Having missed out on the play-offs despite a resurgence towards the back-end of last term, Cardiff City initiated their 2021/22 Championship campaign against Barnsley on Saturday afternoon.

After a slow start, Cardiff quickly generated fuel and found themselves in the ascendancy shortly after the interval through Marlon Pack, who imposed a formidable header past Barnsley's Bradley Collins.

However, the visitors did not plan on departing South Wales without a well-earned point on the board and restored parity with twenty minutes to go, as Toby Sibbick raced upfield to latch onto Josh Benson's diagonal through ball before slotting home.

Despite applying late pressure and committing an abundance of bodies forward, the Bluebirds were ultimately unable to deconstruct a tight-knit Barnsley defence and had to settle for a draw in their inaugural showdown.

Plenty of food for thought was given in the wake of the fixture, though.

In truth, it was an afternoon underlined by a clash of similarities; both sides possessed steel, a real structure and a strength of solidity in deep areas, yet, they were both also marred by an impotence to spark attacking fluidity over the course of 90 minutes.

The absence of last season's loanee star Harry Wilson was evidently felt for Cardiff, too. He had notched seven goals and 11 assists across a thoroughly successful year with the club, however, the creative wand that was so often weaved by the Welshman was sorely missed, as the hosts lacked guile and creativity in the final third.

It is no secret that an inventive ignition is the missing piece in the jigsaw for Mick McCarthy's puzzle. Wilson starred, and while replacing an individual of his supreme talent was always going to be a tall order, players such as Jonny Williams and Sheyi Ojo have both also left respective voids that are yet to be truly filled.

Given his peripherality amidst injury and fitness issues last season, it can be forgettable that Cardiff still boast one of the division's finest playmakers in Lee Tomlin. During the 2019/20 season, the maverick midfielder scored eight times and provided 10 assists to propel the Bluebirds into the play-offs, where they were defeated by eventual winners Fulham despite huffing and puffing to the final blow of the whistle at Craven Cottage.

 

 

His raw ability has never been a topic that divides opinion, however, his physical past means he may not always transpire as the most reliable candidate to breathe in a sense of architecture into this Cardiff side. Nonetheless, though, supporters will be pinning their hopes and ambitions on the 32-year-old regaining full fitness, because if he can, not only do City have a superb footballer on their hands, their promotion dreams will be handed a huge boost and they will address a key issue within the team.

Tomlin was ruled out of Cardiff's opening encounter and it is yet to be seen if he will feature in their next outing at Blackpool this Saturday, while Josh Murphy, Tom Sang and Isaac Vassell are all alongside the former Bournemouth man on respective recovery missions, with a return to the rigours appearing imminent for all four players.

Although exciting wing-back Sang emerged towards the end of the season - where McCarthy began to adopt a more central approach to entrusting his younger components - Murphy was integral from the moment that the Championship veteran took the helm, and Tomlin will no doubt play a key role when fit, meaning that he has a real headache in selecting his next team and adapting without crucial players.

However, what other selection dilemmas is the Cardiff head coach faced with?

We take a look:

Who leads the line?

Usually, this topic is bookmarked as a no-brainer for Cardiff - after all, they have Kieffer Moore in their ranks, who became one of the division's most feared forwards last term with an outlay of 20 goals, along with impressing at this summer's European Championships for Wales.

But, having contracted COVID-19 during the off-period and still dealing with the physical constraints of playing virtually every match for the Bluebirds without a break, McCarthy has been rather gradual with easing his star striker back into action.

He did not grace the pitch in any of Cardiff's pre season matches and only came on for the last fourteen minutes against the Tykes, though he did incite an instant impression and offered his side an extra dimension with his aerial dominance and ability to bring teammates into the game.

Instead, new recruit James Collins was elected to spearhead the attack and it would be harsh to say that he did not do his fair share, either, clearly shouldering momentum gained from a positive pre-season.

A willing presser and channel-runner, Collins' energy and desire to drift into vacated areas to receive possession was important for Cardiff on the day, and even though a first competitive goal in City colours eluded him, he has proved over the years that he has the minerals within his arsenal to score prolifically at this level.

After hitting the ten goal benchmark in each of his two second-tier seasons with Luton Town, it is undoubted that he is a reliable candidate and, when supplied, will score the goals needed.

As good as Collins is, leaving out a player of Moore's quality and sheer importance is easier said than done. He is integral for the dynamic that Cardiff wish to operate with and is the one player, you feel, that really has the firepower to elevate this side on a consistent basis.

Both players have a strong bid to have their names penned on McCarthy's starting sheet at Bloomfield Road, and as he looks to find his best squad and implement a rejuvenated identity, it will definitely be interesting to see who is given the nod.

Who mans the midfield?

Following impressive recruitment and player development over the years, Cardiff now have a plethora of options to deploy in the middle of the park.

Joe Ralls and Marlon Pack were licensed with starting berths as a midfield two on Saturday and complemented each other precisely; Ralls provided the bite, vigour and all-action nature, and in contrast, Pack was able to dictate the tempo of play from deep and craft luxurious cross-field passes, allowing Cardiff to play with variance.

Unfortunately, though, Ralls' afternoon was called to a halt shortly after the hour mark through injury and was promptly placed by Ryan Wintle, who registered his first league appearance for the club in the process.

The length of the stalwart's injury is yet to be confirmed, leaving speculation over who will imprint their presence on the midfield for Saturday's battle.

Many would subscribe to the view that there are too many similarities between Pack and Wintle, who are both accomplished passers but perhaps lack the legs and tenacity of alternative operators, such as Leandro Bacuna and Will Vaulks.

Bacuna's position in the team will be particularly intriguing. The Curacao International spent the opener shunted out in a relatively unfamiliar role on the right-hand-side of a front three, where his energetic perseverance was utilised to help Cardiff in transition, while he displayed nous to get into dangerous attacking positions.

He did spurn golden opportunities gifted from Ryan Giles' series of expertise deliveries, however, McCarthy was nonetheless pleased with how the utility man fared, explaining to WalesOnline: "What I love about Leandro is he was getting in there. If someone is there to miss chances, I will forgive that.

"He has come back from International duty and he has had Covid and been on and off for a while.

"I think he has got up to speed superbly well. I was delighted with his overall performance. But no one will be more disappointed than him, because he has had the chances.

"But look, 'Just keep going in there, you'll score'."

On the other hand, Vaulks will be vying to reclaim his spot in the team after serving the duration of his suspension picked up against Wycombe Wanderers in the closing stages of the previous campaign.

Unlike Bacuna, he has had a full summer to recharge his batteries, having controversially missed out on Robert Page's Euro 2020 squad, and supporters hope that his preserved fitness levels can come to fruition and help the side generate more intensity in the midfield.

All of Cardiff's midfield contenders boast differing skill-sets, which equates as only a positive headache to McCarthy as preparations for the weekend head into full gear.