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For me, one of the stranger elements of the Erol Bulut debate is the claim by some of his most fervent supporters that he has been working on a small budget with a squad of players he's effectively inherited. The suggestion seems to be that the manager can't be held responsible for the performances of a squad he didn't put together.
In fact, the club has made no less than fourteen signings since Bulut took over, while four more players have been given new contracts. Indeed, the starting eleven for the woeful defeat at Swansea a few weeks ago included nine Bulut signings and two players he's rewarded with extended contracts.
Bulut was appointed as Cardiff City manager on 03/06/2023. These are the signings the club has made since then, along with Bulut's comments about each player when they arrived:
04/07/2023 - Ike Ugbo (Troyes, season-long loan)
"Iké has shown what he can do over the last three years. When he was in Belgium he scored a lot of goals, and he did some very good things with Troyes as well. In 1v1 situations, he is really good in the box. His heading and finishing is also good. These are things that we need, because we know that last season the team did not score enough goals. We have signed him early, so he will have a pre-season with us. I think having a pre-season will bring a lot of positive things for him."
05/07/2023 - Dimitrios Goutas (Sivasspor, two-year contract)
“Dimitri has a lot of experience. He has played for Olympiacos and the Greek national team, and he had two good seasons in Turkey with Sivasspor. He can organise from the back and he is a good size for the Championship. He also has good speed, so I think he will be a very useful player for our style. He is one of those people who is really dangerous in the air and can score goals from set pieces, which will be very good for us.”
07/07/2023 - Yakou Meite (Reading, two-year contract)
"This is a great signing for us. He will help us a lot with his power and speed. We are really very satisfied that he’s signed for us. He has played the last five or six years in the Championship, so he knows the league very well. He knows how to score goals, which is very important for us. It will take a little bit of time, but it’s good that he’s come here with one month to go until the league begins. We will get him ready for then."
15/07/2023 - Karlan Grant (West Brom, season-long loan)
"Karlan will bring goals, speed and work rate to this team. He works hard on the pitch, not just offensively but in defence as well. Now we have a few players like Karlan who can play in different positions. He can play as a winger, but we can also use him as a striker and a second striker. I am very excited and happy that we have these attacking players. All of them are good goalscorers and playmakers who can make assists. They can win games and change the table by getting results for us."
15/07/2023 - Aaron Ramsey (Nice, two-year contract)
“Aaron has had a great career in the Premier League, then Italy and France, and now back home in Cardiff. I hope his last years with us will be great too, and I hope we can make our dreams come true.”
01/08/2023 - Josh Bowler (Nottingham Forest, season-long loan)
“Two years ago, Josh was one of the best wingers in the Championship. We’re excited he’s here. He’s a good worker, with a great left-foot, who will bring goals and assists to our side. We now have a variety of possibilities across our front line. They will all bring something different and offer us more creativity this season.”
18/08/2023 - Runar Runarsson (Arsenal, season-long loan)
“I know Alex from Alanyaspor, when he was on loan there. We could see on the field that when he had the ball, he was really good with his feet, he can play out with the ball and that’s what I want. He is also really quick, has good reactions and is good under crosses. I think he will help us a lot. Whoever gives the best performance for us out of our three goalkeepers will stay in goal and will be starting. Mario Galinović knows him from Turkey and he likes him as well. We tried to find the best that was available to us and I think we’ve done that.”
18/08/2023 - Manolis Siopis (Trabzonspor, three-year contract)
“Normally, a player like Manolis, when you try to take him, you can’t take him. It’s really difficult to get a player like this. I brought him to Alanyaspor and he took a really big step to Trabzonspor. When we saw that he became available, we contacted him and we have a really good relationship. He’s a fighter who will work hard for the team. The fans will like him and in the last few years, he has increased his technical skills with the ball.”
01/09/2023 - Jonathan Panzo (Nottingham Forest, season-long loan)
"I'm pleased that Jonathan has agreed to join. He's going to bring extra stability to our defence. He had a very good season with Coventry City last year and already has great experience of this league. He's a left-sided centre-back, which gives us something we needed. It's a very good signing for us."
