Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:56 am
Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
By Scott Johnson
Friday 13th September 2019
Scott Johnson believes Danny Ward could prove to be the Bluebirds' secret weapon
Danny Ward is one of those players where you never really know if they’re out injured or out of favour. I think he deserves better than that and he may well be Cardiff’s unluckiest player.
Cardiff are missing several side-lined players at the moment, including Sol Bamba, Neil Etheridge and Marlon Pack, all of which will provide a big boost when they return. Amongst this company, Ward rarely warrants a mention, but I think he is exactly the sort of player that Neil Warnock’s side could do with at present.
Warnock oversaw a great escape with Rotherham in 2016 that was spearheaded by Ward. In Warnock’s absence, they were relegated the following year, but Ward again starred. With his contract about to expire, Rotherham activated an extra year in order to cash in on him and a reunion with Warnock seemed and proved inevitable.
The reality is, though, that his Cardiff City spell never really took off. From the off, he has been in and out of the side, despite some memorable goals. He bagged a valuable equaliser at Fulham in Cardiff’s promotion campaign and pinged in a beauty from distance at Nottingham Forest, before a knee injury at the start of December ended his season.
Having failed to bring in a striker ahead of their Premier League season, Ward came in from the cold and a few brief, impressive cameos saw him start against Arsenal and he was brilliant on the day.
Paired with Bobby Reid, they pinned back and pressed their elite opponents, causing them no end of problems and both finding the back of the net in a harsh 3-2 defeat.
It looked like Cardiff may have stumbled across the ideal combination, but subsequent trouncings against Chelsea and Manchester City saw Ward back on the fringes and he only started one more game - the defeat against Crystal Palace that finally relegated Cardiff - and has not featured since.
The reason Ward started that game was because he emerged from the bench in the previous match at Fulham and was a revelation. In a game that Cardiff had to win, they were lacklustre and lacking in inspiration. The arrival of Ward gave Cardiff a shot in the arm and saw them produce several chances. It was a timely reminder of his qualities and you couldn’t help but wonder whether Warnock had missed a trick in not playing him more.
The truth is that Cardiff still look a bit flat and could once again do with Ward setting the tempo. He works incredibly hard, has pace to burn and an eye for goal, all of which are currently in short supply. Warnock obviously knew what he was getting when he bought in Ward and when he got injured during his first season, rather than face the rest of the season without him, Warnock brought in Jamie Ward, effectively a lesser Ward, to deputise.
The problem is that Ward is injured, so as opportunity knocks, he is once again unavailable. He is due back soon though, having returned to outdoor training after stepping up his rehabilitation from an achilles injury. Whether a return to the side will follow remains to be seen and is not a given.
It is hard to second guess Warnock in that regard. Many expected Bobby Reid to be key last season, but he never became the attacking focal point of the side, despite his undoubted ability. The Fulham game which Ward had such an impact on also saw Rhys Healey, who had earlier in the season been toiling in League Two, introduced ahead of Reid. It felt symbolic at the time and proved to be the beginning of the end for Cardiff’s season and Reid’s Cardiff career.
For the first hour of that game, Oumar Niasse lumbered around in the manner of Kenneth Zohore at his worst and Ward showed him up when he replaced him. Niasse never played for Cardiff again and Zohore has also since departed, but Cardiff are no closer to finding the right blend up top. Like last year, it feels like they have started another season where they are making it up as they go along regarding their attacking options.
On top of the qualities already outlined, Ward also offers versatility. He can play anywhere across the front three, although Warnock has been reluctant to use him anywhere other than centrally. He did come on last season at Huddersfield on the right, when the hosts had been reduced to 10 men, and helped pin them back in the closing stages, as Cardiff laid siege in their search for a late winner that never came.
In many respects, Ward finds himself in a similar position to Anthony Pilkington, who shared both similar attributes and a lack of playing time. Pilkington started out as a winger, before necessity saw Russell Slade convert him to a centre forward, with great success. Warnock never really warmed to him, in any role, and Gary Madine was brought in as an upgrade, but the less said about that the better.
It will be interesting to see if, when Ward returns to full fitness, if he is thrown straight in to the side, will take a place on the bench or be relegated to the stands. None of those three options would surprise me. Personally, I would find a place for him somewhere, whether left, right or centrally. He’s a much-needed tempo-setter, akin to Joe Ralls.
Cardiff miss Etheridge’s authority, Bamba’s personality, Pack’s organisation, but also Ward’s hunger and pace. He could transform the Cardiff attack and could prove to be their secret weapon.
By Scott Johnson
Friday 13th September 2019
Scott Johnson believes Danny Ward could prove to be the Bluebirds' secret weapon
Danny Ward is one of those players where you never really know if they’re out injured or out of favour. I think he deserves better than that and he may well be Cardiff’s unluckiest player.
Cardiff are missing several side-lined players at the moment, including Sol Bamba, Neil Etheridge and Marlon Pack, all of which will provide a big boost when they return. Amongst this company, Ward rarely warrants a mention, but I think he is exactly the sort of player that Neil Warnock’s side could do with at present.
Warnock oversaw a great escape with Rotherham in 2016 that was spearheaded by Ward. In Warnock’s absence, they were relegated the following year, but Ward again starred. With his contract about to expire, Rotherham activated an extra year in order to cash in on him and a reunion with Warnock seemed and proved inevitable.
