Cardiff City

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Joel Bagan believes he will become a better player under Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy.

And he says others in the youthful Bluebirds squad are just as excited at seeing their games develop under the former Manchester City coach.

Barry-Murphy helped the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis during his time as under-23 boss at Premier League giants City.

Now defender Bagan says he and the rest of a fresh-faced Cardiff side are hoping to benefit.

"From the first day he came in, there was a really refreshing feeling around the place and really positive," academy graduate Bagan said.

"The thing that exited me the most about coming in was the experience he's had working with young players at Manchester City and Leicester.

"And I've already learned a lot. Some of the details on the work we've had in such a short space of time is not something I've seen before.

"I'm really looking forward to how the rest of the season can plan out."

At 23, Bagan was the second oldest player in the Cardiff side fielded against Peterborough United in the win on the opening day of the season.

Having first broken into the side in 2020 under Neil Harris, he is also the club's longest-serving first-team player following captain Joe Ralls' departure in the summer.

Having joined the academy at 16 after starting out at Southampton, Bagan says Cardiff feels like home - but has not begun discussing his future with a year left on his contract.

Instead he wants to focus on performances, starting this weekend against Rotherham where he says the side are keen to learn lessons from the goalless draw at Port Vale which he described as "probably the most physical" game he has played.

"They made it tough for us and it showed, not every game is going to go to plan and teams won't let us play as we want every time," he said.

"It was frustrating but we came away with a clean sheet and we're still unbeaten."

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Cardiff City have appointed another Manchester City backroom graduate as part of Brian Barry-Murphy's coaching staff.

Barry-Murphy was named Bluebirds boss this summer having served under Pep Guardiola as Under-23 boss at the Etihad side's academy.

At the time of his appointment he drafted in Lee Riley as his assistant having worked with him at City.

Now he has brought in 27-year-old Kieron Lovelady – another ex Man City academy coach – to bolster the team's analysis department.

Lovelady had been working as a coach with Turkish Super Lig side Adana Demirspor but will now link up with Barry-Murphy again as a first team analyst to work alongside Matt Jenkins.

Barry-Murphy said: "When I first came to the club, I didn't know he workings of the club totally but I've seen that the level of Matt's work is of the highest quality.

"I wanted to secure the staff who are exceptional at their job – which Matt is – and Kieron will now come and join that department and also as a coach to help.

"A lot of the individual development will be led by him and will implement what we do on the train, so it's a very, very important role."

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Cardiff City are waiting on fitness assessments for Will Fish and Ryan Wintle prior to Saturday's visit of Rotherham United.

However, Brian Barry-Murphy will soon be boosted by the availability of Perry Ng and Alex Robertson who are nearing a return to action.

The Bluebirds are aiming for a second successive home win in League One when they welcome the Millers on the back of the midweek EFL Cup success against Swindon Town.

Midfielder Wintle – who has played every minute under the new head coach will be checked after what Barry-Murphy called "a bang" against the Robins.

The availability of defender Fish was also being reviewed, with fellow centre-back Jesper Daland seemingly unlikely to feature given he remains in discussions over a possible exit.

But Ng could boost the Bluebirds' defensive options for next weekend's game at Luton Town having returned to full training.

The 29-year-old has been absent since picking up a knee injury early in pre-season.

Barry-Murphy says midfielder Robertson – who suffered a gash to his leg in a friendly with Notts County - is "almost on a par with Perry in terms of timescale" although is yet to return to full training.

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Cardiff City will host League Two Cheltenham Town in round two of the Carabao Cup, with the tie to be played in the week beginning Monday, 25 August.

Cardiff overcame another fourth-tier side, Swindon Town, on Tuesday thanks to goals from Cian Ashford and Rubin Colwill.

Brian Barry-Murphy's team will now face the Robins, who are managed by former Newport boss Michael Flynn, after they beat League One side Exeter City on Wednesday.

The tie could see Cardiff youngster Joel Colwill face one of his former clubs, having enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Cheltenham in the first half of last season.

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Brian Barry-Murphy says Cardiff City's win over Swindon Town in the EFL Cup was "very important" as his side continue to impress in the early stages of the manager's tenure.

Goals from Welsh duo Cian Ashford and Rubin Colwill earned the Bluebirds a 2-1 victory over Ian Holloway's side in the Welsh capital as Cardiff progressed into the second round of the competition.

"I'm really pleased. It means a lot to me to get through to the next round and see who we could possibly take on," Barry-Murphy said.

