Just got back…..

[Q]

I'm old enough and I think you are as well, to remember seventeen year olds like Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter performing to a perfectly acceptable level during the noughties in the Championship and I'm not sure that things have changed so much in the last fifteen years or so that a clearly talented nineteen year old, as Colwill was last season, has to be treated as if he's not yet ready for first team football.

It's now almost a year since Colwill came on to win a game at Forest by scoring twice - who would someone watching as a neutral have rated as the better young Welsh prospect that afternoon, Colwill or the rather anonymous Brennan Johnson who started the game and was replaced for the last ten minutes?

That's not me saying that Colwill is a better player than Johnson or that the latter plays in a worse team than Colwill does, but it is interesting, and somewhat depressing, to note the different attitude at the two clubs towards a talented young player.

Don’t think there’s anything about age, Ledley and Gunter both seemed more physical than Colwill, however Colwill is more talented and I’d hope to see him more. I just don’t know where and when anymore.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

I'm old enough and I think you are as well, to remember seventeen year olds like Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter performing to a perfectly acceptable level during the noughties in the Championship and I'm not sure that things have changed so much in the last fifteen years or so that a clearly talented nineteen year old, as Colwill was last season, has to be treated as if he's not yet ready for first team football.

It's now almost a year since Colwill came on to win a game at Forest by scoring twice - who would someone watching as a neutral have rated as the better young Welsh prospect that afternoon, Colwill or the rather anonymous Brennan Johnson who started the game and was replaced for the last ten minutes?

That's not me saying that Colwill is a better player than Johnson or that the latter plays in a worse team than Colwill does, but it is interesting, and somewhat depressing, to note the different attitude at the two clubs towards a talented young player.

I'm undecided about Colwill - he hasn't got the quickest pair of feet and doesn't seem too keen to do the boring stuff - chasing back, tackling, etc. He's good footballer but whether he's good enough to be in a Championship starting line up is another thing.

[Jordi Culé]

I'm old enough and I think you are as well, to remember seventeen year olds like Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter performing to a perfectly acceptable level during the noughties in the Championship and I'm not sure that things have changed so much in the last fifteen years or so that a clearly talented nineteen year old, as Colwill was last season, has to be treated as if he's not yet ready for first team football.

It's now almost a year since Colwill came on to win a game at Forest by scoring twice - who would someone watching as a neutral have rated as the better young Welsh prospect that afternoon, Colwill or the rather anonymous Brennan Johnson who started the game and was replaced for the last ten minutes?

That's not me saying that Colwill is a better player than Johnson or that the latter plays in a worse team than Colwill does, but it is interesting, and somewhat depressing, to note the different attitude at the two clubs towards a talented young player.

The attitude of the clubs or is it the attitude of the respective managers?

I don't imagine Steve Cooper not utilising Colwill into a side that sometimes seems bereft of any footballing talent or ability to pass the ball if he was at City?

A bit unfair on Morison perhaps?

[Pearcey3]

Although Morison has praised Colwill in the past, he's hardly talked about him in the same way that, say, the Wales camp have done. However, there's been plenty of critical stuff from our manager concerning the player who may be the most naturally talented we have in first team contention and how he needs to do more when we're out of possession (this week he said Colwill couldn't head the ball for toffee, although, to be fair, it was meant as a joke).

I'd also say that Morison's criticisms are valid to a degree - the manager sets great store on what we do out of possession and it certainly isn't a strong part of Colwill's game, but my view is that, especially last season, beggars cannot be choosers. Colwill was one of very few players we had who, to use the current term, could be called a "difference maker", yet he spent more time on the bench than in the starting eleven under Morison and for a while after Tommy Doyle came in from Man City on loan he wasn't even making the matchday sixteen.

It may be that Colwill will be an automatic choice when he's fit again, but I'd be surprised if that was the case and this goes some of the way to explaining that rumour (and I emphasise it's nothing more than that) about Morison not fancying Colwill.

Shades of John Swift here. Swift didn’t like to tackle or track back and it is noticeable how much more physical we now look in midfield. Yet he could create something out of nothing with a pass.

