Steve Morison's reign hint at exactly what the future looks
Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:30 am
The early signs of Steve Morison's reign hint at exactly what the future looks like at Cardiff City
The Bluebirds have gained seven points from the four games in which Steve Morison has been at the helm and it has given us greater insight into what the future looks like
If the Owner Vincent Tan really believes in Steve Morison, this coming January, Morison will need to be fully backed.
MONDAY 22 NOV 2021
We are now four games into Steve Morison's Cardiff City reign and the Bluebirds have posted a healthy points tally of seven out of a possible 12.
Considering in the previous 12 games under Mick McCarthy they accrued the same number of points, Morison's start to life in the Bluebirds hot seat has been very much welcomed by Cardiff fans.
After two last-gasp winners and a remarkable three-goal comeback up at Stoke City, the last few weeks have been anything but boring from a Cardiff City perspective.
There has been a marked shift in mindset and tactics and that is perhaps the most refreshing thing of all. There is an "attack-first" mentality now being carried out which was desperately needed after the dour, monotonous football we saw at the start of the season.
Perhaps the most heartening thing about that performance up at Preston North End at the weekend was the fact that the average age of Cardiff's starting XI was 24.8 years of age. That has to be the youngest Cardiff side to have taken the field in a number of years.
The front three of Isaak Davies, 20, debutant Chanka Zimba, 19 and Rubin Colwill, 19, was a bold, exciting call from Morison. It perhaps didn't work as he had hoped, but the fearlessness to try something different was applauded by City fans.
There are two sides to the coin, of course. While there will likely be exciting, packed with edge-of-the-seat moments, there will also be mistakes. This is a very young and relatively inexperienced coaching staff who are becoming increasingly reliant on youth-team players and academy products.
Mark Hudson's arrival assuages some concerns over the team's defending — which still has a lot to improve on after another soft goal conceded at the weekend — but the manner in which Cardiff are choosing to play now will doubtless leave them vulnerable moving forward.
We have a packed November and December before we head into the January transfer window and the next six weeks or so will likely better inform the club on what is needed in the new year. Reinforcements are certainly needed, though, that is a certainty.
The priority is to add pace in the form of a striker and/or winger, likely via a Premier League loan or even recalling one of their own, one glance at the players out of contract next summer suggests a deeper strengthening of the squad is required.
Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Marlon Pack, Will Vaulks, Aden Flint, Alex Smithies, Isaac Vassell, Ciaron Brown and Josh Murphy all see their contracts end next summer and, working on the premise that quite a few of them will leave, that is a sizeable hole to fill.
While it is often stated that January is not the best window in which to make big moves from a transfer standpoint, there might well be a few opportunities Cardiff look to take, with one eye on depleting squad numbers next summer.
Asked about the transfer window last week,Steve Morison said:
"It's a key time, we have got 10 games in six weeks. We will be having conversations on it.
"As a football club we all know where we want to go in terms of how we want this club to look going forward.
"I'm sure you'll see that when it all starts coming together. It's short-term at the minute. Really short-term goals; get to January and see where we are.
"It won't be a case of not being prepared if we do get the option [to do something in the window]. We are fully prepared and are aligned as a football club and a recruitment and a management team."
Morison now says the entire club is aligned in how the squad is going to look moving forward. Given how his Cardiff side have played in recent weeks and with Vincent Tan having been impressed with the style of play, it provides an encouraging insight into how City's transfer policy will likely be shaped.
Indeed, following Morison's appointment, Tan said: "I have been encouraged by the team’s improved performances over the past three games, with the adoption of a more attractive and progressive style of football.
Now Tan needs to back his manager in the New Year, if he really believes in him.
"What’s more, I think that the excellent work done by Steve and Tom at U23 level this season puts them in the very best position to help develop a talented crop of young players emerging at senior level."
There will be an onus on bringing through more youngsters and nurturing the ones who have already made the step up. Some will fall by the wayside, but undoubtedly the ratio will be a healthy one if what we have seen so far is anything to go by.
With Tan giving Morison his backing and citing the more attractive, pacy style of play, it already hints at how Cardiff's transfer policy will change moving forward.
The priority will be to lean on the club's academy in order to become more self-sustaining, of course, but the club want to drive up the squad value. Rubin Colwill and Mark McGuinness are just two young players — one from Cardiff's academy, the other from Arsenal's — who were inexpensive but could net the club millions in the years to come, for example.
The business model finally looks to be going hand in hand with the football on the pitch and that is a big step in a positive direction for Cardiff City and should encourage the Bluebirds faithful.
The important point is to ensure that, without a director of football, this mindset and ethos continues long term, whether that is with Morison at the helm or any other manager further down the line.
The Bluebirds have gained seven points from the four games in which Steve Morison has been at the helm and it has given us greater insight into what the future looks like
If the Owner Vincent Tan really believes in Steve Morison, this coming January, Morison will need to be fully backed.
MONDAY 22 NOV 2021
We are now four games into Steve Morison's Cardiff City reign and the Bluebirds have posted a healthy points tally of seven out of a possible 12.
Considering in the previous 12 games under Mick McCarthy they accrued the same number of points, Morison's start to life in the Bluebirds hot seat has been very much welcomed by Cardiff fans.
After two last-gasp winners and a remarkable three-goal comeback up at Stoke City, the last few weeks have been anything but boring from a Cardiff City perspective.
