The mood around the Cardiff City Stadium has changed for the better since the appointment of Neil Warnock a couple of weeks ago, and there is now a feeling that the 11-a-side fortunes of the club are set to take a turn for the better.

Debate has raged over recent days about which players should be picked by Warnock for each game with a number of players that were shunned by previous managers Russell Slade, and Paul Trollope being given a new lease of life under Warnock.

The arrival of some new faces has also added more competition for places in the first team.

However, if the Bluebirds were participating in a 5-a-side league, which players would be the ones likely to play in each position? The question of which formation would be best to use with those players must also be answered.

Football League World writer Steve Day picks his ultimate 5-a-side team using the current crop of Cardiff City players that are currently helping the club try and escape their unexpected early season misery.

 

GK: Ben Amos

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Former Manchester United youth keeper Amos might not have been a first choice option under Trollope, until his latter days as head coach but under Warnock there has been total faith in the loan signing from Bolton.

Amos is more there as a default option with the departures of David Marshall and Simon Moore denying the Bluebirds of a more highly-rated pair of hands, in between the sticks but he is a player that is far from a poor option.

The 26-year-old is the best keeping option at the club with rival competitors for his jersey only present in the form of inexperienced youngster Ben Wilson, and the 33-year-old veteran Brian Murphy.

DC: Sol Bamba

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Using a 1-2-1 formation outfield, the newly-signed Bamba has already announced himself as a classy operator in the back-line for the Bluebirds.

His selection ahead of the more seasoned Matt Connolly, Sean Morrison, and Bruno Ecuele Manga will be a source of controversy but there is no denying that Bamba is the most in-form City defender right now.

Bamba's mix of pure physical prowess and composure on his distribution means that he would be the best last man in a 5-a-side team.

Yes, his previous employers' have suggested he is prone to the odd error but so are his rivals. How many times have mistakes from Connolly, Morrison, or Manga cost the Bluebirds points? The answer? Lots.

Time may tell whether this is a decision that is well-educated and proven or one that is slightly manipulated by a spell of good form.

However, there is no question about Bamba's potential and so far he is fulfilling it and steals that last man spot in this side.

RM: Stuart O'Keefe

 

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The key to success at 5-a-side is following your man and limiting the space for your opponents to penetrate.

One player that Cardiff have missed since he was injured is the former Crystal Palace combative central midfielder O'Keefe.

Having built a career on breaking up play and marking midfield players out of the game it is little wonder that O'Keefe has been selected over the likes of Aron Gunnarsson, Joe Ralls, and Lex Immers in this role.

If you want a wide player that has the ability to win possession in vital areas and also track his runner when the opposition is in possession then O'Keefe fits the bill.

Granted, he might lack on the creative side of things but 5-a-side is not all about the goals. It is about space management and cohesion.

LM: Peter Whittingham

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Speaking of the creative side, there is only one option for that second midfield spot. Whittingham has played over 500 games for the Bluebirds and scored 93 goals during that period.

He has set up a hell of a lot more so if you want a man to thread a pass through the eye of a needle to the man up top, but also have the ability to score from range then “Whitts” is the man.

This selection might attract some criticism with some suggesting he is past it and too lightweight for the midfield area in 5-a-side, but whenever his back is against the wall Whittingham will always deliver a match-winning moment.

There will be a weakness with his tracking and man marking but it is an area of his game that he has improved upon immensely over the years, and his threat with the passing and moving in tight spaces far outweighs any potential weaknesses he might bring to the table.

FC: Rickie Lambert

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The icing on the cake is the fat lad up top who has a good pair of feet and can shrug off the opposition's defence to either hold up the ball to lay off for a long range shot, or to turn and shoot to unleash a rocket at goal.

Lambert is made to be a target man in 5-a-side.

There are not many last men on the 5-a-side pitch that could match him for muscle power, and the minute you're out-muscled on the edge of your own area you are in a world of trouble.

The experienced 34-year-old has scored goal at all levels and he has a knack for finding the target from the tightest of angles.

He will enjoy great supply from his team mates and will be a test for any defender.

What do you think Cardiff fans? Is this the ultimate 5-a-side team picking players from the current squad? Or would you have included other players such as Gunnarsson, Hoilett, Manga, Pilkington, or Noone? Let us know in the comments section below.