One thing that does strike me is Colwill is a big lad so he isn’t going to be quick. Does he need to shed some pounds? For the sake of Cardiff and Wales I hope he gets regular game time because he is a natural talent. Colwill was picked out by some of our older and wiser fans as impressive in the April fixture.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Shades of John Swift here. Swift didn’t like to tackle or track back and it is noticeable how much more physical we now look in midfield. Yet he could create something out of nothing with a pass.

One thing that does strike me is Colwill is a big lad so he isn’t going to be quick. Does he need to shed some pounds? For the sake of Cardiff and Wales I hope he gets regular game time because he is a natural talent. Colwill was picked out by some of our older and wiser fans as impressive in the April fixture.

Impressed with Ovie Ejaria for you, looks a real talent.

What's the background story on him then... high earner/lots of suitors/injuries etc?

[Des Parrot]

I'm old enough and I think you are as well, to remember seventeen year olds like Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter performing to a perfectly acceptable level during the noughties in the Championship and I'm not sure that things have changed so much in the last fifteen years or so that a clearly talented nineteen year old, as Colwill was last season, has to be treated as if he's not yet ready for first team football.

It's now almost a year since Colwill came on to win a game at Forest by scoring twice - who would someone watching as a neutral have rated as the better young Welsh prospect that afternoon, Colwill or the rather anonymous Brennan Johnson who started the game and was replaced for the last ten minutes?

That's not me saying that Colwill is a better player than Johnson or that the latter plays in a worse team than Colwill does, but it is interesting, and somewhat depressing, to note the different attitude at the two clubs towards a talented young player.

Excellent post / assessment.

Personally as someone has said above, I don’t know what his position is. Where did he play in the academy?

[Divine Wright]

Although Morison has praised Colwill in the past, he's hardly talked about him in the same way that, say, the Wales camp have done. However, there's been plenty of critical stuff from our manager concerning the player who may be the most naturally talented we have in first team contention and how he needs to do more when we're out of possession (this week he said Colwill couldn't head the ball for toffee, although, to be fair, it was meant as a joke).

I'd also say that Morison's criticisms are valid to a degree - the manager sets great store on what we do out of possession and it certainly isn't a strong part of Colwill's game, but my view is that, especially last season, beggars cannot be choosers. Colwill was one of very few players we had who, to use the current term, could be called a "difference maker", yet he spent more time on the bench than in the starting eleven under Morison and for a while after Tommy Doyle came in from Man City on loan he wasn't even making the matchday sixteen.

It may be that Colwill will be an automatic choice when he's fit again, but I'd be surprised if that was the case and this goes some of the way to explaining that rumour (and I emphasise it's nothing more than that) about Morison not fancying Colwill.

I think Morison subscribes to the Mourinho style of reverse psychology, tough love when it comes to praising his players.

He seems to be more likely to point out the negative, believing this to be more in line with the demands of this league, than encourage with positives.

[the other bob wilson]

Excellent post / assessment.

Personally as someone has said above, I don’t know what his position is. Where did he play in the academy?

It was quite like he is now, he’d play out wide sometimes and central midfield others, but probably it was mostly in the number ten type position. I’m beginning to think he might end up playing in a position I never saw him in as a youth and under 21/23 player - striker.

[Pearcey3]

Impressed with Ovie Ejaria for you, looks a real talent.

What's the background story on him then... high earner/lots of suitors/injuries etc?

Hugely gifted but badly underachieves. We bought him for around £3 million from Liverpool a couple of years ago having spent 1:5 seasons on loan. Great feet but tends to slow the game down or try and do too much but highly talented and when he gets it right he is a joy to watch.

[City123]

Although Morison has praised Colwill in the past, he's hardly talked about him in the same way that, say, the Wales camp have done. However, there's been plenty of critical stuff from our manager concerning the player who may be the most naturally talented we have in first team contention and how he needs to do more when we're out of possession (this week he said Colwill couldn't head the ball for toffee, although, to be fair, it was meant as a joke).