"To win tonight was very important and we treated the game very seriously. I thought that reflected in our performance, so I was happy."

Barry-Murphy kept faith with six players from the side that started the drab 0-0 draw with Port Vale five days earlier.

And the Irishman says his unbeaten side can continue to improve as his players have more time to adapt to his methods.

"We're in the very early stages of working together. We've only trained for 25 days so that's a very small period of time in terms of trying to build something together," added Barry-Murphy.

"The players who came in came in based on how well they've trained and how they've been to starting the other games.

"We felt it was as competitive as the team at Port Vale, and luckily for us the performance, luckily for us, was better than Port Vale.

"I'm aware of so much more that we need to do as we move forward, but if we have that patience and understanding of where the players are at, I think we'll be fine."

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After an opening day win at home to Peterborough United and a draw at Port Vale, BBC Sport Wales asked Cardiff City fans for their views on the start to the League One season.

Marcus: "I predicted City would finish 9th this season and after 2 games with sides likely to finish in the bottom half, nothing changes my view. The squad is light, we need a left back, [Jesper] Dalaand should go, a new centre back and [Chris] Willock should go. A winger is needed and another forward if [Callum] Robinson goes. I'm all for us playing local lads but this team isn't good enough to compete at the top. If [Vincent] Tan doesn't sell soon it will be another failed season."

Jon: "Although Alan Hansen was proved wrong in his statement that you 'won't win anything with kids', I do think we need some experienced players at left back right, back, creative midfielder and a striker. 46 games is a long time for these academy players and we need a bigger squad with more depth in my opinion. A couple of injuries or suspensions in key areas and we are in trouble. That said, great to see our talented kids coming through to the first team!"

Ross: "Reality has set in after a great start against Peterborough, the defence still needs work and reinforcements as it's deficiencies that got us here in the first place."

Gary: "No outfield incomers. Very poor at Port Vale. Already guilty of unnecessary team changes, not likely to stimulate player confidence, especially goalkeepers. Will likely end the season above mid-table."

Alex: "We look like a mid-table side, which is as expected. Can't understand why we brought in another goalkeeper on loan. Makes you question the manager's judgment."

Steve: "We have the right manager for this club. We don't need signings, just belief. In recent years we have invested in young talent only to find they are blocked from the team by panic buys and overrated, over the hill players. This year feels different."

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It is now 13 years since Cardiff City came close to pulling off one of the great League Cup shocks when they made it all the way to the final before losing out to Liverpool in a penalty shootout.

A Bluebirds side featuring the likes Peter Whittingham, Kevin McNaughton and Aron Gunnarsson – plus goalscorers Joe Mason and Ben Turner – pushed Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Co all the way before being beaten in agonising fashion at Wembley.

Cardiff begin this year's crack at what is now the Carabao Cup when they host League Two Swindon Town on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

Brian Barry-Murphy's team will be keen to continue their unbeaten start to the season, even if there will be no great expectation regarding a cup run in a campaign where efforts will be focused on a potential promotion push.

In truth, Cardiff have not had a great deal to shout about in the League Cup since that memorable run to the final, having made it beyond the second round on just three occasions since.

In 2023-24, they overcame Colchester and Birmingham before being well beaten at Blackburn.

That was the first time Cardiff had reached the third round since 2014-15, when they saw off Coventry and Port Vale before being well beaten by Bournemouth.

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Cardiff's one other visit to the third round since Wembley was in 2013-14, when the then Premier League club were knocked out at West Ham having overcome Accrington Stanley after entering at the second-round stage.

Cardiff's uninspiring record over the past 13 years has included several disappointing losses, including two round-one defeats to Northampton Town and a first-round exit at the hands of Bristol Rovers in 2016-17.

Last year, Erol Bulut's team got past Rovers before being outplayed by Southampton in round two.

The hope will be that after an encouraging opening-day win over Peterborough and last Thursday's draw at Port Vale, Cardiff can maintain momentum by getting the better of Ian Holloway's Swindon side.

"There was too much goalmouth action for my liking and we didn't have enough control," Barry-Murphy said in the wake of the trip to Vale Park, where Cardiff were fortunate to avoid defeat.

"That's great for us because it gives us a lot of areas to improve through the season."

Image source, BBC Sport

Cardiff City are unbeaten after their opening two League One games, but there have been mixed emotions among Bluebirds fans given the contrasting nature of performances.

