THE MOUNTAIN FACING CARDIFF CITY IN 2021-2022

Following this summer's transfer window City are left with only 13 seasoned first team players, though one of them (Brown) has played virtually all his football in Scotland. Another two due to their injury records (Vassell & Tomlin) will probably have little impact on the season. Our loan player from Wolves (Giles) could be recalled in Jan 22 whilst the rest of our squad is made up of a dozen youngsters.

Better start praying for no injuries and suspensions.

First Teamers: (13)
1. PHILLIPS, Dillon
4. MORRISON, Sean (c)
5. FLINT, Aden
6. VAULKS, Will
7. BACUNA, Leandro
8. RALLS, Joe
10. MOORE, Kieffer
16. NELSON, Curtis
19. COLLINS, James
21. PACK, Marlon
25. SMITHIES, Alex
30. BROWN, Ciaron
38. NG, Perry

Injury Prone: (2)
14. VASSELL, Isaac
17. TOMLIN, Lee

Loan: (1)
26. GILES, Ryan

Youngsters: (12)
2. McGUINNESS, Mark
3. BAGAN, Joel
27. COLWILL, Rubin
28. SANG, Tom
29. HARRIS, Mark
31. RATCLIFFE, George
36. EVANS, Kieron.
37. BOWEN, Sam.
39. DAVIES, Isaak
40. DAVIES, Tom
41. D'ALMEIDA, Tavio
42. DENHAM, Oliver

StT.
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is it possible to do this again but in green

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Originally Posted by delmbox

is it possible to do this again but in green

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I think his other thread was better.

Best squad ever from the youngsters down

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Originally Posted by Steve the Tea

Following this summer's transfer window City are left with only 13 seasoned first team players, though one of them (Brown) has played virtually all his football in Scotland. Another two due to their injury records (Vassell & Tomlin) will probably have little impact on the season. Our loan player from Wolves (Giles) could be recalled in Jan 22 whilst the rest of our squad is made up of a dozen youngsters.

Better start praying for no injuries and suspensions.

First Teamers: (13)
1. PHILLIPS, Dillon
4. MORRISON, Sean (c)
5. FLINT, Aden
6. VAULKS, Will
7. BACUNA, Leandro
8. RALLS, Joe
10. MOORE, Kieffer
16. NELSON, Curtis
19. COLLINS, James
21. PACK, Marlon
25. SMITHIES, Alex
30. BROWN, Ciaron
38. NG, Perry

Injury Prone: (2)
14. VASSELL, Isaac
17. TOMLIN, Lee

Loan: (1)
26. GILES, Ryan

Youngsters: (12)
2. McGUINNESS, Mark
3. BAGAN, Joel
27. COLWILL, Rubin
28. SANG, Tom
29. HARRIS, Mark
31. RATCLIFFE, George
36. EVANS, Kieron.
37. BOWEN, Sam.
39. DAVIES, Isaak
40. DAVIES, Tom
41. D'ALMEIDA, Tavio
42. DENHAM, Oliver

StT.
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To be fair though, at least three, possibly four, of the youngsters are likely to be regulars this season. That is quite interesting and possibly exciting.

Wage bill must be its lowest for ages

We probably have eight high earners and the rest on more manageable contracts.

Although this is complete guesswork.

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Originally Posted by dml1954

To be fair though, at least three, possibly four, of the youngsters are likely to be regulars this season. That is quite interesting and possibly exciting.

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I take your point. Surely these four younger players have talent however are they at a stage where they could play a 46 game season?

Furthermore, as MMc is going with a sweeper system it must be pointed out :

• Bagan is a left back who has not developed the attacking side of his game. There is a world of a difference between playing lb and lwb.
• Sang, I have liked from Day One. It says much for his natural talent that he has done a good job of playing rwb, but to me he has always been an attacking central midfielder, a position we are desperately in need of filling.
• Colwill, has talent, but has yet to play more than 60 mins in any game he has played.
• Harris, in my view has all the hallmarks of an attacker. He runs intelligently off the defender; has a bit of pace and has the ability to get a goal.

Youth needs to be handled carefully. Are CCFC in the position to do so with our squad?

StT.
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Seems like a good balance to me compared to squads from recent years.

