' SEAN MORRISON '

" SEAN MORRISON "

Sean Morrison embodies everything that's right about Cardiff City's Premier League chase
Morrison goal double at Hull set up a promotion decider and he should be Cardiff City Player of the Year

By Paul Abbandonato


Monday 30th April 2018


The term Captain Marvel is a ridiculously overused cliché in sport.

In the case of Sean Morrison and Cardiff City, never have the words proven more appropriate.

He embodies everything that is right about the Premier League chasing Bluebirds right at this moment in time.

Courageous, strong-willed, committed to the cause, passionate, a link between the dressing room and the Bluebirds' fanatical supporters.

Chuck in a couple of goals to win the crunch game at Hull — to put Cardiff on the promotion brink — and words can't really properly explain how important Morrison has been to the cause.

The first was a trademark Morrison header from a corner. The second, a lightning 60-yard dash up the field to keep pace with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, followed by a cut inside and sublime finish, was one Mo Salah would have been proud of.

What on earth were you doing up there Sean, in the 80th minute of the match with the Bluebirds needing to defend a slender one goal lead?

Morrison probably wondered himself. The answer, however, was leading from the front again in every sense to settle fingernail-biting promotion nerves.

This was a must-win game for the Bluebirds to hold off the threat from Fulham. Morrison, who else, was the man who won it for them.

What made it even more poignant was that just four days earlier, promotion again on the line, Morrison had erred twice to let Cameron Jerome score for Derby. After the second of those mistakes, down on his haunches on the turf, he looked visibly distraught.


Had this just cost the Bluebirds their Premier League dream?

There are two things to say in response. The first is that Morrison has been so excellent this season, nobody was hanging him out to dry. Jerome simply got the better of him on the night. End of. That won't be happening again should the two clash once more in the play-offs. No chance.


... then the second

The second point to make is that because of Morrison, it is more likely Cardiff will go up automatically anyway. Lesser men would have crumbled in the wake of what happened at Derby, their confidence shattered.

Not Captain Marvel. Hull was an instant opportunity to right the Pride Park wrongs. How he responded to that challenge.

Morrison is made of sterner stuff than to just suddenly go into his shell. That is why he is the perfect captain for Neil Warnock.

Those two, and Bluebirds fans, just fit together like a glove. Warnock always seems to be ready to take on authority, an us against the world type mentality. That mantra helps drive the dressing room to the very success Cardiff are enjoying at the moment.

Cardiff supporters buy into that ethos too and Morrison is exactly the kind of warrior they have loved down the years. Like Phil Dwyer, Don Murray, Phil Stant or Kevin McNaughton.



Not the most aesthetic of footballers, no frills, but talk about guts. Cardiff fans empathise with that roll your sleeves up, come and have a go if you're hard enough, mentality.

Modern day football is about tiki-taka and money, but here is a player dragging Cardiff towards the Premier League through sheer willpower and force of personality. Not to mention defensive dependability.

Morrison even looks the part, hair sometimes appearing bedraggled (apologies Sean, sure it's the style really!). It's part of the charm for Cardiff fans. They want someone prepared to mix it for the cause, give everything... and then a lot more on top of that, too.

Mix those battle-hardened qualities with ability and you have the perfect Cardiff City footballer.

It goes beyond even that with Morrison and the supporters, though. He is always the first across to show his appreciation for their backing. He is the one clutching the Bluebirds crest on his shirt. He was the one whipping them up to get even further behind the team at Derby. The others take their lead from the captain.

But Morrison can also find time to smile. There was an incident earlier this season when the ball was booted high into the Ninian Stand and a supporter made a complete hash of trying to head it back. Morrison trotted across to take the throw in and gently ribbed the fan about his less than impressive effort at mimicking John Toshack's aerial ability.

At Derby, right by where the home and away fans gathered together, Morrison was given stick by the home supporters as he prepared to take another throw-in. Presumably something to do with that video that went viral.

Morrison just smiled. The charm offensive again won over Bluebirds supporters who roared their approval.

They love the fact that despite the intensity and pressures out on the pitch, Morrison still finds time for the personal touch and camaraderie. He isn't just Warnock's eyes and ears on the pitch, he is theirs too.

