Cardiff City Post Match Thoughts

[mellowmiller]

GlennMiller said:
We've shown glimpses this season that we can compete with the best and we need to remember that rather than going into a lack of confidence spiral.

Whereas that sentiment is correct at home, unfortunately we never seem to compete effectively in away games and that has to be down to the manager.
I desperately want MT to succeed but I've said from the outset that I'm not sure what to make of him as a manager and unfortunately, after 46 games in charge, I still feel pretty much the same.
I guess the fairest way to judge him is when everyone in his squad is fully fit but unfortunately he's never going to have that luxury because of all the sicknotes he's signed.

[HensonsPRman]

That’s a good point. Thanks for clarifying
So I think what you are saying is that with the quality of our home grown talent none of them are really cship quality so we only have 25 to choose from, less injured players.
Whereas a club like Birmingham or Norwich might have 10 or so home grown players who could play at cship level.
So they have a squad of say 35 to choose from whereas we’re picking from about 18 -25 depending on the walking wounded
That’s a big gap in available resources

Flour that's exactly the point, have a look on this link thses are the initial squads that went into the efl once the transfer window closed, before anyone signed any free agents.

https://www.efl.com/news/2023/septem...eason-2023-24/

I will give you one example QPR tipped by many to be down there with us have a squad of 22 players BUT also have a squad of 21 under 21 players on professional contracts, so they can choose from a squad of 43 players.

[HensonsPRman]

Flour that's exactly the point, have a look on this link thses are the initial squads that went into the efl once the transfer window closed, before anyone signed any free agents.

https://www.efl.com/news/2023/septem...eason-2023-24/

I will give you one example QPR tipped by many to be down there with us have a squad of 22 players BUT also have a squad of 21 under 21 players on professional contracts, so they can choose from a squad of 43 players.

Southampton 20 squad players plus 31 Under 21 professional contract players so 51 players to pick from.

Our S6 friends 24 squad players plus 18 under 21 professional contract players so 42 players to pick from.

Yesterday's opponents 23 squad players plus 22 under 21 contract players so 45 to choose from.

It's pretty much the same for every team apart from ourselves.

[MillersTime]

You are so wrong read the rules it's 25 players plus club grown players, have a look at the actual squad sizes most teams are around 35 to 38 players.
We have a small academy set up and no under 21 or under 23 development teams (old reserve teams). That is a big part of the problem.

Excellent observation.

[uttis]

Henson thanks for this re the squad thing I for one didn’t know anything about this rule Christ I knew we were facing a battle to stay up but this just about puts the tin lid on it didn’t realise the rest of the championship could have basically have limitless numbers in terms of the squad so if I understand it correctly we could have added Ayres Douglas Mckuckin Holvey Durose and others I’ve forgotten but our beloved leader MT has deemed them not enough his words not mine

[gru]

What's it matter about academy's to us 1st team squad what matters. If we had 20 fit players good enough we wouldn't be 2nd from bottom of championship how it stands.

[Derbymiller]

You don't get young players now like in the 70's when we got the likes of Breck Stancliffe Green Finny Crawford through to the 1st team set up. Young players would sooner play on their phone today. Think big clubs now put offers in we can't match to sign players even while they're at school. Not knocking TS for that that's what it is today we can only put so much of the budget into the youth set up. Sooner that than reduce the 1st team squad budget for that.

are you saying that trying to build a youth teamcapable of supporting the first team is pointless? If so why do so many of the other clubs do it (see other posts on this thread to support that)

[Heliosphan]

Henson thanks for this re the squad thing I for one didn’t know anything about this rule Christ I knew we were facing a battle to stay up but this just about puts the tin lid on it didn’t realise the rest of the championship could have basically have limitless numbers in terms of the squad so if I understand it correctly we could have added Ayres Douglas Mckuckin Holvey Durose and others I’ve forgotten but our beloved leader MT has deemed them not enough his words not mine

As Henson said, all of those players are exempt from the 25 because they're all under 21 players on our books. Some of those have been on our bench this season, McGuckin has played even though he wasn't named in the 25. Players like Lembikisa (who is U21) has to be included in our named 25 because he isn't our player, he's on loan.

That's my understanding. I'm sure Henson will correct me if that's wrong!

[gru]

are you saying that trying to build a youth teamcapable of supporting the first team is pointless? If so why do so many of the other clubs do it (see other posts on this thread to support that)

Honest I think it's just a done thing clubs showing intent re. youth policy knowing in clubs of our size chances of anything coming from it are almost non-existent.

[HensonsPRman]

Henson thanks for this re the squad thing I for one didn’t know anything about this rule Christ I knew we were facing a battle to stay up but this just about puts the tin lid on it didn’t realise the rest of the championship could have basically have limitless numbers in terms of the squad so if I understand it correctly we could have added Ayres Douglas Mckuckin Holvey Durose and others I’ve forgotten but our beloved leader MT has deemed them not enough his words not mine

We have added 5 players:

Ford, Durose, Douglas, Holvey and McGuckin.

The point is all the other teams have sides that play in the under 21 and Under 23 leagues, which is what reserve team football used to be. Some Division 1 sides have these teams as well, hence why the other clubs have big squads playing competitive football. Our lads are nowhere near this level and go on loan to the lower levels of non-league.