Where can the take next step
THE transfer window opened at the beginning of this week, meaning clubs up and down the country are poring over potential ins and outs this summer.
On Thursday night, Fulham put paid to Cardiff City’s Premier League dream for another season, so Neil Harris must now prepare his charges for another season in the Championship.
Bluebirds fans will be encouraged by their side’s recent displays and many feel that, with a few tweaks, this could be a team which could really challenge for the automatic spots next term.
Harris, after the Fulham match, spoke of the importance of the upcoming transfer window, emphasising it will be centred around quality over quantity.
“The transfer window is going to be key,” he said. “I don’t want to dampen expectations, but we’re not going to go and sign seven or eight players in the window.
“It’s not about that, it’s about adjusting slightly and a bit of quality that hopefully makes us a better group.”
So, in which areas do Cardiff really need to strengthen to go one better next season? We take a look.
RIGHT-BACK
VERY much the most gaping of holes in this Bluebirds squad.
Following the departures of Lee Peltier, Jazz Richards and Cameron Coxe over the last few months, Cardiff City were left with only Dion Sanderson, the 20-year-old Wolves loanee, as a recognised right-back.
Sanderson started like a train in a City shirt, but a couple of shaky performances came to a head against Fulham at Craven Cottage a couple of weeks back and Harris decided it was time to pull him out of the fire.
When it came to crunch time, Harris opted for the experience of Leandro Bacuna.
In the two legs against Fulham, though, Bacuna, who has been excellent when deployed in midfield this term, showed his limitations as a rightback and it only served to highlight the desperate need to bring in a newcomer.
In fact, Cardiff probably need two. Getting Sanderson back would be seen as a positive for Cardiff, another year’s experience in the Championship would be beneficial for Wolves, too, but City really do need a hardened and experienced player to fill that berth.
Sanderson and A.N. Other would represent a good widow in that department.
PLAYMAKER
AS magnificent as he has been, Lee Tomlin can’t do it all on his own again next season. With his injury travails also a worry, it is uncertain whether he can be relied upon for the entirety of another difficult Championship campaign.
We know Harris tried and failed in his pursuit of a playmaker back in January and he will doubtless be in the market for another this summer.
The creative burden must be shared in that position.
Joe Ralls has stepped in during Tomlin’s absence, but his skill-set is far better utilised at the base of the midfield.
Another playmaker would really bolster the Cardiff attack and provide the likes of Robert Glatzel with yet more quality service as the German finalises his adjustment to the Championship.
A playmaker who can score and assist, which Tomlin has done impeccably this season, to provide competition and bring another option is exactly what this squad needs.
WINGER
CARDIFF looked a far more dangerous prospect with a proven Championship winger such as Albert Adomah in their ranks.
Adomah brought consistency, a 7/10 performance every week, which is difficult to come by in that area of the pitch.
His stay all ended in a bit of an ugly fashion when he was recalled by Nottingham Forest on June 30, but Cardiff had enough to see them through to the rest of the season.
Given Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s lengthy injury lay-offs this season, however, and the few knocks Junior Hoilett picked up along the way, it is an area in which Cardiff need quality in abundance.
Josh Murphy’s form has flickered between white-hot and fizzling out throughout the course of the season and it has been a bone of contention that he just can’t find that consistency. It’s a wonder whether his confidence has just been completely knocked.
Gavin Whyte, a mainstay under Neil Warnock at the start of the campaign, has seen his role reduced to almost to nothing now.
It means the Bluebirds are in desperate need of another consistent, threatening winger, but they, of course, come at a premium.
Someone with a wealth of experience in the second tier would do the trick.
STRIKER
THIS potentially hinges on Danny Ward’s situation.
Omar Bogle has left the club and Isaac Vassell’s injury travails has seen him play less than a handful of games in his debut campaign for the Blue