A woeful 2022-23 campaign is finally over for Cardiff City - next season surely cannot be as bad, can it?
We certainly have to hope not, but so much hinges upon a summer reshuffle of the team with new faces clearly needed to help ensure the Bluebirds start climbing the table again.
It will be a significant shake-up too, but not quite as seismic as last summer when then Cardiff boss Steve Morison got rid of a number of senior stars and brought in a plethora of newcomers.
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There were 17 new signings in total. Most on free transfers, others on loan, with the odd fee paid. Some shone, other were, shall we say diplomatically, rather less successful.
The end of the season is the proper time to make a judgement on Morison's work in the transfer market. Here's how we rate the players he brought in.
Ryan Allsop (goalkeeper)
Signed from Derby, there were big hopes for Allsop whose ability with ball at feet was deemed to be crucial to the passing way Morison wanted to play.
The jury has to be out on him, though. Has pulled off some tremendous stops at times, but also concerns fans by not commanding his box enough and letting in too many goals at his near post.
Cardiff have had some fabulous goalkeepers in recent times, David Marshall, Tom Heaton, Neil Etheridge and Alex Smithies among them and it is to be hoped Allsop can eradicate the errors and be more dominant next season so he can head more towards that bracket.
Verdict - 6 (out of 10). Could have been a five, given the concerns mentioned above, but did enough to deserve a steady six. Has work to do to win over a section of the supporter base next season.
Jan Alnwick (goalkeeper)
Among Morison's very first captures from St Mirren, he barely had a look in. Had three FA Cup appearances to his name and four Championship matches towards the end when Allsop got injured.
Will be back up again next season unless he opts ot leave for regular football elsewhere.
Verdict - 3. Couldn't force his way into the side.
Mahlon Romeo (defender)
The 27-year-old signed on a free from Millwall has proven to be one of Morison's better captures. Started well, faded towards the end, like many others, but he looks solid enough defensively and excites fans by rampaging forward on the overlap with his second-half bursts.
Verdict - 6. He and Perry Ng can battle it out for the right-back berth next season and each are highly accomplished at this level.
Vontae Daley-Campbell (defender)
Came from Leicester, but had only one Championship game to his name, a home defeat by Coventry, and part of the side that crashed 0-3 to Portsmouth in the League Cup.
Verdict - 2. Has to be hoped that at just 22 he will get better, but he hasn't figured much thus far.
Cedric Kipre (defender)
One of two outstanding Morison transfer successes. Upon first seeing him my first instinct was 'This guy is too good to be a Championship player'. Strong in the tackle, brilliant in the air, quick, good on the ball, he possesses the attributes to be a top centre-half and with his flamboyant hairstyle quickly established himself as a big fans' favourite.
Cardiff would have been in much deeper trouble had it not been for Kipre's excellence at the back.
He stood tall despite some poor performers around him in the team.
Verdict - 8. Loved being here, really bought into the Cardiff ethos. If only the Bluebirds could persuade him to return next season, his partnership with Mark McGuinness would be the rock from which the rest of the team could be built.
Jack Simpson (defender)
Given his Bournemouth and Rangers pedigree there were real high hopes of him, but Simpson proved prone to too many errors which you simply cannot afford at the back. Cardiff have had some super centre-backs in recent times, Bruno Manga, Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison among them, but Simpson has some way to go to attain that level.
Verdict - 3. Played 21 games, often out of position to be fair, but stand out performances were few and far between.
Jamilu Collins (defender)
The Nigerian left-back captured from German football looked an outstanding capture before a knee injury at West Brom cruelly cut short his season.
Quick, athletic, able to bomb forward and defend well, he seemed a Morison master move. Then fate took a hand after just three and a bit games.
Verdict - n/a. It would be a nine on what we saw, but who is to say Collins would have maintained that standard? However, his return from injury will be a huge boost next season.
Niels Nkounkou (defender)
Like Allsop, one of the ones which could go either way in terms of a mark.
At times, going forward, he looked something of a world-beater. At others, defensively, he looked a complete and utter liability.