The reality is, though, that his Cardiff City spell never really took off. From the off, he has been in and out of the side, despite some memorable goals. He bagged a valuable equaliser at Fulham in Cardiff’s promotion campaign and pinged in a beauty from distance at Nottingham Forest, before a knee injury at the start of December ended his season.
Having failed to bring in a striker ahead of their Premier League season, Ward came in from the cold and a few brief, impressive cameos saw him start against Arsenal and he was brilliant on the day.
Paired with Bobby Reid, they pinned back and pressed their elite opponents, causing them no end of problems and both finding the back of the net in a harsh 3-2 defeat.
It looked like Cardiff may have stumbled across the ideal combination, but subsequent trouncings against Chelsea and Manchester City saw Ward back on the fringes and he only started one more game - the defeat against Crystal Palace that finally relegated Cardiff - and has not featured since.
The reason Ward started that game was because he emerged from the bench in the previous match at Fulham and was a revelation. In a game that Cardiff had to win, they were lacklustre and lacking in inspiration. The arrival of Ward gave Cardiff a shot in the arm and saw them produce several chances. It was a timely reminder of his qualities and you couldn’t help but wonder whether Warnock had missed a trick in not playing him more.
The truth is that Cardiff still look a bit flat and could once again do with Ward setting the tempo. He works incredibly hard, has pace to burn and an eye for goal, all of which are currently in short supply. Warnock obviously knew what he was getting when he bought in Ward and when he got injured during his first season, rather than face the rest of the season without him, Warnock brought in Jamie Ward, effectively a lesser Ward, to deputise.
The problem is that Ward is injured, so as opportunity knocks, he is once again unavailable. He is due back soon though, having returned to outdoor training after stepping up his rehabilitation from an achilles injury. Whether a return to the side will follow remains to be seen and is not a given.
It is hard to second guess Warnock in that regard. Many expected Bobby Reid to be key last season, but he never became the attacking focal point of the side, despite his undoubted ability. The Fulham game which Ward had such an impact on also saw Rhys Healey, who had earlier in the season been toiling in League Two, introduced ahead of Reid. It felt symbolic at the time and proved to be the beginning of the end for Cardiff’s season and Reid’s Cardiff career.
For the first hour of that game, Oumar Niasse lumbered around in the manner of Kenneth Zohore at his worst and Ward showed him up when he replaced him. Niasse never played for Cardiff again and Zohore has also since departed, but Cardiff are no closer to finding the right blend up top. Like last year, it feels like they have started another season where they are making it up as they go along regarding their attacking options.
On top of the qualities already outlined, Ward also offers versatility. He can play anywhere across the front three, although Warnock has been reluctant to use him anywhere other than centrally. He did come on last season at Huddersfield on the right, when the hosts had been reduced to 10 men, and helped pin them back in the closing stages, as Cardiff laid siege in their search for a late winner that never came.
In many respects, Ward finds himself in a similar position to Anthony Pilkington, who shared both similar attributes and a lack of playing time. Pilkington started out as a winger, before necessity saw Russell Slade convert him to a centre forward, with great success. Warnock never really warmed to him, in any role, and Gary Madine was brought in as an upgrade, but the less said about that the better.
It will be interesting to see if, when Ward returns to full fitness, if he is thrown straight in to the side, will take a place on the bench or be relegated to the stands. None of those three options would surprise me. Personally, I would find a place for him somewhere, whether left, right or centrally. He’s a much-needed tempo-setter, akin to Joe Ralls.
Cardiff miss Etheridge’s authority, Bamba’s personality, Pack’s organisation, but also Ward’s hunger and pace. He could transform the Cardiff attack and could prove to be their secret weapon.
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Re: Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:39 am
Our tactics dont support the majority of modern day strikers and must be frustrating to see strikers being completely dismissed by the way we play the ball. He has fairly decent feet but no striker has the ability to co trol some of the long ball we throw at them every defender and there mums knows the tactics!!
I dont blame half the strikers we got there just being played wrong unfortunately
I dont blame half the strikers we got there just being played wrong unfortunately
Re: Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:16 am
Can’t build your team around a sick note.
I have no issue with Ward, he is a ok player, won’t let you down and is a work horse. Although a pain to defenders upfront (a bit like Patterson) his general player isn’t the best and he doesn’t hold the ball up very well. He’s probably in amongst Medine and Vassell as in as much I don’t care who accompanies Bogle to the bench.
I have no issue with Ward, he is a ok player, won’t let you down and is a work horse. Although a pain to defenders upfront (a bit like Patterson) his general player isn’t the best and he doesn’t hold the ball up very well. He’s probably in amongst Medine and Vassell as in as much I don’t care who accompanies Bogle to the bench.
Re: Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
Fri Sep 13, 2019 2:53 pm
Danny Ward is made of glass and the sooner we get rid of him the better imo
Re: Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
Fri Sep 13, 2019 4:29 pm
Decent player but is always injured or picking up knocks which means u cant really rely on him. I think his contract expires at the end of the season unless im mistaken so I hope we don't offer him a new one tbh.
Re: Cardiff City's unluckiest player can help transform them
Fri Sep 13, 2019 7:45 pm
Charlie Harper wrote:Danny Ward is made of glass and the sooner we get rid of him the better imo
Yeah he’s very similar to Jazz in that respect but perhaps he’s also constantly throwing a ‘sickie’ as well like some clown on here said.
