GLENN WILLIAMS: THERE IS NOW A ‘PLAN’ @ THE CCS

Cardiff City’s return to the Championship brings relief, optimism and, importantly, more financial stability.
By Glenn Williams

But promotion has not suddenly transformed the club into one awash with cash.

Sources have indicated the Bluebirds suffered a substantial drop in revenue following relegation to League One last summer, thought to be somewhere between £10million and £15million once broadcasting income, commercial impact and reduced central distributions were taken into account.

That hit has shaped a number of decisions made at the club over the last 12 months.

Promotion back to the Championship now changes the landscape again, although not overnight. The club’s hierarchy are understood to be acutely aware that, while Championship income is significantly healthier, there remains a need to prioritise spending.

Funds will have to be allocated towards strengthening Brian Barry-Murphy’s squad for the second tier, while several players are expected to see clauses triggered that restore their previous Championship-level salaries.

And beyond simply trying to survive next season, Cardiff are trying to build something more sustainable beneath the surface. And not before time.

There are major areas - both on and off the pitch - which the club believe require improvement if Cardiff are to avoid repeating the cycle that has plagued them in recent years.

From the long-awaited training ground redevelopment to a revamped coaching structure and a far more scrutinised recruitment model, there are signs the club are trying to modernise the operation around Barry-Murphy rather than simply relying on managerial instinct alone.


Training ground remains major priority

The new training ground project remains one of the biggest long-term priorities at the football club.

Work at Cardiff’s Vale of Glamorgan training base was effectively put on hold after relegation to League One last year, with the sharp reduction in cash flow forcing the club to pause development plans.

Now promotion has been secured, the expectation internally is that the project will be revived - although perhaps not immediately.

The club previously agreed a long-term £1.5million lease arrangement with the Vale of Glamorgan Council in order to begin work on the site, with the wider project expected to cost millions more. Cardiff’s Llanrumney academy development, by comparison, cost around £8million.

The belief is that the new facility is essential if Cardiff are to attract players, retain talent and properly compete with more progressive Championship clubs.

Barry-Murphy himself is understood to place huge value on training environments and standards, having come through the Manchester City coaching ecosystem where elite infrastructure is considered non-negotiable.

But while promotion helps, it does not instantly fix liquidity issues.

There remains a sense that Cardiff may need to wait for Championship television and commercial income to begin flowing back through the club before meaningful acceleration can happen.

For now, recruitment and squad building appear likely to take precedence in the short term.

Barry-Murphy building a modern coaching structure

Perhaps the clearest shift at Cardiff over the last year has been around coaching.

When Barry-Murphy arrived, one of the priorities from the club’s hierarchy was ensuring the coaching structure around the head coach was significantly stronger than it had been under several previous regimes.

There was a feeling internally that Cardiff had too often assembled backroom staffs reactively rather than strategically.

The coaching groups under Aaron Ramsey, Omer Riza, Mark Hudson and, to an extent, Steve Morison, were viewed by many as cobbled together rather than purpose-built.

The club, and Barry-Murphy, immediately moved to change that.

He brought in trusted lieutenants Lee Riley and Kevin Gibbins, both figures he knew well and believed would align with his ideas and methodology.

The impact of that continuity and trust has been noticeable.

Players and staff alike are understood to have spoken highly about both coaches throughout the season, while Barry-Murphy himself has placed huge emphasis on creating a collaborative environment behind the scenes.


Now further changes are under way.

The decision to allow goalkeeping coach Gavin Ward to leave was viewed by some externally as surprising given Ward’s popularity and his role in the promotion campaign. But internally, it is understood the move was driven largely by Barry-Murphy wanting to fully shape the staff in his own image.

Manchester City academy coach Max Johnson has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Ward.

Johnson is highly regarded within City’s youth setup and has spent more than a decade working inside one of the most advanced academy systems in world football.

While he has never worked in senior football before, Cardiff view his grounding in elite player development and coaching methodology as a major positive.

