Premier League preview – Can Cardiff avoid the drop?

Premier League new boys Cardiff were top dogs in the Championship last season and had some superb performances along the way. Malkay Mackay already has a squad full of quality but the question is whether they can translate that into success in the top flight.

Their defence was strong last season and bringing in Steven Caulker from Tottenham could prove a key acquisition, but without any other Premier League experience in defence, the players will have to adapt quickly. They can win ugly and although that is something their Welsh rivals Swansea may not be used to, it certainly gets results in the Premier League.

Mackay has got some work to do in the transfer market before the season starts and signing a striker with Premier League experience should be high on his list of priorities as new boy Andreas Cornelius may take time to get used to English football. 

Cardiff have a strong spine of a team, with veteran Craig Bellamy always ready for a challenge as well as prominent midfielders Peter Wittingham and Aron Gunnarson. Capable of getting a result, they might just be good enough to survive. We will get a good guage over the next few weeks.

Prediction: 17^th.

Written by Thomas Baxter