This is interesting- how would anyone feel playing in the same team as players earning 40 to 60 times more than themselves? (£400 per week that the youngsters are rumoured to be paid x 40= £16,000).

A qualified anything in work - plumber, builder, doctor, electrician, chemist etc - wouldn’t happily accept this disparity in their wages.

Just pondering ….

Seems to me. The clubs in the championship that are not in immediate financial difficulties are the ones receiving parachute payments but the impact of carrying a high wage bill may limit further outgoings.

I believe the way we have gone about adjusting the balance of the squad is ver thoughtful and will prove sustainable and productive. Including so many younger players whereas in Warnocks time of risk aversion they wouldn’t have got a look in also sends a strong signal to other clubs.

Always provided it doesn’t implode of course.

I remember when a when a young Phil Dwyer made his debit for us, after appearing in the youth team. He immediately became a regular, taking over from Dave Carver, and went on to be our record appearance maker. the only other I can recall have an impact anywhere near that are Joe Ledley and Joe Ralls.

At that time the only other youth team players who played in the first team were John Impey (England youth play), Jimmy McInch, Derek Showers, Nigel Rees, Brian Rees, Alan Couch and Peter Morgan. Only Showers played over 100 games for us. I all competitions the other made the following number of appearances - Impey 30, McInch 16, N Rees 38, B Rees 1, Couch 14 and Morgan 18.

Let's hope our current crop play more games the those.

In the last 10 years a number of youngsters have mad appearances in the 1st team, a lot just in the League Cup or FA Cup. Evans (can't recall his first name, I think he left football and became a doctor). Ibrhahim Farah, Nat Jarvis, Theo Wharton, Tommy O'Sullivan, Deji Oshilaja, Kevin St Luce, Luke Coulson, Tom James, Ben Wilson, Ibrahaim Meite, Cameron Coxe, Shamar Moore, James Waite. Most only played one game.

This season we have already seen McGuinness, Tom Davies, D'Almeida, Denham and Bowen. So let's hope they all develop more than those listed above.

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Originally Posted by cardiff55

I remember when a when a young Phil Dwyer made his debit for us, after appearing in the youth team. He immediately became a regular, taking over from Dave Carver, and went on to be our record appearance maker. the only other I can recall have an impact anywhere near that are Joe Ledley and Joe Ralls.

At that time the only other youth team players who played in the first team were John Impey (England youth play), Jimmy McInch, Derek Showers, Nigel Rees, Brian Rees, Alan Couch and Peter Morgan. Only Showers played over 100 games for us. I all competitions the other made the following number of appearances - Impey 30, McInch 16, N Rees 38, B Rees 1, Couch 14 and Morgan 18.

Let's hope our current crop play more games the those.

In the last 10 years a number of youngsters have mad appearances in the 1st team, a lot just in the League Cup or FA Cup. Evans (can't recall his first name, I think he left football and became a doctor). Ibrhahim Farah, Nat Jarvis, Theo Wharton, Tommy O'Sullivan, Deji Oshilaja, Kevin St Luce, Luke Coulson, Tom James, Ben Wilson, Ibrahaim Meite, Cameron Coxe, Shamar Moore, James Waite. Most only played one game.

This season we have already seen McGuinness, Tom Davies, D'Almeida, Denham and Bowen. So let's hope they all develop more than those listed above.

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If you go back to Dwyer's time and then work forward, you have players such as Brian Attley, David Giles, Peter Sayer, Keith Pontin, Tarki Micallef, Paul Maddy, Linden Jones, Paul Bodin, Jason Perry, Damon Searle, Nathan Blake, Simon Haworth, Scott Young and James Collins who broke into the first team as teenagers in the days before we had an Academy.

Okay, not all of them made the full journey through City's youth ranks, but I think they all played over a hundred Football League matches in their career, I make it six of them played in the First Division/Premier League and the majority of them played for Wales. There are plenty in that list who could have played for the current first team I'm sure and not looked out of place, but somewhere around the time Dave Jones left, the club began to think that teenagers would not be able to cut it in the senior team and it seems to me that the large majority of supporters just accepted it without question.

it's similar at most clubs now, but not as bad as it is at Cardiff where it's felt that there is a degree of risk involved in blooding young players in their early twenties, let alone their teens like all of the players I listed were.

