Neil Warnock has transformed a once average Joe Ralls into a classy Championship midfielder.
Cardiff City have shone in the opening part of this season and they head into another busy week of action with their 100% record still intact.
The maintaining of that record has been down to a number of things, but a big part of it has been the superb form of a number of individuals.
Following a strong finish to last season, the Cardiff CIty faithful will have expected a good start, but not one quite as faultless as this.
And speaking of faultless, midfielder Joe Ralls is a player who has been central to Neil Warnock’s plans.
The 23-year-old scored the opener in the Bluebirds’ impressive 2-1 win over Wolves on the weekend, and he delivered another superb performance to go with it.
Neil Warnock described Ralls as a ‘Rolls Royce’ following the 3-0 win over Aston Villa the weekend before last, and that’s not a description Ralls would have come close to fitting in seasons gone by.
Having come through the academy after signing from Farnborough as a youngster, Ralls burst onto the scene under Malky Mackay with a stunning goal at Hull.
However, like so many of the Cardiff City youngsters in recent years, he stumbled in and out of the first team.
Ralls became Mr utility under Russell Slade, slotting in wherever he was needed, but he did manage to become a regular in his preferred position later on.
His lack of experience showed, though, and he came under plenty of criticism from Cardiff City supporters - it probably didn’t help that he wasn’t able to match the high level of performance the far more experienced Peter Whittingham and Aron Gunnarsson either.
The arrival of Neil Warnock has clearly changed things for a number of Cardiff City players and Joe Ralls is a perfect example.
Alongside the no-nonsense Aron Gunnarsson, Ralls has been given the license to create and explore inside the opposition half.
Gunnarsson’s presence and excellent form has been huge for Cardiff and indeed Ralls, taking the pressure off his midfield partner.
The midfielder has flourished with such trust and become that ‘Rolls Royce’ central player that his manager desired.
The loss of Peter Whittingham to Blackburn Rovers was huge for the Bluebirds in the summer, and replacing him was always going to be a huge question mark over the new season.
The only addition to that area of the midfield has been Frenchman Loic Damour, and while he has been very impressive, he isn’t a replacement for the long-serving Whittingham.
Lee Tomlin has a fantastic technique also, but as he admits himself, he isn’t a Peter Whittingham type of player.
And it is, in fact, Joe Ralls who has unexpectedly stepped up to soften the blow of the fan favourite’s exit.
He may not be the same sort of player and he hasn’t got that one in a million technique, but Ralls’ approach under Neil Warnock has absorbed what could have been a damaging hole in the Bluebirds’ midfield.
There’s a confidence which has seen Ralls achieving the previously elusive consistency, and his eagerness to constantly keep the ball moving in midfield is proving vital for the deadly front three that the Championship is quickly getting to know.
His work rate has been incredible in every game so far, and his desire to win and then keep the ball will be greatly appreciated by Neil Warnock not just in the early part of this season, but right through until May.
Cardiff City fans will know all too well that the club will never replace Peter Whittingham, but Joe Ralls’ ability to step up when his team needed him to, has certainly helped soften the blow.
It will come as a relief to Neil Warnock that he hasn’t had to spend millions to plug the gap in midfield, and he has the determined Joe Ralls to thank for that.
(Featured image: Jon Candy)