The opening-day win over Peterborough United was exhilirating and encouraging in equal measure, with a youthful Cardiff side coming back from behind thanks to two brilliant goals from academy graduates Rubin Colwill and Ronan Kpakio.

It was the youngest side for a Bluebirds league game this century, performances from other youngsters like midfielder Joel Colwill and goalkeeper Matt Turner providing hope that the club's future is safe in the hands of a new generation.

But then came Port Vale. Something of a reality check for the fans and new boss Brian Barry-Murphy as Cardiff were outplayed in a goalless draw at Vale Park, struggling to create clear-cut opportunities and overhitting several crosses into the box. They were lucky to come away with a point, frankly.

No-one said it was going to be easy trying to get straight back up to the Championship.

But automatic promotion is clearly the aim - Barry-Murphy has said as much himself - and Cardiff are hoping to add to their squad before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

So how do you feel after the opening two matches? Who has impressed you? Where do they still need to strengthen? Let us know your views by clicking here.

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Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has explained that he substituted young centre-back Dylan Lawlor at Port Vale on Thursday to guard against a potential injury.

Lawlor, 19, was replaced by Will Fish in the 61st minute of the goalless League One draw.

Whereas Lawlor was substituted during the opening win over Peterborough United last Saturday to avoid him getting a second yellow card, his withdrawal at Vale Park was fitness-related.

"He had a tight hamstring at half-time and I was a little bit concerned. I saw him stretching early in the second half," Barry-Murphy told BBC Radio Wales.

"We're at that stage in the season where there can be a risk based on how much fitness we got into them [during pre-season] and that was a risk I didn't want to take."

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Cardiff City's opening English Football League (EFL) Trophy fixture of the 2025-26 season against Exeter City at St James Park will take place on Tuesday, 16 September (19:30 BST).

The Bluebirds have also confirmed they will host Newport County in their second group-stage match of the competition at 19:45 BST on Tuesday, 7 October.

Details for the club's final group fixture with Arsenal Under-21s will be announced in the coming weeks.

The top two teams in each group will progress into the knockout stages - with fixtures remaining regionalised until the quarter-finals.

The final will be held at Wembley on Sunday, 12 April 2026.

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Ryotaro Tsunoda has left Cardiff City to join former club Yokohama F. Marinos back in his native Japan for an undisclosed fee, having never played for the Bluebirds in a competitive game.

The 26-year-old defender joined Cardiff in January 2024 but immediately joined Belgian side KV Kortrijk on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

However, he suffered a serious hamstring injury the following April that required surgery.

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan is also majority shareholder at the Pro-League side, who Tsunoda rejoined on loan in January 2025 for the remainder of last season while the Bluebirds unsuccessfully battled relegation to League One.

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Cardiff City's winning start to life in League One not only laid down a marker – it was also a milestone.

The Bluebirds' win over Peterborough underlined that there will be a freshness about things at Cardiff City Stadium under new head coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

In their first outing since relegation from the Championship, the 2-1 victory showcased a new playing style to go with their promotion ambitions.

It also suggested the new man at the helm will place his faith in youth with the starting XI's average age at just 22, ten of the matchday squad academy graduates - and two from the same family.

It was the first time Rubin and Joel Colwill started a league game for Cardiff together – and the first time two brothers began a game for the Bluebirds in more than 40 years.

While they had previously appeared together for a few minutes off the bench in a defeat to Rotherham in 2024, as well as bench outings in EFL Cup games, you have to go back to 1983 and the presence of Gary and Dave Bennett (pictured below) for the last time siblings kicked off a league game for Cardiff.

In what could be seen as a good omen for supporters, that was in a season where the club gained promotion from the third tier having been relegated the season before.

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The first brothers to play for Cardiff were George and John who featured together between 1911 and 1915, with captain John the first Cardiff player to score in a south Wales derby.

Included in Wales defender Ron Stitfall's 453 appearances for the club were a handful of games with brother and fellow defender Albert, but goalkeeping brother Bob never made it onto the field at the same time.

Similarly, while Paul and David Giles racked up close to 150 games between them in the late-70s and 1980s, their times at their hometown club never overlapped.

But the most iconic example is the period between 1963 and 1965 where Welsh football's legendary brothers – Mel and John Charles – were both Bluebirds.

The pair, though, never managed to play for Wales together during their time at Ninian Park – something for nine-cap Rubin Colwill and Under-21 international Joel to aim for now they've set a club milestone as Bluebird brothers.