With the 2018/19 Premier League season all set to kick-off tomorrow, the team at View From The Ninian have crunched the numbers, analysed all the league’s business and have put their predictions down on paper.
Who will win the league? Where will the Bluebirds finish? Which new signing will be our best? The VFTN writers give you their thoughts.
Scott Salter
Predicted finish: 17th. It’ll be a slog this year. It’ll be tough at times, but we as fans need to remember to stick together and get behind the team. If we do that, I believe we’ll have an enjoyable season. Take out the top six, and all we have to do is be the fourth worst side – that’s pretty doable.
Top goalscorer: Josh Murphy. Unless we get another striker in, I think Murphy will be our top goalscorer. He’s shown in pre-season that he can grab a few goals and I think he will work well linking up with Big Ken.
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Player of the year: Sean Morrison. If we’re to stay up, we need a big season from the skipper. Alongside Sol Bamba, he’s crucial to how we play and keeping the group motivated. He’ll pop up with a couple of goals, too.
Best new signing: Josh Murphy
Who will disappoint: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. He surprised us all last year with how well he did, but I think this is a step too far. I think that Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid will accompany Junior Hoilett as our main three behind Zohore, leaving NML in the sidelines.
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What will be the game of the season: Cardiff v Wolves, 1st December. I know we played them last year and there’s more mouth-watering teams to play, but I think this one will be waiting to bang. The fans historically don’t like each other (remember Wolves inexplicably banned Cardiff fans from games at the Molyneux in 2006) and then the games last year were heated, particularly the clash at the Cardiff City Stadium when Warnock famously told Nuno Espírito Santos to “fuck off”. Warnock will have the lads fired up for this one and the crowd will be all over Wolves. Tasty.
Who will win the league: Manchester City
Who will be relegated: Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Watford
Ben James
Predicted finish: 15th. I’m an optimist by nature and I think we will be overlooked by a lot of clubs and I think that plays in our favour. The players we’ve signed give us a bit of pace and guile up top and bolster us at the back – plus players like Jazz Richards and Aron coming back to full fitness will be like new signings. We’ll surprise a few people and we’ll reach the heady heights of 15th.
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Top goalscorer: Bobby Reid. Pinching myself a little bit that we signed him and it’s a shrewd move. A great season last year and he’ll be itching to kick on. He scored against some big boys last year and he’ll have Warnock telling him to go out and show people that it wasn’t just a one off.
Player of the year: Big Sean Morrison. The guy grew in stature last year and is a proper leader. He’ll be the one picking up players when they are down and making sure we don’t let our heads drop. I really think he’s going to be a colossus.
Best new signing: Bobby Reid. See above. He’s got something we didn’t have last season and will be raring to prove himself on the biggest stage. It’s going to be his year.
Disappointment of the season: This is more existential from me, and while I’m so happy to be there, I think the standard of football in the Prem will disappoint. Yeah, Man CIty and Liverpool are good and all but even teams like Manchester United seem to play pretty turgid stuff these days.
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What will be game of the season: Fulham Away on April 27th. A warm spring day at Craven Cottage – the best football ground in London. Plenty of beer, around 5/6k Cardiff fans taking over the neutral end. A home fanbase who hate our football. An away win for Cardiff to secure safety. Beautiful.
Who will win the league: Liverpool.
Who will be relegated: Watford, Newcastle, Brighton
Nathan Walker
Predicted Finish: 18th. Sorry! Cardiff got promoted last year due to the team spirit dragging them over the line instead of the pure quality of the players and I think that may show when they come up against a better standard. I’ve been impressed with the signings and I don’t doubt that there will be a couple more additions before Bournemouth but I still believe this squad is in danger.
Top Goalscorer: Bobby Reid with around 8/9. I rate him a lot and I think he’ll score a fair amount for us providing he’s given the service. Hopefully, of the ones he does score, they’re last minute winners (ideally against Wolves and Liverpool for my selfish personal reasons)
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Player of the Year: Sean Morrison. Captain fantastic to have another heroic season. Clearances, goals from corners and more dancing, I can’t wait.
Best new signing: Alex Smithies
Disappointment of the season: Kenneth Zohore. I’m not sure many City fans expect a lot of Ken given his hot/cold performances last season but I have a bad feeling he’ll struggle to make any form of impact this campaign, especially if another striker is brought in before August 9th.
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Game of the year: Wolves at home. Cardiff again get two last minute penalties but this time they’re scored completing a record breaking 13-0 win. However, the match is marred by Neil Warnock and Nuno Santo having a huge brawl on the pitch and Kevin Blackwell is arrested.
