What began as a promising season for Cardiff City has slowly unravelled, with the Bluebirds now drifting dangerously close to a relegation scrap — a scenario few predicted just a couple of months ago.
We discuss where it’s gone wrong, and several moments stand out. A series of narrow defeats in early spring shattered momentum, with Cardiff often dominating spells of games but failing to take their chances.
We discuss where it’s gone wrong, and several moments stand out. A series of narrow defeats in early spring shattered momentum, with Cardiff often dominating spells of games but failing to take their chances.
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00:00Now, Cardiff City have long been an established championship club, although they have had the odd foray into the Premier League and down into League One, but for the most part they've been steady in England's second tier.
00:14But this season has seen things go pretty wrong with League One looming large for the Bluebirds. Only a couple of games remain in the season and with Aaron Ramsey in temporary charge, it's not looking good for Cardiff City.
00:26But they would like to think that Aaron Ramsey's love and passion for the club may be able to help them pull off an unlikely escape.
00:34But just where has this season gone so wrong for them? Obviously plenty of bad results, but also some highs too.
00:41For example, beating Swansea at the Cardiff City Stadium. Wins and results that perhaps could have inspired them to go on further and escape relegation, but that have ultimately not done so.
00:52So, where have Cardiff gone wrong? That is the big question. We're going to go now to Charles Higg-Jones, one of our Cardiff City experts, to hear his thoughts on the matter and introduce what has gone wrong for Cardiff this season.
01:04And if they are to go down, ultimately what needs to be done to make sure that their stay in League One is only a temporary one and that they are once again a fully-fledged championship club in the years to come.
01:15And perhaps even get back to the Premier League where, of course, all clubs in the second tier and third tier would love to be.
01:22For now, though, that is all a distant future ambition. What now can Cardiff do and what has gone wrong for them this season?
01:30Yeah, I think there's been a majority, you know, so many different factors in terms of where Cardiff's season has gone wrong, where the decline has sort of started with the club.
01:44I mean, they were a Premier League outfit in 2018, not that long ago, really, if you look back.
01:49And then, obviously, again, in 2013, you know, they've had some sustained spells as a club, which has been really positive and, you know, done well in the FA Cup at times.
02:00They've got to the last stages of that and it's just slowly, slowly petered out.
02:05I mean, they haven't replaced some of their players that they've let go.
02:11The transfer strategy just hasn't been good enough.
02:14It's been sort of sell and not really replace like many clubs are having to do at the moment due to the financial restrictions.
02:22But, yeah, I think there's been so many issues.
02:25I mean, you go back to the very start of this season, you know, fans didn't know what was happening.
02:31They wrote a letter to the board saying we need more clear sort of communication between the board and the fans.
02:37We don't really know who's going to be in charge because of the managerial situation,
02:41obviously, with Errol Bullock, who ended up, you know, being dismissed.
02:45And then Omariza comes in and he's got such a challenge to juggle in terms of keeping them in the championship again.
02:52They obviously narrowly avoided it last season and they've been around it.
02:56I think if you look at the relegation battle from a neutral perspective and Cardiff's decline,
03:02it's been coming for a long time.
03:03This has and Cardiff really, really want to avoid it, as we've mentioned previously.
03:07But, yeah, there's been so many issues off the pitch, I think, is where it all sort of stems from.
03:14The ownership situation just isn't clear.
03:17The managerial situation wasn't resolved in the right way at all.
03:22And, you know, Cardiff City supporters really don't know where to look at the moment.
03:26They've got a side who are full of, you know, young talent.
03:30There are some top talents in there, some young players who've really made a difference.
03:34And, I mean, I think it's as damning as it is when you look at the last Wales squad
03:39and there's absolutely zero Cardiff City players in there for the first time.
03:43And, you know, you have to go back a very long time for the last time that happened.
03:48Obviously, the likes of Aaron Ramsey and his injury record haven't helped.
03:51He's been good when he's been on the pitch.
03:54But that's just sort of a bit of a rarity at the moment.
03:56So, look, I mean, Cardiff City's situation has been a real decline.
04:03Then they have to completely re-evaluate and try and hold on to these young players,
04:07these young Welsh talents, because they're going to want to play at a higher level
04:10to get back in the international side.
04:14They don't want to be left out.
04:15They want to be, you know, playing for the capital city club of Wales.
04:19They want to be making sure that they're in and around the Welsh squad as well,
04:24with obviously the World Cup coming up in a year or so.
04:28So, yeah, it stems, there's a lot of deep-rooted problems at the club
04:33and they are praying that they do avoid the drop
04:36because it could be, you know, continue this huge downslide
04:41that they are unfortunately on.