Cardiff City have excelled in League One so far this season. Brian Barry-Murphy’s appointment has proven to be a successful gamble. Three City stars could receive international debuts during the break.
The 47-year-old was announced as the Bluebirds’ latest manager this summer, with a fresh start and overhaul needed as Cardiff dropped down to League One. Barry-Murphy has quickly instilled a youth-oriented and possession-based approach in his style of play as well as squad selection. Having coached several sides in the Manchester City academy set-up since 2021, the City boss has entrusted his young prospects with starting places.
Burton Albion will have to remain patient for their visit to the Cardiff City Stadium, as call-ups for Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor, and Joel Colwill mean that their weekend match-up has been postponed. The latter’s teammate and brother, Rubin Colwill, had been called up to Craig Bellamy’s side – despite missing out in the initial announcement – but suffered a knock in Cardiff’s stunning 4-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle. Joel has featured in every game so far this season and offers a fantastic box-to-box presence for the Welsh outfit.
Kpakio has been incredible so far for City. In five league wins, the 18-year-old has featured heavily in the right-back position. The youngster appeared three times during the 2024/25 Championship season, contributing one assist, but found himself mostly on the periphery due to Perry Ng’s dominance in the matchday squad. An injury to the 29-year-old prompted Barry-Murphy to turn to Kpakio in a league better-suited to developing the talent; rotation will be likely as Ng now regains fitness, but so far the 18-year-old has kept his starting place. Bellamy has evidently noticed the right-back’s stellar abilities offensively as well as in defence.
Lawlor has been another revelation for the Bluebirds, beginning the season in Cardiff’s main centre-back pairing. The 19-year-old had a very shaky start in an opening day win over Peterborough United, but has since shown immense quality as a youngster in a league full of third tier specialists. Lawlor has partnered Will Fish excellently, complimenting the former Manchester United prospect with a tenacious defending style.
Writer’s View
Cardiff’s defensive resilience has been impressive so far this campaign. Nathan Trott’s goalkeeping heroics cannot be forgotten or overlooked when acknowledging the five clean sheets already for the Bluebirds. But, a youthful backline has featured Kpakio and Lawlor’s quality performances.
The 18-year-old is a goalscoring right-back, who enjoys being able to roam forward. With defensive capabilities that exceed his years of experience, Kpakio will be a fine addition to Bellamy’s squad – learning as an understudy for Neco Williams.
It will be interesting to see just how many of the three feature on rival territory against Canada. Bellamy’s friendly on the 9th takes place at the Swansea.com Stadium, leading to potential bragging rights for Cardiff supporters despite their relegation.
