Cardiff City

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Midfielder Kieron Evans hopes his maiden goal for Newport County in the EFL Trophy will be the first of many at the League Two club.

The 22-year-old, who is on a season-long loan from Championship side Cardiff City, gave County a first-half lead at home to Cheltenham Town on Tuesday.

But the visitors came from behind to beat the Exiles, who had Jacob Carney sent off before half-time.

“It’s always nice to get off the mark early doors so hopefully now it’s going to come more often,” said Evans.

“If you watched the first half I thought we played really well, but second half we were up against it a bit.

“On Saturday [at Morecambe], I came on for 15 to 20 minutes and the gaffer (Nelson Jardim) has said ‘just go and express yourself, drive with the ball’, so that’s what I went out and did."

Evans says he is hungry to gain League Two experience after previous loan spells in the National League, with Torquay and Gateshead.

“I’m just excited to push myself at this level," he added.

"The gaffer and Daf (assistant boss Dafydd Williams) have been brilliant since I’ve come in and the way they play is brilliant.

"It’s exactly what I like to do, play on the floor, so it’ll suit me perfectly.”

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Nine Cardiff City players have been selected to represent their countries during the September international break.

Aaron Ramsey and Rubin Colwill are in the Wales squad for the Nations League games against Turkey and Montenegro.

Craig Bellamy has confirmed Bluebirds midfielder Ramsey will remain captain for the new Wales head coach's first games in charge.

Cardiff pair Callum O'Dowda and Callum Robinson have been included in the Republic of Ireland's 23-man squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against England and Greece.

They could face midfield team-mate Manolis Siopis who is in the Greece squad for the game against Ireland and also Finland.

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath has joined up with the U.S national team to face Canada and New Zealand in two friendly matches.

New signing Jesper Daland is on duty with the Norway squad as they begin their Nations League campaign with a visit to Kazakhstan, before hosting Austria on Monday.

Andy Rinomhota has been included in the Zimbabwe squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya and Cameroon.

And right-back Perry Ng has moved a step closer to playing for Singapore after training with their national squad this week.

Cardiff return to Championship action against Derby County on Saturday, 14 September.

It's not been the start to the Championship season Cardiff City fans were hoping for.

Four games in and just one point - and just one goal - to their names, the Bluebirds are spending the international break bottom of the table.

There were boos for manager Erol Bulut and the side after the weekend defeat by Middlesbrough that means - at this early stage - it's the worst start to a Cardiff league campaign since 1989.

And some of the guests on Call Rob Phillips didn't hold back either.

But how concerned are you about the signs so far from the Bluebirds? Is it just a matter of time before the team clicks with new signings still settling in?

Or are you worried that there is something lacking in the team?

What would you change in time for the trip to Derby a week on Saturday.

You can have your say by sending us your views here, external

Image source, Huw Evans agency

Defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott has left Cardiff City for a season-long loan at National League side York City.

The 22-year-old former Tottenham graduate spent the second half of 2023-24 on loan at Scottish club Dunfermline and made his Championship debut for the Bluebirds against Burnley in August.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City are enduring their worst start to a league campaign in 35 years.

Beaten 2-0 by Middlesbrough at the weekend, the Bluebirds are yet to win in their opening four league games.

Currently bottom of the Championship table, Erol Bulut’s side have managed to pick up just one point in that run – their worst return since the start of the 1989-90 season.

Cardiff were in the old Third Division that year, manager Frank Burrows resigning just two games into the campaign to be replaced by Len Ashurst.

Their only point came in a 2-2 draw against Brentford with Jimmy Gilligan on the scoresheet in front of less than 3,500 at Ninian Park.

They would eventually be relegated to the fourth tier, having had to wait nine games for their first win.

Cardiff also had to wait until nine fixtures into a season for their first win in 2018, although that was in the demands of the top tier after promotion under Neil Warnock.

Even then, the Bluebirds had already mustered two draws by this stage of the league season, with the current Cardiff crop having only one - the south Wales derby draw at Swansea.

In terms of second tier football, you have to go back 43 years to the start of the 1981-82 campaign for the last time Cardiff failed to pick up more than a point from their first four games, opening the season with a 2-2 draw at Oldham before winning 3-2 at Luton five fixtures in.

Cardiff – who are below Luton on goal difference with one goal scored and 10 conceded – will have to wait until after the international break if they are to show this is a blip when they head to new boys Derby County.

And, should they break their duck, manager Bulut – who has promised changes to his side after the winless start – can take comfort from the fact his side only had four points from their first five games last year but went on to push on towards the Championship play-offs before the end of the campaign.

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Neil Warnock has paid an emotional tribute to Sol Bamba following the 39-year-old's passing.

Warnock was a long-time admirer of the Ivory Coast international and made him his first signing as Cardiff City boss in October 2016.

Bamba was a pivotal figure under the Yorkshireman as Cardiff staved off relegation in his first season in south Wales before gaining promotion into the Premier League in 2017-18 - with Bamba featuring in all 46 of the Bluebirds' Championship matches that season.

Paying tribute to Bamba on X, Warnock - who also worked with the centre-back at Middlesbrough - wrote: "I can’t believe I won’t see that beaming smile again.

"I’m so happy that Sol was part of my life and we had such brilliant memories together.

"I’m heartbroken for Chloe and the family and all my thoughts are with them.

"Sol was a ray of sunshine and I’ll miss him so much."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City are hopeful that centre-back Jesper Daland's ankle injury is not serious.

Daland, who joined the Bluebirds from Cercle Brugge earlier this month, was forced off during Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough.

The 24-year-old Norwegian twice received treatment on the pitch before eventually being replaced by Dimitrios Goutas in the 43rd minute.

“I think it’s not a big injury," said Cardiff manager Erol Bulut.

"He twisted his ankle. The player stepped on his ankle."

With Championship football now taking a break for a period of international fixtures, Cardiff will not be in action again until they visit Derby County on Saturday, 14 September.

The loss to Middlesbrough was Cardiff's third from four league games this season, leaving them bottom of the table with only one point and one goal to their name.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton head coach Russell Martin says he made up with Cardiff City's ground staff after being soaked by sprinklers during his visit to the home of the Bluebirds last season.

The former Swansea City boss was twice sprayed by the Cardiff City Stadium's water sprinklers as he applauded Saints supporters prior to his side's 2-1 loss to Erol Bulut's men in April.

However, ahead of Southampton's 5-3 Carabao Cup second-round win against the Bluebirds on Wednesday night, Martin met with Cardiff City's grounds manager Liam James who posted a picture of the pair on X, external.

"I had a good chat with them (Cardiff's ground staff) before the game, we had a laugh about them soaking me last season and the guy owned up to it, finally," Martin jokingly said.

"That's all I wanted, I just wanted him to own up and say that he meant it and that it wasn't a mistake.

"It's all good. They've done a good job with the pitch, they're nice guys."

Martin won all four of his south Wales derby matches as Swansea boss and became the first manager to oversee a league double between the sides during the 2021-22 season.

But the 38-year-old said he was grateful for the welcome he received from club staff at Cardiff.

"They (Cardiff's ground staff) know where my allegiance lies in south Wales," Martin added.

"I watched the derby with a lot of eagerness on Sunday. I was really happy with the way the first half went but obviously it was a draw in the end.

"I can't be too complimentary about the guys here because I love so many people a bit down the road.

"I got a really nice welcome this evening from a lot of people, I'm grateful for that."