-Credit:Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd
Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Tuesday, December 17.
Forward sends reminder
Cian Ashford sent Omer Riza and the Cardiff City decision-makers a reminder of his talents ahead of what is destined to be a tricky decision about his future in the new year.
Cardiff are looking to make room in their first-team squad, which is desperate for reinforcements after finding themselves in the midst of another relegation battle.
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Ashford broke through at the end of last season, scoring that wonderful winner against Southampton which prompted Erol Bulut to keep the Wales youth international around this term. But that hasn’t quite worked out.
The 20-year-old has made just four substitute appearances in the Championship and has been omitted from four of the last five Championship squads. Riza has previously spoken about potentially earmarking Ashford for a January loan, last month saying: “Potentially Cian could go out on loan. I think he needs a loan to set him up to come back in at the start of next season to really have a go at it.
“That’s not definite, but he is one of those players who could do with that.”
However, he popped up with a brace for Cardiff City under-21s yesterday on their way to a 2-0 win over QPR, a result which sees the young Bluebirds ascend to the top of the league.
Ashford’s first was from the penalty spot but his second, just after the break, was a peach. He picked the ball up on halfway and drove towards QPR’s box before firing a 20-yard effort fizzing past the R’s goalkeeper.
The game also saw Ryotaro Tsunoda continue his recovery, with the Japanese centre-back playing 74 minutes, while Michael Reindorf, who has seen first-team minutes recently, also started in the win.
First-team staff member leaves quietly
Respected first-team analyst Jack Radusin has left his role with the Bluebirds.
Radusin has been with Cardiff for more than a decade and has served as the club’s head first-team performance analyst since October 2016. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
However, following the 2-2 draw with Stoke City at he weekend, he took to social media to announce that it was his 411th and final game.
Cardiff had put out a job advert for a head first-team performance analyst earlier this month, with the remit being to “lead the daily workflow of the first team performance analysis department to provide thorough and creative insights into technical performance data and tactical video footage, in order to meet the needs and demands of the management and playing staff.”
It’s a role which will be essential to helping Cardiff out of their current malaise, with the successful candidate to “undertake a lead role within the daily workings of first team squad, operating in a prominent role within the strategic game planning process.”
Another appointment the club will feel is crucial as they look to move forward into brighter future.
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Ralls: We’ll cause Sheffield United problems
Joe Ralls is optimistic about Cardiff City’s chances against Sheffield United, as the Bluebirds prepare to welcome the Blades to south Wales for Saturday’s clash.
Despite Riza’s team conceding a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Stoke City and Chris Wilder’s side riding high on a 10-match unbeaten streak in the league, Ralls believes Cardiff can shake things up at the top of the Championship table.
The Bluebirds captain said: “It’s a tough game, but it’s a good game. The fans will get right behind us,” adding, “We know it’s a tough challenge but it’s one that we’re looking forward to.
“If we perform like that (against Stoke) which is the standard we have to set now, we have to keep that, not for a few games, but for the rest of the season.”
“We’ll have a chance, we’ll create problems for them and we’ll have an opportunity to get some points.”
There’s no doubt City are in a relegation battle now as we approach the mid-point of the season, however Ralls is adamant City have the talent to climb away from the bottom three in the second half of the campaign.
“I believe we do, we’re a good side, we’ve got a good group of lads in there that are trying hard,” he added. “Sometimes performances don’t show how much it means to us. That’s disappointing and that’s something we’ve talked about.
“I think we showed today there’s a group in there that are fighting. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because we’ve let in a goal at the end and lost a couple of points.
“We’ve got to take that performance and standard that we set today, keep that going for the rest of the season and we’ll get enough points to have a good season.”