‘ Cardiff City signed Brad Smith on loan ? ‘

Cardiff City signed the Australia international Brad Smith on loan until the end of the season, but, after five games, he is yet to feature in a match-day squad


Smith is still not fit enough to start against Forest, but could tomorrow night appear on the bench.

By Glen Williams

Monday 24th February 2020

Virtually the whole month of January passed without a signing and then five games have passed since Brad Smith signed on the dotted line for Cardiff City and he is still yet to feature in a match-day squad.

With just 12 games remaining in the campaign, fans, and the player, must be left scratching their heads.

After all, why bring a Premier League left-back in on loan for the second half of the season if you are not going to play him? Were there not more pressing areas of the squad which needed bolstering?

Joe Bennett has had a lot of game-time this season and while he has enjoyed an upsurge in form since Christmas, it is fair to say this slog of a Championship campaign will take its toll on even the fittest of players.

In fact, no Bluebirds player has played more minutes than Bennett this season. The left-back has a hefty 3,019 minutes under his belt this term, almost 500 more than the next most-used player, Aden Flint.

It is only natural he will have become jaded by this marathon season and that was the very reason Smith was brought in last month.

But for the Bournemouth loanee not to have featured yet is curious to say the least.

It went slightly under the radar when Neil Harris dismissed Smith's chances of playing against Reading the day after signing, deeming him unready owing to his lack of game-time since rejoining the Cherries in November following his stint at Seattle Sounders.

But then the Luton Town game passed, then the Huddersfield match, then Wigan Athletic and then Stoke City. There was still no sign of him.

So, is there more than meets the eye? When he joined there were 17 games left in the season, now there are only 12. He has precious little time to make an impression, if he gets the opportunity at all, that is.

"Brad has worked extremely hard to get up to speed," Harris said last week ahead of the Stoke City clash.

"It's not just fitness-wise, it's building up an understanding of the way we play, combinations with wide players and centre halves around them, getting to know the group culturally.

"They (Smith and Dion Sanderson) have trained really well and they are really, really good lads. They have definitely improved us as a group.

"When their opportunity arises this weekend (against Stoke City) or not, we really look forward to seeing them in a Cardiff City shirt."

Given they are the most recent words Harris has had to say on Smith, we can take from that, perhaps, the left-back, and for that matter Sanderson, has taken a while to get up to speed with City's style of play and gaining an understanding of team-mates.



But surely something has to give soon?

Almost a third of the remaining games have gone by and 25-year-old Smith is yet to don a Bluebirds shirt, be that on the bench or in the starting line-up.

There might be a long-term play in progress here, however. Smith's Bournemouth contract is up at the end of the season and City could sign him on a free this summer.

So maybe there is no mad rush for the club, in the knowledge he might well become a permanent addition next season.

But with two home games looming this week, against Nottingham Forest and Brentford respectively, is now the right time to hand him his debut?

A freshen up might well be needed. But what sort of player will City fans see?

It didn't quite work out for the Australia international at Liverpool and his Cherries stint has hardly been plain sailing since his switch there in 2016.

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Ian Doyle – Chief Liverpool FC writer at the Liverpool Echo

There are always players whose time in the Liverpool first team is so brief they are just as swiftly wiped from the collective memory banks of supporters.

Brad Smith is among this number. In fact, it'll be a surprise to most that he made as many as 11 appearances for the Reds.

Joining Liverpool aged 14, he made his debut as a 19-year-old under Brendan Rodgers in the 2013/14 title-challenging season, a late substitute in a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea over Christmas.

Smith, born in Australia but having moved to England in his teens, was a highly-rated youngster who Rodgers had taken on the US tour shortly after taking over in 2012, only to then suffer a bad knee injury that kept him out for almost a year.

After a loan spell at Swindon in 2014, he had to wait until the arrival of Jurgen Klopp for a first start in the Europa League at Sion in December 2015, and then began four FA Cup matches, scoring his only Reds goal in the draw at Exeter City.

That came after a period where the player was in limbo having turned down a contract in the summer of 2015. As he was under 24, Liverpool kept his registration and could ask for a fee at a tribunal, and when nobody made an offer Smith signed a new deal.


Indeed, the left-back had by that point made his Australia debut despite earlier playing for England's under-21 side.