There has been a marked shift in mindset and tactics and that is perhaps the most refreshing thing of all. There is an "attack-first" mentality now being carried out which was desperately needed after the dour, monotonous football we saw at the start of the season.
Perhaps the most heartening thing about that performance up at Preston North End at the weekend was the fact that the average age of Cardiff's starting XI was 24.8 years of age. That has to be the youngest Cardiff side to have taken the field in a number of years.
The front three of Isaak Davies, 20, debutant Chanka Zimba, 19 and Rubin Colwill, 19, was a bold, exciting call from Morison. It perhaps didn't work as he had hoped, but the fearlessness to try something different was applauded by City fans.
There are two sides to the coin, of course. While there will likely be exciting, packed with edge-of-the-seat moments, there will also be mistakes. This is a very young and relatively inexperienced coaching staff who are becoming increasingly reliant on youth-team players and academy products.
Mark Hudson's arrival assuages some concerns over the team's defending — which still has a lot to improve on after another soft goal conceded at the weekend — but the manner in which Cardiff are choosing to play now will doubtless leave them vulnerable moving forward.
We have a packed November and December before we head into the January transfer window and the next six weeks or so will likely better inform the club on what is needed in the new year. Reinforcements are certainly needed, though, that is a certainty.
The priority is to add pace in the form of a striker and/or winger, likely via a Premier League loan or even recalling one of their own, one glance at the players out of contract next summer suggests a deeper strengthening of the squad is required.
Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Marlon Pack, Will Vaulks, Aden Flint, Alex Smithies, Isaac Vassell, Ciaron Brown and Josh Murphy all see their contracts end next summer and, working on the premise that quite a few of them will leave, that is a sizeable hole to fill.
While it is often stated that January is not the best window in which to make big moves from a transfer standpoint, there might well be a few opportunities Cardiff look to take, with one eye on depleting squad numbers next summer.
Asked about the transfer window last week,Steve Morison said:
"It's a key time, we have got 10 games in six weeks. We will be having conversations on it.
"As a football club we all know where we want to go in terms of how we want this club to look going forward.
"I'm sure you'll see that when it all starts coming together. It's short-term at the minute. Really short-term goals; get to January and see where we are.
"It won't be a case of not being prepared if we do get the option [to do something in the window]. We are fully prepared and are aligned as a football club and a recruitment and a management team."
Morison now says the entire club is aligned in how the squad is going to look moving forward. Given how his Cardiff side have played in recent weeks and with Vincent Tan having been impressed with the style of play, it provides an encouraging insight into how City's transfer policy will likely be shaped.
Indeed, following Morison's appointment, Tan said: "I have been encouraged by the team’s improved performances over the past three games, with the adoption of a more attractive and progressive style of football.
Now Tan needs to back his manager in the New Year, if he really believes in him.
"What’s more, I think that the excellent work done by Steve and Tom at U23 level this season puts them in the very best position to help develop a talented crop of young players emerging at senior level."
There will be an onus on bringing through more youngsters and nurturing the ones who have already made the step up. Some will fall by the wayside, but undoubtedly the ratio will be a healthy one if what we have seen so far is anything to go by.
With Tan giving Morison his backing and citing the more attractive, pacy style of play, it already hints at how Cardiff's transfer policy will change moving forward.
The priority will be to lean on the club's academy in order to become more self-sustaining, of course, but the club want to drive up the squad value. Rubin Colwill and Mark McGuinness are just two young players — one from Cardiff's academy, the other from Arsenal's — who were inexpensive but could net the club millions in the years to come, for example.
The business model finally looks to be going hand in hand with the football on the pitch and that is a big step in a positive direction for Cardiff City and should encourage the Bluebirds faithful.
The important point is to ensure that, without a director of football, this mindset and ethos continues long term, whether that is with Morison at the helm or any other manager further down the line.
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Re: Steve Morison's reign hint at exactly what the future lo
Mon Nov 22, 2021 11:33 am
I like what i have seen from Morison and have high hopes from him to do well Let’s see where we are after 20 games in control to make a real judgement on if it is going in the right direction
Tan may not have the money to fully back him in January and i think that will be the case The biggest test will be what backing he gets at start of the new season when many big earners are off the books as well as not having to pay Harris
Tan may not have the money to fully back him in January and i think that will be the case The biggest test will be what backing he gets at start of the new season when many big earners are off the books as well as not having to pay Harris
Re: Steve Morison's reign hint at exactly what the future lo
Mon Nov 22, 2021 1:56 pm
Abergavenny wrote:I like what i have seen from Morison and have high hopes from him to do well Let’s see where we are after 20 games in control to make a real judgement on if it is going in the right direction
Tan may not have the money to fully back him in January and i think that will be the case The biggest test will be what backing he gets at start of the new season when many big earners are off the books as well as not having to pay Harris
I agree.
But apparently Pembroke Allan, says we are not allowed to talk about the future
Re: Steve Morison's reign hint at exactly what the future lo
Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:37 pm
"Kieffer Moore?
No new injury updates. He might be, he might not be [available].
If I tell you what is happening - I might as well ring up Hull and tell them our line-up for tomorrow night!"
Love this, he can manage the media already, he is a gem !!!!
No new injury updates. He might be, he might not be [available].
If I tell you what is happening - I might as well ring up Hull and tell them our line-up for tomorrow night!"
Love this, he can manage the media already, he is a gem !!!!