" WHY IS CARDIFF CITY STAR NOT RATED? "

" JOE RALLS WHY IS HE UNDERATED? "

By Scott Johnson

Tuesday 7th November 2017

Joe Ralls,is up there with Gunnarsson and Kadeem Harris as one of Cardiff’s longest serving players. He has become like part of the furniture at the club and, like Morrison, has never really received the credit he deserves.

That might seem like a strange claim to make for a player that won two successive Young Player of the Year awards at the club, but it could be argued that those awards say more about Cardiff’s recent lack of youth development than Ralls himself.



Ralls is one of very few recent successful academy graduates, but not being a local lad, he does not appear to have that warm, fuzzy regard that is reserved for players that supporters class as ‘one of our own.’ Nor does he have the stardust of a high profile signing, he has simply endured and continues to endure, much to Cardiff’s benefit.

Some Cardiff supporters were clamouring for the return of Joe Ledley in the summer, but Ralls has been doing a pretty good Ledley impression for some years now. A fierce competitor in the heart of midfield, Ralls is no frills and relishes the task of putting out fires.

During his time at the club, Ralls has had peaks and troughs, but is currently playing some of the best football of his career. He has also taken over penalty duties from Peter Whittingham and has a 100 per cent record to date, dispatching them in a characteristically unfussy manner.

Ralls recently celebrated his 150th appearance for the club by netting the winner from the spot against Middlesbrough. Warnock is clearly a fan and could foresee his current fine form during the summer, stating: “Ralls has become a Rolls Royce in pre-season, he's matured beyond belief as a player and doing really well.”

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Can't pass, Tackle or Shoot.

Get's knocked off the ball way too easy.

Just my opinion because I know he's highly rated by many. ( more than not )

Like Morrison he is very underrated and many tend to look only at his faults not what he brings to the team.

Like Morrison he is very underrated and many tend to look only at his faults not what he brings to the team.

I agree with this.
I’m not his biggest fan but he does a decent ‘job’. He doesn’t shine at anything but links up play well enough and works hard. For me, he slows the pace of the game down too much.

Like Morrison he is very underrated and many tend to look only at his faults not what he brings to the team.

I agree with this.
I’m not his biggest fan but he does a decent ‘job’. He doesn’t shine at anything but links up play well enough and works hard. For me, he slows the pace of the game down too much.

I rate Morrison highly but Ralls isn't good enough for me.

It’s sometimes difficult to notice what he does, as he does the graft of blocking and harassing opponents which is the unglamorous part of the game. What I did notice last season is that we don’t function as well as a team when he isn’t there, although Damour can now fulfill a similar role when Ralls is not available.

he's a reliable performer, but does not excel in any particular area. with other players, it is very clear what they bring to the team and people know when they are doing well or badly. ralls is very much a team player who does alot of the donkey work and other things that go unseen.

as to why he is not held in affection, its difficult to say. some players are barely here 5 minutes and fans start chanting their name, other graft for years and are almost completely ignored. i wouldn't read to much into that.