I'd also say that Morison's criticisms are valid to a degree - the manager sets great store on what we do out of possession and it certainly isn't a strong part of Colwill's game, but my view is that, especially last season, beggars cannot be choosers. Colwill was one of very few players we had who, to use the current term, could be called a "difference maker", yet he spent more time on the bench than in the starting eleven under Morison and for a while after Tommy Doyle came in from Man City on loan he wasn't even making the matchday sixteen.

It may be that Colwill will be an automatic choice when he's fit again, but I'd be surprised if that was the case and this goes some of the way to explaining that rumour (and I emphasise it's nothing more than that) about Morison not fancying Colwill.

I think Colwill will be a good indication of how much we've actually changed as a club. The football is better and I think Morison's done well with the signings, but there seems to be an idea amongst some of our fanbase that we've changed completely, I really don't think that's the case. The emphasis is still on physicality and athleticism before technical ability, particularly in midfield.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I'm undecided about Colwill - he hasn't got the quickest pair of feet and doesn't seem too keen to do the boring stuff - chasing back, tackling, etc. He's good footballer but whether he's good enough to be in a Championship starting line up is another thing.

Colwill isn’t quick but his feet are lightening fast. That’s how he walked past Dutch players in the summer.

Re the stuff on Morison not rating him, he was going to get released before Mick came in. Colwill might solve a few of our problems, I would play him as a ten. We don’t have any forward runners in our midfield and we don’t get enough numbers in the box. We play decent football but are relying on a different type of physicality than previously but physicality it still is. We don’t have enough creativity or vision in the final third and we aren’t creating chances. Colwill naturally arrives late into the box and none of the first choice 4 midfielders do that at all. Rather than focus on what he can’t do, and he will get better at that if Morison if half as good a coach as he tells us he is, let’s focus on what he can do.

[dml1954]

Colwill’s got a (convenient?) hamstring injury - there’s a pretty persistent rumour that Morison doesn’t rate him. Isaak Davies has not played any football since he was brought on as a sub in the final game of last season after recovering from a hamstring injury and lasted about ten minutes before going off with another one.

Most of the ‘persistent rumours’ about the club are started by people like you, who post things like the first sentence above which is utter drivel in my opinion and most likely inserted to give yourself publicity for the the blogs about the club that you do, which are similarly based on supposition, rumour and innuendo most of the time.

[City123]

Colwill isn’t quick but his feet are lightening fast. That’s how he walked past Dutch players in the summer.

Re the stuff on Morison not rating him, he was going to get released before Mick came in. Colwill might solve a few of our problems, I would play him as a ten. We don’t have any forward runners in our midfield and we don’t get enough numbers in the box. We play decent football but are relying on a different type of physicality than previously but physicality it still is. We don’t have enough creativity or vision in the final third and we aren’t creating chances. Colwill naturally arrives late into the box and none of the first choice 4 midfielders do that at all. Rather than focus on what he can’t do, and he will get better at that if Morison if half as good a coach as he tells us he is, let’s focus on what he can do.

Mad isn't it? The kid's taken the piss out of some top defenders at international level and yet there's plenty of Cardiff fans saying he isn't ready to take on the likes of Andy Yiadom

[the other bob wilson]

Most of the ‘persistent rumours’ about the club are started by people like you, who post things like the first sentence above which is utter drivel in my opinion and most likely inserted to give yourself publicity for the the blogs about the club that you do, which are similarly based on supposition, rumour and innuendo most of the time.

[TWGL1]

Most of the ‘persistent rumours’ about the club are started by people like you, who post things like the first sentence above which is utter drivel in my opinion and most likely inserted to give yourself publicity for the the blogs about the club that you do, which are similarly based on supposition, rumour and innuendo most of the time.

Wow , bad day is it ?

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Most of the ‘persistent rumours’ about the club are started by people like you, who post things like the first sentence above which is utter drivel in my opinion and most likely inserted to give yourself publicity for the the blogs about the club that you do, which are similarly based on supposition, rumour and innuendo most of the time.

Dear oh Dear