Cardiff City

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says in-form winger Chris Willock "will only improve" after impressing for Cardiff City this season.

Willock, 27, endured a frustrating first year in Wales, scoring twice in 32 league appearances as the Bluebirds were relegated from the Championship.

But Willock has enjoyed an upturn in form in League One, with his double in the 4-0 thrashing of Barnsley on Tuesday taking him to six goals this season.

"For a player of his calibre, he has to have the outcomes in terms of goals and assists," he said.

"That means being in a physical condition where he can deliver, not just relying on spectacular goals.

"He's getting towards where he needs to be physically now and he'll only improve."

Willock also has five assists in 25 league games this season, with Cardiff sitting top of the table and hoping for an immediate return to the Championship.

And Barry-Murphy says he has long been an admirer of the Arsenal academy graduate, who joined Cardiff from Queens Park Rangers in 2024.

"I always thought he was somebody I didn't ever think I'd get to work with," Barry-Murphy said.

"The chance that I have is very rewarding and we value him enormously. His journey was slightly unorthodox, but very normal for a young player.

"His time at QPR was where I saw him at his best – the football they played under Mark Warburton was amazing."

Willock's next opportunity to add to his goal tally comes when Cardiff go to Burton Albion on Saturday.

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Isaak Davies is another player who has been catching the eye out wide for Cardiff.

The 24-year-old has made 25 league appearances this season, chipping in with three goals and an assist and landing a first senior Wales cap.

"I've been so happy with him," said Barry-Murphy.

"He's helped me and the club out by playing wide so often this season, when we needed him to due to other injuries.

"We see him being a huge part of the Cardiff City future."

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High-flying Cardiff City travel to Burton Albion on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with boss Brian Barry-Murphy expecting a tough encounter.

The Bluebirds sit four points clear at the top of League One after comfortably beating Barnsley 4-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday.

Barry-Murphy is excited for the game and expects a tough encounter with the Brewers.

"It was a very difficult game when we played against them in our own stadium. They clearly showed how dangerous a team they are and have continued to do so," Barry-Murphy said.

Burton have lost their last two league games and sit 20th in the table, but will be looking to do the double on the league leaders after a Charlie Webster strike secured a 1-0 win for The Brewers in September.

"They've had some brilliant results against the top teams and obviously were very competitive in the game against Bolton on Tuesday," Barry-Murphy added.

"It's going to be a really tough game and one that we're really looking forward to."

Cardiff come into the game on the back of an eight-game unbeaten sequence despite a tough run of winter fixtures.

"I'm very pleased with the response of the players in that congested period," said the Bluebirds' head coach.

"We've managed to come through the other side of January with most of the players in a good physical state."

Supporters will be eager to see the return of playmaker Rubin Colwill - who has not appeared since sustaining an ankle injury in November - but will have to wait a little bit longer.

Barry-Murphy will be without him and Yousef Salech at Burton, but both are nearing a return.

"There's a lot of room for optimism especially with Rubin so close to a return and obviously Yousef," said Barry-Murphy.

"The squad is in a really good place and I'm very pleased."

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City showed they can cope without a recognised striker on Tuesday as Brian Barry-Murphy's side produced one of their most fluid attacking performances of the season in a 4-0 demolition of Barnsley.

With leading forward Yousef Salech missing through injury, wingers Chris Willock and Ollie Tanner stepped up and caused the Tykes constant problems, with both providing an assist and Willock scoring two goals.

Post-match Barry-Murphy described them as "very dangerous wide players".

"I am very pleased with both," he said.

"We were very keen to get 90 minutes into Chris Willock and push him physically because of the way he plays. He needs to feel strong and well conditioned.

"Ollie Tanner is making great strides. We're very clear about how much of an impact he can have, and there's still so much improvement in him.

"When to pass, when to shoot, when to cross. He's very willing to embrace that improvement."

Cardiff will be looking to build on their positive performance when they travel to Burton Albion on Saturday, 31 January (15:00 GMT).

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

On-loan Chelsea forward Omari Kellyman hopes he can have a run of games and help with Cardiff City's promotion push.

Kellyman was back leading the line as Cardiff beat Barnsley on Tuesday, with the 20-year-old given a chance in the absence of the injured Yousef Salech.

In the first half hour of Cardiff's emphatic victory, he managed just 11 touches - the fewest of any outfield Bluebirds player.

But Kellyman says he "continued to do the right things" and his perseverance paid off when he teed up Chris Willock for his fourth goal of the season.

"Me and Chris are good friends," Kellyman said, "so it's always nice to set each other up or to see the other one score."

Willock returned the favour shortly after the break, with Kellyman steering home Cardiff's third goal.

"In the first 60 minutes, we did the hard yards," Kellyman said.

