By Graham Thomas
Rubin Colwill could make his first Championship start against Burnley on Saturday as Cardiff City test themselves against one of the favourites for promotion.
Colwill’s inclusion is only theoretical, though, and certainly not something that can be guaranteed.
This is Colwill’s fourth season since he made his Bluebirds debut and it’s almost two years since the 22-year-old played for Wales at the World Cup.
Yet the attacking midfielder is still far from being a regular starter under Cardiff manager Erol Bulut and, likewise, the periodic transfer speculation around him has never proved anything more than that.
It seems strange that a player so obviously talented on the ball, capable of scoring eye-catching goals or sparking creative assists, cannot nail down a place in a mid-ranking team in the second tier.
When Colwill came off the bench as a late substitute at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar, the then 20-year-old’s presence on the same pitch as England stars Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and others seemed to clearly indicate he was a young man going places.
Premier League links were claimed and it was suggested by many that Colwill’s move to the top level was a matter of when and not if.
Yet two years on, Colwill was a substitute in Cardiff’s opening League defeat to Sunderland and although he started in the Carabao Cup victory over Bristol Rovers – and scored – Bulut’s own misgivings about the player were as clear as his praise.
“Rubin is a player who when you put him on for 20 minutes he tries to cram in 90 minutes,” said Bulut in a blunt admission that Colwill’s technical abilities outstrip his game-awareness of what is required against a lower league team in a midweek Cup tie near the start of the season.
“This he has to manage much better.
“He tried to chip the ball over the goalkeeper and those are the chances you have to take. It’s too relaxed and we have to score from these kinds of positions.
“He scored in the end and I’m happy he feels better. He is a great player and he can be much, much better if he changes a few things.”
Bulut was equally critical of Colwill at times last season, but also keen to stress his player’s huge potential.
There is definitely something there, a natural talent that his manager is hoping to harness. But there is also something about Colwill’s decision-making on the field that still makes him appear something of a schoolboy.
When Cardiff were a goal down in their opener against Sunderland, it was Colwill whose loss of possession led to the Black Cats scoring the goal that settled the contest.
There may have been claims for a foul, but the outcome was a turnover, a rapid counter, and the game was settled in the visitors’ favour.
Bulut’s frustration on the touchline was clear, but his faith in Colwill seems genuine and it will be interesting to see what effect his manager’s public demands have on the player over the next few matches.
Whether or not Colwill starts at Burnley on Saturday, Cardiff will be big outsiders to overcome one of the clubs who were relegated last season.
Burnley are 40/85 to win and 13/2 to win 1-0 or 2-0, while the draw is 10/3.
Those who like club statements after sackings will have enjoyed the classic of its kind served up by Preston after they decided to ditch Lowe.
This was the manager they stuck with last season, who took pre-season, guided their warm-up fixtures and who conducted their transfer business throughout the summer.
After one game, a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United, Lowe was gone with the solemn assessment from Preston that “now was an appropriate time for a change to be made.”
