Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy stated he was pleased with the personality his young side showed to earn a 2-1 home victory against Peterborough United to start their League One campaign.
Coming From Behind
The Bluebirds found themselves behind at the break after a dubious penalty decision from referee Benjamin Speedie allowed Posh striker Bradley Ihionvien to open his account for the season.
The home side, featuring seven academy graduates in the starting 11 with only one player over the age of 23 struck back in the second half with sublime efforts from Rubin Colwill and Ronan Kpakio.
“You can see how dangerous they (Peterborough) were for the players to deal with,” said the Cardiff boss following the opening day victory.
“To overcome it and show so much personality was really good for us and gives real substance to what we say the team can achieve if they stick at it no matter what and deal with those setbacks.
“I think we want to try and produce as competitive team as we can for the supporters, the stadium was rocking today, the players here are very talented, and they happen to come through the academy.”
Barry-Murphy Had No Doubt on Goalkeeper Selection as Midfielder Left Out for Disciplinary Reasons
23-year-old goalkeeper Matthew Turner made his professional debut for the club having been with Cardiff City since 2021, producing two big saves to secure all three points for the hosts.
“I had an idea of certain players before I come to the club, I didn’t know a lot about Matt but since day one of pre-season he’s been exceptional,” said Barry-Murphy on Turner.
“His attitude in terms of what we asked him to do, his commitment and his skill level as a goalkeeper has been outstanding, so really just based on what I saw he was the clear pick for today.”
Barry-Murphy also revealed that midfielder David Turnbull was left out of the squad for their opening fixture of the campaign due to failure to adhere to the clubs code of conduct but will be available for selection from Monday.
“We have certain processes in training that we go through that are our code of conduct and David just missed out on one and wasn’t available because of that reason.
“They’re not big things but we have certain things that the players adhere to and if certain players miss something then they’re not available for selection.”
Cardiff City Boss Reveals How Squad Chose New Captain
Earlier in the week Cardiff City announced that Callum Chambers had been selected as captain with Colwill vice-captain for the upcoming campaign, with Barry-Murphy sharing it was a decision selected by the players themselves.
“The squad did a vote themselves, so they voted for the captain. I would always do that and then I would check the vote to make sure that it’s legitimate,” said the Cardiff boss with a chuckle.
“Callum Chambers was the outstanding candidate, so it seemed very sensible for me to reward him with that responsibility and try and educate him on what the role means.
“You can make somebody captain and presume they know everything about leadership, but it’s not always the case.
“I try and educate him on the different things that are going to happen here, and I suppose have a real aligned way of thinking on the pitch amongst the whole group and that is important for us as we go through the trials and tribulations of the season.”
Chambers will be available for selection for the Bluebirds next league fixture as they travel to Port Vale on Thursday the 7th of August.
