- Founded 1899
- Stadium Cardiff City Stadium
- Manager Brian Barry-Murphy
- Competition Championship 2026-27
- Goals 10
- Goals Conceded 12
- Yellow Cards 18
- Total Red Cards
Cardiff Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Promoted as League One runners-up on 91 points, Cardiff City have found goals harder to come by in the second tier. Brian Barry-Murphy’s side are 21st with one win from eight, though four draws and a goal difference of minus two say they have rarely been outplayed. The creative numbers are among the best in the division; the finishing is not. Below, we take a look at Cardiff’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
One note on the Championship: the division does not carry expected-goals data, so these ratings are built on volume and quality of actions – shots, big chances, duels, clearances, passes into the box – rather than xG and xA.
GK: Nathan Trott – 68% – Twenty-seven saves and eight completed sweeper actions from every available minute, with 22 possessions regained in his own third. Twelve conceded is the club’s worst figure but Trott has been busy and mostly blameless.
RB: Perry Ng – 64% – A goal, 119 passes into the final third and a club-leading 42 duels won, with nine interceptions. The discipline is the issue: an error leading to a goal, two more leading to shots and seven occasions beaten one-on-one, all club worsts.
RCB: Krystian Bielik – 66% – Fifty-eight progressive passes, 38 duels won, 26 aerials and a club-leading 23 possessions regained in his own third from five starts. Bielik has brought composure to the back four when fit.
LCB: Gabriel Osho – 66% – Sixty-eight progressive passes leads the club, with 31 clearances and six blocked shots from seven starts. Osho has been the steadier half of the pairing and has not been charged with an error.
LB: Joel Bagan – 70% – An outstanding attacking return from left-back. Eighteen chances created, five clear-cut, 87 passes into the penalty area and 33 corners are all club-leading figures, with 10 tackles won alongside. One error leading to a goal is the only mark against Bagan.
RCM: Alex Robertson – 72% – A club-leading 145 passes into the final third, 51 into the penalty area, 14 interceptions and 23 possessions regained in the middle third, plus 25 corners. Four yellow cards and two errors leading to goals are the costs of how much Robertson takes on.
LCM: Joel Colwill – 64% – A goal from three starts, but four big chances missed in 327 minutes is a striking figure. Colwill has had chances to make the position his own and has not taken them.
AM: Jack Moylan – 69% – Three goals and an assist from a club-high 30 shots, with 62 touches in the opposition box, the most of any Cardiff player. Fifty-five duels lost is the worst figure in the side. Moylan shoots more than anyone and converts at a modest rate.
RW: Ollie Tanner – 74% – Two assists, 17 chances created, 20 shots, 49 touches in the opposition box and a club-leading 11 completed take-ons. Tanner has been Cardiff’s most consistent attacking threat across all eight games.
LW: Chris Willock – 74% – An assist, 15 chances created and four clear-cut from only five starts. Willock has produced more per minute than anyone at the club and his availability is a significant factor in how Cardiff’s season goes.
ST: Yousef Salech – 68% – Two goals and an assist from 24 shots with a club-leading 13 on target, plus 32 aerial duels won. Eight big chances missed is the highest figure of any player in the division and it is, almost single-handedly, why Cardiff are 21st.
Cardiff’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Rubin Colwill
- Free-kicks: Rubin Colwill, Perry Ng
- Corners: Joel Bagan, Alex Robertson
Joel Bagan has taken 33 of Cardiff’s corners to Alex Robertson’s 25. Rubin Colwill has had three of the direct free-kicks. Cardiff are yet to be awarded a penalty, so Rubin Colwill’s status as the taker is inherited rather than proven.
Cardiff FAQs
How have Cardiff started the 2026/27 season?
Frustratingly. Cardiff are 21st on seven points from eight games, with one win and four draws. They create as much as sides in the top half but have missed more clear-cut chances than anyone.
Who is Cardiff’s best player this season?
Ollie Tanner and Chris Willock share top spot on 74%, the former for his consistency across all eight games, the latter for a remarkable rate in five starts.
Where did Cardiff finish in the 2025/26 League One season?
Cardiff City finished second in League One with 91 points (27 wins, 10 draws, nine losses), trailing only champions Lincoln City, to earn automatic promotion.
Who is the Cardiff manager?
Brian Barry-Murphy is the head coach of Cardiff City. The former Manchester City EDS boss took charge in June 2025 and led the club to automatic promotion.
Who is the current Cardiff captain?
Calum Chambers is the Cardiff City club captain. The former Arsenal and Aston Villa defender was handed the armband ahead of the 2025/26 season.