BREAKING STEVE MORISON: ' FRIDAY 22ND APRIL 2022 '

“ STEVE MORISON UPDATES CARDIFF CITY FANS “



After two consecutive defeats Morison will update City fans on his plans, injuries and players.


Friday 22nd April 2022





STEVE MORISON:


Anymore out of contract confirmations?

No

Morison



Joe Ralls?

'I don’t know.

There will be players playing who are in contract and out of contract. I won’t put players in who are not ready.'

Morison




Big earners have to be offloaded?

"They are conversations I have to have with the board. Aden has been a massive part of what we’ve done. Top goalscorer and he will be used between now and the end of the season."

Morison



“ READ ALL STEVE MORISONS UPDATES BELOW “






Bacuna?

"People are just ahead of him at the minute. He still comes in and trains every day. I see people ahead of him and I can only pick so many players. There’s no more to it than that."

Morison

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STEVE MORISON:



Summer, you excited about the blank canvas?



Yeah of course. It’s a needs must! If we were in an ideal world we wouldn’t have to make such drastic changes. But the way the world has changed, having so many players out of contract, it’s something we have to do.

I was asked for my ideas and my plans and it’s something that was aligned with the owner and the board.

It is exciting. The pressure starts now that we are safe. This is the getting it right, the millions of conversations, ideas. Now we’ve narrowed it down, the pressure comes from delivering.

We want to get as many positive results as we can.

But ultimately the big job is giving the fans the club they can be really proud of. It’s something we will work hard on over the summer.

We will have our holidays, but they won’t be like they were previously! I’ll be working as hard as I can to make sure as many of those bodies are in when I come back in June.

It’s a short pre-season and we can then start nailing everything down, player-wise and culture-wise.

Morison

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Fri Apr 15 Hull City 2 Cardiff City 1 Crowd 15,685 Away (603 )



Mon Apr 18 Cardiff City 0 Luton Town 1 Crowd Away (1,234 )



Sat Apr 23 Sheffield United A
Wednesday 27 April Middlesborough A
Sat Apr 30 Birmingham City H


Sat May 7 Derby County A

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Steve Morison:



Culture?



You have to create a culture that other people want to be a part of. You have to create a culture where people get better and want to learn. That will lead to better performances on the pitch. I’m not saying it’s not here now, it’s just a different group of people.

We will have young players who have not been involved in a proper pre-season or first-team environment. It’s going to be new.

Other clubs are punching above their weight because they have a good group of people. It’s something we have to create.

Morison

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Morison says Cardiff, who have 10 senior players out of contract this summer, must reshuffle their squad.


STEVE MORISON:


"We are driving them every day," said the Cardiff manager.

"We have to drive them a hell of a lot more than we should have to, but that's not going to change until we change the group and we get a more balanced group.

"Unfortunately, the world we are in nowadays, the young players don't say a word. They just play football. We need more players around them that can drive them and keep pushing it so it doesn't have to come from the staff every day."

Cardiff were in danger of relegation to League One when Morison took over from Mick McCarthy last October.

They have since pulled clear of the bottom three and are destined for a lower mid-table finish, but Morison concedes there is a danger of Cardiff's season fizzling out after three defeats in their last four games.

"It was very quiet out there today - I think you could hear us (Cardiff's managerial staff) more than you could hear anyone else," he added.

"We are just not stopping giving them information. When it's noisy, like I have just said to them in there, you need to pick yourself up.

"We are going to Bramall Lane at the weekend. That's not going to be so quiet and we won't be able to talk you through the game, so work it out yourselves.

"We need to keep driving them and hopefully once we change the group, we will have to do that less."

Morison says Cardiff must bring in "different personnel, different characters" as they look to progress next season.

When asked whether that meant adding leaders to his squad, he said: "No, just people who understand the game and know it well, who we don't have to keep organising from the side and keep telling them every single thing, because sometimes we can't do that and they have to work it out for themselves."

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STEVE MORISON:



Sell players? Colwill?


"You can only sell someone if they want to buy them. I can tell you now that I have not have one conversation about any player for sale.

Until someone makes a phone call then it’s a different conversation. I can’t see that happening with any of our players."

Steve Morison

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STEVE MORISON:



Sheff U, how much does that add to the contest?



"When I was a player, going to Bramall Lane was enough motivation for me. It’s a fantastic place to go and play. The atmosphere will be fantastic.

It’s a game you should be thoroughly looking forward to. If you don’t turn up you’ll get turned over. They are a really good team and you have to enjoy that pressure.

