh take on the government's five-a-day recommendation but Jones refused to see the funny side of Thompson's fruity misfortune.

Instead, he made the 28-year-old an outcast. Only when his summer signings misfired and the pressure on his position intensified did Jones take the drastic action of summoning the Scotland internationalist. In these circumstances, it would be impossible for anyone not to crow but Thompson retains his dignity throughout the spat.

"There is an element of proving him wrong with every goal I score," he admitted. "It is not spite, it is added incentive and motivation."

But for how much longer?

This week, Jones insisted there has been no interest in the player from elsewhere despite his goal glut and his availability. Preston North End and Crystal Palace, suitors in the summer before his accident, are expected to return in January.

Thompson has no desire to leave on any terms other than his own. His wife, Joanne, is expecting their second child and, Jones aside, he is content with life in Penarth. "How I feel about Dave Jones as a person and a man is irrelevant," he said. "What I will say is that I have a contract at Cardiff and an obligation to help them into the play-offs.

"I want the fans to know that while we may not see eye-to-eye, I will be nothing less than professional in what I do to help this club. The fans have been really supportive, even after he publicly criticised me before the end of last season, which served no productive purpose at all.

"When Robbie went through a spell of not scoring the manager defended him - rightly - by saying he is not getting the service. When I went through my barren spell, I do not remember getting the same backing. It is disappointing but I won't let it dishearten me any more."

The smart money is on Thompson seeing Jones off the premises. The manager will not survive a third season without promotion, especially after investing heavily. Thompson will cast aside personal differences to reignite Cardiff's challenge. He will do so without expectation of gratitude from his manager.

"There is a massive part of me doing this for myself. I have no choice but to think like that because I am on the transfer list," he said.

"If something happens in January that does not suit me, the transfer list will be irrelevant because I will not leave. My relationship with Dave Jones is not going to be a factor and I will not allow outside influences to affect me an longer."