Cardiff City

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Cardiff City turn their attention to an EFL Cup tie against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday evening, but a victory on home soil would be a welcome boost to their new Championship campaign.

The Bluebirds will start as favourites when they host League One Rovers in the first knockout game of 2024-25.

And a win on their own patch would be welcome after Cardiff were beaten 2-0 at home by Sunderland on the opening day of the new league season.

Strong home form is nearly always the foundation for a positive campaign – and Iwan Roberts reckons Cardiff must improve in the Welsh capital.

“That's four defeats in their last five at the Cardiff City Stadium,” the former Wales striker told this week’s Feast of Football podcast.

“They've scored one goal or less in 14 of their last 24 home games. They only scored 27 goals in 23 home league games last season.”

After Rovers, Cardiff go on their travels to Burnley next Saturday, before the making the short trip to Swansea City eight days later.

Their next two home games after the derby are against Middlesbrough and Leeds United, two sides being tipped to compete for promotion this season.

The EFL Cup may not be especially significant to Cardiff, but getting back into the winning habit on home soil before those two well-fancied sides visit would do Erol Bulut’s team no harm.

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It is one of the proudest moments in Cardiff City's recent history, the day they almost shocked Premier League giants Liverpool in the 2012 EFL Cup final.

Malky Mackay's Bluebirds team took Liverpool all the way to penalties at Wembley, with defender Ben Turner sending Cardiff fans into raptures when he equalised two minutes from the end of extra time to force a penalty shootout.

Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties, but it was still a day to cherish for City fans with Joe Mason (remember him?) opening the scoring for Cardiff before Martin Skrtel and Dirk Kuyt netted for Kenny Dalglish's team.

Yet as they prepare for the start of another League Cup campaign, against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, Cardiff fans will be wary that they've struggled to live up to that unforgettable day at Wembley ever since.

Only three times have they made it beyond round two since 2012 - last season, when they lost 5-2 at Blackburn in round three, and 2014-15, when they were beaten 3-0 at home to Bournemouth.

Their poor record over the past 12 years includes several disappointing losses to lower-league sides, including two round-one defeats to Northampton Town, and a first-round exit at the hands of Bristol Rovers in 2016-17.

Cardiff's EFL Cup exits since 2012:

2012-13: Round one v Northampton Town

2013-14: Round three v West Ham

2014-15: Round three v Bournemouth

2015-16: Round two v MK Dons

2016-17: Round one v Bristol Rovers

2017-18: Round two v Burton Albion

2018-19: Round two (entered at this stage) v Norwich

2019-20: Round two (entered at this stage) v Luton Town

2020-21: Round one: Northampton Town

2021-22: Round two v Brighton

2022-23: Round one v Portsmouth

2023-24: Round three v Blackburn Rovers

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Midfielder Alex Robertson could make his Cardiff City debut in Tuesday's EFL Cup tie against Bristol Rovers - with chances, too, for some of the club's youngsters.

Robertson was an unused substitute as Cardiff opened their Championship campaign with a 2-0 home defeat to Sunderland.

But fans are likely to get their first glimpse of the recent signing from Manchester City when the Bluebirds host League One Rovers in the first round of the cup.

"Alex Robertson, [Wilfried] Kanga and other young players...let's see," said Erol Bulut when asked who could feature.

"We will try to use young players and new players on Tuesday. To give them more minutes."

Anwar El Ghazi is another summer recruit waiting to make his Cardiff debut, though it is unclear whether he will be ready for the Rovers tie. Bulut said last week the winger was still building up fitness.

There could be first appearances of the season for academy graduates such as forward Cian Ashford and midfielder Raheem Conte.

Ashford made his debut in last season's opening EFL Cup tie - a penalty shootout win over Colchester - while Conte's first appearance came in a 2-1 Championship win over Southampton, where Ashford hit the winner.

Asked why Ashford was not involved against Sunderland, Bulut said: "He had a small issue as he played with the under-21s.

"Kanga played 20, 25 minutes [as a substitute against Sunderland], he needs a little bit more time.

"We will use mostly players who played less or didn't play [on Saturday]. We want to win the game and continue in the cup."

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Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut expects it to take time to build up the fitness of Wales captain Aaron Ramsey.

Ramsey played 90 minutes for Cardiff in their opening day defeat to Sunderland, something he struggled to do very often last season as he was beset by injury issues.

“First of all we have to be happy that he played 90 minutes,” Bulut said.

“First of all he has to stay healthy. We know he had been out for four months.

“He tried a lot today and worked hard. We have to work to make sure we mostly have Aaron on the field to play for us.

“He can play every week but every week two or three times? That we will have to manage.

“Aaron wants to be fit for the team.”

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Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut says the club “must” continue to add to their squad until the close of the transfer window.

Bulut gave debuts to Calum Chambers and Chris Willock in Cardiff’s 2-0 defeat to Sunderland, while striker Wilfried Kanga was introduced from the substitutes’ bench.

However, Bulut says he still expects to add to his ranks before 30 August.

“We have to, we are looking and negotiating with a few positions where we have need,” Bulut said.

“I hope shortly we can finalise two or three.

“We would like to have had some players in earlier, but the market is not so easy.

“We still have good quality players that we are targeting.”

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Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut says defender Mark McGuinness remains a Bluebird “for now”.

McGuinness has a minor hamstring injury and did not feature in Cardiff’s opening day 2-0 defeat to Sunderland, in a move Bulut says was unrelated to transfer speculation.