30/01/2024 - Nat Phillips (Liverpool, half-season loan)
“Everybody knows Nat from his time in the Championship with Bournemouth, and also with Liverpool. He brings a lot of experience with him. He will help us a lot in the defensive shape, and also in our attacking shape to have better build-up from the back. He is good on the ball and is a big addition to our squad.”
31/01/2024 - Famara Diedhiou (Granada, half-season loan)
“Famara is a good striker and the good thing is he knows the league. He played for Bristol City for four years and scored more than 50 goals there in all competitions. The players around him are also important, but I know him from Turkey when he was with Alanyaspor. He wants to show himself again and I hope he can do that with Cardiff City until the end of the season.”
01/02/2024 - Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest, three and a half-year contract)
“He is an international player with USA and got promoted from the Championship with Luton Town and Nottingham Forest. He knows the league and that is important for a goalkeeper. Right now, with Jak Alnwick and Horvath, we have two great goalkeepers. It’s important, you can not only have loan players. You have to sign permanent players. I think the next few years, the goal is safe here at Cardiff City.”
01/02/2024 - David Turnbull (Celtic, three and a half-year contract)
"I see a lot of quality. He is a good age, he played the last three seasons with Celtic, scored and assisted many goals. This is what we need in our midfield. He is creative in the offensive shape and he can finalise attacks. We now have good options and not the same styles. We have defensive midfielders and also have more creativity. In the second half, when we want to change, we can now change a few players and have the same level.”
01/02/2024 - Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Manchester City, season-long loan)
"As a full-back, a wing-back and a winger, he can add a lot of things. He gives us flexibility, that's important. I spoke to him about what kind of style we play and where I see him as a player, not only as a left-back, but also as a winger. For Reims, I was watching, he was also playing as a number eight, he did quite well in that position. It's good that he is flexible."
Meanwhile, these are the four players Bulut has awarded new contracts to:
Perry Ng – given a two-year contract extension on 24/08/2023 (expires summer 2026)
Ryan Wintle – given a two-year contract extension on 04/08/2023 (expires summer 2026)
Ollie Tanner – given a three-year contract extension on 05/10/2023 (expires summer 2027)
Joe Ralls – given a one -year contract extension on 11/03/2024 (expires summer 2025)
In fact, the club has made no less than fourteen signings since Bulut took over, while four more players have been given new contracts. Indeed, the starting eleven for the woeful defeat at Swansea a few weeks ago included nine Bulut signings and two players he's rewarded with extended contracts.
Bulut was appointed as Cardiff City manager on 03/06/2023. These are the signings the club has made since then, along with Bulut's comments about each player when they arrived:
04/07/2023 - Ike Ugbo (Troyes, season-long loan)
"Iké has shown what he can do over the last three years. When he was in Belgium he scored a lot of goals, and he did some very good things with Troyes as well. In 1v1 situations, he is really good in the box. His heading and finishing is also good. These are things that we need, because we know that last season the team did not score enough goals. We have signed him early, so he will have a pre-season with us. I think having a pre-season will bring a lot of positive things for him."
05/07/2023 - Dimitrios Goutas (Sivasspor, two-year contract)
“Dimitri has a lot of experience. He has played for Olympiacos and the Greek national team, and he had two good seasons in Turkey with Sivasspor. He can organise from the back and he is a good size for the Championship. He also has good speed, so I think he will be a very useful player for our style. He is one of those people who is really dangerous in the air and can score goals from set pieces, which will be very good for us.”
07/07/2023 - Yakou Meite (Reading, two-year contract)
"This is a great signing for us. He will help us a lot with his power and speed. We are really very satisfied that he’s signed for us. He has played the last five or six years in the Championship, so he knows the league very well. He knows how to score goals, which is very important for us. It will take a little bit of time, but it’s good that he’s come here with one month to go until the league begins. We will get him ready for then."
15/07/2023 - Karlan Grant (West Brom, season-long loan)
"Karlan will bring goals, speed and work rate to this team. He works hard on the pitch, not just offensively but in defence as well. Now we have a few players like Karlan who can play in different positions. He can play as a winger, but we can also use him as a striker and a second striker. I am very excited and happy that we have these attacking players. All of them are good goalscorers and playmakers who can make assists. They can win games and change the table by getting results for us."
