Mark McGuinness D Luton b.2001

[Demesne Lad]

Scored in the 3-1 pre-season friendly win against The New Saints on 4 July.


https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/pre-season-report-cardiff-city-3-1-new-saints

[OwlsFan]

Excellent game against Leeds yesterday. This guy is class.

[MancIrishWolf]

Both McGuinness and COD getting high praise in Cardiff’s MOTM debate. Will soon be able to field a whole team of decent centre halves at this rate!

https://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=234866&sid=8aee11b3fd3caee26d4d566bb74462b0

[mark12345]

Both McGuinness and COD getting high praise in Cardiff’s MOTM debate. Will soon be able to field a whole team of decent centre halves at this rate!

https://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=234866&sid=8aee11b3fd3caee26d4d566bb74462b0

I watched this game. McGuinnesd did very well against a constant Leeds onslaught. Imposing center back who can play a bit also

[JR89]

Both McGuinness and COD getting high praise in Cardiff’s MOTM debate. Will soon be able to field a whole team of decent centre halves at this rate!

https://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=234866&sid=8aee11b3fd3caee26d4d566bb74462b0

Might actually be able to keep a clean sheet then. Good thing about the U21s also is the fact that some of our CBs are versatile and able to play FB or DM.

[Demesne Lad]

Signs a new 4-year contract with Cardiff City.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66538756

[JR89]

Surprised he's commited to a new contract this early. There would have surely been interest from bigger clubs come January especially if he could have walked on a free.

[SkStu]

Scores a late winner for Cardiff over a dominant Sunderland. Near post header from a free kick. Was a rock in defence too as Sunderland were in control for much of the game. MOTM in a few places.

[pineapple stu]

Interesting to see the flux at centre-back lately. Omobamidele not getting in the squad at Forest, Collins still prone to brain farts at Brentford. Duffy completely out in the cold at Fulham but doing well at Norwich (well, apart from yesterday). Egan part of a team that ships 8, but Scales is suddenly a potential option. And McGuinness has been getting great reviews lately too.

I don't think we should change the squad centre-backs based on form but it's nice to have options. Maybe worth looking at a couple of them against New Zealand in November?

Probably the only position where there's legitimate starting options who aren't getting in the squad. Be great to have that headache in other positions

[Demesne Lad]

Scored v Bristol Rovers in the English League Cup game tonight and is linked with Luton, according to the BBC Football report on the game.

[Eirambler]

Would be good to cap him as he's eligible for three countries. Admittedly also difficult given how many centre backs we have, but he should be in the conversation at least.

Has an almost Icelandic physicality to him which might appeal to HH (i.e. he's huge).

[Olé Olé]

Would be good to cap him as he's eligible for three countries. Admittedly also difficult given how many centre backs we have, but he should be in the conversation at least.

Has an almost Icelandic physicality to him which might appeal to HH (i.e. he's huge).

He's unlikely to get an England call up. And if he wanted an NI call up, would he have taken one by now?

I don't see any harm in getting him involved but fellas need to form an orderly queue!

[OwlsFan]

He's an excellent player. Well worth a cap on merit.

[Razors left peg]

He's an excellent player. Well worth a cap on merit.

Is he in the Daragh Lenihan category of being a good player but not quite of the level of the regulars in the squad and would need a few injuries to be considered?

[JR89]

Cardiff manager has confirmed a bid has been lodged for McGuinness and has been lodged around ten days ago so could be Luton going on the links to them. Some reports that Cardiff value him at £10M.

[Predator]

Football is a funny old game and things can change very quickly. It's a fickle industry.
When I watched Mark McGuinness and Jake O'Brien play for the U21s a few years ago, I have to say I wasn't overly impressed by either, but I thought McGuinness had a clear edge over O'Brien. He had a lot more senior games at a higher level under his belt than O'Brien, was an organiser and looked more comfortable on the ball. If you'd asked me then which of the two, at 23, would have gone on to earn senior caps, play in Ligue 1 and then sign for Everton in a €20 million move, I'd probably have said McGuinness. McGuinness has been excelling in the Championship for a few years, playing over 100 games yet arguably going under the radar, whereas O'Brien's career effectively took off after 27 games in Ligue 1. The good thing for McGuinness is that he is only 23 and he has time on his side. It's just unlucky for him that Ireland have so many top centre-backs at the moment. He probably needs a few 'wow' moments this season so people start clamouring for him to be called up.

[Olé Olé]

Football is a funny old game and things can change very quickly. It's a fickle industry.
When I watched Mark McGuinness and Jake O'Brien play for the U21s a few years ago, I have to say I wasn't overly impressed by either, but I thought McGuinness had a clear edge over O'Brien. He had a lot more senior games at a higher level under his belt than O'Brien, was an organiser and looked more comfortable on the ball. If you'd asked me then which of the two, at 23, would have gone on to earn senior caps, play in Ligue 1 and then sign for Everton in a €20 million move, I'd probably have said McGuinness. McGuinness has been excelling in the Championship for a few years, playing over 100 games yet arguably going under the radar, whereas O'Brien's career effectively took off after 27 games in Ligue 1. The good thing for McGuinness is that he is only 23 and he has time on his side. It's just unlucky for him that Ireland have so many top centre-backs at the moment. He probably needs a few 'wow' moments this season so people start clamouring for him to be called up.

