" Cardiff City's Youngsters Why? "

Joe Mason returns to Cardiff this Sunday from his loan spell at Bolton W.


Mason, Ralls...why have these Bluebirds youngsters not been handed a chance?
Wednesday Apr 09, 2014

BY PAUL EVANS

Our columnist says Cardiff's youth products could have filled vacancies now occupied by talent City have paid top dollar for
Joe Mason showed huge promise for Cardiff City.

When your team performs as ineptly in their biggest match of the season as Cardiff City did on Saturday, then there is so much wrong that it becomes difficult to know where to start commenting on it.

In the days since Saturday people have had plenty of time to air criticism of manager, players, chairman and owner and, in many cases, the points being made are perfectly valid and ones I would fully agree with.

However, I’d like to ask your indulgence as I come at the disaster that was Cardiff City 0 Crystal Palace 3 from a completely different angle. This was prompted by something I saw on the Football League programme after our horror show had been dissected on Match of the Day.

I’m talking in particular about the few seconds given to the Huddersfield v Bolton match which was decided by a superb goal, volleyed in from a corner, by Joe Mason.

For some reason, I thought straight away of a rainy afternoon over two years ago when 2011/12 Championship winners Reading were demolished by a brilliant Cardiff performance.

The Royals were on a fine run at the time, yet they were three goals down in just over half-an-hour and eventually happy to leave with just a 3-1 defeat.

The 20-year-old Mason scored that day and was one of two youngsters who really took the eye in a City display described at the time as the best seen at home in 20 years.

In fact, Manchester City apart, I’d say it was the best seen at Cardiff City Stadium during the Malky Mackay era.




The other youngster to impress that day was 18-year-old Joe Ralls who turned in an astonishingly mature performance in the centre of our midfield.

Ralls tended to fade out of the picture as the weeks went by, but Mason went on to establish himself as one of the best young strikers in the division as he ended the 2011/12 campaign as our most likely provider of goals.

Now, Mason is issuing spasmodic reminders of his talent at Bolton and Ralls is fighting a relegation battle at Yeovil.

So, why have the two of them not been able to maintain the promise of two years ago and play a part in the battle to maintain our Premier League place?

For me, it’s too easy to just say they’re not good enough. The two of them showed two years ago that they could be good enough, but I believe they have become the latest victims of a line of thinking that has been the norm at the club since 2000.

Too often during the past 14 years, when a vacancy has emerged in the team, the thought has been to increase the debt by bringing in expensive new signings rather than using youngsters already at the club.

Another example of this was what we saw at right-back on Saturday – Kevin Theophile-Catherine really struggled against Palace and I found myself asking would we have been better off having Chris Gunter or Adam Matthews there instead? Two players who grew up with the club.

So, yes, the season has been a shambles and, yes, there are plenty of individuals (some no longer at the club) who have to accept their share of the blame for that.

However, I would also argue that an impatience which has seen City chuck money we are not generating around at the drop of a hat is coming to its logical conclusion.

Sadly, the club currently seems as far away from the sense of continuity and clear thinking which marks a proper football team as it has ever been.

I have to agree and disagree. Mason hasn't ever recovered from that injury he suffered last season. I remember him playing a couple of games and he just seemed to play at a constant jogging pace. Was that injury-related or attitude-related? I've always been a fan of Joe and if we go down I'd like to see him involved more. Ralls started well but did fade. He's still very young though and would be worth keeping on our books because I think he'll be a solid Championship player.

Let's face it though. Neither Mason nor Ralls would have made much difference in the Premier League this season.

I have to totally agree with this written by Paul Evans. I guess this is another supporter writing articles for a cash strapped newspaper ? Paul Evans as alias CCMB member.

That's the problem with supporters they get carried away by their love and passion and it overtakes their brain. Evans Brain here clearly forgets the huge gulf between championship and premiership football. Producing youngsters for Premiership level is as easy as shitting gold bars.

Spoke to joe and ralls about a month ago, mason said he was genuinely surprised that he wasn't involved. Ralls not prem standard but I agree that he could of been handed a chance we neither are most the squad.

I have to totally agree with this written by Paul Evans. I guess this is another supporter writing articles for a cash strapped newspaper ? Paul Evans as alias CCMB member.

That's the problem with supporters they get carried away by their love and passion and it overtakes their brain. Evans Brain here clearly forgets the huge gulf between championship and premiership football. Producing youngsters for Premiership level is as easy as shitting gold bars.

Disagree I meant

Spoke to joe and ralls about a month ago, mason said he was genuinely surprised that he wasn't involved. Ralls not prem standard but I agree that he could of been handed a chance we neither are most the squad.

No disrespect fella.... Talking to a football player is rather like talking to bungalow bill

Spoke to joe and ralls about a month ago, mason said he was genuinely surprised that he wasn't involved. Ralls not prem standard but I agree that he could of been handed a chance we neither are most the squad.

No disrespect fella.... Talking to a football player is rather like talking to bungalow bill

Mason is probably best finisher at club. Doesn't say much given the lack of competition but he deserved a chance.

Spoke to joe and ralls about a month ago, mason said he was genuinely surprised that he wasn't involved. Ralls not prem standard but I agree that he could of been handed a chance we neither are most the squad.

No disrespect fella.... Talking to a football player is rather like talking to bungalow bill

Yeah I hear you lad, Ralls doesn't seem surprised as knows he's not ready for that level but Mason thinks he deserved a chance.

I disagree too. The step up in quality in quality from the Championship to the Premiership is huge?

The likes of Ralls and Mason would be way out of their depth, as have many of the squad this season.

Would love to see us ship out a lot of the highly paid fringe players and use Mason, Ralls, Oshijala, Harris, O'Sullivan, John, Wharton et al in our squad next season.

Id say he needs to have a good full season at Championship level first. The last few years Mason has been wasted at Cardiff. He should have been loaned out at the start of the season and for a full season. Also should have been sent out last season as he hardly got a look in.

two very good examples along with Harries of how far off the mark our previous managers thinking was..........all three were bought with the future in mind.......but the future was in the prem surely?????????????..and i doubt very much that any of those three will ever be prem players.....