We want to win the game and I’ll go there and pick the team best suited for that game."

Morison

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STEVE MORISON:


Inspiration for you?


"We are not on a comparison with Sheffield United - they have players on 40 grand a week!

We have to concentrate on ourselves and how we are going to do it.

We are wholly focused on ourselves and the best plan going forward."

Morison

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STEVE MORISON:


Gulf between clubs with money and not?



"That’s why Fulham have gone up again. It’s not rocket science! You pay the most money, you arguably get the best players.

You have to create an environment and culture - Man Utd are a prime example - pick the right people and get the right staff around you. That’s why the best two teams in the world are Man City and Liverpool. But I don’t like to focus on everyone else."

Morison

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STEVE MORISON:






Jed Wallace?



"I would sign Jed Wallace in a heartbeat! But I’m sure Millwall don’t want to let him go. They will do everything they can to keep him. If he does leave as a free transfer in the summer, he is 27, top of the assists, Millwall’s best player - since I’ve left! I’m joking, well I’m not and he knows it.

There won’t be a team in the Championship or, I presume, the lower end of the Premier League who won’t want to take him.

There will always be an offer on the table for Jed, it will just be a lot less than what he’d be offered elsewhere!

It’s not a conversation we’ve ever had. We have many a conversation every now and then when he wants advice or a chat, but we haven’t spoken about him coming to Cardiff unfortunately."

Steve Morison

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STEVE MORISON:



From your conversations, is there an acceptance now that players won’t get the wages they once did?



"It does feel that way. A lot of people are interested in the project. There are players I’ve spoken to that I know in the game who have had offers of a hell of a lot of money, but that’s not what they want.

They want to go and achieve something and be part of something and win promotion. The likes of Jed Wallace. He could get money but he’s not interested in that. He is interested in the Premier League or getting promoted to the Premier League, being a part of something.

It’s been twofold. Ones where agents have spoken to clubs across the board and the money is similar. Then others say they can get money elsewhere.

I say fine to that, my offer will be on the table for a month, if you decide you still want to look elsewhere, don’t ring me back in two months because you couldn’t get better elsewhere. We will move on.

That’s just where we are. We are being very strategic with what we are doing. Not just getting a list of left-backs and picking which one I can get. It’s about the type of player in a position and working through the list, that’s how we are doing it.

We want to build a brand for Cardiff that people want to come and watch and see the team win.

That’s the plan but it’s all talk until we see people come through the door."

Steve Morison

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STEVE MORISON:



Be creative in scouting without resources?


"Yeah, be creative and getting a plan and being structured. You’re not going to see people in positions they’re not used to. You won’t see Bacuna at right-back. You won’t see a striker playing in goal!

It’s about being planned and prepared. Hopefully the plans will come together."

Steve Morison

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STEVE MORISON:




Takeover of Cardiff - is that what it will take to compete?





"No, not at all. Vincent Tan has been phenomenal and given the club good times. It’s about getting better people in and creating a better place for people to come into work.

If it’s as easy as just getting a load of money and buying it then people would be doing it all the time.

For me, that’s not the best way to do your business. It’s about creating an environment, culture and getting the right people in. You’ve only got to look at the messes in football because of just getting people in to take over."

Morison

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STEVE MORISON:




Gulf between clubs with money and not?



"That’s why Fulham have gone up again. It’s not rocket science! You pay the most money, you arguably get the best players.

You have to create an environment and culture - Man Utd are a prime example - pick the right people and get the right staff around you. That’s why the best two teams in the world are Man City and Liverpool. But I don’t like to focus on everyone else."



Steve Morison

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STEVE MORISON:



Big earners have to be offloaded?

"They are conversations I have to have with the board. Aden has been a massive part of what we’ve done. Top goalscorer and he will be used between now and the end of the season."

Morison

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STEVE MORISON:





Bacuna?

"People are just ahead of him at the minute. He still comes in and trains every day. I see people ahead of him and I can only pick so many players. There’s no more to it than that."

Morison

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The wage bill will have to be slashed in the summer as the purse strings tighten, however that does not necessarily mean Cardiff cannot have a positive campaign


We have been told that the wage budget Cardiff have to operate on next season will place them among the lowest in the Championship.

Vincent Tan would like the club to rely more on the youth again next season.



By Glen Williams

22nd April 2022

SPORT


Cardiff City will be counting the pennies more closely this summer than years gone by. It is a chance for them to hit the reset button, to make the club more sustainable moving forward.

