Were Cardiff City the keenest listeners to Mark Cooper’s post-match press conference after Forest Green’s defeat to Swindon Town on Saturday?
Rumours started to arise as early as last week that the Championship play-off contenders may be looking to bolster their attacking options with a seven-figure move for Welshman Doidge, 25, and that link has now intensified following Cooper’s recent comments on the alleged diving from his talisman in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat.
Cooper was incensed after Doidge twice went down in the area instead of shooting at goal, as the Green Devils fell back into the League 2 relegation zone thanks to a late goal from Luke Norris at the County Ground.
He commented post-match: “Christian has 17 goals this year and he’s dived, twice, in the box so I am very unhappy with him. He was through on goal and dived, without anyone touching him.
“He chose to fall to the floor when he had chances to score his 18th and 19th goals of the season.”
So could these comments be the clearest indication that Doidge is on his way back to his native Wales?
Well, to further strengthen the argument of his departure, Rovers recently brought striker Reuben Reid into the club in a high profile transfer from League 2 rivals Exeter City.
Cooper insisted before Reid’s debut two weeks ago against Port Vale, a game Reid marked with a match-winning goal, that the 29-year old was brought in to aid the strike-force at the club.
Reid would certainly provide the club with a ready-made replacement for a player that has scored 44 goals from just 77 appearances to date, although Rovers could ill afford to lose their talisman as they fight to avoid an immediate return to the non-league.
But Cooper’s recent comments may tempt the Bluebirds into a bid for League 2’s fifth top scorer, after a mini-slump in form for the Welsh side saw them slip further behind Derby County and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race for automatic promotion.
The Welsh outfit are currently without forwards Danny Ward and Frederic Gounongbe, who have been ruled out with long-term injuries, and Glos Live recently reported that the Bluebirds may be prepared stump up a figure in excess of £1 million to bring Doidge to the club.
Does Doidge want a move away from the Gloucestershire outfit?
And the fact that in less than a year, Doidge could be plying his trade in the Premier League with the Bluebirds, may tempt the striker further to return to his homeland.
He recently told Football League World: “I signed professional when I was 21, so this is my fourth season as a professional.
“I’m still pretty new to it all, but as you said, my age is going up – so I want to push on and play as high as I can.
“Obviously I’ve been in a struggling side this year and chances have been very limited; so it shows that I’ve been pretty ruthless in front of goal this season.
“I’m a very proud Welshman so the all-time goal for me would be to represent my country, something I’d never thought I’d do a few years ago.
“If I can keep scoring goals, hopefully I can push for a Wales call-up.”