15/07/2023 - Aaron Ramsey (Nice, two-year contract)
“Aaron has had a great career in the Premier League, then Italy and France, and now back home in Cardiff. I hope his last years with us will be great too, and I hope we can make our dreams come true.”
01/08/2023 - Josh Bowler (Nottingham Forest, season-long loan)
“Two years ago, Josh was one of the best wingers in the Championship. We’re excited he’s here. He’s a good worker, with a great left-foot, who will bring goals and assists to our side. We now have a variety of possibilities across our front line. They will all bring something different and offer us more creativity this season.”
18/08/2023 - Runar Runarsson (Arsenal, season-long loan)
“I know Alex from Alanyaspor, when he was on loan there. We could see on the field that when he had the ball, he was really good with his feet, he can play out with the ball and that’s what I want. He is also really quick, has good reactions and is good under crosses. I think he will help us a lot. Whoever gives the best performance for us out of our three goalkeepers will stay in goal and will be starting. Mario Galinović knows him from Turkey and he likes him as well. We tried to find the best that was available to us and I think we’ve done that.”
18/08/2023 - Manolis Siopis (Trabzonspor, three-year contract)
“Normally, a player like Manolis, when you try to take him, you can’t take him. It’s really difficult to get a player like this. I brought him to Alanyaspor and he took a really big step to Trabzonspor. When we saw that he became available, we contacted him and we have a really good relationship. He’s a fighter who will work hard for the team. The fans will like him and in the last few years, he has increased his technical skills with the ball.”
01/09/2023 - Jonathan Panzo (Nottingham Forest, season-long loan)
"I'm pleased that Jonathan has agreed to join. He's going to bring extra stability to our defence. He had a very good season with Coventry City last year and already has great experience of this league. He's a left-sided centre-back, which gives us something we needed. It's a very good signing for us."
30/01/2024 - Nat Phillips (Liverpool, half-season loan)
“Everybody knows Nat from his time in the Championship with Bournemouth, and also with Liverpool. He brings a lot of experience with him. He will help us a lot in the defensive shape, and also in our attacking shape to have better build-up from the back. He is good on the ball and is a big addition to our squad.”
31/01/2024 - Famara Diedhiou (Granada, half-season loan)
“Famara is a good striker and the good thing is he knows the league. He played for Bristol City for four years and scored more than 50 goals there in all competitions. The players around him are also important, but I know him from Turkey when he was with Alanyaspor. He wants to show himself again and I hope he can do that with Cardiff City until the end of the season.”
01/02/2024 - Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest, three and a half-year contract)
“He is an international player with USA and got promoted from the Championship with Luton Town and Nottingham Forest. He knows the league and that is important for a goalkeeper. Right now, with Jak Alnwick and Horvath, we have two great goalkeepers. It’s important, you can not only have loan players. You have to sign permanent players. I think the next few years, the goal is safe here at Cardiff City.”
01/02/2024 - David Turnbull (Celtic, three and a half-year contract)
"I see a lot of quality. He is a good age, he played the last three seasons with Celtic, scored and assisted many goals. This is what we need in our midfield. He is creative in the offensive shape and he can finalise attacks. We now have good options and not the same styles. We have defensive midfielders and also have more creativity. In the second half, when we want to change, we can now change a few players and have the same level.”
01/02/2024 - Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Manchester City, season-long loan)
"As a full-back, a wing-back and a winger, he can add a lot of things. He gives us flexibility, that's important. I spoke to him about what kind of style we play and where I see him as a player, not only as a left-back, but also as a winger. For Reims, I was watching, he was also playing as a number eight, he did quite well in that position. It's good that he is flexible."
Meanwhile, these are the four players Bulut has awarded new contracts to:
Perry Ng – given a two-year contract extension on 24/08/2023 (expires summer 2026)
Ryan Wintle – given a two-year contract extension on 04/08/2023 (expires summer 2026)
Ollie Tanner – given a three-year contract extension on 05/10/2023 (expires summer 2027)
Joe Ralls – given a one -year contract extension on 11/03/2024 (expires summer 2025)
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