Cardiff have announced that ex-Lazio manager and former Welsh international, Gavin Williams has signed a three-year deal to manage the newly promoted club. Williams who last season led Lazio to a Champion's League Quarter Final, where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Spanish giants, Barcelona. Despite performing well in the Champion's League, Lazio finished a disappointing 8th place in Serie A. The job at the Bluebirds became available when Dave Jones left to take control of Newcastle United after Kevin Keegan was sacked by Mike Ashley, despite Jones taking Cardiff to the Championship title.

Williams stated "I feel I've achieved all I can at Lazio and it was time for a new challenge, when Cardiff approached me, I jumped at the chance to take the job".

Williams has a lot to do in order to keep the inexperienced Cardiff team in the Premiership, but with a reported transfer budget of £10,000,000 he'll have every chance of succeeding. Williams has also stated that he intends on using the budget wisely and strengthening his squad for what will undoubtedly be a long and tiring season for the Bluebirds.

Cardiff Squad
Kristian Burns (GK)
Nick Goodwin (GK)

Nana Ofori (D RC)
Joe Ledley (DL, M LC)
Anthony Acheampong (D C)
Roger Johnson (D C)
Glenn Loovens (D C)
Seamus Coleman (D/WB R)
Tony Capaldi (D/WB/AM L)

Richard Hughes (DM)
Stephen McPhail (M C)
Gavin Rae (M C)
Aaron Ramsey (M C)
Willo Flood (AM RLC)
John Oster (AM RC)
Kenny Pavey (AM R)
Noel Hunt (AM RL, ST)

Karl Sheppard (ST)
Johnathan Stead (ST)
Steven Thompson (ST)

Ramsey should do wonders for you, you have a decent team, and you should be able to achieve a good league position with Cardiff. Good luck Gav.

It's a nice start, how are Ledley and Ramsey in your game?

They're both better than average, but not fantastic. They'll probably get in my first team at the moment, but a couple of good signings could push them out.

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New Cardiff manager, Gavin Williams has been a busy boy in the Transfer market already. He's only been there just over a week and he's announced the signings of five players. 33 year-old former Manchester United hitman Ruud Van Nistelrooy signs for the Bluebirds on a free transfer. Joining Nistelrooy in Cardiff's new free acquisitions is David Albelda, Shaun Maloney and Johnnie Jackson. The final signing of the week came in the form of Lyon's World Cup winner, Fabio Grosso who cost Williams £300,000. All of the transfers will go through on 1st July 2010.

Williams has seemingly been astute in the Transfer market thus far. However, will these aging stars be able to save Cardiff from the drop. Without a recognised Goalkeeper, Williams is said to also be interested in Real Sociedad's Chile international, Claudio Bravo.

Going the other way has been John Oster, who Williams released from the club.





Williams has once again been dabbling in the transfer market, this time bringing in two loan signings. The first was 22 year-old goalkeeper, Vito Mannone from Arsenal, and the second being 19 year-old Georgian international, Levan Kenia from Schalke. Both players will remain at the Bluebirds until the end of the season.

Cardiff's pre-season got off to a good start in terms of results, when Cardiff travelled to Romania and defeated CFR Cluj 2-1. Roger Johnson opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a powerful header, but it took only three minutes for the home side to equalise when Andrei Prepelita slotted home a one-on-one past Nick Goodwin. However, in the 19th minute new signing Shaun Maloney scored what ended up being the winning goal, with a great curling strike from just inside the box. However, the day ended on a sour note, when Joe Ledley was stretchered off the pitch, with what is now known to be a torn calf muscle, which will put him out until late October to early November.

The next game of the pre-season saw the Bluebirds travel to Belgium to square off against Bocholter VV. Cardiff ran the Belgian side ragged, and put six past their unfortunate goalkeeper without reply. Shaun Maloney continued his scoring form from the first pre-season friendly, by scoring another four goals in a fantastic showing from the former Aston Villa attacker. The other goals came from Glenn Loovens and Johnathan Stead.

City's 100% record in pre-season continued with a 2-0 victory over Hartlepool. Cardiff dominated the game, and the score could have been a lot worse for Hartlepool. Cardiff were in the lead after only 5 minutes, when Kenny Pavey scored the opener, before Aaron Ramsey made it 2-0 just before half time. Cardiff were in control for the second half but noticably took their foot off the gas, and settled for the 2-0 victory.

