Cardiff boss Malky Mackay moved to strengthen his defensive options last week with the acquisition of right-back John Brayford from Derby County. The 25-year-old arrives on a four-year contract for a reported fee of £1.3m and, along with Andreas Cornelius and Simon Moore, is one of three new arrivals to the Bluebirds so far this summer.
A long-term target of Mackay’s, Brayford spoke to the Cardiff official website upon completion of the move and admitted the opportunity of top-flight football was simply too good an opportunity to turn down:
“When I heard Cardiff were interested in signing me then I was obviously very interested, especially at the prospect of playing in the Premier League and testing myself at the highest level. Derby will always be a special Club to me, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore.”
The History
The Stoke-born defender began his career at non-league Burton Albion back in 2006, scoring seven times in 77 appearances before making his way to Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 2008. Brayford scored twice in 36 appearances in his first season and despite relegation to League Two, his displays earned him the Supporters Player of the Year award. With five assists to his name the following year, Brayford won the accolade once again and was also named in the PFA Football League Two Team of the Season, with his versatility seeing him fielded at right-back and centre-half over the campaign.
Brayford was then reunited with former Burton boss Nigel Clough in the summer of 2010 after Derby County shelled out for his services. His impact was immediate with his new club’s fans – a series of consistent displays at the back harvested a goal and three assists over 45 league matches and again earned the full-back a Supporters Player of the Year Award. Brayford managed just 23 games in 2011/12 due to a recurring thigh problem but returned last term to make 40 appearances, scoring once and also supplying an assist.
With just a year left on the 25-year-old’s contract, Clough was somewhat resigned to selling the right-back on this summer but summed up just what type of player Cardiff are picking up:
“Give him time to adapt and he’ll be fine at Premier League level. John bombs up and down the right-hand side as well as anybody and he will fill the criteria Malky is looking for. Malky loves defenders who are wholehearted and brave and John has got that. He is a very, very brave player and not frightened of anything.”
The Prospects
Despite the success of Matthew Connolly at right-back last term, Brayford looks set to make his way to the head of the queue for a first-team place in the season ahead. Connolly impressed from an attacking perspective and notched five goals in the Bluebirds’ Championship-winning campaign but the former QPR man is more of a centre-half than full-back, whereas the new boy seems tailor-made to take his place on the right of Cardiff’s back-four.
Certainly, Mackay was unsparing in his praise of his new signing, admitting he’s been after Brayford for some time:
“I am a long-time admirer of John’s and I’ve watched his career closely, he was the player of the year at Burton, Crewe and Derby. He has consistently been selected in teams of the year and, for me, he was the best right-back in Championship football last season. He is extremely attack-minded and very athletic. He is somebody who desperately wants to kick on and play at the highest level. His attitude is spot-on and will add to the squad.”
Yet to be added to the Fantasy games, a price of 4.5 looks likely in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), bearing in mind the player prices so far. This would put Brayford in the same bracket as the likes of Mark Hudson (four goals and three assists last term) and Andrew Taylor (five assists), while the similarly priced David Marshall should offer save points aplenty between the sticks. Fantasy managers on the lookout for a real cut-price route into Mackay’s backline are eyeing up Ben Turner at 4.0, though – he recovered from injury to make 31 appearances in 2012/13 and may prove a budget-friendly bench-warming fifth defender to be called on in emergencies only.
Having racked up 18 clean sheets last season (10 at home, eight on the road), Cardiff are by far the most resilient of this term’s promoted clubs, though the opening schedule has hardly smiled in Mackay’s favour. By Gameweek 13, the Bluebirds will have entertained five of the previous campaign’s top six at the Cardiff City Stadium, with City, Everton, Spurs, United and Arsenal all paying visit – a run of games that’s hardly conducive to defensive investment and one which perhaps will persuade Fantasy managers to distance themselves from Mackay’s backline regulars until the schedule takes a turn for the better.
