Cardiff City Q&A full transcript as Josh Murphy comes under
Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:12 am
Cardiff City Q&A full transcript as Josh Murphy comes under scrutiny and how Sol Bamba fits back in
Bluebirds correspondent Glen Williams answered your questions
Cardiff City bounced back from their dismal derby defeat with a resilient 4-2 victory over Birmingham City on Saturday.
There was an almost tangible alleviation of pressure on Neil Warnock and the Bluebirds after a show of fight and determination helped the Bluebirds maintain their unbeaten home form.
Joe Ralls stepped up with a hat-trick, while Curtis Nelson scored and impressed on his full league debut for the club.
Ahead of Sunday's crucial derby clash with Bristol City, the last game before the international break, the Bluebirds boss has a number of selection headaches.
Our City correspondent Glen Williams answered your questions today on who gets the nod against the Robins, who impressed this weekend, the best XI and much more.
Q. Is playing Morrison and Flint the problem at the back? Should it be one and not the other, both have zero pace and are very similar, do we need Bamba or Nelson to partner either of them to be more efficient? - Louis Ross
A. Cheers, Louis, an interesting one, that. Mike Madge asked a similar one on Facebook, too, so I’ll answer both here.
They are both so experienced at this level, which is what makes it so frustrating that individual errors appear to be costing them.
The one thing I will say is that defensive partnerships take time to gel and you see very few, if any, teams swap their centre backs from game to game.
If Warnock has identified that these two are the chosen pairing, he will likely stick with them.
But, in my opinion, I think it needs a Bamba or a Nelson in there, someone a little more dynamic. I think you’ve hit the nail bang on the head.
But if they opt for a Morrison/Bamba or Nelson/Flint combination, it needs time. Fans cannot make knee-jerk reactions if it doesn’t work one week.
The manager needs to identify his best two and give them a real run in the side.
Q. How impressive was Nelson on his debut? A bit more pace at the back make a difference? - Owen Davies
A. Cheers, Owen.
He was very impressive. Truth told, I saw him against Reading and he looked a little bit like a fish out of water. But I reserved judgment because that was his first game and the rest of the team were absolutely woeful, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
I saw him in the Carabao Cup defeat at Luton Town and he didn’t do much wrong, but hardly set the world alight as City lost 3-0.
But the first time I properly saw him and thought he had what it takes to cut it at this level was against Millwall for the under-23s.
He looked so assured and a natural leader. He was the calmest presence on the field and I’d wondered where that confidence had been in his two first-team appearances up to that point.
So, heading into Birmingham, I did wonder which Nelson we would see.
The first 20 minutes, it was the one I had seen in his firs-team appearances, the last 65 minutes he was on the pitch, however, he was a different beast.
He handled Lucas Jutkiewicz, a top operator at this level I might add, superbly well and comfortably won the aerial duel. He was silky on the ball and barked orders more loudly as the game went on. I looked at him after Ward was sent off and it was like he had been in the team for years.
So confident and assured. I hope that performance will give him the boost he needs.
His pace is also an asset we’ve not yet spoken about too much, either, you’re right. Next to Morrison or Flint, it could prove extremely useful.
Q. What's your first XI when everyone is fit? – Nick
A. Cheers, Nick!
What I can say is that it has changed many times this season, that’s for sure.
For example, I thought Alex Smithies was hard done by when he was ousted from the Cardiff City goal, but Neil Etheridge was superb last weekend. And the wingers have chopped and changed a fair bit, too.
It’s the centre backs that is the difficult one for me. Fully fit and in the form of last year, it has to be Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison, but whether they can regain that form and fitness remains to be seen.
I would probably go for: Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Pack, Ralls; Mendez-Laing, Tomlin, Hoilett; Ward.
Q. Is Murphy running out of chances with Neil Warnock? I’ve seen him have good games (Old Trafford for example) but as a winger, he’s never made me stand up and go, “Wow”. You can tell he has the technical skill but is he now fourth-choice winger behind the more consistent Hoilett, Whyte and Mendez-Laing? - Mark Carter
A. Thanks for that, Mark, another important question heading into the weekend.
In my view, Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing have both been brilliant in each of their last two performances and have really staked a claim to be the first-choice wingers.
Cardiff’s system needs good wingers in order for it to operate correctly. They sit back and allow the opposition time and possession, then try to hit them with blistering pace and devastating accuracy.
That accuracy has not been there this season and, yes, Murphy has been a guilty party on more than one occasion.
