MIGHT BE BIG DECISION TIME FOR MICK McCARTHY ?

The fundamental decision Mick McCarthy must make and the awkward transfer truth facing Cardiff City

It might be a luxury Cardiff City cannot afford going into next season having two first team goalkeepers on their books, with the Cardiff City Committee tightening the budget even more and bringing through more Accademy players in to the first team squad.


By Glen Williams


Thursday 22nd April 2021


The Cardiff City Committee last time let Neil Etheridge go and there certainly wont be a shortage of clubs wanting either Alex Smithies or Billon Phillips.

With Cardiff City’s play-off dream officially over, Mick McCarthy can firmly turn his attentions to what is expected to be a busy summer of transfer activity and what players will be brought in from the Cardiff City Academy.





' ALEX SMITHIES '

Alex Smithies came into this season as the undisputed number one. Last year he ousted Neil Etheridge between the sticks and was one of the unsung heroes in Cardiff’s late run into the play-offs.

Up until the away game at Bristol City in early February – just the third of McCarthy’s reign – Smithies’ place in the side looked as safe as anyone’s.

But just 11 minutes into that match at Ashton Gate, the former QPR shot-stopper had to be carried off on a stretcher owing to a mystery illness that remains unexplained.

It handed an opportunity to Dillon Phillips, signed from Charlton Athletic last October, and the 25-year-old has taken it with both gloves.

A string of fine performances cemented Phillips’ place in the side even when Smithies was back available, with the highlight being his double penalty save against Preston North End.

However, after the 5-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, many supporters were surprised to see Smithies reinstated between the sticks for the following game against Blackburn Rovers.

His return to the fold has not quite gone as planned though with two poor errors in three games.

Against Rovers he fumbled Adam Armstrong’s strike to concede at his near post, and then on Tuesday night against Brentford he spilt Tariqe Fosu’s long-range shot into his net. Both were absolute gifts that gave the opposition equalisers.

It leaves McCarthy with a decision to make not just in the final three matches of this season, but beyond as well.

Despite his recent mistakes, there is no doubting Smithies’ quality – two bad games do not make a bad keeper – and he still makes for a competent number one.




' DILLON PHILLIPS '


Equally, Phillips has impressed but he has not been completely watertight, with the feeling being he should have done better with Adam Masina’s free-kick that won the game for Watford in stoppage time at Cardiff City Stadium in mid-March.

In effect, it is safe to say that in Smithies and Phillips, Cardiff have two very strong Championship-level goalkeepers.

But is that a luxury they can afford to have going into 2021/22?

For starters, neither player is going to want to be the number two. They will both feel they are good enough to be playing every week in the second tier and will not be content watching on from the sidelines.

From the Bluebirds’ perspective, while it is great to have two keepers in their prime battling it out for the number one spot, it doesn’t make much business sense in the Championship.

Most clubs in the second tier have one goalkeeper in their prime as first choice, backed up by a younger name or an ageing veteran.

Talk of ‘business sense’ is also particularly pertinent in Cardiff’s case, as Smithies is understood to be one of the highest earners at the club. His wages are not a cost that they will want to be paying if he is sitting on the bench every week.

The statistics are in favour of keeping Phillips around too. Including that win over Bristol City in which they both played, Phillips has seven clean sheets in 14 league games this season (50% clean sheet ratio), while Smithies has eight from 30 (26.7%).

Meanwhile, Phillips concedes at a rate of once every 104 minutes and Smithies concedes at a rate of one goal every 77 minutes.

Their save percentage is pretty much the same, but Phillips just edges it again with 71.4% of shots on target kept out compared to Smithies’ success rate of 69%.

Phillips also stands out as one of the best goalkeepers in the division according to certain numbers shown below.

How much old-school boss McCarthy will consider these statistics like these when making a decision could be another matter.

McCarthy has not given much away in interviews, and praised both goalkeepers when commenting on Smithies’ error on Tuesday.



MICK McCARTHY:

“If you ask him he'd tell you he should have saved it - and he should have done,” he said.

“But that's the life of goalkeepers, defenders, I'm not going to criticise him.

“He's been brilliant, they both have (Smithies and Phillips), they've both had their tough times and you've just got to support them.”

Ultimately money could talk, and with financial losses expected due to the pandemic, Cardiff may decide to part ways with Smithies just to get his wages off the books.

As Etheridge can attest to, the 31-year-old would not be short of suitors if he was to depart the Welsh capital.

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I think that whoever plays in goal for our last remaining three games will be our first choice No1 next season.

I think that whoever plays in goal for our last remaining three games will be our first choice No1 next season.

Assuming they are both still here...?

Personally, I don't think there's a huge difference between overall and we are lucky to have the two, so either has my confidence for match time

I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them released (most likely Smithies) with a view to having young George Ratcliffe as No.2

It would make sense, if reports of us having to introduce a lot more youngsters into the squad are correct and so long as the spine of the squad is solid, I'd have no issue with that

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Glen was the King of metaphor.. not one to be seen in that piece.. I hope he’s not throwing the baby out with the bath water

I don't think there is much between Smithies and Phillips except for wages where I imagine Smithies is on a much higher wage. On that basis I would say the club will look to move Smithies on.

It's a pity but times are hard.

Both very good keepers with not a lot between them. I think smithies will be sold though. High earner and probably get a decent fee for him.

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I really don't agree with this.

Etheridge always has a big problem from shots with distance. That occasionally happens with Smithies as well, as seen the other night.

Phillips is the better all-round goalkeeper of the three.

Still don't think he should have been dropped.

More concerned with those in front of either of them to be honest

If you want to do well - You need 2 good keepers in your squad ....If 1 of the above was to leave ....

Then Mick might go after a older keeper who has played for him before .

It won’t be a choice about who’s the better keeper,they will make the choice on who is on the lowest wages,so smithies will be moved on this summer

In order to sell someone has got to want them. If we are to offload Smithies, there won't be much of a fee involved. Much like Etheridge, minimum fee but save the bigger wages.

In my opinion. Keep them both.

I thought a deal had been done for Smithies with Norwich 3M if they went up. Now that’s been confirmed guess time will tell.

It won’t be a choice about who’s the better keeper,they will make the choice on who is on the lowest wages,so smithies will be moved on this summer

Yeah this will be the situation if there is a decent bid for Smithies I think.
I think he edges Phillips as our no.1 but wouldn’t be disappointed if just Phillips stayed.

I thought a deal had been done for Smithies with Norwich 3M if they went up. Now that’s been confirmed guess time will tell.

i hadnt heard the rumour regarding Norwich....