All change under Steve Morison: Cardiff City 2022-23 Championship season preview

Ex-Millwall and Norwich striker Steve Morison won 20 caps for Wales, scoring one goal

Cardiff City are taking something of a step into the unknown after a summer of sweeping change ahead of Steve Morison's first full season in charge.

The former Wales striker has made 13 new signings and dispensed with 10 senior players as he looks to reshape his squad after a disappointing previous campaign.

The Bluebirds finished 18th in the Championship, with Morison taking the reins last November following the sacking of Mick McCarthy.

There was some improvement under Morison, but results remained mixed, with promising performances offset by miserable ones such as the 4-0 thrashing at home by arch rivals Swansea City.

Now having had pre-season to work with his revamped squad, Morison will hope Cardiff can kick on in his first full season in senior management.

How did last season go?

Cardiff entered the 2021-22 season with relatively high hopes, having finished the previous campaign in eighth place and reached the play-offs the season before that.

But a run of eight consecutive defeats led to McCarthy's departure in October, with Morison placed in temporary charge before his permanent appointment the following month.

Cardiff started encouragingly under Morison with three victories and just one defeat from his first six games, only to sink back towards the relegation zone after a six-match winless run.

That kind of inconsistency was the story of the season as Cardiff's players sometimes struggled with Morison's attempts to evolve their playing style towards a more possession-based approach.

However, the improvements were significant enough for the Bluebirds to steer themselves to safety comfortably before spring and allow them to start planning for the season ahead.

Former England youth international Vontae Daley-Campbell is one of 12 new signings for Cardiff this summer

What are their prospects this season?

Given the scale of player turnover during the summer, it is difficult to predict how Cardiff will fare this season.

Most of the signings were free because, like most other clubs in the Championship, money remains tight for the Bluebirds.

They did hold talks with Wales captain Gareth Bale about what would have been a sensational move home for the former Real Madrid forward, but he eventually chose Los Angeles FC.

Once that tantalising prospect had gone, Cardiff returned their focus to rebuilding their squad on a modest budget.

Midfielders Romaine Sawyers and Andy Rinomhota and returning winger Sheyi Ojo are among the arrivals who bring considerable Championship experience, while younger players such as winger Ollie Tanner have been signed with an eye on the future.

At the time of writing, however, the Bluebirds squad still looks short of options and quality up front as a striker remains top of Morison's shopping list.

Few will expect Cardiff to compete with the likes of pre-season favourites Norwich City - their opening opponents - and Watford for promotion, but staff, players and fans will all be hoping for further signs of progress.

Manager Steve Morison's view

"I think you can see what we're trying to do, and that's the main thing.

"We're working on a way of playing, and also a way of playing that suits the players we've got. We've brought the players in to play a certain way, and they're doing alright at the minute.

"It's going to take time until it becomes second nature, but we're on the right path."

Transfers in

Ollie Tanner (Lewes, £50,000); Andy Rinomhota (Reading, free); Mahlon Romeo (Millwall, free); Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool, free); Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City, free); Jamilu Collins (SC Paderborn, free); Romaine Sawyers (West Brom, free); Ryan Allsop (Derby, free); Jak Alknwik (St. Mirren, free); Vontae Daley-Campbell (Leicester, free); Ebou Adams (Forest Gren, free); Cedric Kipre (West Brom, loan); Jaden Philogene (Aston Villa, loan).

Transfers out

Will Vaulks (Sheffield Wednesday, free); Aden Flint (Stoke, free); Marlon Pack (Portsmouth, free); James Collins (Derby, free); Ciaron Brown (Oxford, free); Sam Bowen (Newport, loan); Kieron Evans (Torquay, loan); Josh Murphy (Oxford United), Leandro Bacuna, Alex Smithies, Isaac Vassell (all released).