Luton Town, relegated from the Premier League last season, are believed to be leading the chase for McGuinness, who Cardiff signed from Arsenal in 2021.

“He had also a hamstring injury before, so he only trained with us for one-and-a-half days," Bulut said.

“Today we did not have a centre-back problem, our two centre-backs were good today.

“McGuinness will continue to be a Cardiff player for now and for this I am happy.”

BBC Wales Sport reporter Michael Pearlman gives his view after seeing Cardiff City lose their opening game of the Championship season to Sunderland.

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Captain Joe Ralls has hailed new Cardiff City signing Alex Robertson but admits he has been made to feel old by his arrival - having played with the player's uncle.

Australia midfielder Robertson, 21, has joined the Bluebirds from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £3m.

Cardiff's fifth summer signing follows in the footsteps of his uncle Gavin Rae, who made more than 150 appearances for the Bluebirds between 2007 and 2011.

"He has settled in really well. I can’t believe it’s Gavin Rae’s nephew, someone I played with. Made me feel old," said Ralls.

"He had a good year last year at Portsmouth.

"He is a player with great quality and a lot of potential. It’s amazing we are signing players not only for now but for the future. He’s one – along with the young players we've got at the club – that stands the club in good stead for the future.

"I'm really excited to play with him and work with him".

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Jobi McAnuff believes Erol Bulut’s new-look Cardiff City squad can have “a good crack” at reaching the Championship play-offs this season.

Cardiff finished 12th in the last campaign, their first under Bulut’s management, having narrowly avoided relegation in 2022-23.

EFL pundit McAnuff reckons the Bluebirds’ summer recruitment work means they can make further progress in 2024-25.

“I'm quietly confident about Cardiff City this year,” said former midfielder McAnuff, who played for the Welsh club in 2004-05.

“I look at summer transfer windows and sometimes I see clubs signing players and go, oh, do they really need that? But actually I think what they've done really well, the manager and the recruitment team, is said ‘right, what's been an issue for us?’.

“It's certainly attacking areas, creating chances from open play. They've identified that. I think Chris Willock is going to be a brilliant signing if they can keep him fit enough.

“Alex Robertson was brilliant at Portsmouth in the first half of last year. He will be a real fun player to watch and I think he'll add to that.

“So I think if they can keep the components that served them well at times - being hard to beat, compact, tight defensively, obviously brilliant from set-pieces last year - and just add that extra little layer, it can be a real positive season for Cardiff City this year.”

McAnuff credits Bulut with “steadying the ship” last season after he was brought in to replace Sabri Lamouchi.

As well as attacking midfielder Willock and Manchester City product Robertson, Cardiff have signed Calum Chambers, Anwar El Ghazi and Wilfried Kanga during the close season.

“I think one thing for sure this year, I'm pretty certain they are the type of players that Bulut would be saying ‘look, this is what I need to take us to that next level’,” McAnuff added.

“We know the jump from mid-table to those play-off places is not a massive one.

“So I think if you can be there or thereabouts, certainly in the top half, towards the end of the season, you give yourselves a good crack at getting in the play-offs.

“They're certainly a team that I would say have got an opportunity to do that this year.”

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Aaron Ramsey sacrificed a holiday this summer in order to ensure he is fit for the start of Cardiff City's new season.

Injuries limited the Wales captain, 33, to just 13 appearances for the Bluebirds last term.

Ramsey missed Wales' two friendlies in June to work on his fitness, and he then opted against a holiday for the same reason.

The former Arsenal midfielder has impressed for Cardiff in pre-season, scoring a spectacular goal in their final friendly at Bristol Rovers last weekend.

Now Ramsey is expected to feature in the Bluebirds' season opener at home to Sunderland on Saturday.

"Aaron, he had a hard summer. He didn’t go for holidays. He wanted to prepare himself," said Cardiff manager Erol Bulut.

"He wanted to prepare himself for this season to have more games for Cardiff. I hope for him to be more on the field, longer on the field than last season, to be healthy for this season."

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Midfielder Seren Watkins has left Cardiff City Women to join West Bromwich Albion.

Watkins, 20, was Cardiff’s player of the year as they won the Welsh domestic treble last season.

But she will now try to prove herself in the FA Women's National League North, the third level of the English pyramid.

Jai Semenyo has found a new club after leaving Cardiff City, with the 21-year-old signing for Eastleigh after a successful pre-season trial.

Right-sided wide player Semenyo was released at the end of last season after three years on the Bluebirds' books.

Semenyo, the younger brother of Bournemouth forward Antoine, played twice for Cardiff's senior side.

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Aaron Ramsey is hoping new Cardiff City signings Chris Willock and Calum Chambers will add an extra bit of Arsenal class to the Bluebirds' new Championship campaign, which kicks off on Saturday at home to Sunderland.

The 33-year-old midfielder left Cardiff for Arsenal in June 2008, with Ramsey spending more than a decade with the Gunners before joining Italian giants Juventus.

Attacking midfielder Willock and defender Chambers are well known to Ramsey from their Arsenal days together, and the trio are now reunited at Cardiff City Stadium following some successful summer recruitment.

"Obviously I know them both from my time at Arsenal, played with Callum for many years there and Chris a few times as well," Ramsey said after Cardiff's pre-season win over Bristol Rovers.

"So I know them pretty well, I know their qualities and they have the Arsenal sort of way, linking up, little intricate passes and pass-move sort of thing.

"I enjoyed playing with those two [at Rovers] and hopefully they can help us a lot this season."