This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Cardiff City have recalled striker Max Watters from his loan spell at Milton Keynes Dons - a move which will take effect when the January transfer window opens.

The striker was signed by the Bluebirds from Crawley Town at the start of 2021 but never figured under previous manager Mick McCarthy and was sent on loan to League One earlier this season.

Watters struck for Liam Manning's side with regularity, netting seven times in 14 outings but didn't feature since late-November due to injury.

Steve Morison has made the decision to bring Watters back into the fold at Cardiff though - is he going to get the necessary game-time to make an impact however? The FLW team have had their say.

 

 

 

 

Adam Jones

Receiving rave reviews from MK Dons fans, it would be no surprise to see him hit the ground running on his return to the Cardiff City Stadium.

Scoring seven goals in 14 competitive games this term, it's no surprise he's been a popular figure in Buckinghamshire and it will be interesting to see if he can make the step up seamlessly after thriving in the third tier.

Steve Morison was scathing of Isaak Davies last night but whether this was to fire the 20-year-old up ahead of Sunday's game against West Bromwich Albion remains to be seen.

So there's definitely the possibility he could move above Davies in the pecking order, but it would be hard to see him beat Kieffer Moore to a starting spot at this stage.

However, a switch to a 3-4-1-2 system could be a game-changer, something that's entirely possible with Leandro Bacuna letting the Bluebirds down last night.

Having Mark Harris behind Moore and Watters could be a formula that works if the latter two can start firing next month and beyond, though James Collins also has to be considered as an option up top.

Chris Gallagher

He certainly deserves a chance.

The forward enjoyed a productive loan spell with MK Dons, where he scored five times in 11 games, so he is clearly a player who can find the back of the net. 

Obviously, it's a step up with Cardiff but the reality is that he hasn't been given enough chances since his move to the Welsh side.

So, Morison is right to bring Watters back and it's then going to be down to the player. I expect him to be involved in the matchday squad moving forward and he needs to impress when he's given minutes and in training.

Scoring goals is a major problem for the Bluebirds, with Kieffer More the top scorer on just five this season, so Watters could help in that sense. 

We also know the owner isn't going to be giving Morison a lot of funds to bring his own players in, which means the problem won't be rectified in the market.

Therefore, this is a decision that makes sense and Watters will get a chance in the coming weeks which he needs to take.

Marcus Ally

Cardiff have been horrendous in an attacking sense from open play this season, suggesting that Watters has a good chance of earning a handful of first team opportunities.

Morison will know him well from playing for the under-23 side in the second half of last season and the former Crawley Town man should be able to assert himself in a lacklustre attacking contingent.

Reading between the lines this could be in preparation for losing Kieffer Moore next month which would significantly increase the Bluebirds’ fears of relegation to League One.

James Collins has really struggled to adapt to his new environment and has seemingly not been able to gain the trust of his new manager.

Cardiff should have enough to steer clear of the drop this season, but the pressurised environment might not be the best atmosphere for Watters to settle in again, especially considering how poor he was in a small sample size in the Welsh capital last term.