But there is, of course, a need to be competitive next season. The thought of relegation to League One does not bear thinking about, especially when you are trying to stave off financial ruin. Recruitment this summer has to be bang on the money, with little room for error given the tight budgetary constraints.

The undertaking is enormous, yes, but not impossible. Steve Morison has voiced his excitement about the upcoming few months and many fans share that sentiment, too. Of course, there is a sense of trepidation among some sections of supporters and this is understandable.

Cardiff's wage structure will alter dramatically next season. While there is talk of a wage cap in the air, one source has told WalesOnline they will operate on an average wage structure, rather than a cap, per se. It means they want the senior squad to average out at a certain number, meaning if they push the boat out too far on one player's wage it will have a negative, trickle-down effect on others. We have been told that the wage budget Cardiff have to operate on next season will place them among the lowest in the division.

That's where the trepidation and the worry comes in. But Luton Town have a bottom-three budget and are currently on course to secure a play-off spot. Smart recruitment, a clear plan and clearly a talented and cohesive coaching staff all play their part and Luton are testament to that.


It's reminiscent of the Oakland A's 'moneyball' tactics, championed by Billy Beane, who incidentally is involved with Barnsley now. Getting players whose numbers work as a collective, rather than bigger names who are invariably more costly but might not fit the system.

It's all about the planning and knowing what you want a squad of players to look like. It'll be about curating a group worthy of sustaining a Championship campaign, rather than relying on wonders from certain individuals. Cardiff's interest in Forest Green Rovers' Ebou Adams plays into that school of thought. Adams, who is out of contract this summer, is the third-best player for the League Two leaders this season and is the 10th-best rated player in the entire division, according to WhoScored's metrics.

Someone's cast-off will be someone else's gold dust, it's always the case. Huddersfield are a case in point. Should Will Vaulks leave Cardiff this summer, he will be the ideal man for someone else in the Championship or League One, no doubt. The same can be said for Josh Murphy and others, too.

Another reason why this summer is so huge is because of the looming potential of a transfer embargo, too. The Emiliano Sala case is still to be decided in the Court of Arbitration for Sport after Cardiff appealed the initial FIFA ruling.

FIFA's players' status committee imposed a three-window transfer ban on the Championship club in their initial verdict, but Cardiff hope that will not come to fruition as they await the outcome of their appeal. You can read more about the CAS hearing here.

If an embargo is put in place, Cardiff hope it won't be until the January window, meaning they will have to seriously stockpile in the summer. They will need a campaign-ready squad by the close of the summer window if they are indeed unable to trade in the winter months, which puts even more emphasis on the off-season.



It also means that while, yes, there will be a reliance on loan players to sprinkle some quality on the squad, the permanent signings of free agents or very cheap players will have to be right. Cardiff will have a core of Dillon Phillips, Mark McGuinness, Curtis Nelson, Joel Bagan, Ryan Wintle, Rubin Colwill, Isaak Davies, James Collins and Max Watters. Joe Ralls and potentially Sean Morrison might be in the building, too, but as things stand their contracts will run out, while Collins might look for regular game-time elsewhere. That core, in some shape or form, must be strengthened if a transfer ban is placed on their heads should the Sala ruling be unfavourable.





Let's not forget the elephant in the room, too, the talk of a takeover. It's all gone a little quiet on that front, but we understand that in recent months there has indeed been interest in the Welsh capital city club. However, nothing concrete appears to have been put on the table. Vincent Tan is determined to leave Cardiff in a better state than when he found it, which would involve driving down the debt further and seeing a more viable business model in place which puts an emphasis upon youth.




The Sala ruling will likely have a bearing on any interest materialising into an actual bid, too. And like most things, it could all come down to price. But a takeover cannot be ruled out entirely. If one was to come to fruition it might see an initial injection of cash and, with it, the ability to spend a little more freely in the window. But that's all pie in the sky stuff now. Plus, even if it did happen, there is a determination within the club to make it more fit-for-purpose and sustainable and there is a strong belief that this current plan is the way to do that.

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STEVE MORISON:




Joe Ralls?

"I don’t know.

There will be players playing who are in contract and out of contract. I won’t put players in who are not ready."

Morison

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Anymore out of contract confirmations?


No

Morison

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What else needs to be done behind the scenes?



STEVE MORISON:


"We are getting there. Hopefully we will have a new head of performance soon, obviously because Carl Serrant left (for Newport). We want to change a couple of bits in the training ground as we feel it will make it a better environment. We are not far away.

