New-boy Smith yet to get shot at Cardiff

FIVE games have passed since Brad Smith signed on the dotted line for Cardiff City and he is still yet to feature in a match-day squad, writes Glen Williams.

With just 12 games remaining in the campaign, fans, and the player, must be left scratching their heads.

After all, why bring a Premier League left-back in on loan for the second half of the season if you are not going to play him? Were there not more pressing areas of the squad which needed bolstering?

Joe Bennett has had a lot of game-time this season and while he has enjoyed an upsurge in form since Christmas, it is fair to say this slog of a Championship campaign will take its toll on even the fittest of players.

In fact, no Bluebirds player has played more minutes than Bennett this season. The leftback has a hefty 3,019 minutes under his belt this term, almost 500 more than the next mostused player, Aden Flint.

It is only natural he will have become jaded by this marathon season and that was the very reason Smith was brought in last month.

It went slightly under the radar when Neil Harris dismissed Smith’s chances of playing against Reading the day after signing, deeming him unready owing to his lack of game-time since rejoining the Cherries in November following his stint at Seattle Sounders.

But then the Luton Town game passed, then the Huddersfield match, then Wigan Athletic and then Stoke City. There was still no sign of him.

So, is there more than meets the eye?

When he joined there were 17 games left in the season, now there are only 12. He has precious little time to make an impression, if he gets the opportunity at all, that is.

“Brad has worked extremely hard to get up to speed,” Harris said last week ahead of the Stoke City clash.

“It’s not just fitness-wise, it’s building up an understanding of the way we play, combinations with wide players and centre halves around them, getting to know the group culturally.

“They (Smith and Dion Sanderson) have trained really well and they are really, really good lads. They have definitely improved us as a group.

“When their opportunity arises, we really look forward to seeing them in a Cardiff City shirt.”