If the mark of a good transfer window is that you exit it mo
Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:06 am
If the mark of a good transfer window is that you exit it more optimistic than when you entered it, then you would have to say that Cardiff somehow, against all odds, managed to nail this one.
By Scott Johnson
Tuesday 20th October 2020
Mehmet Dalman exhibited the self-awareness many of us had assumed was lacking at the club when he commented: “I think a lot of fans were a little puzzled at the beginning of the window when we got a lot of our outs out quite early as we then made way for new players.”
"Then there was a period of inaction. In the last few days, we’ve begun to reshape the team.”
I admit, for the longest time, I couldn’t see where they were going with all this. I still don’t think this was all part of a grand plan which magically fell in to place, but even if they were making it up as they went along, there is a clear clarity of logic in their dealings.
Firstly, they managed to avoid losing any key players. It was sad to see Callum Paterson go and I still don’t think the club got anywhere near the market rate for him, but he wasn’t playing and he seemed to be a bit of a mystery to Neil Harris.
Aden Flint also followed him out of the door and you can imagine both were less than pleased at their lack of playing time. It was a shame Flint departed on loan, when a clean break and a transfer fee would have been the ideal, but it was another high earner off the books, albeit temporarily in this case.
A fair few players in this mould left, when you also factor in Matthew Connolly, Omar Bogle and Jazz Richards.
It was disappointing to see Danny Ward go, but like Bruno Ecuele Manga before him, if a player needs to be closer to home, you have to respect and honour that request.
The club’s hand was forced with Neil Etheridge, a valuable asset who was entering the final year of his contract. Cardiff found themselves in a comparable situation to when they had both David Marshall and Tom Heaton competing for a first-team spot. You can’t lose either way and you end up having to sell a very good goalkeeper. It was a good deal for both Birmingham and Cardiff in the end.
Cardiff were presented with two open goals this window and they bagged both.
Harris has always played with a big, tough target man. Robert Glatzel may be many things, but he is not that. Wigan’s brutal points deduction and resultant relegation saw a fire sale which allowed Kieffer Moore to depart for £1.5m.
Having already tried, and failed, to bring him in last January, when his price was far in excess of that amount, Cardiff were not about to turn down that opportunity and they secured maybe the most predictable, and sensible, signing of the window. You could also reason that it was offset by the sales of Paterson and Etheridge.
As for Harry Wilson, Harris himself admitted he couldn’t believe his luck that a player of the Wales international's calibre was available and attainable. The club protest too much in terms of the finances involved, but they were clearly steep enough for everyone else to back away from the deal, so we’re clearly talking significant sums of money.
That said, Cardiff have somehow managed to land a bona fide superstar.
Liverpool wanted in the region of £20m for him if you believe the media and those sorts of players do not tend to end up on loan in the second tier. Fortunately, Cardiff could offer familiar surroundings and the opportunity to impress Ryan Giggs ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
Make no mistake, the signing of Wilson is a game changer.
Cardiff now have the stardust they have been lacking for so long. In his extended cameo at Preston, Wilson showed mere flashes of what he is capable of and he still stood out a mile. I think he is capable of topping the already lofty expectations placed upon him and can go on to emulate Jason Koumas, who is still worshipped by swooning Cardiff supporters.
Added to this, you have centre-back Filip Benkovic, who Leicester, one of the best talent spotters in the game, once saw fit to spend £13m on. A replacement, and likely upgrade, on Aden Flint, you wonder what the plan is for him because he is too good to sit on the bench, yet Sean Morrison and Curtis Nelson have formed a formidable partnership. Benkovic’s contract expires next summer though, so it may prove a shrewd addition in the long-term.
Sheyi Ojo is improving every game and Jordi Osei-Tutu looks a real talent. All four of Cardiff’s loan signings have helped to bring down the average age of the squad quite significantly and that was a pressing concern.
There was also a new goalkeeper, in the form of Charlton’s highly-regarded Dillon Phillips. Harris was true to his word when he said any key players departing would need to be replaced.
So Cardiff, who have not been great thus far, suddenly look leaner and meaner. The win at Preston puts them back within touching distance of the top six, ahead of a ridiculous, congested schedule in the coming weeks.
There are still issues with the squad. Cardiff’s full back situation was exposed at Deepdale and all of the available options are now sidelined. The fact both Joe Bennett and Greg Cunningham head out of contract this season also needs to be addressed, sooner rather than later.
That said, if they can get Lee Tomlin fit and Josh Murphy firing, Cardiff can be a match for anyone at this level. Just as importantly, their dealings have given them a newfound momentum and positivity, which is half the battle. If they approach the season with the same intent and good fortune with which they tackled the transfer window, the sky is the limit.
By Scott Johnson
Tuesday 20th October 2020
Mehmet Dalman exhibited the self-awareness many of us had assumed was lacking at the club when he commented: “I think a lot of fans were a little puzzled at the beginning of the window when we got a lot of our outs out quite early as we then made way for new players.”
"Then there was a period of inaction. In the last few days, we’ve begun to reshape the team.”
I admit, for the longest time, I couldn’t see where they were going with all this. I still don’t think this was all part of a grand plan which magically fell in to place, but even if they were making it up as they went along, there is a clear clarity of logic in their dealings.