It’s just hard to enforce too much because of the current personnel, most of the change will happen when a new group is together.

The people have been doing things here for the same way for a hell of a lot of years. It’s hard to change a lot at once, but we are drip-feeding it in slowly.

We had to prioritise results and we have to keep doing that. It’s ever-evolving, it’s never done.

I will keep evolving it until we feel we are in the best possible place we can be."

Morison

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Recruitment at under-23s level, expect a big turnover?



"I’d like to hope so. Kev (Beadell, head of recruitment), who works with me and Paddy (Deboys, lead recruitment analyst), you’ve seen trialists have been playing in games and that will continue to happen.

I’d like to see a few new faces in there next year. We have seen the benefit of that with Chanka (Zimba), Oli Denham, James Connolly, they’ve come in because they’ve been released from the likes of Category One academies and they just needed a chance another place to play and thrive.

I’d like to see a few more come in and I think it’s needed personally."

Morison

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It’s important to the first-team strategy, too?



STEVE MORISON:

It’s massively important. You have to fill the gaps you’ve got in your academy. Don’t keep people for the sake of keeping them because you’ve got an emotional attachment to them because they have been here since they were eight, for example!

At this stage they have to be good enough and close, not far away from being a first-team player, whether they need a year or two to get that. Then you fill it up with people externally.

You might bring people in who think they have got a chance, but they bring something different to the group, which will arguably make them better players to step up to the first team.

Morison

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Youngsters sending out on loan next year?





STEVE MORISON:


"We’ve had conversations. Some of those who are out on loan will come back and go straight back out on loan again next year."

I think it’s imperative. It’s something we haven’t done for a long time, looking after that core group just underneath the first team and ahead of the 23s, they need to get better."

We have nine players out on loan, which apart from the two senior ones, Josh Murphy and Gavin Whyte, they are all on development loans. I might be speaking out of turn, but I don’t ever remember Cardiff doing stuff like that - being so proactive about their players for the future. It’s something we’ve created since I’ve been in and is something which is really beneficial.

There are people who are in the under-23s now who are not quite ready to step up, the likes of Jai Semenyo, people like that, would be much more beneficial that they go and have a loan and prove somewhere else that they are good enough for a recall in January and will make a difference to our team. I think it’s imperative and really important."

Morison

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‘ SEASON TICKETS ON SALE 2022-23 ‘
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Steve Morison:


‘Alfie will go back to Stoke tomorrow. That’ll be the end of his season. It’s not that bad an injury, two or three weeks, but we’ve only got two weeks left. Isaak felt his hamstring a little bit yesterday in training. We’ve taken him out for the game this weekend.’

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Heckingbottom, speaking on rival teams in play-off places, said: “Everyone is doing the same: winning and losing, the only thing for us is if we win our games, we are there one game at a time up against a Cardiff team who can be dangerous they are playing with a freedom. This stage of the season is really strange.”

On Cardiff, he added: “They have changed the way they play. They are still a direct threat and tough, scored the most headed goals by a long, long way. Still got that in the team but picked a lot more players with energy around that and they are trying to play a bit more football and in that respect really dangerous because they are playing with a freedom.”






Sean Morison said: “We are not on a comparison with Sheffield United - they have players on 40 grand a week! We have to concentrate on ourselves and how we are going to do it. We are wholly focused on ourselves and the best plan going forward.

“The atmosphere will be fantastic. It’s a game you should be thoroughly looking forward to. If you don’t turn up you’ll get turned over. They are a really good team and you have to enjoy that pressure. We want to win the game and I’ll go there and pick the team best suited for that game."

Cardiff City right-back Jai Semenyo has been tipped for a loan move away from the Bluebirds next term in the hope that he will prove himself worthy of a January recall.

The Bluebirds will be without a senior right-back next season, if Perry Ng continues at centre-back, with Cody Drameh to return to his parent club Leeds United. Cardiff will have to ring in at least one player who can operate in that position and potentially more if Semenyo leaves on loan.

Semenyo who is 19 in 2mths, was handed his first-team debut against Liverpool at Anfield but has since returned to Darren Purse's under-23s side. It is hoped the youngster will progress to become a first-team regular at Cardiff City Stadium in the years to come, but a loan move away appears to beckon.

Morison said: " There are people who are in the under-23s now who are not quite ready to step up, the likes of Jai Semenyo, people like that, would be much more beneficial that they go and have a loan and prove somewhere else that they are good enough for a recall in January and will make a difference to our team. I think it’s imperative and really important."