Cardiff City will be looking to set the pace in League One—but with the pressure building, how can they maintain their edge through the business end of the season? The margins at the top are razor-thin, and one bad run could derail months of progress.
We’ve been looking at what’s driving Cardiff’s strong hopes as they drop down to the English third tier.
We’ve been looking at what’s driving Cardiff’s strong hopes as they drop down to the English third tier.
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00:00Well, as we've discussed previously this week, Cardiff City were relegated from the Championship to League One in what was a horrendous moment for the club and all associated with it in South Wales.
00:16Cardiff is a club with such rich history and going down to England's third tier is the last thing they wanted in terms of what the history of the club means and what it wants going forward as well.
00:28So now it's very much a case of rebuilding and getting the club back on a level playing field. Of course, that will have to start in League One.
00:37Cardiff, of course, a club not so long ago were in the Premier League and that just shows how far they've fallen and how much the club has got to rebuild to get it back to where it would like to be, at least for now, perhaps back in the Championship before any lofty ambitions of the Premier League.
00:52So let's go now to Charles Hague-Jones. Charles, what I'd like to know is how did Cardiff go about rebuilding in League One?
01:02Of course, many players' futures will be thrown into doubt because some might not want to play at that level of English football if they think that it's beneath them.
01:10That may sound like arrogance, but of course, some players, as we know, are like that.
01:13Those who stay, what needs to be done for them and in terms of the staff as well, what can they do on the surface?
01:21Because, of course, there's a whole different conversation to be had at board and ownership level.
01:25But what can be done in the playing staff and in terms of standards at the club, just from those on the pitch and those working with those on the pitch as well,
01:34before we get into the big conversations about which direction the club is going as a whole?
01:38What are your thoughts?
01:42Yeah, obviously, you know, following their relegation to League One, it's their first drop to the third tier since 2002.
01:51You know, the club faces a pivotal summer. Let's not deny that. Let's not overshadow that.
01:56It's a massive opportunity to rebuild and position themselves for a swift return to the Championship.
02:01You know, we have to lay out the objectives here.
02:04It is as simple as what Birmingham City have just done. Go down, refresh, rejuvenate, come straight back up with possibly the League One points record.
02:13But that's not as easy when you don't have the investment that Birmingham City had had.
02:19Cardiff City are now in a massively precarious position.
02:21Obviously, you know, you have to look at a few key priorities for rebuilding.
02:28Firstly, the managerial direction and Ramsey, where is he going to stand?
02:32How is he going to get on in terms of what he wants to do?
02:35You know, he was a player until the last, you know, couple of weeks or so when he took this sort of job on board.
02:41There's been no fairytale ending for him in Cardiff City.
02:45But, you know, boyhood club, been there his whole career, really, in and out.
02:50And, you know, he comes back after competing at the very top level with Arsenal, Juventus and the Champions League, for example, as well.
02:57So what's his, you know, situation going to be?
03:01Are they going to back him?
03:02If it was me, if I was at the Cardiff City, I would 100% back him.
03:05You know, he knows what it means to be at Cardiff.
03:08He knows what it means to be part of this club.
03:10And there'll be a clear, you know, structural rebuild for him.
03:16So that's the first thing to get right is the managerial direction.
03:19You have got to get that right, especially following a relegation and obviously the sacking of Omariza as well, following the sacking of Errol Bullets.
03:28So it's been a real tough time for Cardiff City over the last couple of seasons.
03:32It's been a downward spiral for sure.
03:35You know, the financial situation as well has got to change.
03:38You know, relegation imposes stricter financial regulations.
03:43That's a fact.
03:44That's how football works.
03:45You know, the value of the club will decrease massively by around 40%.
03:50How Cardiff go about that is going to be really tough.
03:53So they need to really make sure they are focusing on cost-effective signings and maximising the value of the assets they already have.
04:01And there are a few.
04:03You have to give that credit.
04:04Obviously, you know, the young players, Reuben Colwell, Keane Ashford, you know, both Wales, both, you know, firing with confidence this season, despite being through it.
04:15Obviously, Colwell 23, Ashford 20 years old.
04:19I mean, a massive chance for them to sort of go and fire and get them, get their home club, get their club back to the championship.
04:26That would be so nice for them.
04:28So I feel that there's a few factors there that Cardiff need to get right, you know, if they can keep hold of these players and if they can maybe make a few shrewd signings as well to get them back up.
04:38There's got to be a clear objective set and it's to get straight back to the championship at the first time of asking.
04:44So, let's get started.