“I Love Cardiff”: Barry-Murphy Feels at Home as Bluebirds Chase League One Title

Brian Barry-Murphy says he has quickly fallen in love with life at Cardiff City, admitting the club and city already feel like home.

However, the Irishman’s feet remain firmly on the ground as his side continue their Sky Bet League One title push.

The 47-year-old has been in the Cardiff dugout for just seven months, but his connection with the capital club since arriving has been clear to see.

The Bluebirds are currently on an eight-game unbeaten run in the division since Boxing Day, and are building serious momentum at the top end of the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to the Pirelli Stadium to face Burton Albion.

“I love Cardiff,” Barry-Murphy said. “Brilliant place. Love the city and very grateful to be here.”

Brian Barry-Murphy smiling after a victory at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier in the season

When asked what makes his role as Cardiff City boss different from his previous roles at Rochdale and Man City, he highlighted the welcome he and his young family received, revealing that the Welsh capital reminds him of where he grew up.

“The people there have given me and my family an amazing welcome,” he admitted. “It feels very similar to where I grew up in Cork. I kind of almost feel as if I’m home, to be honest.”

The league leaders come off the back of a dominant 4-0 victory on Tuesday, but Barry-Murphy expects another difficult test against the Brewers, who are one of just five sides to beat the Welsh side in the league this season.

Despite the Bluebirds holding 77% ball possession and creating eight big chances against Gary Bowyer’s side in the reverse fixture in September, it was Burton who came away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a late Charlie Webster goal.

“They have clearly showed how dangerous a team they are, and they’ve continued to do so,” he said. “They’ve had some brilliant results against top teams, and it’s going to be a really tough game, and one that we’re really looking forward to.”

Despite the feel-good factor surrounding the club, Barry-Murphy insists that he will not allow standards to slip, even joking that his main pre-match focus recently has been simply getting his squad out on time.

“The main message at the moment is try and be on time,” he laughed. “We’ve been late multiple times this season, and the fines have been accumulating. So, it’s something that needs to stop urgently.”

But the Cardiff boss also opened up when discussing discipline on the pitch, confirming midfielder Alex Robertson was withdrawn at half-time in the 4-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday after walking a tightrope following an early booking.

Not for the first time, the Manchester City academy product’s discipline has been brought into question despite his impressive quality on the ball. The 22-year-old was substituted after just 28 minutes against Wycombe on New Year’s Day after being fortunate to not be sent off.

Barry-Murphy said, “I want him to be as aggressive as he is. If he does get a yellow card early in games, then he has to be really conscious of that and not put himself in a position where he looks likely to be sent off.”

The Irishman added that while he is pleased with his squad’s progress, the group still has room for growth as they chase an immediate return to the second tier.

“I think we always want more,” he stated. “There is so much more to come from them.”

With the transfer deadline approaching on Monday, he admitted that there were no guarantees of further additions, despite him being open about one particular area at left-back they would like to strengthen.

When pushed about a loan move for Liverpool full-back Callum Scanlon, he did not dismiss the link but was keen not to overpromise.

“It’s getting late in the window, and while we’ve been transparent about areas of the squad we need to improve, when it gets this late, we can’t have any guarantees or any certainty that anybody will come to the club before the window shuts on Monday.”

For the Cardiff boss, the feeling of being “at home” in the capital is clear, but with a League One title in sight and a chance at an immediate return to the Championship, his focus firmly remains on keeping standards high and pushing his young group for more.