VFTN x Ben Turner – Part One
You signed for Cardiff injured, having suffered a bad knee injury at Coventry nearly 10 months before. What sort of shape were you in when you joined and were you concerned about how your knee was going to hold up? I wasn’t concerned for how my knee was going to hold up because I felt […]
Bow down to The New Peter Thorne
Kieffer Moore may prove to be the first striker in 10 years to match Jay Bothroyd and reach 20 goals in a season, but the striker he actually looks set to emulate is Peter Thorne. He of the magic hat. Both joined Cardiff as 28-year-old’s and both immediately hauled the side on to their back […]
Perry Vg
Remember when right back was Cardiff’s problem position? Not anymore. It already feels like a while ago now, such has been Perry Ng’s instant impact. Admittedly, after several months of Leandro Bacuna filling in, a genuine right back was always going to make a significant difference, but that’s only half the story. Jordi Osei-Tutu, on […]
Craig Bellamy is the open goal Cardiff may never score
When you spend time in Craig Bellamy’s company, two things strike you. The first one is that he’s different. When you regularly speak to football players and staff in an interview scenario, they kind of start to bleed into each other a little bit. They tend to use the same stock phrases and cover the […]
Benkovic – Wasteman or just a waste, man?
Farewell, sweet prince. As Filip Benkovic joins a suspiciously, ever-increasing list of players that can be loosely termed ‘Cardiff rejects,’ we’re left to wonder what might have been. What actually happened was that Cardiff signed the 23-year-old, one-time Croatian international on loan, never played him and saw him recalled at the earliest opportunity. Actually, he […]
Bellamy on coaching
Everything you’ve outlined when talking about the Anderlecht academy feels like areas where the Cardiff Academy are coming up short. Looking at your time at Cardiff, having worked for one of the best academies in the world, what are they lacking? Is it the coaching? The lack of a pathway? The fact that the first-team […]
Bellamy’s ethos
“I’ve got to smile when I watch football. I’ve got to enjoy it. I love attacking, but I also love defending. I love pressing, but I also love playing. Don’t ever think I’m against long balls, but long straight balls, with a centre forward up against two defenders, I don’t like those odds. It makes […]
Bellamy on the Premier League
Was playing for Cardiff in the Premier League a dream come true and if so, how did the dream compare to the reality? I thought we were going to go down! I knew it was going to be tough. It was going to take a big overhaul of players, but is that fair on the […]
Bellamy on promotion
You came back to Cardiff and I know it was a difficult time for you with the passing of Gary Speed, which had a knock on effect on your marriage. What was your frame of mind at the time and was the move driven by the need to be back in Cardiff more than anything […]
Bellamy on facing Cardiff at Wembley
“We played the semi knowing that Cardiff were already there and I just remember the build up towards the game. I always go through a team and spend time with analysis, looking at their strengths and weaknesses, who plays where and I thought they were OK. They’re not going to pass you off the park, […]