“ Joe Ralls “

Joe Ralls trains with Aldershot

Former Cardiff City captain Joe Ralls has been seen training with Non League Aldershot as he remains on the search for a new club.


The midfielder waved goodbye to the Bluebirds this summer after a decade-and-a-half of service and an honest, respectful conversation with incoming coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

The 31-year-old, who hailed from Aldershot, had a period in the Shots' youth team before moving on to Farnborough and then, of course, Cardiff in 2010.

He’s gonna be missed this season , his solid aggressive tackling and experience, madness getting rid of him

He’s gonna be missed this season , his solid aggressive tackling and experience, madness getting rid of him

Looking at the current squad we certainly should have kept him around, if only for the experience he brings.

He’s gonna be missed this season , his solid aggressive tackling and experience, madness getting rid of him

Looking at the current squad we certainly should have kept him around, if only for the experience he brings.

Yep he’s left a big gap and I can’t see anyone coming in to fill it

100% should have kept him.

We need leaders.

Well its strange , trouble is if he wants to play week in week out then lower league it is , perhaps he was offered a role on the bench , and felt that wasnt enough .

Perhaps he has long term wear and tear injuries that most midfielders suffer from like Rambo due to the physicality of the position ?

Maybe he was offered less wages than he believed he was worth.

What is bit strange why no Div 1 or Div 2 came in for him ?

He’s gonna be missed this season , his solid aggressive tackling and experience, madness getting rid of him

Looking at the current squad we certainly should have kept him around, if only for the experience he brings.

Yep he’s left a big gap and I can’t see anyone coming in to fill it

Have to agree with all your comments. BBM must see that we need experience and Ralls is obviously not finding it easy to find a suitable club. Unlikely I admit but its not too late for a reversal of the decision.

He’s gonna be missed this season , his solid aggressive tackling and experience, madness getting rid of him

Looking at the current squad we certainly should have kept him around, if only for the experience he brings.

Even with hindsight, I disagree. Far too Injury prone. Would have been handy on Thursday night though.

I hope he finds a club. He'll waste away otherwise at his age.

Would love to know how the conversation went between him and BBM. I know he probably didn't fit into the managers style of play but how can you so easily cast aside a player of his experience. Plus he had massive respect in the dressing room. He would have been great for someone like Joel Colwill this year (even if Joel had taken his spot in the team).

I hope BBM knows what he's doing. He seems very very confident in himself and 'the process' but I wonder if that self belief waivered, even just a little, after PV done a proper league 1 job on us.

I am not sure why Ralls left - maybe they couldn't agree on terms - but I think it would have made sense for him to stay given the inexperience in the squad and apparent lack of leadership. But perhaps BBM wanted a break with the past and while promoting the development of leadership qualities within the young squad. I have no idea really. It seems that we need to bring in some of those qualities before the window closes.

He’s gonna be missed this season , his solid aggressive tackling and experience, madness getting rid of him

Looking at the current squad we certainly should have kept him around, if only for the experience he brings.

Yep he’s left a big gap and I can’t see anyone coming in to fill it

Not as big a gap as he left in the centre of midfield when he was playing !!!

He was a great servant but well past the time he should have left. Sad but true.

Well its strange , trouble is if he wants to play week in week out then lower league it is , perhaps he was offered a role on the bench , and felt that wasnt enough .

Perhaps he has long term wear and tear injuries that most midfielders suffer from like Rambo due to the physicality of the position ?

Maybe he was offered less wages than he believed he was worth.

What is bit strange why no Div 1 or Div 2 came in for him ?

He wasn't offered any contact. BBM told him he wasn't wanted. Ralls was absolutely gutted, he loves Cardiff city and wanted to stay.

Ridiculous decision to let him go. His leadership, committment and overall attitude is 100% needed this season.

Well its strange , trouble is if he wants to play week in week out then lower league it is , perhaps he was offered a role on the bench , and felt that wasnt enough .

Perhaps he has long term wear and tear injuries that most midfielders suffer from like Rambo due to the physicality of the position ?

Maybe he was offered less wages than he believed he was worth.

What is bit strange why no Div 1 or Div 2 came in for him ?

