Cardiff Season Preview - Long season awaits Bluebirds in Premier League
Cardiff are gearing up for their first taste of Premier League football since 2014 and Neil Warnock’s side will be desperate to avoid their shortcomings from four years ago. The Bluebirds were relegated at the first attempt, finishing rock bottom and six points adrift of safety. Cardiff were a relative surprise package in the Championship last season, finishing second behind runaway leaders Wolves and there will be plenty of questions to answer when they make the step up this term.
One to watch - Sol Bamba
After years of unfilled potential, it all came together for Sol Bamba for Cardiff last season. The 33-year-old was immense at the heart of the Bluebirds defence and played an integral part in their promotion to the Premier League. Cardiff had the joint-best defensive record in the Championship (39 goals conceded) and will have to be even more resilient at the back this term. Only four players picked up a higher WhoScored rating than Bamba (7.51) in England’s second tier, while the veteran defender also netted on four occasions. Given Cardiff have so far opted against strengthening the heart of their defence, it is crucial that Bamba successfully makes the transition between Championship and Premier League football. Given his age, it's by no means a formality.
Best Signing - Bobby Reid
Despite finishing second in the Championship last season, Cardiff struggled for goals. Leading striker Kenneth Zohore only netted nine times and their top scorer, Callum Paterson, is a right-back by trade who scored 10 goals from central midfield. Warnock will hope to have addressed that problem after splashing £10m to sign Bobby Reid from Bristol City in June. Only Matej Vydra (21) scored more goals than Reid (19) in the Championship last season but this will be his first taste of Premier League football. It’s by no means a guarantee he will enjoy the same success in England’s top-flight, but it’s at least a step in the right direction by Cardiff.
#CardiffCity are delighted to confirm the signing of @BobbyReid93 from @BristolCity!
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) June 28, 2018
👉 https://t.co/CGZnbqb59t#CityAsOne 🔵⚽️🔵⚽️ pic.twitter.com/0bThtRly7a
Area of Weakness
As mentioned earlier, Cardiff were incredibly tough to break down last season. Championship winners Wolves conceded the same number of goals as the Bluebirds but there are still concerns at the back for Warnock. Only two Championship goalkeepers kept more clean sheets than Neil Etheridge last term (19), but the fact they have signed Alex Smithies this summer would only suggest Warnock has reservations about the 28-year-old Philippines international. Smithies, like Etheridge, has never played in the Premier League and that should worry Cardiff supporters ahead of the new season.
Prediction / Best Bet
None of the newly-promoted sides were relegated last season and Fulham and Wolves look well placed to continue that trend this season, but the same cannot be said for Cardiff. The aforementioned duo have strengthened impressively this summer, but Cardiff have not even come close to competing for the same calibre as signings as their rivals. In fact, Fulham almost invested as much money into Alexandar Mitrovic’s return as Cardiff have spent on their four summer signings combined. This could be a long season for Cardiff and it would not be a surprise to see Warnock become the first Premier League manager sacked. Betvictor are offering odds on 12/1 for that to happen, making him, surprisingly, the fifth favourite to be the first man axed in England's top-flight.
