Cardiff stars overlooked: Junior Hoilett, Sean Morrison and Neil Etheridge
Friday 20 April 2018 13:41, UK
Sol Bamba was the only Cardiff player named in either the EFL or PFA Championship Teams of the Year, despite the fact Neil Warnock's side are closing in on a remarkable promotion to the Premier League.
Cardiff's success has been built more on team effort than individual performances, but should more of their players have been included? We take a look at three who deserved more recognition...
Neil Etheridge
Signed from Walsall on a free transfer, Etheridge has been fantastic between the sticks and undeniably deserves more credit for his performances in 2017/18.
The 28-year-old has only missed one league game all season, and that was a 2-1 defeat to QPR on New Year's Day, conceding fewer goals (33) than John Ruddy (36), while the Wolves goalkeeper made both the EFL and PFA Teams of the Year.
Live EFL
Should Cardiff be promoted and Etheridge keep the No 1 jersey, then it would be a surprise return to the Premier League for the former Fulham academy player. He spent eight years at Craven Cottage but never made an appearance in the top flight.
Sean Morrison
Bamba was named in the PFA Team of the Year, but the Cardiff captain has just as much of a case for inclusion as his central defensive partner.
Morrison has kept as many clean sheets as Bamba (14) in seven fewer appearances and it's not too surprising that his absence in December coincided with the club's major dip of the season, as the Bluebirds lost four games in a row over Christmas.
He has also scored four goals this campaign, including a vital goal strike in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough in February, and won a remarkable 358 aerial duels, 91 more than Wolves pair Willy Boly and Conor Coady combined.
Junior Hoilett
Hoilett waited for Warnock to find a club in the summer of 2016 before joining him at Cardiff, and their relationship has proved incredibly fruitful for the Bluebirds.
The winger has enjoyed the finest season of his career and is finally showing signs of fulfilling the potential he showed at Blackburn in the Premier League.
Hoilett has scored fewer goals than the likes of Bobby Reid, Albert Adomah and Matej Vydra, who all received recognition in the Teams of the Year, but has as many assists (11) as Reid and Adomah combined, and has created significantly more chances (80) than all three.
Don't miss the Sky Bet Championship clash between Cardiff and Nottingham Forest on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 7.30pm