Firstly, they managed to avoid losing any key players. It was sad to see Callum Paterson go and I still don’t think the club got anywhere near the market rate for him, but he wasn’t playing and he seemed to be a bit of a mystery to Neil Harris.
Aden Flint also followed him out of the door and you can imagine both were less than pleased at their lack of playing time. It was a shame Flint departed on loan, when a clean break and a transfer fee would have been the ideal, but it was another high earner off the books, albeit temporarily in this case.
A fair few players in this mould left, when you also factor in Matthew Connolly, Omar Bogle and Jazz Richards.
It was disappointing to see Danny Ward go, but like Bruno Ecuele Manga before him, if a player needs to be closer to home, you have to respect and honour that request.
The club’s hand was forced with Neil Etheridge, a valuable asset who was entering the final year of his contract. Cardiff found themselves in a comparable situation to when they had both David Marshall and Tom Heaton competing for a first-team spot. You can’t lose either way and you end up having to sell a very good goalkeeper. It was a good deal for both Birmingham and Cardiff in the end.
Cardiff were presented with two open goals this window and they bagged both.
Harris has always played with a big, tough target man. Robert Glatzel may be many things, but he is not that. Wigan’s brutal points deduction and resultant relegation saw a fire sale which allowed Kieffer Moore to depart for £1.5m.
Having already tried, and failed, to bring him in last January, when his price was far in excess of that amount, Cardiff were not about to turn down that opportunity and they secured maybe the most predictable, and sensible, signing of the window. You could also reason that it was offset by the sales of Paterson and Etheridge.
As for Harry Wilson, Harris himself admitted he couldn’t believe his luck that a player of the Wales international's calibre was available and attainable. The club protest too much in terms of the finances involved, but they were clearly steep enough for everyone else to back away from the deal, so we’re clearly talking significant sums of money.
That said, Cardiff have somehow managed to land a bona fide superstar.
Liverpool wanted in the region of £20m for him if you believe the media and those sorts of players do not tend to end up on loan in the second tier. Fortunately, Cardiff could offer familiar surroundings and the opportunity to impress Ryan Giggs ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
Make no mistake, the signing of Wilson is a game changer.
Cardiff now have the stardust they have been lacking for so long. In his extended cameo at Preston, Wilson showed mere flashes of what he is capable of and he still stood out a mile. I think he is capable of topping the already lofty expectations placed upon him and can go on to emulate Jason Koumas, who is still worshipped by swooning Cardiff supporters.
Added to this, you have centre-back Filip Benkovic, who Leicester, one of the best talent spotters in the game, once saw fit to spend £13m on. A replacement, and likely upgrade, on Aden Flint, you wonder what the plan is for him because he is too good to sit on the bench, yet Sean Morrison and Curtis Nelson have formed a formidable partnership. Benkovic’s contract expires next summer though, so it may prove a shrewd addition in the long-term.
Sheyi Ojo is improving every game and Jordi Osei-Tutu looks a real talent. All four of Cardiff’s loan signings have helped to bring down the average age of the squad quite significantly and that was a pressing concern.
There was also a new goalkeeper, in the form of Charlton’s highly-regarded Dillon Phillips. Harris was true to his word when he said any key players departing would need to be replaced.
So Cardiff, who have not been great thus far, suddenly look leaner and meaner. The win at Preston puts them back within touching distance of the top six, ahead of a ridiculous, congested schedule in the coming weeks.
There are still issues with the squad. Cardiff’s full back situation was exposed at Deepdale and all of the available options are now sidelined. The fact both Joe Bennett and Greg Cunningham head out of contract this season also needs to be addressed, sooner rather than later.
That said, if they can get Lee Tomlin fit and Josh Murphy firing, Cardiff can be a match for anyone at this level. Just as importantly, their dealings have given them a newfound momentum and positivity, which is half the battle. If they approach the season with the same intent and good fortune with which they tackled the transfer window, the sky is the limit.
Re: If the mark of a good transfer window is that you exit i
Tue Oct 20, 2020 8:44 am
Overall it looks like a good transfer window, and I'm a lot more optimistic this week than I was last week!
Now Harris has to find his best team and get them playing, it looks like they weren't ready for the season to start, but are getting fitter now and should be able to start improving from here on.
Now Harris has to find his best team and get them playing, it looks like they weren't ready for the season to start, but are getting fitter now and should be able to start improving from here on.
Re: If the mark of a good transfer window is that you exit i
Tue Oct 20, 2020 9:32 am
Bluebina wrote:Overall it looks like a good transfer window, and I'm a lot more optimistic this week than I was last week!
Now Harris has to find his best team and get them playing, it looks like they weren't ready for the season to start, but are getting fitter now and should be able to start improving from here on.
Re: If the mark of a good transfer window is that you exit i
Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:02 am
proof of the pudding is in the eating..
looks quite decent at the mo but we are not really going to know for 10/12 games
looks quite decent at the mo but we are not really going to know for 10/12 games
Re: If the mark of a good transfer window is that you exit i
Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:27 am
Reasonably good window, backed up with a win from the off. Next few weeks will be telling.