Steve Morison has revealed Tom Sang has been brought in from the cold and is now very much "in the mix" after two impressive performances in Cardiff City's first pre-season games.
Sang didn't make the pre-season trip to Edinburgh's Oriam training facility with the rest of the squad and it was thought he was moving closer to the exit door at Cardiff City Stadium.
The player broke through as a right-back under Mick McCarthy, however Morison was adamant the player was better suited to a central midfield role in the system and style in which the manager wanted to play.
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It led to a disagreement and subsequent loan move to St Johnstone, where he played semi-regularly at right-back for the Scottish club. A conversation had to be had between manager and player if a resolution was to be found and it has not gone unnoticed that the 23-year-old has played both games, against Cambridge United and Newport County, in centre midfield.
He backed up a tidy performance against Cambridge at the weekend with an impressive display against the Exiles at Cardiff International Sports Stadium in Leckwith, ticking play over swiftly in midfield, working tirelessly to win the ball back and also hitting a rasping shot which was bound for the top corner before it stung goalkeeper Nick Townsend's palm.
That central midfield trio of Eli King, Ryan Wintle and Sang was the glue which held City's positive performance together. All three turned out good performances, but it might meant more to Sang, who would have had something to prove after being frozen out earlier in the summer.
"They got important minutes," Morison said of the midfielders. "I'm really pleased for Kingy, for Ryan and Tom Sang. Tom wasn't involved at the start of pre-season, but he has come in and I thought he has been excellent.
"Maybe he might start believing he is a central midfielder!"
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When asked if the door was open for everyone to stake a claim for a spot in Morison's first team, the manager added: "Yeah, 100 per cent. Until someone makes an approach and says, 'I want your player', and we have a decision to make, everyone is all hands to the pump. Everyone has got to perform.
"Gav (Whyte) had two 45 minutes because he had an extended international break. We had a few others on internationals but didn't play any games. Everyone is at different stages. Tom has had a 45 and a 60 and if he keeps performing like that then he is in the mix along with everyone else."
A spot in Cardiff's midfield for that season opener against Norwich City, though, is the hottest ticket in town. Joe Ralls, Andy Rinomhota, Romaine Sawyers, Rubin Colwill, Ryan Wintle, Eli King, Tom Sang and Ebou Adams, shoulder injury permitting, will all be vying for two or potentially three places.
It's healthy competition, certainly, and something which is much needed during a typically arduous Championship campaign.
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