"Everybody was doing their jobs effectively and it just sort of made it enjoyable for us in the end. Before you know it, the goals start flying in and we get rewards from our hard work."

Kellyman has set himself ambitious personal targets for the season and hopes that a goal and assist against Barnsley can be the catalyst.

"Hopefully I can go on a little run and continue, but at the end of the day, it's all about performances and winning games," he said.

Kellyman says he has learned from fellow forwards Salech and Callum Robinson and is embracing the prospect of playing his part in a promotion bid over the next three months.

"Being in a title race is something I've never done before," he said.

"Obviously, I'm still young, but it's a great experience. I'm just soaking it all in."

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Brian Barry-Murphy says his forward players are giving him "food for thought" after Cardiff City thumped Barnsley despite being without Yousef Salech.

Leading goalscorer Salech was absent on Tuesday having been carried off with neck injury during last weekend's draw with Stockport.

Even without Salech, who has 13 goals this season, the Bluebirds beat Barnsley 4-0 to strengthen their League One promotion hopes.

Barry-Murphy raised some eyebrows with his team selection, as he opted to start Omari Kellyman ahead of Callum Robinson up front.

But on-loan Chelsea youngster Kellyman justified his selection as he scored just his third Cardiff goal and claimed an assist.

"I can just see him very much as a centre-forward, I've seen him play as a centre-forward many times before when he was younger." Barry-Murphy said.

"So I was very confident that he could do the job. I just felt as if it was the right solution for this game.

"People like Omari proved that there are different kinds of solutions for different teams and I was very pleased with his performance."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

The experienced Robinson might have been many people's favourite to start with Salech sidelined.

The Republic of Ireland international has seven goals this season having been second-choice striker for most of the season.

Isaak Davies is another player with experience of leading the line who would have been hopeful of a start against the Tykes.

As it turned out, both Davies and Robinson players made an impact off the bench, which pleased Barry-Murphy.

"All those players are hungry to play and giving me a lot of food for thought in the absence of Yousef," he added.

"Callum was very positive, was really ready to make such a positive impact when needed and he's been incredible around the team.

"I couldn't be happier with how he's performing and how much he's helping us. He's going to play a huge part in our season moving forward."

Cardiff, who are four points clear at the top of the table, return to action at Burton Albion on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Brian Barry-Murphy was "over the moon with the result and performance" after Cardiff City extended their League One unbeaten run to eight matches with a comprehensive victory over Barnsley on Tuesday.

The league leaders eased to a 4-0 triumph over a Tykes side who have now only won one in their last seven matches.

Cardiff dominated much of the game, and could have won by an even greater margin with substitute Callum Robinson striking the bar.

Barry-Murphy suggested the Bluebirds' win was "was not as easy as the scoreline suggested".

"It was a very difficult first half for us. We scored really early, but Barnsley posed a real threat and I think most of the goals came from when they had possession." said the Cardiff boss.

"We were very aggressive in how we tried to win the ball back and attack quickly, which is something that we've needed to be better at this season, so I'm very pleased with the performance."

Cardiff's quick, aggressive play was on display in an abundance for the second goal.

When the ball fell to Omari Kellyman just inside the Barnsley half, the on-loan Chelsea man drove forward before a perfectly weighted ball to Chris Willock, who found the bottom corner.

Willock later scored his second goal - and Cardiff's fourth - when he raced clear before delightfully chipping onrushing Barnsley keeper Owen Goodman to cap off a brilliant individual and team performance.

While Barry-Murphy said Cardiff's closest challengers at the top end of the table are "really strong teams and in great form", his team are in good shape too.

He added: "I'm very pleased with the players' efforts and that constant obsession of striving for improved performances is at the very front of our minds.

"Like I've said consistently, we can improve a lot and that's still the case."

The Barnsley shutout means Cardiff have 11 league clean sheets, more than any other side in the division, but Barry-Murphy still sees left-back as a "position of high priority" before next Monday's transfer deadline.

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Cardiff City centre-back Dylan Lawlor is a "huge doubt" for Tuesday's League One match against Barnsley, says head coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

Lawlor, 20, injured his knee during the warm-up before last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Stockport County.

Cardiff are waiting to discover the extent of the damage but are preparing to be without the Wales international for Barnsley's visit.

"Dylan tweaked his medial ligament in the warm-up passing, I think," said Barry-Murphy.

"It can happen. I'm just going to assess the severity of that. Dylan is a huge doubt, I would say, based on that.

"But I think the rest of the squad is in a really good place."

Cardiff are top of League One, four points clear of second-placed Lincoln City and 10 ahead of Bolton Wanderers in third. Barnsley are 15th.

