" LACK OF ANY CARDIFF CITY PLAYERS "

FOOTBALL NEWS
CARDIFF CITY FC

Lack of any Cardiff City players in Wales' Euro 2016 squad underlines why Bluebirds HAVE to start picking home-grown talent

BY PAUL ABBANDONATO

Bluebirds have a proud history of bringing through the likes of Ramsey, Earnshaw and Ledley, but have to go back to the good days to galvanise fans again


Declan John hunts down Arsenal's Theo Walcott in the Premier League, but has been ostracised by the Bluebirds

Ask Cardiff City fans what their favourite Bluebirds period of the past 20-odd years has been and memories of promotion to the Premier League, Wembley and FA Cup automatically spring to mind.

For many, however, not even those halcyon days of the very recent past match up to the Eddie May era of the early and mid-1990s.

Back then, Cardiff City were only winning the old Division Four title and playing the likes of Lincoln City, Scarborough and Crewe Alexandra

But any Bluebird fan who followed the team back then will tell you there was a very special bond, which hasn’t always been matched since.

One of the main reasons for that was because May insisted on going with home-grown youth. Key figures in the team included Nathan Blake, Jason Perry and Damon Searle.

It was part of the Cardiff City DNA, the fabric of the club, and it automatically linked the fans with the team, brought out their passion. These local players were Cardiff fans from the terraces enjoying the dream out on the field of play and the supporters identified with them.

Other Welsh players also starred in that side, including Carl Dale, Robbie James and Kevin Ratcliffe.


The Welsh-dominated Cardiff 1993 title-winning team, including Robbie James, Lee Baddeley, Jason Perry, Tony Bird, Damon Searle, Carl Dale, Kevin Ratcliffe and Nathan Blake

I raise the issue two decades on because the announcement of Chris Coleman’s Euro 2016 squad demonstrates just how flawed the Bluebirds have been with this home-grown mantra in very recent times.

Not a single Cardiff player has made the Wales squad. Not a single Cardiff player has even come close.

As Wales’ capital city club, that is something that should be of fundamental concern to the Bluebirds hierarchy and an issue that requires urgent addressing.

I’m told that Cardiff’s owner Vincent Tan is indeed perturbed about the lack of Welsh youngsters in the current Bluebirds side and that he wants Paul Trollope to change the policy.

I hope what I’m hearing is true, because the city of Cardiff has a proud history of producing top footballers and the Bluebirds have simply got to capitalise upon the opportunity more.


It’s been well documented how Gareth Bale slipped through the net and joined Southampton. So too Craig Bellamy, although he did at least play for his home-town club in the end. Ryan Giggs moved to Manchester at an early age, so Cardiff were never going to succeed with him.

However, the Blake-Perry-Searle era kick-started something, particularly after temporary Wales boss John Toshack played on the feelgood factor amongst Bluebirds fans by naming them in his squad for a one-off game against Norway at Nninian Park in 1994.

Since then, we’ve seen Rob Earnshaw, Danny Gabbidon, James Collins, Chris Gunter, Joe Ledley and Aaron Ramsey emerge through the ranks to proudly play for Wales as Bluebirds.

The last four, of course, are in the squad for the Euros, although they have each flown the Cardiff nest.


Cardiff City v QPR: Aaron Ramsey impresses on his home debut. 29th January 2008

But what’s happened since their development? Declan John under Malky Mackay and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and that’s about it.

Russell Slade moved in a different direction. Like many, I wasn’t a fan of the football played under Slade and felt the Bluebirds would never get into the top six under his guise.

But for me one of the most questionable decisions he made was to ostracise young Wales international John and choose Scott Malone as his left-back instead. If anything demonstrates how Cardiff City have got it wrong over their youth policy in recent times, then it’s that.

Look, John is hardly Ashley Cole, Roberto Carlos, or even Leighton Baines! He has his limitations, but the fact remains he was deemed good enough by Mackay and Solskjaer to play in the Premier League, also winning Wales caps against the Netherlands and Macedonia.

