Mark McGuinness

I think this is great news. McGuinness will hopefully get regular game time and Mick McCarthy will make Cardiff promotion candidates

Always happier to see a player go and play at a young age at a lower level rather than stay on the fringes at a bigger club. A couple of years ago Conor Masterson was impressing for us at Under 21 level but stayed too long at Liverpool and is playing catch up in a big way now. McGuinness is similarly impressing for our Under 21s now, but he already has a year of first team football behind him and is moving to a club where he will have a realistic chance of playing again next season. Great move for him, even if he is unlikely to be a first team regular right away.

He has every chance of promotion next season with Cardiff and should progress quickly with Mick as manager there. It's a long time since Arsenal were nicknamed 'London Irish', there hasn't been a first team BIG there since Eddie McGoldrick. No sign of that changing anytime soon. Jordan McEneff is still there, maybe one or two other youngsters, but the odds are long for them.

Eoink21 wrote: Great move. Big lad so that should gain him favour with Mick. I think they played 3 centre halves a bit last season too so hopefully there's plenty gametime available. If he's going to make it as a top flight centre half then a top half Championship side at 20 on the back of a season in League One is a pretty solid trajectory to get there.

Pretty sure once Mick came in last season they switched to three at the back and started every game under him with three at the back.

With the defensive players coming through for the senior team it should be our formation going forward. Build a solid defensive foundation with the likes of Kelleher, Bazunu, Collins, O'Shea, Omobamidele, and McGuinness coming through.

We need a few lads though that can play wing back to start breaking through at club level though. McNamara seems to be the only one U23 that's playing regularly and not sure where O'Connors long term position will be but feel he could be another John O'Shea and will get moved around to cover different positions.

Edited by J89 - 22 Jun 2021 at 1:47pm

O'Connor isn't good enough going forward to play right back, let alone wing back. He needs to convert to a holding midfielder if he's to have any chance of making it at a high level.

Edited by You Tell Me - 22 Jun 2021 at 2:11pm

Mick: "We've got Mark McGuinness and Ciaran Brown injured already. They could be out for 2 or 3 weeks each. Both have ankle injuries that are severe enough."

kevin100 wrote: Badgersboys9 wrote: Mick: "We've got Mark McGuinness and Ciaran Brown injured already. They could be out for 2 or 3 weeks each. Both have ankle injuries that are severe enough." Hope it's nothing too serious, was keen to see how he would get in the Championship this year under Mick.    That doesn’t sound too bad. A few weeks is nothing to sweat about. Cardiff ain’t chocka with centre backs so McGuinness will see plenty gametime. Himself and Bagan who’s rumoured to be declaring for us will benefit from Cardiff not having huge funds to go and buy players more readymade.

Most significant news tonight for me is Mcguinness back in the starting line up. Once he doesn't get injured/corona or do anything stupid I'd back him to establish himself properly from tonight in Cardiffs side. 

Commentator on Sky claimed they played five centre backs. Bagan one of the players dropped from previous game. Callum Robinson very good for West Brom again.