The connection with Barry-Murphy and Lee Riley is also significant.

Looking more broadly at it, Cardiff are not merely hiring coaches they know personally. They are trying to import a coaching culture and methodology from environments Barry-Murphy trusts and understands.

That extends beyond first-team appointments too.

The promotion of former defender Reda Johnson to the senior setup midway through last season is another example of Cardiff trying to create clearer internal pathways.

Johnson has quietly built an impressive coaching reputation within the academy structure since joining via the PFA and premier League’s Professional Player to Coach Scheme.

He worked his way through the U15s, U16s, U18s and U21s before Barry-Murphy elevated him to the first-team environment.

Johnson is thought of highly by a number of younger players and his rise is viewed internally as evidence that Cardiff are trying to better connect the academy to the senior side.

Again, it points towards a broader structural rethink rather than isolated appointments.


How Cardiff’s transfer strategy is changing

Perhaps the most fascinating shift of all is happening behind the scenes in recruitment.

For years Cardiff’s transfer strategy often appeared reactive, personality-driven or heavily influenced by agents and managerial preference.

That is the model the club are now actively trying to move away from. Internally, there is a strong push towards building what one source described as a “machine” behind recruitment.

Data and analytics are increasingly driving the process.

Brentford’s recruitment structure is one that has been referenced in passing, while sources have indicated there is a desire to replicate elements of that model - albeit on a fraction of the budget.

The approach has already been used at Vincent Tan’s Belgian side KV Kortrijk, who secured promotion back to the top flight this season.

There has been increasing collaboration between the clubs, particularly around data sharing and technical analysis.


So how does it actually work?

Rather than Barry-Murphy simply identifying a player through contacts or instinct, the process starts with positional profiling.

If Cardiff want, for example, a No.6 midfielder, the recruitment department will already have a list of players who meet specific data thresholds aligned to what Barry-Murphy values in that role.

Metrics, athletic profiles, passing data, defensive outputs and age profile are all factored into the initial process. The manager is then presented with a shortlist generated through that analysis.

From there, Barry-Murphy and his staff begin filtering further based on personality, references, attitude and other non-measurables. Only then does the conversation move towards board-level discussions around finances and feasibility.

The aim is not simply to sign players, but to create long-term value. That is one reason why age profile has become such a major factor.

Recent transfer links to younger players such as Charlie Savage (23) and Nigerian defender Ibrahim Buhari (24) fit that thinking. Cardiff want players who can contribute immediately but potentially appreciate in value too.

There is also a recognition internally that the club have allowed too many young talents to slip away in previous years.

But Cardiff have moved aggressively this summer to recruit promising youngsters from Premier League academies.

Manchester City midfielder Cass Machin and Crystal Palace youngster Pedro Araujo are both expected to arrive in south Wales.

Ultimately, Cardiff’s promotion has bought the club breathing space. But internally there is a growing recognition that sustaining that success to move upwards in the division required changes in how the club operates. That is why so many have viewed the relegation to - and subsequent promotion from - as a positive, even though it didn't seem that way a year ago.

The hope now is that the club can use this moment not just to strengthen the squad, but to modernise the entire operation around it. And they appear to be making strides in doing so.

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This is one of the best articles I have read for some time and credit to the oft-maligned Glenn Williams, for this one!

It certainly looks like the club finally have a viable and cohesive ‘working plan’ in place and this has been brought about by the skills, knowledge and understanding of Brian Barry-Murphy and his firsthand knowledge of the ‘Manchester City way’

Being honest, it seems the club’s hierarchy, specifically owner Vincent Tan, have found an absolute gem and are prepared to ‘go with the flow’ as they realise this could be the sustainable future they promised us some years back

As I read elsewhere, the success on and off the pitch of the ‘BBM way’ may well put paid (currently at least) to the question of whether we need a a ’Director of Football’ and even a ‘midfield enforcer’?

I’m actually heartened by this article and I hope others are too!

This is one of the best articles I have read for some time and credit to the oft-maligned Glenn Williams, for this one!

