Cardiff City agree loan move for forward as boss takes 'no positives' after defeat

The latest Bluebirds news from Cardiff City Stadium

Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Wednesday, January 14.

Bluebirds winger seals loan move away

Cardiff City winger Tanatswa Nyakuhwa has completed a loan move to Newport County.

The 20-year-old has joined the League Two side for the remainder of the season, with Newport confirming the deal as they look to strengthen their squad in the battle to move away from the foot of the table.

Highly regarded within the Cardiff academy, Nyakuhwa has featured regularly around the first-team squad this season, making 11 appearances in all competitions. However, his league involvement has been limited to three substitute outings, prompting Cardiff to seek a loan move that would provide him with consistent senior minutes.

The Wales Under-21 international had attracted plenty of attention in recent windows, with clubs in both Britain and abroad monitoring his situation. Interest from sides such as Kilmarnock and Bristol Rovers emerged this month, while Anderlecht were among those linked with the winger last summer, but Newport ultimately won the race for his signature.

Meanwhile, former Cardiff youngster James Crole has completed a move into the Football League after joining the Exiles. Sign up to our Cardiff City WhatsApp channel here.

The striker, who came through the academy ranks at Cardiff, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Rodney Parade after Newport agreed an undisclosed fee for the 21-year-old. Crole could be in line to make his County debut this weekend when they travel to Gillingham.

Crole left Cardiff in the summer of 2024 after making a single senior appearance in the Carabao Cup and quickly made his mark at Penybont. He finished last season as joint top scorer in the Cymru Premier with 16 goals and has continued that form this term, finding the net a further 11 times to attract interest from clubs across the border.

Newport’s move for the forward continues their recent trend of recruiting talent from the Welsh top flight. In recent seasons, the Exiles have brought in the likes of James Waite, another Cardiff academy graduate, and Nathan Wood from Penybont, while Will Evans, ex-Bluebirds midfielder Keenan Patten, Kai Whitmore and Lee Jenkins have also made the switch to Rodney Parade from Cymru Premier clubs.

Boss says 'no positives' after heavy defeat

Cardiff City Under-21s boss Darren Purse admitted there were “no positives” to take after his side were heavily beaten 5-2 by Watford in the Professional Development League on Tuesday evening.

The young Bluebirds were undone by a ruthless Hornets display, conceding twice in stoppage time to turn what had been a competitive contest into a chastening defeat.

Purse did not hide his disappointment with the performance, suggesting his players failed to meet the required standards after an extended break over the festive period.

“It was a poor performance,” Purse said. “Sometimes you can lose a game and you look back and take some positives, but there weren’t any today.

“We haven’t played for three to four weeks because of the Christmas break, maybe that’s a reason, but the boys have to understand that every time you cross that white line that you’ve got to perform.”

Watford opened the scoring after 35 minutes when Nickson Okosun rose to head the visitors in front. The forward then struck again early in the second half to double the Hornets’ advantage and leave City with a mountain to climb.

Cardiff briefly found a way back into the contest when Cody Twose’s header dropped kindly for Trey George, who unleashed a powerful volley into the net to reduce the deficit.

Remiero Moutlon quickly restored Watford’s two-goal cushion, curling home after an impressive solo run, but City showed some late fight when substitute Dan Ola flicked home Jake Davies’ cross to give the hosts hope.

Any chance of a comeback was extinguished in stoppage time, however, as Watford struck twice through Amar Sanghrajka and Cayden Lamothe to seal the points and underline their superiority.

Despite the disappointing team display, Purse reserved praise for George, highlighting the midfielder’s consistency and versatility. Sign up to our daily Bluebirds newsletter here.

“Trey is a really good footballer,” he added. “He’s very intelligent and you can play him in any of those three positions in midfield or even out wide.

“He gets you goals, he’s consistent in his performances, and he showed that today. When some players aren’t at their usual levels, he’s someone who can step up and get you something. As a manager, he’s someone you want in your side week in and week out.”

Barry-Murphy nominated for manager gong

Brian Barry-Murphy’s impressive festive period at Cardiff City has been recognised after he was nominated for the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month award for December.

The Bluebirds boss enjoyed an outstanding month in charge, guiding Cardiff to five wins from six league fixtures and collecting 15 points from a possible 18. His side also found the net 12 times during December as they maintained their spot at the top of the table.

Every win came by a single-goal margin, with the EFL stating that fact underlines the resilience, belief and game management Barry-Murphy has instilled in this Cardiff squad.

Barry-Murphy is up against Blackpool boss Ian Evatt, who has been nominated after steering his side from near the foot of the table to an unbeaten December, while Lincoln City’s Michael Skubala has earned recognition following an unbeaten run that included wins over promotion rivals.

Peterborough United head coach Luke Williams is also on the shortlist after an encouraging start following his appointment.

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