Cardiff City’s New signings
By Glen Williams
Monday 14th September 2020
As always, let's shine the spotlight on the new faces.
Kieffer Moore was starved of service all afternoon, or quality service at least.
But there were certainly enough glimpses for fans to be encouraged by what is to come. He was excellent with his feet in tight spaces, was a decent link-up player and got himself in the right areas.
He also did far better than Glatzel in winning aerial battles and that will be important moving forward as Cardiff try to look to find different ways to score.
Arguably City's best chance came before the half-time break when Moore latched on to a free-kick, but glanced his header narrowly wide of the post. Promising signs.
Sheyi Ojo, too, offered enough to hearten fans.
He was quick and broke well down the right-hand side at times, but, as mentioned above, there were a few teething problems in as much as he didn't know when to cut inside and when to hit the byline and stand up a cross to the far post.
But he certainly looks like he has the qualities to be a solid addition to this Cardiff City squad, one to watch moving forward.
And then Jordi Osei-Tutu.
It was a solid enough outing from the right back, you certainly cannot attribute too many glaring errors in his performance, really. Although he was a little lax for the second goal, losing his man in the box.
He broke well and dovetailed nicely at times with Ojo, but his end product didn't always deliver. And the understanding will come between him, the wingers and the striker as to what service they will need going forward.
I do fear that relying on this 20-year-old, unproven right back at this level for the entirety of a Championship campaign is a bit of a gamble.
And, with that, on to my final point...
Need more through the door
This is no post-event triumphalism here, this is a point I've always harboured heading into the start of the season: Cardiff need at least two more new signings.
With Neil Etheridge now gone, for a transfer fee which could rise to £2m with add-ons, and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's contract unceremoniously terminated this week and the parachute payments,you would like to think there is now room in the wage bill to accommodate a few more fresh faces.
As a matter of urgency, the Bluebirds need another No.10. They have done since Bobby Decordova-Reid left on deadline day of August 2019.
Relying on Lee Tomlin, a 31-year-old who has struggled with fitness in recent years, to be the sole creative spark in that forward line for yet another marathon Championship season is unrealistic.
Harris has alluded to potentially using Ojo as a No.10, which might work, but Cardiff do not have enough wingers to plonk one in a different position to fill the gap.
If that is the case and Harris' intention, then another winger has to be brought in.
Junior Hoilett does not appear to be producing those pinpoint crosses with the regularity we are used to, nor is he scoring the odd world-class goal from range.
Similarly, Josh Murphy has a big season ahead of him and needs to find a consistent run of form.
Mendez-Laing, though also hot and cold at times, was Cardiff's most consistent winger when fit, really. So that is a big void to fill.
If the plan for Ojo is to move to a No.10 role, then a winger is needed. If not, then City desperately need another playmaker. A Premier League loan would be ideal.
And, lastly, they really do need another right back.
Osei-Tutu has been good enough in his first two outings, but it seems a heavy burden for him to carry throughout the course of the season.
The Plan B of slotting Leandro Bacuna in there just does not work. It detracts too much from the midfield and it is clear he is not a natural defender in that position.
Potentially a permanent signing needs to be made at right back, otherwise the free-for-all scramble for a loan signing will be a constant saga every transfer window.
If it is a loan signing, then so be it. But there needs to be another through the door who can fill the void on the right-hand side of the defence.
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