The continued absences of Callum Robinson and Rubin Colwill had turned into a soap opera. Aaron Ramsey’s cruel injury curtailed Cardiff’s impressive start to the season, but also presented an opportunity. There was a void that needed to be filled and fortunately, there were two suitable candidates. Or at least we all thought there were.
Erol Bulut is evidently a Colwill fan because Rubin has a freshly minted new contract to prove it, but whether he’s ready to carry the attacking burden of this team is another matter. All the available evidence suggests he is not. Yet at least.
This is hardly surprising after playing so infrequently in the last couple of years, for so many different managers. There is a clamour to see Colwill play more because he’s undoubtedly talented and one of our own, but if we’re all honest, we probably share Bulut’s reservations that his application is at times lacking. The reality is that he’s had far too much spotlight for one so young and inexperienced. What he now needs more than anything is less attention and more time to develop his craft.
Embed from Getty ImagesRobinson, in contrast, is Cardiff’s most important player. That may appear a bold claim on Ramsey’s watch, but he is Cardiff’s chief provider of both goals and assists. He performs two key roles and when he is absent, it is keenly felt. He is also not someone that has ever been accused of not pulling his weight, so it was a surprise to see him tarred with the same brush as Colwill.
His fitness is also a contentious issue. Struggling with a back injury that he sustained on international duty with Ireland over the summer, he has not enjoyed the agility that he needs to weave past opponents and execute his full array of talents. You would think that would afford him some consideration and sympathy, but football has a short memory.
The problem is that a back injury is difficult to resolve. Its not like a torn hamstring or a broken toe. It can linger for an unspecified amount of time. Speaking of hamstrings, his current injury was preceded by a tear against Reading last season and saw him hobble about on it for the final 10 minutes, as Cardiff had already used their allocation of substitutions. All told, it’s been a rotten eight months for Robinson, but maybe his luck is finally starting to change.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a goal against Gibraltar on his recent return to international duty, Robinson impressed in his cameo against Blackburn at the weekend. It was an underwhelming team display, but the introduction of both Robinson and Yakou Meite made Cardiff far more threatening. They impressed enough for both to be selected from the start at Huddersfield on Tuesday and it resulted in Cardiff’s most polished performance of the season.
It took Robinson a mere 90 seconds to make his mark, impudently flicking in a cross to give Cardiff an early lead. Possibly still lacking full freedom of movement, Robinson certainly enjoyed the freedom of a side that afforded Cardiff both time and space throughout. It was a complete team performance, but the unpredictability Robinson provides is liberating for a sometimes pedestrian attack. They picked Huddersfield, who were really bad, off at will and it allowed Cardiff to rest players ahead of tomorrow’s Severnside derby, including Robinson and Meite, who are sure to continue their blossoming partnership.
There have been times in recent weeks when I’ve wanted to sit Bulut down with tapes of the old Robinson, but now he’s finally seen it for himself. His quality and influence can no longer be denied and that is a huge positive for Cardiff. It has felt like a January transfer was more likely than a first-team recall, but hopefully the focus can now turn to the best way of accommodating the returning Ramsey and Robinson in the same team.