' SEAN MORRISON '
Monday 6th July 2020
The skipper had a troubled first half of the campaign, his partnership with Flint clearly not working and then spending an enforced spell on the sidelines.
But we always knew Sean Morrison was better than that, particularly given he did well in the closing months of the Bluebirds' Premier League campaign.
Morrison is back as king of either penalty box at Championship level, aggressively winning headers and tackles, leading by example, driving on his team-mates.
It's surprising someone as experienced as Warnock felt the Morrison-Flint partnership would work because teams quickly realised Cardiff were too ponderous the back and took full advantage.
If your centre-backs are looking dodgy, you have no chance - whatever the level of football.
With Marlon Pack, another high-profile Warnock summer signing, also in the side Cardiff sat far too deep, conceded territory, lacked shape and balance and pretty much always found themselves under the cosh. Their moments of release came from set-pieces.
To be fair to Harris, he spotted this.
Morrison and Nelson were given their head as the centre-back pairing, with a new-look midfield containing Leandro Bacuna, Will Vaulks and Joe Ralls offering far more energy, legs and athleticism in front of them.
Morrison has almost rediscovered his aggression, coming out of the line to win the ball in the knowledge that speedster Nelson has got his back and is covering behind him.
The two men complement one another and are developing an understanding that is getting better with time. The blend is the key and with Sol Bamba there as back-up, Cardiff have few problems defensively these days.
Danny Ward grabbed the headlines with his match-winning goal at Bristol City, but just imagine the satisfaction Morrison and Nelson would have taken from a third clean sheet out of four since lockdown.
Many pundits, including yours truly, wanted to see a Sol Bamba-Bruno Manga pairing for the Bluebirds. But it can be no coincidence that every Cardiff manager - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Russell Slade, Paul Trollope, Warnock and Harris - made Morrison their man.
In this type of form he has got to be amongst the best three or four defenders in the Championship, another fundamental figure in the Premier League push.
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