New signings in the middle of Warnock’s thoughts for Toon tussle
SATURDAY’S defeat at Bournemouth was a harsh lesson in the brutalities of Premier League football.
Having muscled their way to a magnificent, albeit largely unexpected promotion last season, Cardiff City were given a valuable yet unforgiving insight into the standard expected in the top flight.
There were certainly some positives to be taken from the performance on the south coast, but there’s little question that City were largely second best in almost every area, particularly in midfield.
The ability to successful wage war in the middle of the was arguably the cornerstone of Cardiff ’s success in the Championship, but they largely struggled to cope with the tempo set by their hosts.
However, despite missing out on sealing a return for Marko Grujic and Alfred N’Diaye in the summer, boss Neil Warnock has plenty of options available after an otherwise reasonably successful transfer window.
With the Yorkshireman likely to change things around for the visit of Newcastle on Saturday, the dilemma on who to select in midfield is likely to be the most pressing issue. Here’s a closer look at some of the options available...
HARRY ARTER?
ARTER was unavailable for the trip to parent club Bournemouth due to the terms of his loan, but is almost certain to start at Cardiff City Stadium this weekend, and will inject some much-needed Premier League experience in the middle.
A very similar operator to Joe Ralls, the Irishman can play either in the centre of midfield or just in front of the back four and, like the Englishman, his ability to pick out a pass is one of his greatest assets.
In 33 games for the Cherries back in 2016-17 season, Arter notched up a pass success rate of 88.2 per cent in the Premier League, a total that saw him emerge higher than the likes of Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and David Silva.
He lacks the creative flair of those names, but his astronomic work-rate makes him an ideal Warnock player.
On the flip-side, Arter has never looked particularly confident in the air, which means he often risks being bypassed against the more direct sides, plus his discipline has also been a cause for concern at times. Despite only making 11 starts last season, he was booked four times.
Then again, it’s that aggression that may well have perked Warnock’s interest in the first place.
CAMARASA?
ANOTHER loan signing on deadline day, Victor Camarasa, is a name unlikely to be greeted by anything more than a blank face and a shrug by many Cardiff fans. But the signs suggest he has a role to play this season.
Touted as something of a box-tobox midfielder by those who know him best, the 24-year-old is a central midfielder by trade, although he is unlikely to be suited to the deeperlying role.
Those who have watched him often will tell you that he’s got a great ability to hold up the ball, something that was noticeably lacking in the defeat to Bournemouth and subsequently left Cardiff ’s front three feeding off scraps for most of the afternoon.
Not that he’s afraid to have a go at teams. The former Spanish Under-21 international loves to get forward and make things happen, and his positioning means he’s often in the right place at the right time defensively.
Then again, he’s probably not the type of player Warnock can count on when it comes to throwing himself into the tackle, and that could well be a frustration should Cardiff find themselves under any excessive duress.
RALLS AND PATERSON?
ASSUMING that Warnock sticks with his favoured 4-3-3 formation, it would seem that offering Arter and Camarasa a chance to shine would instantly raise questions over Ralls and Callum Paterson, who arguably play similar roles.
Ralls is clearly a highly-trusted member of Warnock’s squad and genuinely deserves a crack at the Premier League, but clearly needed greater protection on Saturday.
Joe Bennett was the only Cardiff player to notch up more touches than the midfielder at the Vitality Stadium, but his pass success rate of 67.6 per cent suggests he was largely bullied in the middle of the park.
There’s also the question of whether Ralls and Arter could actually play in the same midfield given their clear similarities.
Many will argue that it will surely be one or the other come Saturday lunchtime.
Paterson meanwhile made a very good case for keeping his place with a strong performance at Bournemouth, showing glimpses of a decent link-up with Bobby Reid during an otherwise frustrating afternoon.
Like Camarasa, he’s not too strong defensively, a weakness that drove Warnock to move him from full-back into midfield last season.
The former Hearts star is also pretty good at using strength to retain the ball, but his main weakness is his passing. Last season he completed less than half of his attempted passes (48.9 per cent) compared to Camarasa’s 86.8 per cent in La Liga.
But Paterson does have two massive ticks in his column.
Last season he was undeniably one of Cardiff’s main goal threats, popping up with 10 goals and four assists. Camarasa’s best goal tally in comparison is the three he managed at Alaves in 2017.