Racing Club proved to be too much for Cardiff as they were heavily beaten 4-0 by the travelling Spaniards. It took only 7 minutes for Mohammed Tchite to score his first of two goals and he scored again on the 40th minute to make it 2-0 going in at half time. Racing continued the domination, scoring another two goals through Damian Ismodes on the 56th minute and Ebi Smolarek in injury time, to make the Cardiff fans at The St. David Stadium wish they had stayed at home, but it surely pleased the hundred or so travelling Racing fans.

Cardiff's last pre-season friendly pitted them against a strong FC Kobenhavn team. Cardiff played well but were unable to beat Kobenhavn and were subject to a 4-2 defeat. Despite ended up the losers, Cardiff went in front twice, firstly through Shaun Maloney before Alan Kardec equalised for Kobenhavn. Ruud Van Nistelrooy then put Cardiff back into the lead after 29 minutes, but Rune Ilso once again equalised on the stroke of half time. In the second half Alan Kardec scored two more to complete his hat-trick.

With pre-season over, Cardiff start a long and grueling campaign to stay in the top flight, against a Tottenham Hotspur team managed by fellow Welshman, Mark Hughes, in a tough opening fixture shown live on Sky Sports. The bookies have given Cardiff odds of 300-1 on winning the league, which shows that they don't believe the Welsh side can stay in the Premiership.



Cardiff have completed the signing of the son of Carlo Ancelotti, Davide for a fee of £110,000. The 21 year-old looks like he will turn into a fantastic player, although he's expected to play most of this season in the reserves.

Another loan signing has also been agreed, with 21 year-old Manchester United striker, Febian Brandy spending the rest of the season at The St. David Stadium

Cardiff fans and the manager alike will be very disappointed with the way they lost to Tottenham today. At half time they were 2-0 to the good, through two fantastic Jonathan Stead goals. The first goal saw Stead rise above the Tottenham defenders to head in a Maloney corner. Then on 42 minutes Stead stunned the fans with a brilliant curling shot from 20 yards, after Ruud Van Nistelrooy laid the ball off for him. The home fans were in dreamland.

Their dreams were soon shattered though, as whatever Mark Hughes said to the Tottenham players seemed to fire them up for the second half. The first of Tottenham's goals came from Gerard Pique who replicated Stead's first goal, as he rose above Fabio Grosso to head home Emiliano Insua's corner. It wasn't long before Tottenham were level, when Terry Dixon scored his first Tottenham goal from a Danny Rose cross. The Cardiff players' heads were down from that stage, and on the 73rd minute Darren Bent found himself with space in the box, and he took his chance to score the winning goal for Tottenham, leaving Cardiff wondering how they lost.

Despite losing their first game in the top flight, Cardiff can draw a lot of positives from this performance, none more than Jonathan Stead's performance. However, Cardiff have to learn that you need to keep concentration for 90 minutes and not just the first half.



CARDIFF: Mannone, Ofori, Grosso, Johnson, Loovens, Pavey (Jackson 56), Maloney, Albelda, Ramsey, Nistelrooy (Brandy 70), Stead.
Subs not used: Goodwin, Coleman, Capaldi, McPhail, Kenia.
TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Gunter, Insua, Dawson (Ujfalusi 59), Pique, Lennon (Malbranque 59), Rose, Huddlestone, Zokora, Bent, Dixon (Townsend 72).
Subs not used: Alnwick, Pekhart, Taarabt, Dervite.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Jonathan Stead.

This is a quality start, although some of your signings may not have agreed with me (Mannone, Brandy), but Albelda, Nistlerooy and Jackson can keep you up. Don't be disheartened by the Tottenham game! I have bookmarked this story, so keep it up Gavin!!!!

This has been a really good read Gav (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) KUTGW, do you play Ruud in the first-team because in pre-season he didn't score much (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

Good team choice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) and some amazing signings keep it up.

Great Story
Great Team
and some great signings
KIU, btw I signed Nicolas Anelka in my 3rd or 4th season with cardiff for around 500k and he was immense so see if you can get him. Ledley also becomes immense, his value was something like 10M for me in 4th season

My laptop buggered up, resulting in me needing to format it, so this game is gone. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)