The French under-21 international, signed on loan from Everton, made 18 appearances before going to France, where apparently he has been shining.
Verdict - 4. The rigours of the Championship proved too much for him.
Andy Rinomhota (midfield)
Cardiff's midfield badly needed reshaping and the capture of the Reading man, who was bringing legs and energy, was exciting.
Had a really bright start, showed great promise, but never quite established himself as first-choice and wasn't able to deliver the creativity and movement beyond defenders Cardiff need from the midfield. Wasn't helped by various managers putting him in the same XI as Joe Ralls and Ryan Wintle, which meant much of a muchness.
Verdict - 5. Didn't set the world on fire, but not too bad either.
Romaine Sawyers (midfield)
Given his pedigree, this was perhaps the Morison signing that excited the most. The buzz grew when Sawyers bagged the opening day winner over Norwich. Cardiff, it seemed, had craft, creativity and real passing ability in their midfield at last.
Sawyers didn't really hit those heights too often again and under Sabri Lamouchi was used more as a deep lying playmaker just in front of the back four, shielding him from the legs and energy required in a modern day midfield.
Verdict - 5. The talent is definitely there, but a fair to average campaign perhaps sums it up best.
Ebou Adams (midfield)
Has yet to kick a ball after cruelly being injured shortly after signing from Forest Green Rovers.
Verdict - n/a. It is to be hoped he delivers next season because Cardiff definitely need something different from their midfield.
Callum O'Dowda (wide man)
Started brilliantly after signing from Bristol City, offering class out wide on the left and becoming a fans' favourite.
Moved back to left-back by Morison, then took on a left wing-back role.
Some Cardiff fans reckon he should have been Player of the Year.
Verdict - 7. Will have an important role to play again next season.
Sheyi Ojo (forward)
Morison was excited to land the ex-Liverpool man, but in truth he's been a disappointment.
Appears to offer promise, but in 40 games he bagged just two goals in the entire campaign.
Many fans have grown restless and found it utterly baffling that Ojo kept being picked ahead of a home-grown talent like Rubin Colwill.
Verdict - 3. Cardiff will need far, far, far more from him next season if Ojo is to be part of the plans.
Jadon Philogene (forward)
Among the last of the captures, on loan from Aston Villa, with eyebrows raised at the time as Morison had already brought in a number of wide players.
What an inspired decision, though. He brought a craft and a cutting edge to the side that had been lacking and his flicks, tricks and ease in taking on defenders, or passing the ball to another blue shirt stood him out early on as the most talented player in the team.
A criticism? A player of his ability should have bagged more than the five goals managed, although he did produce crucial 1-0 winners over Birmingham and Rotherham, as well as setting Cardiff en route to victory over Bristol City - results which ultimately preserved the club's Championship status.
Verdict - 8. He, more than anyone, offered hope with ball at feet. Sadly he won't be coming back. Undoubted success story.
Callum Robinson (forward)
One of the few players Cardiff actually paid a fee for, he bagged seven goals and generally looked a class act.
Red card early on against Swansea set his cause back, but when fit and firing Cardiff look a better team with him in it.
Verdict - 7. You sense there is a lot more to come from Robinson and if he can get regular game time and service next season, he'll bang in the goals.
Kion Etete (forward)
Signed from Spurs for £500,000, there was understandably optimism around him. But still only 21, it's fair to say Etete is a work in progress.
Only three goals to his name, but two of them came in a spell of four games towards the end and proved crucial in wins over Watford and Rotherham when the relegation pressure was really on.
Verdict - 5. Etete shows glimpses of promise, it has to be hoped he really kicks on next season. Those goals and performances near the end were pivotal to Bluebirds staying up.
Ollie Tanner (forward)
Came here under huge hype, with Tottenham wanting him and Morison greatly excited by his ability and landing him ahead of Spurs.
However, managed just two FA Cup appearances before being shipped out on loan to non-league York, where he has also struggled for game time.
Verdict - n/a. It's tempting to give a really low mark, given the buzz surrounding Tanner when he joined and Morison's excitement at the capture. But he's still only 20 so is one for the future and let's hope that ability eventually shines through.
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