It certainly looks like the club finally have a viable and cohesive ‘working plan’ in place and this has been brought about by the skills, knowledge and understanding of Brian Barry-Murphy and his firsthand knowledge of the ‘Manchester City way’

Being honest, it seems the club’s hierarchy, specifically owner Vincent Tan, have found an absolute gem and are prepared to ‘go with the flow’ as they realise this could be the sustainable future they promised us some years back

As I read elsewhere, the success on and off the pitch of the ‘BBM way’ may well put paid (currently at least) to the question of whether we need a a ’Director of Football’ and even a ‘midfield enforcer’?

I’m actually heartened by this article and I hope others are too!

Totally agree Sven. Tan has started some very positive here I believe, which we will see hopefully in the next 12 months. Maybe it’s just clicked with him.

I don't think Tan has changed. He has generally trusted his managers. The issue was they were either old school ‘one for you one for me’ types or useless.

BBM is just not from the old school, and neither is he useless.

Data is part of every modern club, but it still needs instinct into the players themselves

This is one of the best articles I have read for some time and credit to the oft-maligned Glenn Williams, for this one!

It certainly looks like the club finally have a viable and cohesive ‘working plan’ in place and this has been brought about by the skills, knowledge and understanding of Brian Barry-Murphy and his firsthand knowledge of the ‘Manchester City way’

Being honest, it seems the club’s hierarchy, specifically owner Vincent Tan, have found an absolute gem and are prepared to ‘go with the flow’ as they realise this could be the sustainable future they promised us some years back

As I read elsewhere, the success on and off the pitch of the ‘BBM way’ may well put paid (currently at least) to the question of whether we need a a ’Director of Football’ and even a ‘midfield enforcer’?

I’m actually heartened by this article and I hope others are too!

Totally agree Sven. Tan has started some very positive here I believe, which we will see hopefully in the next 12 months. Maybe it’s just clicked with him.

Stumbled or by design, it seems the owner has unearthed a gem and is going with it!

The financial restraints aren’t going away but better management and strategies offer a more positive way forward than the ‘short-termisms’ of the past!

Really good article by Glen, backing it up with facts.

There is plenty to be positive about going into next season and even more so in the long term.

I think it’s also a good article, however my thinking is opposite to Sven, for me if this is the direction the club want to go in long term then now is the ideal time to bring in a DOF, use BBM’s knowledge let him have a say in what is the best way forward, but be realistic, BBM will not be around forever, and we need to ensure the next manager and the next etc follow the blueprint, this can only be achieved by installing a long term DOF now, one that works with BBM to set the foundations of the clubs future.

I think it’s also a good article, however my thinking is opposite to Sven, for me if this is the direction the club want to go in long term then now is the ideal time to bring in a DOF, use BBM’s knowledge let him have a say in what is the best way forward, but be realistic, BBM will not be around forever, and we need to ensure the next manager and the next etc follow the blueprint, this can only be achieved by installing a long term DOF now, one that works with BBM to set the foundations of the clubs future.

I used to want a DoF/Sporting Director but I look at other clubs and am now against the idea. A lot of the time it causes more negatives than positives.

I think it’s also a good article, however my thinking is opposite to Sven, for me if this is the direction the club want to go in long term then now is the ideal time to bring in a DOF, use BBM’s knowledge let him have a say in what is the best way forward, but be realistic, BBM will not be around forever, and we need to ensure the next manager and the next etc follow the blueprint, this can only be achieved by installing a long term DOF now, one that works with BBM to set the foundations of the clubs future.

I used to want a DoF/Sporting Director but I look at other clubs and am now against the idea. A lot of the time it causes more negatives than positives.