Image source, EFL

A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

League One leaders Cardiff City host fourth-placed Stockport County on Saturday 24 January (12:30 GMT), with boss Brian Barry-Murphy keen for his side to continue on their "upward trajectory".

The Bluebirds are three points clear of second-placed Lincoln who closed the gap with Thursday's 2-1 win over Burton, though the Imps have now played a game more.

Barry-Murphy's side are 10 points above Saturday's opponents and return to the Cardiff City Stadium knowing that avoiding defeat will extend their unbeaten league run to seven matches.

Last weekend the Welsh side inflicted just a second home defeat on third-placed Bradford, central defender Gabriel Osho declaring their Valley Parade success as "a significant win".

"It's important to back up that win or else it doesn't mean as much, so we'll be looking to do that on Saturday," said Nigeria international Osho.

Despite securing victory at Bradford, Barry-Murphy was not entirely pleased with his side's second-half display.

"The second half wasn't what we wanted," said the 47-year-old Irish coach.

"We were very aggressive in the first half but in the second half we were just quite conservative and kept giving the ball back to the opponents.

"We just lost control of it. We have to be much better than that if we want to take the team where we want to go."

The head coach remains insistent his side "will improve a lot in the second half of the season" as "performance levels still aren't where we'd want them".

Stockport arrive in strong form of their own, chasing a third consecutive league win as they continue to push for promotion.

"It's going to be another tough game," said Osho.

"At home we've been so good but they're fighting for something as well. They're fourth place, on a good run of form, so everyone in the changing room is aware of that."

When the two sides met at Edgeley Park in September Cardiff snatched a 1-1 draw with a 97th minute Yousef Salech equaliser.

Barry-Murphy admits his side could have been "fortunate" to return from Stockport with a point.

"On Saturday we'll have to show that we've improved significantly to give ourselves a chance to win the game," he added.

"The real pressure is on preparation and making sure our training week is better than the last one.

"I know that if we keep improving the level of performance, then we'll really do great things.

"We have prepared exceptionally well for Saturday's game but we may not beat Stockport. We just have to do everything possible to try and do it."

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Iwan Roberts reckons the appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy has reunited Cardiff City.

Some Cardiff fans protested against the club's ownership last season as the Bluebirds suffered relegation from the Championship.

But former Wales striker Roberts believes that as well as inspiring an upturn in fortunes on the pitch, the arrival of Barry-Murphy as head coach last summer has transformed the mood at Cardiff.

"There's been a lot of unrest at the club, a big divide between supporters and the people who run the club and the person who owns the club," Roberts told this week's Feast of Football podcast.

"That's sort of in the distant past now. They have made the decision to bring BBM (Barry-Murphy) in and they have got it absolutely spot on.

"He gets the club, he gets the supporters, he has united everything, he has a winning team, a winning formula, and they are doing it in a stylish way."

Cardiff are six points clear of Lincoln City having lost only one of their past 12 games.

They host fourth-placed Stockport on Saturday begore another home fixture against Barnsley next Tuesday.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

As Cardiff City prepare to face Stockport County on Saturday, 24 January (12:30 GMT), Bluebirds boss Brian Barry-Murphy has revealed that "different bouts of sickness" have broken out within the playing and coaching staff.

Though training has still been "very good" according to Barry-Murphy, it appears his side may be without Perry Ng for the match against fourth placed Stockport.

The defender was forced off at half-time in Cardiff's victory at Bradford last weekend with a suspected ankle issue.

"Perry has not trained this week, so at the moment he's out for the game on Saturday," said Barry-Murphy.

"But there is an expectation on my part that he could train today, so if he trains well today and tomorrow he could yet be available."

There is, however, a boost in the full-back areas - where Barry-Murphy is still "keen" to add options in the January transfer window - with the return of Ronan Kpakio.

"Ronan's back in training and has trained fully this week," reported the Irish coach.

Kpakio last featured for Cardiff in their 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient 12 days ago.

Having played 22 matches this season, and being the club's leading assister with six this campaign, his return is timely for the Bluebirds who will look to extend their six-point lead at the top on Saturday lunchtime.

The Welsh club also have "doubts" in midfield with David Turnbull not managing to train in the last two days.

The attacking midfielder has found form in recent weeks and set Cardiff on their way with a "typical Turnbull" goal last time out against Bradford.

"I think he's going to be missing," said Barry-Murphy who also expects to be without defensive midfielder Ryan Wintle who has not trained since the last match because of a neck injury.

Wintle has become something of a fixture for Barry-Murphy's side having played every minute for the Bluebirds since 26 December.

"He's been a huge player for us," Barry-Murphy said of the 28-year old Englishman.

"In that congested fixture period around Christmas he was very important for us because he was able to repeat performances so quickly and play so well."