He is an incredibly frustrating player because we have all seen the good side to his game, not only Manchester United but that goal he took against Fulham was superb, but it’s far too rare.
He cost Cardiff City a lot of money and, as such, the manager is almost forced into affording him the utmost chance to prove his worth.
But I have seen an increasing trend in recent weeks of fans becoming more frustrated with Murphy and, in stark contrast, heaping praise on Hoilett and Mendez-Laing.
In terms of pecking order, you might well be right. He could now be fourth in the queue.
How long will Warnock let an £11m Championship winger warm the bench? That’s certainly one to keep an eye on.
Q. With Curtis Nelson playing well will Morrison find an automatic place? Far too slow, I think it's his last season. Discuss - MikeyBB
A. Thanks, Mikey. You’re right to bring this up, it’s a big decision Warnock has to face in the coming weeks.
Morrison’s fractured wrist means he will likely miss the visit of Bristol City this weekend, but after that it is anyone’s guess, really.
If Curtis Nelson plays this weekend anything like he did against Birmingham City last weekend, it would be very harsh to drop him against Charlton after the international break.
It is understood that the top brass at the club believe Nelson, despite being 26, has the potential to be a mainstay at the back for Cardiff for the next decade.
As for Morrison, I think that’s a little harsh. He’s never been blessed with pace but many successful defenders of yesteryear haven’t either.
He has not had his greatest season by any stretch but I believe his calmness on the ball and leadership, in a team that really needs it, is invaluable.
Q. Where’s Madine? - Andrea Davies
A. Thanks for your question, Andrea.
I had a similar one last week but following last weekend’s events it is a little more pertinent now!
It’s no secret that Neil Warnock was trying to find a club for Madine to go to in the summer, however the right suitor could not be found for a number of reasons, wage expectations being one.
While he has largely been consigned to the under-23s this season, this Sunday that could all change. Robert Glatzel is likely to be out, as is Isaac Vassell with his torn quad, and Danny Ward will be suspended following his red card last Saturday.
It means Warnock will likely have to pump for one of Omar Bogle or Callum Paterson up front, meaning Madine could well find himself a spot on the bench!
Bluebirds correspondent Glen Williams answered your questions
Cardiff City bounced back from their dismal derby defeat with a resilient 4-2 victory over Birmingham City on Saturday.
There was an almost tangible alleviation of pressure on Neil Warnock and the Bluebirds after a show of fight and determination helped the Bluebirds maintain their unbeaten home form.
Joe Ralls stepped up with a hat-trick, while Curtis Nelson scored and impressed on his full league debut for the club.
Ahead of Sunday's crucial derby clash with Bristol City, the last game before the international break, the Bluebirds boss has a number of selection headaches.
Our City correspondent Glen Williams answered your questions today on who gets the nod against the Robins, who impressed this weekend, the best XI and much more.
Q. Is playing Morrison and Flint the problem at the back? Should it be one and not the other, both have zero pace and are very similar, do we need Bamba or Nelson to partner either of them to be more efficient? - Louis Ross
A. Cheers, Louis, an interesting one, that. Mike Madge asked a similar one on Facebook, too, so I’ll answer both here.
They are both so experienced at this level, which is what makes it so frustrating that individual errors appear to be costing them.
The one thing I will say is that defensive partnerships take time to gel and you see very few, if any, teams swap their centre backs from game to game.
If Warnock has identified that these two are the chosen pairing, he will likely stick with them.
But, in my opinion, I think it needs a Bamba or a Nelson in there, someone a little more dynamic. I think you’ve hit the nail bang on the head.
But if they opt for a Morrison/Bamba or Nelson/Flint combination, it needs time. Fans cannot make knee-jerk reactions if it doesn’t work one week.
The manager needs to identify his best two and give them a real run in the side.
Q. How impressive was Nelson on his debut? A bit more pace at the back make a difference? - Owen Davies
A. Cheers, Owen.
He was very impressive. Truth told, I saw him against Reading and he looked a little bit like a fish out of water. But I reserved judgment because that was his first game and the rest of the team were absolutely woeful, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
I saw him in the Carabao Cup defeat at Luton Town and he didn’t do much wrong, but hardly set the world alight as City lost 3-0.
But the first time I properly saw him and thought he had what it takes to cut it at this level was against Millwall for the under-23s.
He looked so assured and a natural leader. He was the calmest presence on the field and I’d wondered where that confidence had been in his two first-team appearances up to that point.