Thinking about it, the new caution seemed to take effect at just about the time when reserve team football (i.e. you could be between ten and fifty and play at that level) made way for Development team football, so it's entirely possible that a plan which was hatched to ease the progress of youth team prospect into first team footballer has ended up holding that development back and allowed what I believe is a myth to develop that you have to be something pretty outstanding to play first team football as a teenager to take hold.

Yes, there's a risk involved in suddenly plucking, say, five players out of age group level football and sticking them all straight into the first team on a long term basis, but the odd one or two every now and then? I don't think so and City's long term history, not the past ten years, backs that view up.

I have read posts on this thread about the suggested progress of City's younger players with interest. All things being considered I'd like those that make the grade to stay at the Club for a decade so we can reap the fruit of the work put in. However unless the Bluebirds invest in a Category One Academy some time soon any youngster of note would be able to be cherry-picked by any PL club for scant financial reward. Until Tan does so, are we not placing our hopes in a basket that could be robbed at will by those at the top of the football food-chain? Yes, it will cost money, but money will have to be spent for us to reap the fruits of our labours.

StT.
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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

somewhere around the time Dave Jones left, the club began to think that teenagers would not be able to cut it in the senior team and it seems to me that the large majority of supporters just accepted it without question.

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I would say it happened during Jones's time with us. I recall you being particularly vocal over the last few years of his reign as manager of preferring experience over youth.

I forgot about Rabbi Matondo. I think he was with us and we got £500k compensation when he went to Man City. Then he was sold for £7m but seems to have disappeared recently.

And Joe Jacobsen and Aron Wildig have had decent careers at lower league level after leaving us too.

You’ve missed Shanka Zimba off the list Steve
He’s had a contract extension a few weeks back - striker ⚽️⚽️

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Originally Posted by Sunnysideup

You’ve missed Shanka Zimba off the list Steve
He’s had a contract extension a few weeks back - striker ⚽️⚽️

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Ta mate. I completely forgot about Chanka Zimba signing his contract to 2024.

StT.
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

If you go back to Dwyer's time and then work forward, you have players such as Brian Attley, David Giles, Peter Sayer, Keith Pontin, Tarki Micallef, Paul Maddy, Linden Jones, Paul Bodin, Jason Perry, Damon Searle, Nathan Blake, Simon Haworth, Scott Young and James Collins who broke into the first team as teenagers in the days before we had an Academy.

Okay, not all of them made the full journey through City's youth ranks, but I think they all played over a hundred Football League matches in their career, I make it six of them played in the First Division/Premier League and the majority of them played for Wales. There are plenty in that list who could have played for the current first team I'm sure and not looked out of place, but somewhere around the time Dave Jones left, the club began to think that teenagers would not be able to cut it in the senior team and it seems to me that the large majority of supporters just accepted it without question.

it's similar at most clubs now, but not as bad as it is at Cardiff where it's felt that there is a degree of risk involved in blooding young players in their early twenties, let alone their teens like all of the players I listed were.

Thinking about it, the new caution seemed to take effect at just about the time when reserve team football (i.e. you could be between ten and fifty and play at that level) made way for Development team football, so it's entirely possible that a plan which was hatched to ease the progress of youth team prospect into first team footballer has ended up holding that development back and allowed what I believe is a myth to develop that you have to be something pretty outstanding to play first team football as a teenager to take hold.

Yes, there's a risk involved in suddenly plucking, say, five players out of age group level football and sticking them all straight into the first team on a long term basis, but the odd one or two every now and then? I don't think so and City's long term history, not the past ten years, backs that view up.

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I guess Lee Jarman is probably up there as well.

comparing ourselves to other championship clubs it is clear that other sides at this level and higher seem to regularly bring players through with a regularity that would seem impossible if you were looking from a Cardiff point of view.

I think it was the start of last season, or the one before a stat came out that 12/24 clubs in the division had at least one player who had come from Reading's academy play for the first team, some with several.
I'm sure they aren't the only ones either who have made room for young players in their sides. We seem to have been very much the exception.