I agree regarding seeing them at 21s level. McGuinness looked the package. O'Brien looked raw and particularly so on the ball.

However, O'Brien spent his teenage years in the Cork City academy. And McGuinness in the Arsenal one.

O'Brien's quality on the ball for our seniors was unrecognisable from what I had seen previously. Development has been rapid.

He's also really fast. Is he faster than McGuinness maybe?

Either way, maybe goals would help McGuinness. He got 2 last year and O'Brien got 4 in less games. O'Brien is also two inches taller. And could be faster. So if he's done all that and cleaned up his quality on the ball you can see what has happened here.

However, there might be a piece where Ligue 1 is a similar standard to the Championship but isn't as sexy! I can't imagine scouts falling into that trap though.

[Olé Olé]

Maybe McGuinness didn't look the package. He definitely had the clear edge!

[Drummerboy2]

I see he missed the game on Saturday, when they got tanked 5 0 by Burnley. Any word on his injury?

[Trequartista20]

Looks like he was left out ahead of a potential move. Probably to Luton.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/erol-bulut-addresses-aaron-ramsey-29761585

[Demesne Lad]

(Trequartista20;2197936) Looks like he was left out ahead of a potential move. Probably to Luton.

Deal agreed, subject to a medical, according to 'The 72', in turn quoting the BBC. "The deal could be worth as much as £10m..."

[John83]

Doesn't seem to be finalised yet so I'll hold off editing the thread title.

“Mark McGuinness is a throwback if you ask me. He is an old-fashioned defender – he enjoys defending,” former Wales striker Roberts told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
“I don’t think he’s great on the ball. His distribution isn’t brilliant - I think he’d admit that.

“But if you put the ball in his penalty box, he will go and win it, he will put his body on the line. That’s something you don’t see too much of in this day and age.

“£10m for a player who a couple of years ago went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday and didn’t look as if he had a future at the club – it’s good business for Cardiff and it will be a good move for Mark.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/mcguinness-deal-is-good-business-for-cardiff/ar-AA1p6ljl

[Demesne Lad]

Transfer to Luton confirmed on the Cardiff City website:

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/mcguinness-joins-luton-town

[Razors left peg]

Transfer to Luton confirmed on the Cardiff City website:

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/mcguinness-joins-luton-town


The price of 10 Million is very surprising

[Eirambler]

Would imagine the up front fee is a lot less than that. Good player at that level though.

[Eirambler]

£6m plus add-ons seems to be what he has gone for.

[EalingGreen]

He's unlikely to get an England call up.Not a hope, I'd say. I mean, with his grounding having been at Arsenal, he'd have had all the exposure you'd need, yet I don't think he was ever in the frame, even at under-age.


And if he wanted an NI call up, would he have taken one by now?I seem to recall from when you first called him up, he gave an interview saying how excited he was, clearly implying that it was "ROI or nothing", which is fair enough imo.

Ironically, though, he qualifies through his Dad, who's from Limavady. Yet the same Dad represented England in lawn bowls, including at the Commonwealth Games! (Mark's brother, too).

Anyhow, CB is a rare position where NI are reasonably well stocked, so we're not desperate, even for a decent player like him. But if he were a CF.... :cool:

[Demesne Lad]

Scored tonight, away to QPR, but looks like being on the losing side.

[tetsujin1979]

Nice header
1876370555240136941

[Stuttgart88]

Missed a great chance to equalise on 94 mins. Rose well and got a great connection to a nicely flighted corner but just got under it and put it about 1-2 feet over the bar. He made a mistake late on that he tried to recover from by pulling back the QPR attacker's jersey which he got away with. Otherwise he seemed to have a good game, as did Dunne although he got left for dead by some tricky wing play in the move that led to the aforementioned corner.

[rebelmusic]

Goal and an assist tonight. That brings his goal tally to 4 for the season I believe (including cup games).

The Luton defense was absolutely woeful for the goals they conceded. Only saw the highlights and id be pointing the finger at the players around him. Not the best of places for him to be learning his trade

[Eirambler]

Has probably joined Luton at the wrong time really. Just after they've had their moment in the Premier League and could afford him with the TV and parachute money, but it feels like they're unlikely to return to those heights again any time soon.

[Eirambler]

Doubt he thought there was much chance he'd be heading back to League 1 when he signed for Luton last summer. Potentially might not stay on, but Luton have money and may not need to sell him.

[Predator]

It's turned out to be a disappointing move. I wonder what other options were available to McGuinness before he agreed to join Luton Town? Luton are unlikely to sell a player they just forked out £10m for either. Not that anyone is likely to spend that sort of a money on a League One player anyway.