The brutal reality facing Cardiff City and Swansea City as
Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:33 pm
The brutal reality facing Cardiff City and Swansea City as West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham flex muscles
West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham are back among the second tier teams this season, with Cardiff City and Swansea City facing what could be the toughest Championship campaign to date, after relegation from the Premier Cardiff virtually spent nothing, whilst the latest three clubs relegated are keeping many of their squads and re-investing.
By Mathew Davies
Tuesday 6th July 201
It’s crazy to think but it is just 33 days until Cardiff City and Swansea City kick off their 2021/22 seasons.
Both Welsh outfits will no doubt have the bit between their teeth, considering how their respective campaigns ended last term.
The Bluebirds will look back with a certain degree of ‘what if?’ hanging over it.
Disappointing form under Neil Harris was arrested by the appointment of Mick McCarthy, but a wobble in spring put paid to play-off hopes despite genuine shoots of optimism under the Irishman.
For Swansea, the disappointment of Wembley and play-off final defeat will linger for a while yet, but it should provide them with the motivation to go one better.
They will certainly need it - both will.
Every year the south Wales rivals spend out of the Premier League the harder it gets to bridge the financial gap to return, especially when parachute payments cease.
The Championship is a slog at the best of times but joining the Welsh teams are three sides with quality second-tier squads with coffers swelled with Premier League TV cash.
Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham are already the bookies’ favourites for promotion, and it is difficult to look past them even without a ball kicked.
Swansea have been tipped for a play-off push, with Cardiff to be part of the reckoning but both sides face the brutal reality that those with the deepest pockets and recent Premier League know-how tend to hold sway. There is still plenty of time left in the transfer window for the Cottagers, Blades and Baggies to be picked off by top-flight suitors but the options available to Marco Silva, Slavisa Jokanovic and Valerien Ismael are simply superior to what McCarthy and Steve Cooper possess.
United have a £45million strikeforce at their disposal in Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster, the west Londoners have a squad littered with quality, while at The Hawthorns Matheus Pereira is probably the best player in the division. The Baggies have also picked up Alex Mowatt on a free transfer after his Barnsley contract expired, which could prove to be an extremely shrewd bit of business.
All three managers at those clubs are new appointments too, and one would assume that they will have all been given assurances that money will be spent in order to instigate a return to the promised land at the first time of asking. Indeed, they have already started to flex their financial muscles, with West Brom linked with £8million-rated Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi, Fulham eyeing Reds’ Harry Wilson and United poised to sell Sander Berge and Aaron Ramsdale for fees close to £40million combined, thus boosting their own recruitment funds.
As previously stated, raids could yet be made on the trio but the task in front of Cardiff and Swansea is now stark, not least in terms of their ability to attract talent to the M4 corridor.
McCarthy has been busy in the transfer market bringing in free transfers ; Mark McGuiness, the 20-year-old centre back, has joined from Arsenal after a season on loan at Ipswich Town last season.
Republic of Ireland striker James Collins has agreed a two-year deal with the Bluebirds upon expiry of his contract at Luton Town and Ryan Wintle has also joined as a free agent after leaving Crewe Alexandra.
But more is needed - a left-back and a creative midfielder for starters - for the Bluebirds to make a fist of a play-off fight.
At Swansea, at even bigger rebuild is needed, with Cooper seeing Freddie Woodman, Marc Guehi, Conor Hourihane and Andre Ayew - four first-teamers - leave SA1 this summer. Kyle Joseph and Joel Piroe have arrived in Landore but it is only the Dutchman who is likely to make the starting XI come the new campaign.
To battle West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham both Swansea and Cardiff will need to use savvy recruitment contacts to compete with the newly-submerged big boys of the division - and that’s even before we consider the likes of Bournemouth, Middlesbrough and Championship underachievers Stoke City and how they’ll attack the season. Those three will almost certainly spend more than Swansea and Cardiff too.
It’s not beyond them, of course, to mount a challenge. McCarthy has been there, done that and is well versed in getting sides promoted from the Championship, and given his impact in the Welsh capital after a short period of time you wouldn’t bet against the veteran boss. And Cooper has an enviable contacts book from his time in the England set-up with his record in the loan market more than impressive.
The challenge is marked, though, and it probably has never been greater, considering the impact of coronavirus. As such, getting out of this division next summer would be one of the most impressive feats known in both SA1 and CF11.
West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham are back among the second tier teams this season, with Cardiff City and Swansea City facing what could be the toughest Championship campaign to date, after relegation from the Premier Cardiff virtually spent nothing, whilst the latest three clubs relegated are keeping many of their squads and re-investing.
By Mathew Davies
Tuesday 6th July 201
It’s crazy to think but it is just 33 days until Cardiff City and Swansea City kick off their 2021/22 seasons.
Both Welsh outfits will no doubt have the bit between their teeth, considering how their respective campaigns ended last term.
The Bluebirds will look back with a certain degree of ‘what if?’ hanging over it.
Disappointing form under Neil Harris was arrested by the appointment of Mick McCarthy, but a wobble in spring put paid to play-off hopes despite genuine shoots of optimism under the Irishman.
