Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Friday, February 11.
Millwall wanted Hugill and Ikpeazu
Gary Rowett has revealed Cardiff City beat Millwall to the punch when signing Jordan Hugill and Uche Ikpeazu in January.
The Bluebirds signed Hugill on loan from Norwich City before sealing the deal for Middlesbrough's Ikpeazu on deadline day and it's fair to say, they've started like a house on fire.
They have notched a combined four goals from five appearances in City shirts and it's easy to see why both were sought after in the January window.
As it turns out, this weekend's opponents, Millwall, were potential suitors for both players in the last window. But it was Cardiff who got both deals over the line.
“They were two players we were interested in,” Rowett said of Hugill and Ikpeazu to the South London Press. “I won’t say in what order we try and do things but Cardiff signed them, for different reasons.
“We couldn’t quite get the deal done, particularly on Hugill. They are both good players, both very physical and they’ve had an impact there.
“That’s the way it sometimes works. We had some good targets in the last window and whether you get them done or don’t get them done, there are varying reasons for that.
“They are a team whose form has definitely improved. Steve is a young manager and he’s had an impact, certainly in the last period of games.
“They will come full of confidence. I know Steve is quite a popular figure around the club and rightly so, when a player comes back and they have that history then he should be given respect for that.
“We look forward to playing them. Our home form has been excellent. We’re certainly not fearful of playing anyone at home, regardless of how good their current form is.”
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Morison's message to Bagan
Steve Morison has challenged Joel Bagan to release the shackles and show even more attacking endeavour.
Bagan was thrown in at wing-back at the beginning of the season before Ryan Giles dropped back into that role before he was recalled by his parent club at the start of January.
It was a rude awakening for Bagan, a player for whom the club have high hopes, but the 20-year-old has visibly improved following his time out of the side.
The solid FA Cup showing against Liverpool was backed up by an equally-impressive display against Peterborough United on Wednesday night the 4-0 win.
With Alfie Doughty expected to be out of the side for more than a month, Bagan has a clean run at that left wing-back role.
Morison has been happy with Bagan's displays and wants to see more excitement from him with the ball at his feet moving forward.
The manager told WalesOnline: "The message to him is 'We need to see more'.
"I don't want to see him, every time he gets the ball, pass it backwards, or just sit in your shape and be safe.
"He's seen two players now, Ryan Giles played in front of him and he can see why he played in front of him, because of his end product, speed and energy going forward.
"Then obviously he saw Alfie come in, it was only two games, but the Nottingham Forest game, straight from the get-go, he was getting it and driving past players.
"All of sudden, Joel Bagan on Wednesday night is getting the ball and dragging it inside and running with the ball.
"People need to get to those levels and it's a consistent message, that's what we've been saying to Joel; 'You have to get better, you have to show more, not be so safe. We want you to express yourself.'
"It also helps when the environment is there for him to do that as well. There is a real player there, we just need to bring it out of him in spades."
Rowberry taking inspiration from Warnock's Cardiff promotion
Newport County boss James Rowberry is using lessons he learned under Neil Warnock during the promotion-winning season at Cardiff City, as he bids to achieve the same feat with the Exiles.
The Rodney Parade outfit are sitting in seventh place, just outside the play-off spots, in League Two after successive defeats by Northampton Town and Forest Green.
However, with 16 games left to play, Rowberry, the former first-team coach with the Bluebirds, is taking the same pragmatic approach he learned from Warnock at Cardiff.
"I think this is all part of part of the experience of football" he said.
"I remember at Cardiff when we got promoted under Neil Warnock, we lost four games on the spin over the Christmas period and still got promoted automatically.
"That's part and parcel of football and the journey and it's how you come back from these bits of adversity.
"I think the big thing was always the next game mentality. You don't dwell on things that happen, good or bad.
"And it's just confidence breeds confidence, so I think we were disappointed on Tuesday, but I was really proud of the lads in the changing room after the game with the way some of them spoke.
"We talked about things that we need to do to become better and that really pleased me in showing how far the group has come
"I think that's what I learnt from Neil was sometimes the players give a strong opinion, an honest opinion on how we can do things and one thing that I think I learned a lot from Neil was that you move on to the next thing, and you move on quickly.
"Cardiff City at that time were challenging for promotion and they probably shouldn't have been.
"With what the job that he did, and the staff did and the players most importantly was a remarkable achievement and it would be very similar to here in that sense.
"So, we've just got to, like we did at Cardiff, focus on the next game."
The Exiles are four points off the automatic promotion spots. They play Oldham at home on Saturday.
Wilder vouched for 'great lad' Uche
Morison has also spoken about how much of a breath of fresh air Uche Ikpeazu has been around the place since his deadline-day signing.
Ikpeazu has quickly endeared himself to Cardiff fans, as the lion's share of Boro supporters on social media knew he would, with two goals in as many games for his new side.
But it is his effervescent character and seemingly boundless joy which has really grabbed the attention of the Bluebirds faithful. After Morison's conversation with Boro boss Chris Wilder, though, it is no surprise to him what a top person Ikpeazu is.
"He's a great lad," Morison told WalesOnline. "When I rang Chris Wilder to ask if he was available, that was the message back from them.
"We don't just go out and sign players, you have to find out a hell of a lot more about them.
"He is a great character, a great lad. They all are. The feedback we had off of all the players prior to signing them was how good lads they were.
"Uche, I didn't speak to him until the morning he signed. But everything I'd heard from others was that he was a great kid and someone who is good to have around.
"He is only 26 as well. He gives you what you need.
"I thought it was great the other night, every time the ball went near him there was this great expectation he was going to put the ball up his top and run around with it!
"To get the goal was good as well because it showed he was a top footballer as well. It was a good run and finish."
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