Who will win the league: Chelsea
Who will be relegated: Cardiff, Brighton, Huddersfield
Paul Gronow
Predicted finish: 16th. Whilst Cardiff City MIGHT struggle to reach the heights of last seasons runner-up spot, I think they will be in the top ten come Christmas only to fade from February onwards ending in a comfortable 16th some 8 points clear of the bottom three.
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Top goalscorer: Gary Madine of course, who else? Whilst he has fair share of critics, I for one think his medieval battering ram style will prove unbearable for many a Premier League defender and once he scores one, you won’t be able to stop him. Think Sam Vokes, with a slightly sharper jawline.
Player of the year: Can I say Gary Madine again? No? OK then I’ll choose Greg Cunningham. I see him as this season’s Patterson that comes along and blows your mind with match-winning display after display. Plus, we needed another Greg to replace dearly departed Halford.
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Best new signing: See above, Cunningham without a doubt.
Who will disappoint: This one is difficult given I love them all so much I can’t find it in my heart to pick one of them out. If pushed I would say I fear Zohore will find Madine’s hot streak too much to handle and go back to wearing gloves in the summer and fighting with the gaffer in the dressing room toilet.
What will be the game of the season: Cardiff vs Huddersfield Town. Possibly the most unfancied game of the season by all and sundry but turns out to be remembered as one of the games of the millenium. Peltier to stump up a 105th minute winner with a bandaged head. Magic.
Who will win the league: Liverpool
Who will be relegated: Southampton, Huddersfield and Brighton
Scott Johnson
Predicted finish: I’ve crunched the numbers and I’m going with 16th! The odds are certainly stacked against Cardiff, but I think they’ll ruffle some Premier League feathers. There are also plenty of bad teams in the Premier League. I fancy Bournemouth and Watford to both struggle, while Huddersfield and Brighton, who were promoted last year, spent a lot of money and have spent loads again, still look vulnerable.
Top Goalscorer: Bobby Reid. In the same way that Callum Paterson benefitted from the hard work and presence of Kenneth Zohore, I think Reid will also enjoy the fruits of The Great Dane’s efforts. Reid also has more attacking nous than Paterson and will be super confident coming off his breakthrough season.
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Player of the year: Sol Bamba. It’s long overdue. I think he will once again be a driving force for Cardiff and people are going to be scratching their heads, asking why this guy has remained under the radar for so long and ended up slumming it in Scotland. He’s a force of nature.
Best new signing: I think the best new signing thus far has been Greg Cunningham. It wouldn’t surprise me if he started the season ahead of Joe Bennett and even if he doesn’t, he is likely to see plenty of game time if Cardiff play with three centre backs at times, which is likely against some of the bigger sides.
Biggest disappointment: Now that it looks like Troy Deeney will not be joining, that mantle probably falls to the man he would have replaced, Gary Madine. I don’t envy Madine, who is a square peg being jammed in to a round hole. Not as bad as some make out, but probably not good enough either.
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Who will win the league: Kevin De Bruyne
Who will be relegated: Watford, Huddersfield, Brighton
Beth Phillips
Predicted finish: This month, Premier League Football returns. It’s a statement I’ve always been excited by, but this time, as I cheer on my beloved Bluebirds, it feels even more precious.
Cardiff City are now in arguably the biggest league in the world. We’ve reached dreamland and after the ups and downs of last season, we can stand tall, regardless of any criticism and say – we made it. The end of last season made up for the FA Cup Final defeat, the Play Off Final defeat… along with the Carling Cup Final defeat.
Any long-term bluebird will realise that we’ve been through the mill as a club. The View From the Ninian team are always about passion and realism.
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I think the bluebirds will finish 15th this season. We need to ensure home performances are on point and that the home crowd get behind the boys. However, I fear lack of experience in the Premier League may make it difficult for the bluebirds on the road. I’d like us to make the Cardiff City Stadium a home fortress this season.
Top Goalscorer: I’ve not made a fantasy football team yet. I’m too nervous. However, I think I’d have Junior Hoilett down as our top scorer. He’s got ability, passion and precision.
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Player of the year: I’m going for Sol Bamba as our player of the year. He’s a player with so much force, ability and experience. He deserves his first outing in the Premier League. He’s our rock and I can just see him rising to the occasion.
Biggest disappointment: My sincere hope is that we make a mark in the away grounds this season. I’m worried that away performances may disappoint and that the team as a whole may be overwhelmed. We must stay strong and cussed as we go along to the big stadiums.
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Who will win the league: I think Manchester City will win the league. This pains me to say!
Who will be relegated: I think Huddersfield, Wolves and Brighton will get relegated.