Cardiff Fans deliver verdict on out-of-contract stars

Cardiff Fans deliver verdict on out-of-contract stars


Wednesday 8th March 2022



Cardiff fans have had their say on what should happen to the club's out-of-contract stars this summer, and have emphatically backed Joe Ralls as the man they'd most like to keep.

Out of the supporters that took part in a survey, 95.5 per cent said they'd like to see the midfielder offered a new deal.

Goalkeeper Alex Smithies also received overwhelming backing, with almost 82 per cent calling on the Bluebirds Boards to strike a new deal with Cardiff's expert shot-stopper.

Of course, this needs to be cautioned against a backdrop of the Bluebirds' Board needing to make cutbacks.

Others receiving the thumbs-up from fans are Flint, with 63.5 per cent saying keep him, Morrison (57.5 per cent) and Vaulks (62.5 per cent).

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Cardiff City fans deliver overwhelming verdict on out-of-contract stars they want Bluebirds to keep - and let go
These are the results of our survey into which players Bluebirds supporters most want to see carry on playing for the club next season



Wednesday 8th March 2022


Cardiff City fans want half of the senior stars out of contract this summer to remain with the club and lead a hoped-for top six push under Steve Morison next season, according to the results of a survey.

But others who have been picks for key roles for the Bluebirds under various managers should be released as soon as their deals wind down and replaced with better players, you feel.

Morison will be tasked with a massive rebuilding job in the summer transfer window, with the futures of 10 players on the line and at the centre of everything he does in terms of the way forward for Wales' capital city club.

The men out of contract are goalkeeper Alex Smithies, centre-back trio Sean Morrison, Aden Flint and Ciaron Brown, midfield quartet Joe Ralls, Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack and Leandro Bacuna, plus almost forgotten front men Josh Murphy and Isaac Vassell.

We asked for the views of supporters in a survey as part of an article where our Cardiff City writers gave their own player-by-player take on who they felt should stay and who should go.

The player fans taking part in our survey most want to see kept on is Ralls, made skipper in Morrison's absence and who 95.5 per cent say needs to be offered a new deal.

Goalkeeper kingpin Smithies also received overwhelming backing, with almost 82 per cent calling on the Bluebirds Boards to strike a new deal with Cardiff's expert shot-stopper.

Others receiving the thumbs-up from fans are Flint, with 63.5 per cent saying keep him, Morrison (57.5 per cent) and Vaulks (62.5 per cent).

Of course, this needs to be cautioned against a backdrop of the Bluebirds' Board needing to make cutbacks - and also amid a clamour from many fans wanting classy new players brought on board this summer by boss Morison. There are calls from some for a new centre-half and one, if not two, new midfield aces.

Other positions also need to be bolstered, with a centre-forward the pressing priority, and possibly changes at full-back.




Given the financial constraints, that can't happen by retaining players in the same position who are said to be on big money, with Cardiff chief executive Ken Choo likely to be tasked with renegotiating terms.

However, according to those participating in our survey, there are a five players who the Bluebirds could ship out.

In the poll, only 1.6 per cent say Bacuna should be retained, with a whopping 98.4 per cent calling for his release.

Bacuna can be viewed as unfortunate in some ways, given he has often been deployed at right-back or in the front line, rather than in the central midfield role Neil Warnock felt he was best suited to.

Pack, who like Bacuna was a key player under Mick McCarthy and during Morison's early days in charge, had 90 per cent of the poll calling for his release.

The figures were large as well for Vassell (96.7 per cent wanting him to go), Brown (88.8 per cent) and Murphy (87.1 per cent).


Other than for Morrison, Flint and Vaulks, who each have a slightly more mixed backing albeit ones in favour of staying, the survey figures are quite stark.

Morison will need to work with Cardiff's hierarchy to assess which senior stars are best suited to taking this team to the next level and indeed which ones are affordable.

The only surprise in that lot is who are the 1.6% who think Bacuna should get another contract

The only surprise in that lot is who are the 1.6% who think Bacuna should get another contract

Just Flint and Ralls for me....providing they accept lower wages

My criticism of articles like this are they don't say how many people actually voted.Leads me to believe it was only a small number so it shouldn't be taken too seriously.

My criticism of articles like this are they don't say how many people actually voted.Leads me to believe it was only a small number so it shouldn't be taken too seriously.

So a minimum of 191, as half of that is 95.5 which Joe Ralls got.

But then Bacuna - 98.6% against/1.4% for - means at least 493 voted to get that split.

So some decent numbers there - and I agree with another poster, who are the people who voted in favour of keeping Bacuna??

All in all a decent number of people.

The only surprise in that lot is who are the 1.6% who think Bacuna should get another contract

There's obviously a swansea fan in the numbers somewhere.

My criticism of articles like this are they don't say how many people actually voted.Leads me to believe it was only a small number so it shouldn't be taken too seriously.

So a minimum of 191, as half of that is 95.5 which Joe Ralls got.

But then Bacuna - 98.6% against/1.4% for - means at least 493 voted to get that split.

So some decent numbers there - and I agree with another poster, who are the people who voted in favour of keeping Bacuna??

All in all a decent number of people.

With rounding the Bacuna figure could be 1 person out of 72, Ralls could be 21 out of 22.

Anyone know what the questions were and who asked them where?

Does their wage not become a factor? How can such judgements be made without knowing their relative salaries. Not that this would make a jot of difference to those not wanting Bacuna to stay but I expect it might to some others.

Should also give so called contracts to the board...

Who should we retain?

Pimpernel Dalman?

Lucan Choo?

The other bloke, err, what's his name...

The obvious 1 is Ralls. We should be doing everything we can to keep him and building our midfield around him and wintle. What we would save on his wages, could we replace with similar quality or experience? Would be a hard task. I'd like to keep smithies but it's reported he's on the top end of 20k a week. Philips is a decent replacement and probably on less than a 3rd of his wages.

Whoever are kept on, if any, will need to take cut in wages. A lot of them are on a wedge.