Tomlin shows flashes of talent and is Giles a successor to Wilson?
HALFWAY through Cardiff City’s second 60-minute preseason clash with Cambridge United, striker James Collins could be seen sheltering from the blazing Leckwith sun under a sprinkler in one of several attempts to cool down.
Things are heating up in more ways than one in the capital, with preparations for the new season approaching ‘full swing’ territory.
Those reading Mick McCarthy’s latest comments may well have been in need of a little cooling down too.
The Cardiff boss, having already brought four new faces on board, has seemingly ruled out making any further additions before next month’s curtain-raiser with Barnsley.
Social media reacted as expected, and many of City’s more pessimistic fans have seemingly already written the season off.
Mind games? Perhaps. To rule out any further incomings with so long to go in terms of the transfer window is perhaps a little strong.
But the reality of the market cannot be ignored. This is a difficult time to do business for everyone in the second tier at the moment.
Of all the 24 clubs in the Championship, only three have spent more than a million pounds this summer.
That’s not to say it’ll stay like that. It more than likely won’t.
But the market is undeniably stagnant at the moment.
From Cardiff’s point of view, replacing someone as talented and creative as Harry Wilson was going to be difficult anyway.
Players of that calibre aren’t cheap at the best of times. Doing it in this sort of window appears nothing short of monumental.
None of that appears to have dampened the concern from Bluebirds fans over the perceived lack of creativity in this team. Neither has the sight of Lee Tomlin seemingly making some good progress on his return from a long-term injury.
Tomlin showed real flashes of promise on Saturday and clearly has a massive season ahead of him.
But a number 10 is nevertheless high on the wishlist of many fans, with many supporters still unconvinced that the 32-year-old can be relied upon for an entire season.
The playmaker’s injury record suggests they may have a point, but the ferociousness of the pining for a number 10 specifically is perhaps a little odd given that McCarthy hasn’t really played with one for much of his reign.
That said, the concerns over the lack of creative bite are, glancing through the squad, well founded, and Wilson’s presence, whether it’s at number 10 or on the wing, will undeniably be missed. But those worried about how to fill the void of the 24-year-old’s absence will perhaps take some comfort from what they saw during the two 60-minute clashes with Cambridge on Saturday. Well, the second one to be precise.
Ryan Giles arrived with a big reputation on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer. Indeed, it seems competition for his signature was fierce, with Cardiff one of several clubs believed to be keen.
Watching him in action against Cambridge, you could understand why.
As well as striking the post, the wideman provided the cross for Chanka Zimba’s headed equaliser during the second game, and was, overall, a total pain in the backside for the visitors down both channels.
There’s only so much we can gather from a pre-season contest, of course, but this was a really solid start on the promise to get Bluebirds fans out of their seats this season.
In Wilson’s absence, it already feels like he could potentially be a pivotal creative force in this squad.
Capable of playing left-back and left-wing back, it seems likely that we’ll see the 21-year-old playing as high up the pitch as he can.
“He’s a forward player, really,” McCarthy told WalesOnline after Saturday’s game.
“But he’s definitely done that wing-back role.
“His performance up front with his pace and his ability, he created one goal and hit the post, he’s better in a forward position.
“He’s a talented player and I’m delighted we’ve got him.”
With that in mind, one suspects Joel Bagan and Ciaron Brown are the likely contenders for the left-back and left wing-back role, although young Tom Davies may well feel like his hat is at least on the cusp of the ring after a highly accomplished outing.
“Some of the performances from the kids, certainly Tom Davies at leftwing back, were outstanding. I thought he was excellent,” McCarthy continued.
“Some people get a chance and take it. Others get a chance and find it hard. But it was a good performance from him.
“It’s certainly an opportunity for Tom. Bearing in mind Joel Bagan’s our left-back, wing-back whatever you want to call it. Ryan Giles can as I said, can compete for that.
“It would be lovely to have another one. A younger one. One you could put in the team and rely on. And Tom did his chances no harm at all.”
The meteoric rise of Rubin Colwill has already shown what’s possible for Cardiff’s young guns, while the difficulties in the transfer market facing every Championship club this summer means many sides may well have to look inwards for solutions.
For Cardiff, some of these academy stars may never get a better opportunity to shine.