So, heading into Birmingham, I did wonder which Nelson we would see.
The first 20 minutes, it was the one I had seen in his firs-team appearances, the last 65 minutes he was on the pitch, however, he was a different beast.
He handled Lucas Jutkiewicz, a top operator at this level I might add, superbly well and comfortably won the aerial duel. He was silky on the ball and barked orders more loudly as the game went on. I looked at him after Ward was sent off and it was like he had been in the team for years.
So confident and assured. I hope that performance will give him the boost he needs.
His pace is also an asset we’ve not yet spoken about too much, either, you’re right. Next to Morrison or Flint, it could prove extremely useful.
Q. What's your first XI when everyone is fit? – Nick
A. Cheers, Nick!
What I can say is that it has changed many times this season, that’s for sure.
For example, I thought Alex Smithies was hard done by when he was ousted from the Cardiff City goal, but Neil Etheridge was superb last weekend. And the wingers have chopped and changed a fair bit, too.
It’s the centre backs that is the difficult one for me. Fully fit and in the form of last year, it has to be Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison, but whether they can regain that form and fitness remains to be seen.
I would probably go for: Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Pack, Ralls; Mendez-Laing, Tomlin, Hoilett; Ward.
Q. Is Murphy running out of chances with Neil Warnock? I’ve seen him have good games (Old Trafford for example) but as a winger, he’s never made me stand up and go, “Wow”. You can tell he has the technical skill but is he now fourth-choice winger behind the more consistent Hoilett, Whyte and Mendez-Laing? - Mark Carter
A. Thanks for that, Mark, another important question heading into the weekend.
In my view, Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing have both been brilliant in each of their last two performances and have really staked a claim to be the first-choice wingers.
Cardiff’s system needs good wingers in order for it to operate correctly. They sit back and allow the opposition time and possession, then try to hit them with blistering pace and devastating accuracy.
That accuracy has not been there this season and, yes, Murphy has been a guilty party on more than one occasion.
He is an incredibly frustrating player because we have all seen the good side to his game, not only Manchester United but that goal he took against Fulham was superb, but it’s far too rare.
He cost Cardiff City a lot of money and, as such, the manager is almost forced into affording him the utmost chance to prove his worth.
But I have seen an increasing trend in recent weeks of fans becoming more frustrated with Murphy and, in stark contrast, heaping praise on Hoilett and Mendez-Laing.
In terms of pecking order, you might well be right. He could now be fourth in the queue.
How long will Warnock let an £11m Championship winger warm the bench? That’s certainly one to keep an eye on.
Q. With Curtis Nelson playing well will Morrison find an automatic place? Far too slow, I think it's his last season. Discuss - MikeyBB
A. Thanks, Mikey. You’re right to bring this up, it’s a big decision Warnock has to face in the coming weeks.
Morrison’s fractured wrist means he will likely miss the visit of Bristol City this weekend, but after that it is anyone’s guess, really.
If Curtis Nelson plays this weekend anything like he did against Birmingham City last weekend, it would be very harsh to drop him against Charlton after the international break.
It is understood that the top brass at the club believe Nelson, despite being 26, has the potential to be a mainstay at the back for Cardiff for the next decade.
As for Morrison, I think that’s a little harsh. He’s never been blessed with pace but many successful defenders of yesteryear haven’t either.
He has not had his greatest season by any stretch but I believe his calmness on the ball and leadership, in a team that really needs it, is invaluable.
Q. Where’s Madine? - Andrea Davies
A. Thanks for your question, Andrea.
I had a similar one last week but following last weekend’s events it is a little more pertinent now!
It’s no secret that Neil Warnock was trying to find a club for Madine to go to in the summer, however the right suitor could not be found for a number of reasons, wage expectations being one.
While he has largely been consigned to the under-23s this season, this Sunday that could all change. Robert Glatzel is likely to be out, as is Isaac Vassell with his torn quad, and Danny Ward will be suspended following his red card last Saturday.
It means Warnock will likely have to pump for one of Omar Bogle or Callum Paterson up front, meaning Madine could well find himself a spot on the bench!
Re: Cardiff City Q&A full transcript as Josh Murphy comes un
Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:26 am
Very annoying when these headlines imply someone other than a WoL journo, in this case Murphy, is being questioned.
Re: Cardiff City Q&A full transcript as Josh Murphy comes un
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:59 pm
Isawgarystevensscoreagoal wrote:Very annoying when these headlines imply someone other than a WoL journo, in this case Murphy, is being questioned.
