Bluebirds Q&A... why Dion’s doing the business and that top-six fight
OUR Bluebirds man GLEN WILLIAMS invited fans to fire in the questions during a WalesOnline Q&A yesterday. Here are a selection of your questions answered...
Q. Question for the board - what’s the short/medium-term ambition and will they back their manager with funds. Seems like even though we’re in a great position and opportunity we are on a cost-cutting mission. Feels a bit Russell Slade! - Steve Griff Thanks for that, Steve.
Although it’s one for the board I thought I’d stick my two pennyworth in, if that’s OK!
I think this is just going to be the new way, Steve. I thought it before the pandemic and the last four months have served only to reaffirm those thoughts.
The board, rightly, think it lunacy to throw as much money as they did under Neil Warnock for just one season in the Premier League. That is not financially viable whatsoever.
The club’s annual accounts this year confirmed the heavy reliance they have on Vincent Tan and that balance must be redressed somewhat, even though they are incredibly fortunate to have such a wealthy and generous backer.
But that model is just not sustainable.
Having grand designs of being both a successful club on the pitch and growing that success can be done and that is the ultimate goal, I feel.
They want to be a successful club, a Premier League club who stay in that division for years, but they want to be more self-sustaining, too.
They need to be more savvy in the transfer market and they need to invest in the academy to produce their own players.
Spending £5million on a striker or £5m on a handful of promising academy kids who could make you five times that further down the line seems a no-brainer to me. But, of course, that can’t come to the detriment of performances on the field. It’s a fine balance that Neil Harris and his staff have to strike but in the short time he has been here I feel they have made big strides in the right direction.
They are pushing for the play-offs and are beginning to show a pathway to the academy. Don’t be surprised if a few more youngsters are given their chance in the coming months, either.
Q. Thoughts on Dion Sanderson so far? Brilliant cross for Joe Ralls’ goal on the weekend and becoming a key part of the side defensively, too - Reece Chambers
Cheers for the question, Reece.
I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say he has been a revelation since signing on loan back in January.
He took a couple of games to break into the starting side but he has just added that extra edge that was missing in that position.
Given Bruno Manga and Lee Peltier, both of whom are wonderful defenders but not as attack-minded, had occupied those spots of late, I think Cardiff fans are delighted to see a youthful, pacy full-back bombing forward.
He is raw, still, let’s not forget that. In the last two matches he has had a couple of hairy moments, giving the ball away under pressure, but he has the pace and tenacity to hare back after opponents and atone for his errors.
But, you’re right, going forward is where I believe his strengths lie and the thing is, it kind of works perfectly for Harris. Because, starting this mini-season outside the play-offs, he had to go for it, so he was never going to take criticism for being too aggressive in his approach and Sanderson embodies that.
Fans will forgive him the odd defensive error because he makes up for it so much down the other end of the pitch. Has added a real freshness and dynamism.
Q. Are we going to get some new players in when the transfer market opens and will we have money to spend because of this Covid-19? - Lyrical C4
Thanks for the question.
If I’m honest, I don’t think Neil Harris will have oodles of money to spend this summer and I think the chairman Mehmet Dalman has sought to dampen expectations on that front on a number of occasions in recent months.
And, you look at that squad, and there are probably only two areas the Bluebirds need to strengthen – right-back and striker.
I don’t think they really need a great overhaul. But Neil Harris understandably wants to get his own players in and I guess that might see a few more come in.
But I think rather than the tried and tested players we used to see Warnock bringing in, I think there might be a couple plucked from League One or elsewhere, a few more shrewd signings rather than the big, expensive ones.
If City make the Premier League, however, that changes things slightly, more cash will be available and they will have to spend it if they want to compete.
I think cheaper, younger players will be the order if the day in the transfer market, with a great emphasis placed on the youngsters within the academy.
Q. Will Harris be playing younger players towards the end of the season? - Owen Edwards
Thanks, Owen.
As well-intentioned as that question is, I fear it’s a little fanciful, given the situation the Bluebirds find themselves in!
If Cardiff lost their first four games back then 100 per cent, throw the youngsters in, see what they can do, give them some exposure and work on them in the off-season.
But now, it would be a huge call to throw some of these tyros in, this really is the business end of the season.
Interestingly, though, Neil Harris did name check Tom Sang at the weekend, saying he felt the player had been unfortunate to miss out on the two matchday squads against Leeds United and Preston.
There will doubtless be injuries over the course of the coming weeks, though, and Tom Sang, Ntazana Mayembe and Mark Harris, for example, might well be named in the 20-strong squad for a matchday.
However, unless City are 4-0 up with five minutes to play, I fear they will get very few minutes under their belt.
Still, this must all be a very exciting experience for them!
Q. Two wins on a bounce, do you feel the momentum can bring us to a sixth-place finish? - Jensen Do you know what, Jensen, I really do.
I don’t know what it is, and I don’t want to get carried away here, but I feel this break has done Cardiff a world of good.
Any lingering hangover from Premier League relegation is well and truly gone now. Cardiff’s squad is not the youngest, either, and some players had been run into the ground in recent years, Harris cited the likes of Junior Hoilett in that regard.
It’s only two results, of course, but I do genuinely have an optimism, one which wavered a few months back.
Harris having five substitutes to use, too, will benefit City more than most, I think.
I don’t think anyone will be able to match their strength in depth over the coming weeks.
Harris brought on Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Robert Glatzel, Lee Tomlin and Marlon Pack at the weekend. That is some luxury for the manager.
Danny Ward, Aden Flint and Neil Etheridge were waiting on the bench, too. That’s an incredible cavalry. I just don’t want them to slip up against Charlton after two very good performances against excellent teams.