"A disaster" - Concerns raised over Perry Ng and Aaron Ramsey at Cardiff City | OneFootball

FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit discussed the players who have failed to meet expectations this season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

The 2024/25 Championship campaign has been marred by disappointment and frustration for Cardiff City, who, after finishing in mid-table last time out, are desperately fighting against relegation to League One for the first time since its inception in what has been a torrid old campaign in the Welsh capital.

Supporters expected to see the Bluebirds kick-on following last season's 12th-placed finish under Erol Bulut, which offered respite and stability after two successive relegation battles.

However, Bulut was dismissed after directing Cardiff to their worst-ever start to a league campaign and Omer Riza, who took over on an initial interim basis back in September before taking the job full-time two months later, has largely fallen short of inspiring the side away from the threat of relegation.

That threat has only worsened in recent weeks, with Cardiff looking increasingly likely to return to English football's third-tier for the first time in more than 20 years. The agony lies in that supporters, for a minute, thought Cardiff had turned a page and could be competitive towards the top-end of the table - the reality has been anything but.

There is a school of thought that, on paper if nothing else, Cardiff's squad should not find itself in such a perilous position. A litany of big names, many of whom are likely to be earning significant salaries, and some who joined in hotly-anticipated deals last summer such as Anwar El Ghazi, Callum Chambers and Chris Willock, are currently in the camp and have failed to deliver on expectations.

Claim made on Perry Ng's 24/25 Cardiff City form

FLW asked our resident Bluebirds fan pundit, Matt Hall, to name one player who has flattered to deceive amid expectations this season. Matt opted to name two players but first went with Perry Ng, who has come under fire from supporters in recent times.

Formerly a firm fan favourite, Ng won the club's Player of the Year award in each of the previous two seasons and was among the Championship's top-performing right-backs last term after returning an impressive haul of six goals and four assists. But the 28-year-old, who has competed for a place with makeshift central midfielder-turned-right-back Andy Rinomhota on occasion this season, has failed to match those performance levels.

Ng had been a dependable beacon of consistency in the Cardiff backline virtually ever since his 2021 arrival from Crewe Alexandra, although the current campaign has brought about a stark contrast.

"There are a lot of players that haven't delivered," Matt told FLW.

"I'll give you two, Perry Ng is the main one. In the summer, he was touted [by supporters] for a Premier League move, he had a bit of a slow end to the back-end of last season but was rated up there with Kyle Walker-Peters as the best right-back in the league.

"This season, he hasn't looked fit or interested and it feels like even after Erol Bulut left, which we thought was the problem, it's every game. Mistakes and stupid decisions, he's barely had a good game all season.

"You're looking at someone who could've had a £4-5 million move anywhere, and now I would be surprised if anyone wants him this summer. I think he might be one we struggle to get rid of in the summer.

Aaron Ramsey's Cardiff City impact has been "disappointing"

Albeit in a wholly different context, Matt also believes Aaron Ramsey's season has been disappointing. That term, however, could be applicable for the entirety of his much-anticipated homecoming in the summer of 2023, which saw the vaunted academy product return to where it all started from French side Nice 15 years after first leaving the club for Arsenal as a teenager.

Ramsey enjoyed a storied career at the forefront of both the domestic and continental game with the likes of Arsenal and Juventus, but his checkered injury record is well-documented and those same problems have re-emerged back at Cardiff. The veteran midfield playmaker started his return in white-hot form before injury kept him out for much of the previous season as he made just 13 appearances.

This time out, though, Ramsey has played on only 10 occasions. The 34-year-old spent last summer regaining fitness and sharpness following an injury-plagued first season at Cardiff, but two successive hamstring injuries this term have kept him predominantly on the sidelines.

Ramsey, albeit in flashes, has exhibited his pedigree, tactical awareness and technical class for the Bluebirds, all of which remain classes above the Championship. But his inability to stay fit is a source of both disappointment and frustration for all involved, with Matt labelling the Welsh international captain's season as a "disaster".

"The only one who comes close is Aaron Ramsey on a less-toxic level, it's just disappointing," Matt continued.

"We were promised he was taking the end of the season off so he could come back better and fitter, and within four games, he was gone.