' Joel Bagan starts tonight for Cardiff City '

What Neal Ardley said about Joel Bagan when he was on loan last season to Non League Notts County and tonight starts for Cardiff City in the Championship.


Notts County boss, and former Bluebird, Neal Ardley about Joel Bagan, who enjoyed a loan spell at the club last term.



“The biggest strength he has at the moment is his game understanding," Ardley said.

“When I ran the academy at Cardiff, I used to have debates regularly about what makes a player.

“People don’t realise that players only spend about two minutes with the ball at their feet in a game of football on average and the rest of the time they are making decisions.

“They are seeing passes before they come to them, seeing danger before it happens, that’s where you get the saying of ‘football intelligence’.

“For me, Joel has got real football intelligence. He can see a pass, he can technically execute it, he knows what he’s doing before he gets the ball.”

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What Neil Ardley said about Joe Bagan when he was on loan at Notts County:




How he settled in?

“He’s done great. The first thing I realised when I met him was how shy he was, socially. You can get 18-year-olds who feel like they’re 22 and some feel like they’re 18 and Joel, socically, is a young lad.

“You can see that physically. Although he’s quite tall, you can see his muscles are catching up because of the growth that he’s had.

“I gave him a week or 10 days to bed in, train with the players, get used to being in a hotel, all that type of stuff and it paid dividends because it gave him a chance to settle.”






How’s he been with the lads? His first exposure of a senior environment…

“There’s two strings to it. One is the actual training and the attitude. We have a few players who have experienced winning and promotion. It doesn’t matter what level you get promoted from and to, promotion is a mentality.

“We have players like Michael Doyle who has had 802 games and has got the biggest winning mentality I’ve ever seen.

“So, Joel, to join in with training and see that every training session matters, every result in training matters to these boys, because that’s the way they work, took a while to get used to for him.

“Off the pitch they are a good bunch and they put their arm around him and look after him. So I think they know that he is going to get us to where we want to go and I think he feels like they’ve got his back.”






In time, could he become a top player for Cardiff City?

“I think Joel will become a very good player for Cardiff City. But I think people need to be patient with him.

“Physically and socially, this player needs time. He’s going to learn from experience and the experience he’s having with us is bringing him on quicker than I thought.

“But I look at him, physically, and by the time he’s finished (growing) he will probably be 6ft 1in or 6ft 2in and when his muscles fill out he is going to become a proper athlete.

“Now he is a little wiry and in his running style sometimes lessens the power he can produce.

“This is not disrespectful, because I think when he physically and socially matures in two or three years, I think you could have a real player.”




What does he need to develop?

“When he was younger, he was a winger, he’s not always been a full-back.

“James McCarthy at Cardiff has developed him into a full-back and I think he will be a very good one.

“But he needs to just understand sometimes, when to be high and wide and when not to be. But that will come from learning the position and playing in the position more often.”





What are his strengths?

“The biggest strength he has at the moment is his game understanding.

“When I ran the academy at Cardiff, I used to have debates regularly about what makes a player.

“People don’t realise that players only spend about two minutes with the ball at their feet in a game of football on average and the rest of the time they are making decisions.

“They are seeing passes before they come to them, seeing danger before it happens, that’s where you get the saying of ‘football intelligence’.

“For me, Joel has got real football intelligence. He can see a pass, he can technically execute it, he knows what he’s doing before he gets the ball.”

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I thought "Oh no" he looked out of his depth, but really grew into the game well. Obviously very nervous and the senior pro's looked after him well.

Happy with that.

He played very well he should be proud of that performance against some very good players

Did well. Could hear a lot of shouts of 'Joel' coming through on the telly. We've got some good senior pros, looked after him.

After a nervy first half he looked superb in the second half. I would definitely start him over Cunningham, if Bennett is ever injured in the future.

Solid performance and can pick out a pass.
Well done Joe

Did well. Could hear a lot of shouts of 'Joel' coming through on the telly. We've got some good senior pros, looked after him.

Did ok was helped a lot by most of Bournrmouth's attacks coming down the other side.

Did OK. Just one or two panicky moments, but gets forward and has an eye for a pinpoint pass.

Put it this way. If he starts on Saturday, I won't be too concerned.

After a nervy first half he looked superb in the second half. I would definitely start him over Cunningham, if Bennett is ever injured in the future.

I agree, I’m not a fan of Cunningham and Bagan can only improve looking at tonight’s performance.

A few nervy moments as to be expected but thought he grew into the game as it went on. Didn't look out of his depth against a very good side. Looks like he's got an eye for a decent pass as well. On that performance I wouldn't be rushing bennet or cunningham back into the team. Have we finally produced a player good enough to make the step up!?

Harris was true to his word and has given one of our youngsters a chance when the opportunity arose. He played well and didn’t let the team down, hope he gets many more opportunities, he wouldn’t have had a chance with Warnock?

Harris was true to his word and has given one of our youngsters a chance when the opportunity arose. He played well and didn’t let the team down, hope he gets many more opportunities, he wouldn’t have had a chance with Warnock?

Yes Warnock wouldn’t have played him; he’d have put a round peg in a square hole.
It was so good to see him start and play so well, especially second half going forward.
I’d have him ahead of both Bennett and Cunningham.

Steady 1st start in the league for bagan....did well

Held his ground against a tough opposition. No complaints

Poor overall defending for their goal.
Hopefully our regular full backs, will be fit soon.

Poor overall defending for their goal.
Hopefully our regular full backs, will be fit soon.

Sorry but the goal was not his fault.

Poor overall defending for their goal.
Hopefully our regular full backs, will be fit soon.

Sorry but the goal was not his fault.

He got caught in no man's land and didnt know where the winger was until it was too late to prevent the cross. Harsh to blame him though as both centre backs also lost there men in that move.

It was a very well worked goal by Bournemouth

Poor overall defending for their goal.
Hopefully our regular full backs, will be fit soon.

It was a good pass that took him and hoilet out of the game. Hoilet was closer to the winger, he was at fault as well. As were morrison and Nelson for not picking up the striker in the box.

How many times does bennet get caught out like that?

Poor overall defending for their goal.
Hopefully our regular full backs, will be fit soon.

Sorry but the goal was not his fault.

He got caught in no man's land and didnt know where the winger was until it was too late to prevent the cross. Harsh to blame him though as both centre backs also lost there men in that move.

It was a very well worked goal by Bournemouth

you have a bee in your bonnet about the defense fair play. if anyone was to blame for what was a good goal from their point of view its Morrison and Hoilett.

I think it was Hoilett at fault for their goal. Bagan had to maintain his position so that the defensive line stayed in position but Hoilett failed to mark his man

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