For Swansea, the disappointment of Wembley and play-off final defeat will linger for a while yet, but it should provide them with the motivation to go one better.
They will certainly need it - both will.
Every year the south Wales rivals spend out of the Premier League the harder it gets to bridge the financial gap to return, especially when parachute payments cease.
The Championship is a slog at the best of times but joining the Welsh teams are three sides with quality second-tier squads with coffers swelled with Premier League TV cash.
Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham are already the bookies’ favourites for promotion, and it is difficult to look past them even without a ball kicked.
Swansea have been tipped for a play-off push, with Cardiff to be part of the reckoning but both sides face the brutal reality that those with the deepest pockets and recent Premier League know-how tend to hold sway. There is still plenty of time left in the transfer window for the Cottagers, Blades and Baggies to be picked off by top-flight suitors but the options available to Marco Silva, Slavisa Jokanovic and Valerien Ismael are simply superior to what McCarthy and Steve Cooper possess.
United have a £45million strikeforce at their disposal in Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster, the west Londoners have a squad littered with quality, while at The Hawthorns Matheus Pereira is probably the best player in the division. The Baggies have also picked up Alex Mowatt on a free transfer after his Barnsley contract expired, which could prove to be an extremely shrewd bit of business.
All three managers at those clubs are new appointments too, and one would assume that they will have all been given assurances that money will be spent in order to instigate a return to the promised land at the first time of asking. Indeed, they have already started to flex their financial muscles, with West Brom linked with £8million-rated Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi, Fulham eyeing Reds’ Harry Wilson and United poised to sell Sander Berge and Aaron Ramsdale for fees close to £40million combined, thus boosting their own recruitment funds.
As previously stated, raids could yet be made on the trio but the task in front of Cardiff and Swansea is now stark, not least in terms of their ability to attract talent to the M4 corridor.
McCarthy has been busy in the transfer market bringing in free transfers ; Mark McGuiness, the 20-year-old centre back, has joined from Arsenal after a season on loan at Ipswich Town last season.
Republic of Ireland striker James Collins has agreed a two-year deal with the Bluebirds upon expiry of his contract at Luton Town and Ryan Wintle has also joined as a free agent after leaving Crewe Alexandra.
But more is needed - a left-back and a creative midfielder for starters - for the Bluebirds to make a fist of a play-off fight.
At Swansea, at even bigger rebuild is needed, with Cooper seeing Freddie Woodman, Marc Guehi, Conor Hourihane and Andre Ayew - four first-teamers - leave SA1 this summer. Kyle Joseph and Joel Piroe have arrived in Landore but it is only the Dutchman who is likely to make the starting XI come the new campaign.
To battle West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham both Swansea and Cardiff will need to use savvy recruitment contacts to compete with the newly-submerged big boys of the division - and that’s even before we consider the likes of Bournemouth, Middlesbrough and Championship underachievers Stoke City and how they’ll attack the season. Those three will almost certainly spend more than Swansea and Cardiff too.
It’s not beyond them, of course, to mount a challenge. McCarthy has been there, done that and is well versed in getting sides promoted from the Championship, and given his impact in the Welsh capital after a short period of time you wouldn’t bet against the veteran boss. And Cooper has an enviable contacts book from his time in the England set-up with his record in the loan market more than impressive.
The challenge is marked, though, and it probably has never been greater, considering the impact of coronavirus. As such, getting out of this division next summer would be one of the most impressive feats known in both SA1 and CF11.
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Re: The brutal reality facing Cardiff City and Swansea City
Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:07 pm
Yet another toughest championship in years Did we not have that last year and the year before lol Every year it seems to be the toughest according to the press
Re: The brutal reality facing Cardiff City and Swansea City
Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:23 pm
Abergavenny wrote:Yet another toughest championship in years Did we not have that last year and the year before lol Every year it seems to be the toughest according to the press
To the press yes it's the hardest to the fans its the easiest for years..
Re: The brutal reality facing Cardiff City and Swansea City
Tue Jul 06, 2021 5:09 pm
It will be the toughest financial year ever in the Championship, but that also throws up opportunities.
The 3 relegated teams will have substantial parachute payments but as we have experienced (twice) that doesn't always mean much as they tend to be drained away honouring PL type salaries of players they can't get rid of.
I always think the most important signing is the manager himself. Everything is either a success or failure depending on how he moulds the squad and delivers the tactics.
We are fortunate in that respect because we have a very good hugely experienced manager. I like the way he is slowly using contacts to put together a squad which will be competitive.
We'll make the play-offs IMO
The 3 relegated teams will have substantial parachute payments but as we have experienced (twice) that doesn't always mean much as they tend to be drained away honouring PL type salaries of players they can't get rid of.
I always think the most important signing is the manager himself. Everything is either a success or failure depending on how he moulds the squad and delivers the tactics.
We are fortunate in that respect because we have a very good hugely experienced manager. I like the way he is slowly using contacts to put together a squad which will be competitive.
We'll make the play-offs IMO