Well, Cardiff's recruitment structure has undergone something of an overhaul over the last 18 months, with a greater emphasis having been placed on driving up the value of the squad by recruiting more talented young players.
The man now tasked with doing that is Kevin Beadell, who Cardiff prised away from Arsenal's under-23s at the start of the season.
Beadell heads the club's recruitment operation now for the under-18s, under-23s and the first team. It is an impressive appointment and one which club insiders have been really pleased with in recent months.
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Since the summer, Cardiff have brought in nine players and only two - Kieffer Moore and Jonny Williams - have been over the age of 25.
Expect that to change slightly this summer, though, with McCarthy himself eager to put his own views forward. He certainly wants a little more experience within the squad, owing to the fact Junior Hoilett will leave and the contract situations of both Joe Bennett and Sol Bamba are up in the air.
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Meanwhile McCarthy, given his wealth of experience and contacts within the game, has a sizeable say on the targets who he likes based on his experiences of coming across them previously or his trusted network of confidants within the game, much like Neil Warnock would do as evidenced by some of his shrewd free transfers while in the Welsh capital.
That hybrid system, the club hope, will stand them in good stead this summer.
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