He was raw, but he was promising. Slade didn’t give him a look in, sending John out on loan to Barnsley and Chesterfield whilst choosing Malone instead.

It was hard enough expecting young John to get into the Wales set-up ahead of Neil Taylor and Ben Davies anyway, but at least he could have offered back-up. What hope did he have, though, if Cardiff weren't picking him after his early potential?

Football is about opinion, but I ask this question: Is Malone really that much better a left-back than John? Personally, I don’t think so.

Vincent Tan and Cardiff would benefit from the manager bringing through local players

I’m told Trollope is more likely to give John his head again and pick the 20-year-old next season, but the proof will be in the pudding. I also hope he grants another local youngster from the valleys, Tommy O’Sullivan, his opportunity. He also needs to ask why teenage centre-back Regan Poole was deemed not good enough by Cardiff a few years back, yet talented enough to become a Manchester United footballer.

However, whatever happens in the immediate short-term, Cardiff definitely need a radical rethink on their home-grown policy and to be more prepared to give local youth its head moving forward.

In reality had very few in recent years just occasional player, just depends on who club signs and if youngster comes through who is Welsh!

I would love nothing more than to see our local lads come through! However, it does depend on those players!

Maybe we were fortunate with producing Ramsey, Ledley, Gunter, Collins, Gabbidon, etc who have played at a good level of football.

From what I've seen and heard of Tommy O'sullivan at Newport County, I don't think he's up to the standards of previous players that have come through our ranks. Perhaps our Welsh youngsters are just not good enough.

And when we has Welsh players in the team we were in the bottom division!

It's more important to get the best players available, never mind the nationality.

How many of our current development squad are Welsh anyway? Clubs now all scout internationally and the days of local boys coming through are slowly dying.

I can't think of one city academy/U21 "reject" who has gone on to play at a mid championship level or better.

Was Bale rejected by City or was the Southampton scouting system and academy light years ahead of ours.

Not sure on the Cotteril story, but that's it really. We just haven't had the talent. Joe Ralls took four seasons to become a regular in his preferred position,Tommy O'Sullivan is in a position where physical strength is a must as well as skill, is he better than Ralls ?

Maybe the jacks upping their game has caused us issues, recently far more of their kids have made the first team breakthrough whilst in the premier league.

We could get two kids a season in league 2, maybe one a season in league one, but only having one in the last four seasons signals something is wrong. When did Neil Ardley leave ?

I Agree it would be good to play home grown talent, however if they are not good enough they should not play John being a good example he simply is not good enough in my opinion but because he's Welsh some say he should start

It is disappointing but if they aren't good enough then that is it nothing more you can do, we try our best to develop our players especially with the DVP team.

Tommy O'Sullivan is highly rated by Slade and Trollope and I expect us to see a bit more of him over pre season.

It is disappointing but if they aren't good enough then that is it nothing more you can do, we try our best to develop our players especially with the DVP team.

Tommy O'Sullivan is highly rated by Slade and Trollope and I expect us to see a bit more of him over pre season.

I expect Trollope to give him a chance next season and a couple of others aswell.

Rambos debut wasn't QPR, it was hull city home, we lost 1-0, will always remember it because darcy Blake I think it was played and everyone was raving how he was the future city star, and me and my mate both said. We preferred Ramsey to Blake. He seemed more comfortable with the ball

A few in the Wales squad who are ex Cardiff of born within 20 miles of the city.

Ask the question - what has happened over the last 5 years to the way we let players go.

Things aren't about to improve as long as there is a club down the road playing at a higher level and attracting youngsters from everywhere - more particularly, from Cardiff! There has been little to celebrate since PL promotion and even that was short-lived. Does anyone seriously expect kids to aspire to wear the Bluebird when there is so little incentive?

As for whether players stay or move on, these days, it's down to money. If Bale had come through the ranks at Cardiff, he'd have been long gone. That's the nature of football.

It is sad not to see present players from the club representing Wales.

However, it won't stop me from supporting our national side. Cymru Am Byth!!!