Last season was a big one for Cardiff’s academy and the cream of their crop. Whether by design, due to circumstances, force of will or a mixture of all the above, several players broke through into the first-team picture and it was a rare ray of sunshine in an otherwise rather grim season.
Mark Harris, Joel Bagan, Ollie Denham, Eli King, Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies all got game time and made an impression. Their debut may have been a hit, but now it’s time for their difficult second album.
Second season syndrome is a thing in football and it always looked like a tough task for this crop to replicate last year’s impact. Steve Morison completely renovated the squad during the summer, so the players on the books are now very much his players. He may not have fancied several senior pros last year, but that is no longer the case, so opportunities were always likely to be in shorter supply.