Never like idea of dof as you say lot negatives it's OK if manager is is happy to have another input into team affairs but bbm doesn't strike me as someone who wants another voice from above to tell him something he probably already knows.... premier league clubs have major problems with the dof role ... man u spent £10m getting ncastle dof and a lot of hassle only to get rid 6months later other clubs similar problems....so think bbm as everything under control (even tan)

I think it’s also a good article, however my thinking is opposite to Sven, for me if this is the direction the club want to go in long term then now is the ideal time to bring in a DOF, use BBM’s knowledge let him have a say in what is the best way forward, but be realistic, BBM will not be around forever, and we need to ensure the next manager and the next etc follow the blueprint, this can only be achieved by installing a long term DOF now, one that works with BBM to set the foundations of the clubs future.

I used to want a DoF/Sporting Director but I look at other clubs and am now against the idea. A lot of the time it causes more negatives than positives.

To be fair, I only suggested it brings the ‘DoF’ role into question

However, I’m with you on that, Ned; let BBM do his job, support him in the right ways and the future is suddenly looking a lot brighter!

All we want is our beloved club to prosper!

I have to be straight and honest here:

Action spks louder than words:

Their is Nothing new in the article

It was suppose to happen 10yrs ago.

This never stopped because we got relegated.

It’s been stop starting stop for years.

I really really hope they do do it this time

Glen Williams is desperate for stories and for weeks now putting out old news.

I think it’s also a good article, however my thinking is opposite to Sven, for me if this is the direction the club want to go in long term then now is the ideal time to bring in a DOF, use BBM’s knowledge let him have a say in what is the best way forward, but be realistic, BBM will not be around forever, and we need to ensure the next manager and the next etc follow the blueprint, this can only be achieved by installing a long term DOF now, one that works with BBM to set the foundations of the clubs future.

I used to want a DoF/Sporting Director but I look at other clubs and am now against the idea. A lot of the time it causes more negatives than positives.

I agree.
There’s an argument for and against a DOF I’m in the camp of no.

They seem to get sacked more often than managers

Really good article by Glen, backing it up with facts.

There is plenty to be positive about going into next season and even more so in the long term.

Again I agree. Gives a good insight to what’s goes on behind the scenes.
Looking positive.

Side issue tan is selling his stake in Malaysian buisness! Perhaps realigning his priorities?

What one good season in league one?and suddenly tans got a plan again actions speak louder then words we will see

I have to be straight and honest here:

Action spks louder than words:

Their is Nothing new in the article

It was suppose to happen 10yrs ago.

This never stopped because we got relegated.

It’s been stop starting stop for years.

I really really hope they do do it this time

Glen Williams is desperate for stories and for weeks now putting out old news.

Appreciate your ‘honesty’, Annis!

You know Glenn better than me and your view is borne from (as you say) 10 years of false promises and frustration!

I’m the eternal optimist where our beloved Bluebirds are concerned and I still can’t believe what a gem we have in BBM, so I just live in hope that Tan can finally see the wood for the trees and see our club move forward properly!

Chris,


We are finally getting it right on the pitch .

But all this other nonsense has no value as Williams is bringing up old news and no real substance.

To many times we have heard all this and nothing happens.

This is one of the best articles I have read for some time and credit to the oft-maligned Glenn Williams, for this one!

It certainly looks like the club finally have a viable and cohesive ‘working plan’ in place and this has been brought about by the skills, knowledge and understanding of Brian Barry-Murphy and his firsthand knowledge of the ‘Manchester City way’

Being honest, it seems the club’s hierarchy, specifically owner Vincent Tan, have found an absolute gem and are prepared to ‘go with the flow’ as they realise this could be the sustainable future they promised us some years back

As I read elsewhere, the success on and off the pitch of the ‘BBM way’ may well put paid (currently at least) to the question of whether we need a a ’Director of Football’ and even a ‘midfield enforcer’?

I’m actually heartened by this article and I hope others are too!

Well said I agree

My only fear, when you appoint an elite Manager, is that when he goes, he takes the whole set-up with him. It's nice at last to be in a position where we actually have a Manager that bigger clubs will probably try to steal from us. He seems genuine and here for the full project, let's hope he stays loyal and gives us at least a few more, hopefully three years.