Tue Aug 13, 2024 10:15 pm
Erol Bulut is determined to help "great player" Rubin Colwill achieve his potential and push him to the next level after he opened his account for the season in Cardiff City's 2-0 cup win over Bristol Rovers.
Colwill had a flurry of chances to put the game to bed before he slotted home the second in injury time. After a positive season last year, which yielded relatively few goals considering how well he played, he will hope to kick on this year. And a goal on his first start of the season is the ideal start.
"First half today it was not exactly what we want to show," Bulut said. "We played too slow. We think too slowly. Second half was much better and we stretched the game much better and created chances to score - it could have been more goals today. It's about making decisions in front of goal.
"Rubin tried to chip the ball over the goalkeeper, these chances you have to score! It's too relaxed. We have to score from these kinds of positions. He scored in the end and I'm happy he feels better. he has to shoot and create more up in front. He is a great player and he can be much, much better. He has to change a few things, but we will try to push him on to this level."
Colwill was on the scoresheet with Mark McGuinness, who is thought to be the subject of transfer interest from Luton Town.
"I didn't hear anything the last two days," Bulut said of McGuinness. "I am looking now forward to playing with Mark. That's why he played today. Until anything is finalised he is a member of this family of Cardiff City."
A number of youngsters and debutants were on show in the cup clash, with Michael Reindorf, the 19-year-old striker who has scored six goals for the U21s since joining following his exit from Norwich City, particularly impressive off the bench.
"That was the reason today he was on the field," Bulut said of Reindorf's start to his career in Cardiff. "Our offensive part, our strikers, we don't have many right now. Kion (Etete) got injured, Isaak Davies is out for four months, Robbo (Callum Robinson) got injured in the game against Sunderland, Achilles, so you can calculate how many players I have. Injures are not our friends in the first works! Robbo got a kick and he will have a scan tomorrow to see what he has.
"Some young players, what we used today. Michael today worked really good. We have really good youngsters, but I'm thinking 'Would it be helpful for them all season?' About this we have to think.
"Maybe now I can say we have 13, 14, 15 players, so the quality and experience I need more for the season. But can the youngsters help us this season? This is what we need to know."