Joe Ralls typifies this new City style

Joe Ralls typifies this new City style





By Glann Williams

Sunday 19th July 2020



At the start of Neil Harris' tenure as Cardiff City boss, Joe Ralls was out injured.

It is no wonder, though, why the new manager made a point of singling the midfielder out for plaudits in one of his first press conferences back.

"Ralls is a superstar but we need to get him fit," he said back in November. And now the player is fit and firing.

He knew how important Ralls would be to this side moving forward. Because back then, City lacked an identity. They needed to move on from the football which brought them success two years ago, but Harris knew it would be a gradual process.

In Ralls he identified a player who would be central to that transformation.

In recent years, the midfielder has come in for some flak. But at Middlesbrough he showed steel, ball-playing skills and bursting runs from deep.

Ralls has been excellent since football restarted. So, too, have his midfield partners Will Vaulks and Leandro Bacuna, while Marlon Pack was also good against Derby County last week.

Against Boro, Ralls ran the show from the base of the midfield. He added to the City attack time and again and was structured and disciplined without possession.

He doesn't always grab the headlines, perhaps, but Ralls has typified this new and improved style of play and is flourishing because of it.

"He shows is qualities every game and he shows them in every training sessions," Harris said after the Boro win. "Even if he doesn't play very well, he is at it every game.

"He is a very popular figure among the fans and rightly so, given the amount of time he's had here.

"Sometimes in football, you haven't got to be the best player on the pitch, you've just got to give absolutely everything and he does. He's been a hugely-important player for us since we've come back in and we've missed him at times when he hasn't played."

Anyone else feels Ralls doesn’t get the credit or stature as a Cardiff player as he maybe deserves?

He’s the closest thing to a youth player coming through our system that we have had in a long time. Worked hard away on loan and improving his game to get into and then keep his place in this team. Has the attributes us Cardiff fans tend to love with his work rate etc

I think he gets overlooked a little by the fans. He’s surely the next captain of Moz every leaves

He appears now to have a manager that plays to his strengths. Previously I think the managers knew he would do whatever job is asked of him but that wasnt always getting the best out of him.

Anyone else feels Ralls doesn’t get the credit or stature as a Cardiff player as he maybe deserves?

He’s the closest thing to a youth player coming through our system that we have had in a long time. Worked hard away on loan and improving his game to get into and then keep his place in this team. Has the attributes us Cardiff fans tend to love with his work rate etc

I think he gets overlooked a little by the fans. He’s surely the next captain of Moz every leaves

Yes I agree he is somebody I have always rated and defended when others have unfairly singled him out. Could end up being one of the clubs all time appearance holders.

Anyone else feels Ralls doesn’t get the credit or stature as a Cardiff player as he maybe deserves?

He’s the closest thing to a youth player coming through our system that we have had in a long time. Worked hard away on loan and improving his game to get into and then keep his place in this team. Has the attributes us Cardiff fans tend to love with his work rate etc

I think he gets overlooked a little by the fans. He’s surely the next captain of Moz every leaves

Yes I agree he is somebody I have always rated and defended when others have unfairly singled him out. Could end up being one of the clubs all time appearance holders.

Wow something we actually agree on

Ralls is a great player at this level and is getting better all the time as he becomes more consistent with his performances

I said to my mate that Ralls must of been carrying and injury or been unfit before cause now hes looking really sharp and crunching ppl in the tackle, looks really fired up.

Personally don’t think he’s ever been underrated. I remember in the 2014/15 season fans calling for Ralls to start ahead of Whitt’s, and some got excited at the idea of Whitt’s and Ralls both playing at the same time. I think it was fairly common knowledge at the time from his few appearances that he had similar composure to Whitt’s, same desire to get forward, and what he lacked in his attacking game he made up for in his defending and work rate.

To this day I don’t know a single City fan who doesn’t appreciate how good he is. Surely by now the majority of fans realise he’s our most consistent player never mind midfielder