Steve Morison was unrelenting in his pursuit of Aston Villa’s Jaden Philogene while he was at Cardiff City, and he finally secured his target in a deal that turned out to be a total genius.

During his tenure with the Bluebirds, Morison overhauled the team and attempted to adopt a more possession-based, forward-thinking strategy. He also undertook major squad surgery, bringing in at least 17 new players before the 2022–2023 Championship season began.

Naturally, a number of outcomes came from Cardiff’s summer 2022 transfer window, which placed a strong focus on free signings. The less that is written about Sheyi Ojo, Vontae Daley-Campbell, and Jack Simpson, the better. On the other end of the spectrum, Morison scored some incredible goals; Cedric Kipre was a formidable defender while on loan from West Bromwich Albion; Callum Robinson and O’Dowda are still playing for City today; and Ollie Tanner has made Cardiff’s £50,000 investment seem like pennies.

However, Morison had to work extra hard to get Philogene, and his perseverance was amply rewarded long after his contentious dismissal in September, as the winger brought Cardiff box revenue fun during a season that sorely lacked it.

Steve Morison tried twice for Aston Villa’s Jaden Philogene at Cardiff City

Morison said that Cardiff had planned a move in January but lost to Championship rivals Stoke City after securing the signing of Philogene from the Villains on a season-long loan.

 

By using the loan market to acquire both Tommy Doyle and Cody Drameh from Manchester City and Leeds United, Cardiff, of course, still managed to have unquestionable success in that January window. Morison eventually acquired the attacking prodigy in August as one of his final additions to the Bluebirds’ rebuild.

“I’m overjoyed. Morison told Cardiff’s official website, “He’s someone we earmarked and looked at in January, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

“He became available this summer after we kept an eye on him. It was a transaction that both we and the clubs wanted to do because we have fantastic relationships with many of them.

Jaden Philogene was sensational for Cardiff City

Philogene’s loan stint with the Bluebirds was essentially a two-way street; Morison’s successor, Mark Hudson, failed to provide the necessary creative freedom to maximise the incredibly gifted winger, but after Sabri Lamouchi was brought in midseason, Philogene’s confidence, delivery, and quality all increased.

After initially being unheard of and a supporting player, Philogene rose to prominence as Cardiff’s key orchestrator, providing their attacks with a real X-Factor and a heartbeat. Even though he occasionally blew hot and cold and might be frustrating, when he was playing at his best, he was amazing and compelling.

At practically any time, he shown a maverick, purely magical ability to stand defenders up and beat them inside, outside, or however he pleased. At the time, this was unheard of for City.

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Almost no other player in the Championship could match Philogene’s captivating ball-carrying abilities, which included the sheer speed to burn past his marker as well as the deftness of touch, natural agility, and spatial awareness to elude opponents in unlikely narrow pockets of space.

The fact that Philogene only scored four league goals during his incredible season in the Welsh capital was the one knock on what was arguably the most naturally gifted player to play for Cardiff for many years. He was still learning on the job that year, playing for a team that struggled all season long and alternated between opposing tactical philosophies, but of course, context must be taken into account.

At Hull City last season, the England youth international really took off, showcasing the direct goal involvement stats that go hand in hand with his incredible natural talent. He earned a permanent transfer back to Villa after scoring twelve goals in the Championship, where he will undoubtedly have a dazzling career at the top of the game.

So, how things may have turned out differently if Morison hadn’t been so tenacious