It’s that time of year again. No, not the build up to the January transfer window, although that line of questioning is now officially open and Omer Riza has designs on three new players. It’s instead that point in the season where the uncertainty surrounding yet another temporary manager becomes an unwelcome distraction.
Another sacking without any forethought led to another caretaker manager and the usual bemoaning of the club taking the cheap, easy option. Having being burned by Paul Trollope, Steve Morison and Mark Hudson in the past, that was understandable, but Riza shouldn’t have to be tarred by that same brush and he quickly set about making a great first impression.
Maybe it was simply just the dead cat bounce of a seemingly unpopular manager departing and wouldn’t last. Instead, Riza was nominated for the Championship’s Manager of the Month award after an unbeaten spell that featured some of the most attractive football Cardiff has played in many a year.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt wasn’t quite as simple as liberating all the flair players, but that certainly helped. There are also evident signs of coaching and patterns of play, which have rarely been apparent to the naked eye in recent seasons. The overwhelming general consensus is that Riza deserves to remain in charge, but that was also the case at the end of last season with Erol Bulut and it will be fresh in the club’s mind how quickly that turned sour, so the current indecision is perhaps partly understandable.
While we wait, one of the lingering concerns is the number of players heading out of contract next summer and the fear that there is no one able to make a call on their respective futures. We’re talking several key players here, including Dimi Goutas, Joe Ralls, Callum O’Dowda, Jamilu Collins, Jak Alnwick, Yakou Meite, Andy Rinomhota and Callum Robinson.
Most of the above are at the tail end of their twenties or on the wrong side of 30, but Isaak Davies and Kion Etete are also in the same boat and are not the sort of players you expect to be sailing so close to free agency.
There is a very clear reason for that of course. Both are currently sidelined with long-term injury lay-offs, and not for the first time, with Etete expected back after the international break and Davies now likely in January. It’s particularly disappointing for both as this year was a pivotal one in the development of both, but neither have featured for Cardiff yet this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesDavies had a breakthrough campaign at Cardiff’s sister club Kortrijk last season, leading their attack alone and scoring 12 times, but more significant was making 32 starts. For a such a quick, high intensity player, it must have been a huge confidence boost that his body was able to sustain such a heavy workload. Bulut was looking forward to his return and his mentor Craig Bellamy had just taken charge of the Welsh national side, so everything was in Davies’ favour until injury again intervened.
Etete hasn’t featured since an away win at Bristol City at the start of March and a groin complaint soon turned into a hamstring issue. He played a half for the reserves in midweek and offered a timely reminder of his talents by scoring with a thumping header. He’s shown signs of real progress in the past, but an niggle or knock has never been far behind to undercut his progress.
Davies has just turned 23 and is three months Etete’s senior. They are both at the stage in their career where they should be fulfilling their undoubted promise, potentially as a pairing. They’re regarded highly enough that Bellamy tried to land Davies at Burnley with a multi-million pound deal which was rejected by the club and Spurs reportedly insisted on a buy-back clause when they sold Etete to Cardiff.
Embed from Getty ImagesLike Mark Harris before him, Davies has in the past had his goalscoring record used against him by some, despite many of his games coming off either the wing or the bench. Like Harris, that criticism was wiped out by his fine form last season. Etete gets criticised for not being a towering target man due to his height, but like Robert Glatzel before him, that is a misunderstanding of his strengths, which is his close control and ability to work the channels.
You could imagine both thriving under Riza, but they are now running out of time to make an impression. With Cardiff’s struggles up top well documented, both could offer an in-house, ready-made solution. Etete has already demonstrated signs of a prosperous partnership with Robinson, while Davies seems to have a similar connection with Rubin Colwill.
Cardiff find themselves in a vulnerable position, but that should be fairly familiar territory for them by now. With a core group of players and a manager that will both be attracting attention, there are plenty of situations that require a resolution, ideally ahead of the transfer window opening. Davies and Etete may have clauses that can be activated and with both still being 23 by the season’s end, will require compensation should they depart, but it remains to be seen whether their future contains a new deal or a new club.