He wasn't offered any contact. BBM told him he wasn't wanted. Ralls was absolutely gutted, he loves Cardiff city and wanted to stay.

Ridiculous decision to let him go. His leadership, committment and overall attitude is 100% needed this season.

Ridiculous idea to keep him on. Past it and injury prone. Great servant tho.

Stand by my belief it was the right decision to let him go.

He'd done a great job for the club over many years and should get a testimonial at some point.

But his injury record in recent years hasn't been good. He also can't play in the way that our midfielders are expected to.

Saying that, I'm surprised he hasn't found a club yet.

Great servant and huge respect for him but his legs have gone.This is why he is now training at Aldershot. National league is probably his pace now. Absolutely right to release him. Experience is only useful if you can match it with fitness. Ralls, Ramsey, El Ghazi were major reasons why we were relegated. Huge wages, great players, but never fit. No more journey men at City picking up final pay checks.

Great servant and huge respect for him but his legs have gone.This is why he is now training at Aldershot. National league is probably his pace now. Absolutely right to release him. Experience is only useful if you can match it with fitness. Ralls, Ramsey, El Ghazi were major reasons why we were relegated. Huge wages, great players, but never fit. No more journey men at City picking up final pay checks.

El Ghazi was fit he had lost whatever it was he had before.

I agree with the comments about Joel Colwill, I think they’ve great Peter Whittingham benefited massively playing with Stephen mcphail, so much so that when either didn’t perform they were targets of criticism.

Mcphail had a wand of a left foot, and Whitts the same. Ralls had the industrial side of his game down to a tee, Joel so far seems a similar player with perhaps more to offer but would have benefited working with Joe

Stand by my belief it was the right decision to let him go.

He'd done a great job for the club over many years and should get a testimonial at some point.

But his injury record in recent years hasn't been good. He also can't play in the way that our midfielders are expected to.

Saying that, I'm surprised he hasn't found a club yet.

Agree .

Well its strange , trouble is if he wants to play week in week out then lower league it is , perhaps he was offered a role on the bench , and felt that wasnt enough .

Perhaps he has long term wear and tear injuries that most midfielders suffer from like Rambo due to the physicality of the position ?

Maybe he was offered less wages than he believed he was worth.

What is bit strange why no Div 1 or Div 2 came in for him ?

He wasn't offered any contact. BBM told him he wasn't wanted. Ralls was absolutely gutted, he loves Cardiff city and wanted to stay.

Ridiculous decision to let him go. His leadership, committment and overall attitude is 100% needed this season.

Ridiculous idea to keep him on. Past it and injury prone. Great servant tho.

It's my opinion, it's not ridiculous. That team against vale was crying out for Ralls leadership, experience and physicality and no doubt will be again and again this season.

Too injury prone and past it? Say it enough times and people believe it, but the facts don't back it up. Admittedly he had an injury hit season last year- so do many players- but still made 23 appearances and the previous 2 years played nearly 80 games. Hardly injury prone. And as for past it? He is 31. Probably got another two years in him at this level.

Could have kept Ralls pay as you go as no clubs can afford such an injury prone player on a contract.

Well its strange , trouble is if he wants to play week in week out then lower league it is , perhaps he was offered a role on the bench , and felt that wasnt enough .

Perhaps he has long term wear and tear injuries that most midfielders suffer from like Rambo due to the physicality of the position ?

Maybe he was offered less wages than he believed he was worth.

What is bit strange why no Div 1 or Div 2 came in for him ?

He wasn't offered any contact. BBM told him he wasn't wanted. Ralls was absolutely gutted, he loves Cardiff city and wanted to stay.

Ridiculous decision to let him go. His leadership, committment and overall attitude is 100% needed this season.

Ridiculous idea to keep him on. Past it and injury prone. Great servant tho.

It's my opinion, it's not ridiculous. That team against vale was crying out for Ralls leadership, experience and physicality and no doubt will be again and again this season.

It is your opinion just like it’s mine to say that it’s not a ridiculous decision to let him go.
He would have been handy on Thursday but he’s far too injury prone to be offering a contact too….in my opinion