City's perfect combination? Can Chops and Macca play up front in same team? NO says TERRY PHILLIPS.

Byline: TERRY PHILLIPS

I'D love to think Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra can play alongside each other in the same attack.

But it simply won't work.

When both are fit-and that could yet be against Crystal Palace next Saturday-manager Dave Jones will have to work out how he can fit both goalscorers into a team who invariably start with two in attack.

When John Toshack tried to link up Robert Earnshaw and Craig Bellamy for Wales it didn't work.

Neither will McCormack and Chopra unless one of them, probably Chopra, plays alongside Jay Bothroyd when he is fit and the other drops deeper into a midfield area.

McCormack, certainly, disagrees and said during a guest spot on GTFM radio this week: "It's an easy answer - Chops and I can certainly play together."

Chopra describes manager Dave Jones as 'some kind of magician when it comes to strikers.' After all, Jones plucked Chops from Newcastle for pounds 500,000 and sold him to Sunderland for pounds 5m a year later after he had plundered 22 Championship goals.

Then he found McCormack at Motherwell and he came to Cardiff for pounds 125,000 compensation. Today, McCormack is worth a couple of million in the football transfer market.

"Ross has done a fantastic job for Cardiff City," said Chopra. "The manager certainly brings out the best in Ross and I."

Both have far more to their all-round play than simply banging the ball into the opposition net.

McCormack has a great touch, chases back, makes himself available in wide areas plus taking corners, free-kicks and penalties.

Maybe he tries to do too much anyway and should focus on being inside the area whenever the ball is whipped in.

His first touch and half volley to score against Wolves was magnificent.

Chopra loves to drop back and take the ball short from midfield players.

He also runs the channels superbly, better than McCormack, and has an understanding with Stephen McPhail, the playmaker who has missed Chops since he left the Bluebirds.

Add Jay Bothroyd to the mix, although he is a few weeks from being fit again after his hamstring tear, and my feeling is that City could accommodate all three in the same team.

Jones agrees, saying: "They areall highly capable players who can play in more than one position.

"When Ross McCormack played for Scotland it wasn't through the middle. Jay Bothroyd has played wide - and so has Chops.

"Maybe a three-pronged attack would not be a bad way to line up.

But then who would you leave out in midfield? It's great to have competition and have decisions to make."

The biggest love for McCormack and Chopra is playing football and scoring goals. Neither will want to operate in a wide position, but either is capable of doing that.

McCormack and Bothroyd have worked on formingapartnership in attack and that has been growing more and more effective.

"Every relationship takes a few games to settle," says McCormack.

"After three or four games together you could see signs we will be successful partners.

"We will hit it off and understand each others games a lot more."

YES says STEVE TUCKER

WORRYING about whether Michael Chopra can play alongside Ross McCormack is a bit like arguing with Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton over which of them you are going to get off with first - an exercise in pure enjoyment!

The return of Chopra has been greeted with great excitement and salutation in the Welsh capital - and why not?

He is top footballer, a magnificent goal-scorer and a simply fantastic character to have around the place.

After intense criticism of both Peter Ridsdale and Dave Jones I now take it all back and believe they should both be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year.

Give them a Grammy as well while you're at it.

As to whether Chopra and McCormack can play together, the answer has to be: why the hell not?

Unleashing these two livewire, goal-seeking missiles will put the fear of God into any Championship defence and is something Jones should do as soon as the Scot is back from his hamstring injury.

Let's face it, class acts (and that's what these pair are) can adapt and learn to play together.

The old line that a pairing isn't working due to some sort of external factor is usually just an excuse to mask failings within the players themselves.

Chopra and McCormack have very few failings.

Sure they have similarities, the ability to stick the ball in the net being the most welcome one. But they also have very different aspects to their games.

Chopra has got that delightful 'fox in the box' factor so sought after by clubs. Sure, he can come deep and has grabbed some great goals from outside the box.

But by nature he is a predator and superb at operating in the channels.

McCormack has that side to his game too, which is a delightful overlap between them.

But he also has the ability to drift wide at times and cut in from the flanks. If you accept the pair can play together then the only question left is: in what system?

If you like the idea of a target man then you would have to say 4-3-3 with McCormack and Chopra buzzing around Jay Bothroyd supported by a midfield of Stephen McPhail, Gavin Rae and Joe Ledley, depending on your particular likes and dislikes.

Of course the chances of that happening under Dave Jones are just slightly more remote than Russell Brand getting an invite to Andrew Sachs' Christmas party this year.

Cardiff will stick with good old 4-4-2, but the Chopra-McCormack dream-ticket can still thrive under these conditions.

The important factor would be the quality of the distribution to the front-men out of midfield.

If you are going to lump the ball up the pitch then forget about it, although the Bluebirds rarely indulge in this kind of play anyway.

I say stick Chopra at the vanguard, McCormack just behind, give them the right ammunition and then watch the sparks fly.

It is a proven fact Chopra thrives off the service provided by McPhail. He seems to be the only bloke who does, but let's not get churlish about things.

So stick Chopra and McCormack together and watch the goals flow. It would also be great to see them arguing over who would take the free-kicks too, wouldn't it?

NOW HAVE YOUR SAY . . .

Write to Sportsline, South Wales Echo, Six Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1XR, e-mail [e-mail] Or log on to...

CAPTION(S):

TOP SCORER: Ross McCormack has 10 goals this season; CROWD PLEASER: Michael Chopra has the Bluebirds fans roaring with another City goal