By the end of the campaign he was in the 'second team' that was playing out Premier League games as Liverpool went deeper into the Europa League.

However, despite a good turn of pace and a desire to attack, it soon became apparent he wasn't of the standard Klopp desired and was a victim of the German's squad overhaul in the summer of 2016.

Peter Rutzler – Bournemouth correspondent for The Athletic

It hasn't quite happened for Brad Smith at Bournemouth. The main reason for that is undoubtedly because of Charlie Daniels.

Smith arrived from Liverpool with high hopes, there was even a buy-back clause inserted into the initial agreement with the Reds in 2016. But Daniels has been a stalwart throughout Bournemouth's Premier League stay, with only injury keeping him out of the side over the past two campaigns.

His consistency during the early stages of Smith's time at Bournemouth meant opportunities have been severely limited, and even when Daniels was unavailable, Adam Smith often got the nod ahead of him at left back.

That restricted the Aussie defender to just five Premier League appearances in his first season and none in his second.

His move to Seattle stemmed out of a desire to get minutes, and that was coupled with arrival of Diego Rico, who was signed for £13m from Leganes. He too was recruited as an understudy to Daniels.

Smith is highly thought of at Bournemouth, a superb professional who works hard.


Brad Smith of AFC Bournemouth in action during the Premier League match against Crystal Palace (Image: Getty Images)
"He was such a popular member of the squad, brilliant guy," Howe said after his success in the MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders.

"All the players to a man loved Brad and really, really wanted him to do well in his in his career. I loved working with him and managing him, not a minute's problem and always wanted to improve and get better."

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Why sign him and not play him? Fitness levels? What??

Why sign him and not play him? Fitness levels? What??

Was totally unfit, not played a match for nearly three months.

Hopefully Smith will be properly fit midd March.

For me a waste of time signing a player totally unfit.

I was suprised we have not given either player a game yet with eaaier vames to blood them against luton udders and wigan, so do we now throw them in the deep end against Forest brentford leeds
they may have made a big difference in the recent games but if we don't play them we won't know, the seasons on its arse so give them a game.

Paid to be professional football player. Why unfit...even worse if injured. Why sign him??

Perhaps we are getting a good look at him, if he is any good he'll be our first signing. My understanding is he is free in the summer. Could be GOOD business.....

Harris has already made him an offer for next season by all accounts
Believes he’s the type of player we need going forward

Play him then FFS

I said at the time Smith and Sanderson were signed to keep the fans quiet. They wont play they were cheap options so the fans would not turn against the club

I said at the time Smith and Sanderson were signed to keep the fans quiet. They wont play they were cheap options so the fans would not turn against the club

A bit over the top. After all it didn't really keep the fans quiet when we signed Sanderson and Smith the reaction was more who the hell is Brad Smith and I have never heard of this Sanderson bloke,can't we sign someone who is good.

I was suprised we have not given either player a game yet with eaaier vames to blood them against luton udders and wigan, so do we now throw them in the deep end against Forest brentford leeds
they may have made a big difference in the recent games but if we don't play them we won't know, the seasons on its arse so give them a game.

im sure the boy from Wolves was brought in purely as cover , with Pelts leaving and it now clear Coxe has no future here.
Smith as others have said could well be here with next season in mind..

when he signed NH said he wasnt match fit, and would probably take a month or two to get match fit, i would of thought, maybe give him 10,15,20 minutes at the end of games we're winning, some fresh legs at the back. maybe give bennett a rest or even jazz

when he signed NH said he wasnt match fit, and would probably take a month or two to get match fit, i would of thought, maybe give him 10,15,20 minutes at the end of games we're winning, some fresh legs at the back. maybe give bennett a rest or even jazz

Thought Bennet and Richards were two of our poorer players in a poor team on Saturday. Bennet has played in virtually every game for us this season and could probably do with a rest. Richards has been out of sorts for the last three games. I would not mind is either or both were replaced for tonight. If we are genuinely thinking of signing Smith we need to play him soon to see what he can do.

The latest in a long line of curious signings by CCFC.

Play him then FFS

Makes sense, we needed cover and while he may not be 100% im sure if he was needed he could fill in.

Also if hes on a free in the summer great chance to see if he is up to it for next season.