There are analogies to be made between Morrison and Mark Hudson, club captain as the Bluebirds last went into the Premier League. Fans were sceptical early on, each were criticised for errors. But Hudson won over the critics and Morrison has done so even more resoundingly.

Perhaps the final turning point was when Cardiff lost four games over Xmas with him out injured. No coincidence, it appears.



Hudson, of course, was ditched by Malky Mackay when Cardiff were promoted, with Stephen Caulker coming in to play next to Ben Turner.

There is no chance of that happening with the man Warnock calls 'Mozza'. The Bluebirds boss maintains he wouldn't swap his centre-backs for any in the Premier League.

Of course, were Vincent Kompany to become available Warnock may change his mind. But you can kind of understand where he is coming from. Morrison is exactly the type of no frills, no-nonsense, muck and nettles leader at the back he wants. For Warnock, Morrison and Sol Bamba are the perfect combination, and Bruno Manga is not a bad back-up.

Could Morrison hack it in the Premier League? Well he was certainly one of the better players in the FA Cup loss to Manchester City back in January. For Warnock, the answer is a resounding 'yes', but, of course, Cardiff have to get there first.

Which brings us on to the big one. Morrison's double at Hull has set up a mouthwatering sellout showdown with Reading, one of the biggest games in the club's history. Demand outweighs supply, these are the hottest tickets in town.

A few hours after what we hope is the promotion party to beat any party, the Bluebirds host their end of season awards when Player of the Year is chosen.

There are a lot of credible contenders, Sol Bamba, Junior Hoilett and the excellent Joe Bennett amongst them.

In my view they need look no further than their Captain Marvel.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Annis, given the criticism he's had this week after the Derby game he answered those criticisms in spades. He is without doubt a consummate LEADER. In some ways i compared him to Hudson but he is so much more than that. My player of the season. Now I just need to stop biting the remnants of my nails before Sunday. Travelling from Colchester at 5.30am

Annis, given the criticism he's had this week after the Derby game he answered those criticisms in spades. He is without doubt a consummate LEADER. In some ways i compared him to Hudson but he is so much more than that. My player of the season. Now I just need to stop biting the remnants of my nails before Sunday. Travelling from Colchester at 5.30am

That could be said of the rest of the team as well.

At the start of the season I was definitely in the Bamba/Manga brigade as our first choice centre backs. Also I believed Bamba should be Captain.

It has to be said that Morrison proved me and many others wrong on both accounts. His second goal on Saturday was a well deserved two fingered salute to all those who doubted him.

We all deserved it

Whatever happens on Sunday, Morrison will be playing Premier League football next season. And quite rightly.

Twice the player Awful Mawson is. And that's nothing to do with the fact hes a Jack.

If he'd had a year in the PL he'd be in the England World Cup squad reckoning.

Fantastic player

Whatever happens on Sunday, Morrison will be playing Premier League football next season. And quite rightly.

Twice the player Awful Mawson is. And that's nothing to do with the fact hes a Jack.

If he'd had a year in the PL he'd be in the England World Cup squad reckoning.

Fantastic player

Agree

Fantastic player. Not sure about the England credentials just yet (think Jones, Maguire, Stones and Walker might have something to say about that). But credit where it’s due, Mozza is the business. Grew up watching Dave Watson, Davey Weir and Richard Gough. All no nonsense. Morrison has that steel, leadership and an eye for goal (7 this season). Would like to see this type of centre half again in the prem (alongside Bamba), as centre halves have gone all TiKi taka in recent seasons and its bollocks.

Fantastic player. Not sure about the England credentials just yet (think Jones, Maguire, Stones and Walker might have something to say about that). But credit where it’s due, Mozza is the business. Grew up watching Dave Watson, Davey Weir and Richard Gough. All no nonsense. Morrison has that steel, leadership and an eye for goal (7 this season). Would like to see this type of centre half again in the prem (alongside Bamba), as centre halves have gone all TiKi taka in recent seasons and its bollocks.

Some teams just cannot handle him on set pieces. Look at the Forest game, where he was hauled down three times in their box. How we didn't get at least one pen is beyond!