"Appreciate him" - Cardiff City supporters sent message over divisive player | OneFootball

We asked our Cardiff City fan pundit if there was a player who split opinion amongst the club's fanbase

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Cardiff City supporters have been told they should appreciate Ollie Tanner more than they do with the winger set for a big future at the club despite some inconsistent performances.

Tanner joined the Bluebirds from non-league side Lewes in the summer of 2022, and after a disappointing first season at the club which saw him struggle on loan at National League side York City, he's become a regular in the Championship since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

Undoubtedly, his finest moment in a Cardiff shirt came in the South Wales Derby in September 2023 when he scored with his first touch of the ball after coming on as a substitute to give his side the lead, before winning a penalty to seal all three points in the latter stages of the game.

That showed what the 22-year-old was capable of, and while he hasn't been able to replicate that all too often, Cardiff supporters have been told to be patient with Tanner.

Cardiff City supporters told to appreciate Ollie Tanner more

We asked our Cardiff City fan pundit, Jack Price, if there was a player at the club who divided opinion, and what he thought about the player in question. Jack believes that Tanner is that player, and that he possesses qualities that no other Bluebirds winger has.

Speaking to Football League World, Jack said: "As ever at Cardiff there are a number of players who split opinion amongst the fanbase, but the one I’m going for is Ollie Tanner.

“Now, I don’t think Tanner’s been helped by his exploits in the South Wales Derby at the start of last season when he came on as a substitute and completely changed the game on its head. He scored the opener and then won the penalty that Aaron Ramsey converted to kill the game off.

“He completely terrorised their defence, and it was one of the best individual performances I’ve seen from a Cardiff player in recent history.

“For Tanner, as you’d expect, that raised the standards, and he was predominantly an impact sub under Erol Bulut and I think there was the expectation that he would produce unprecedented moments like that more consistently than he was realistically going to.

“You’ve got to remember that only two years ago we signed Ollie Tanner from non-league, part-time and his first season really wasn’t good.

“Last season a lot of fans were on his back and I thought some of the criticism was unfair, but moving into this season, I feel as if a lot of the criticism around Tanner has shifted a bit, because he was one of very few players to play reasonably well under Bulut before he was sacked, and he’s been decent under Riza, but I still find Tanner divides opinion, particularly going to the home games you get fans who call him out and shout to him - I think some of the criticism is a bit unfair.

“When he’s confident and in the mood he’s the only winger we’ve got with the pace to burn past a man and get us up the pitch, so we’ve really got to look after him and appreciate him a bit more.

“His game is still a bit unrefined. His end product still needs a bit of work, and you can look at the goals and assists that back that up, because he really hasn’t got many at all, but he has a lot of endearing qualities.

"His work rate is really good, and he also has an excellent, telepathic chemistry with Rubin Colwill.

“I’m a fan of Tanner. I think he’s got a really good future. He’s gifted, can produce those moments to completely change a game, as we saw against Bristol City with that stunning solo effort, and although I think fans aren’t quite as divided on Tanner as they have been previously, I still think there are a lot of harsh opinions on him and his value to the squad isn’t valued as it probably should be."

Ollie Tanner will come good for Cardiff City

It must be remembered that Tanner is still a youngster finding his feet in the professional game, and he's by no means the finished article yet.

His first season at the club saw him struggle for minutes on loan at York City, and his derby goal against Swansea City at the beginning of last season arguably set unrealistic expectations for him, such was the quality of the goal.

The 22-year-old is still raw, but he's shown this season he's capable of moments of brilliance, like his assist for Callum Robinson's goal against Swansea and his individual effort in the Severnside Derby against Bristol City.

Interim boss Omer Riza seems to have faith in him, and that's exactly what he needs, as the only way he'll fulfil his potential is by playing regularly.