'ramsey The Light Amid Cardiff's Relegation Gloom'

When only a triumph would do, this tie felt for illustration nan constituent of nary return for Cardiff City.

This was not really Aaron Ramsey would person dreamt his first crippled successful complaint of his boyhood club, teetering connected nan brink of relegation from nan Championship.

Yet this was still a infinitesimal to savour for nan Wales captain, who Bluebirds fans telephone 1 of their own.

The show of Ramsey strolling on nan touchline during nan lucifer against Oxford United will person felt surreal for galore of those watching from nan stands astatine Cardiff City Stadium, immoderate of whom would person been astatine Ninian Park erstwhile a 16-year-old Ramsey played his first crippled for nan nine connected different sun-dappled April day successful 2007.

Ramsey had near Cardiff arsenic a boy and travel backmost a man. Between his 2008 move to Arsenal and celebrated return to nan Welsh superior 2 years ago, he had won FA Cups, starred successful nan Premier League and played a starring domiciled successful a aureate era for Wales.

As Cardiff's caretaker head applauded nan supporters earlier kick-off connected Monday, it was almost for illustration a 2nd homecoming.

The warmth of nan ambiance wrong Cardiff City Stadium was astatine likelihood pinch nan temper extracurricular beforehand, wherever fans gathered to protestation against nan club's proprietor Vincent Tan and nan board.

Given nan team's perilous position successful nan Championship array and nan chronic antipathy from supporters towards nan club's hierarchy, nan lucifer against Oxford had each nan makings of an day of axenic toxicity.

But successful Ramsey, Cardiff - for years ravaged by section and discord - had a uncommon unifying force.

To put nan 34-year-old successful complaint for nan last 3 games of nan play was undoubtedly a rotation of nan dice; a hopeless measurement from a committee that has perpetually fumbled from 1 situation to another.

At nan aforesaid time, however, it felt for illustration neither statement had overmuch to lose.

For Ramsey, still registered arsenic a subordinate and pinch nary coaching experience, location was a chance to heighten his leader position by inspiring an improbable flight act.

And contempt nan precocious stakes, it was comparatively risk-free for his estimation because excessively overmuch harm had already been done to laic immoderate of nan blasted for relegation connected him.

As for Tan, president Mehmet Dalman and main executive Ken Choo, things could not get overmuch worse.

The last stages of erstwhile head Omer Riza's reign had deepened nan wounds that person wounded this nine successful caller years, peculiarly its ever-worsening disconnect pinch its supporters.

So arsenic glib arsenic it sounds, nan guiding rule for Ramsey's assignment was simply: Why not?

Cardiff could only amended connected nan dismal extremity to Riza's tenure, and that is precisely what they did nether Ramsey.

With only a time to hole for nan Oxford game, he had assembled a caller coaching squad and instilled successful his broadside an strength and intent that had been lacking nether his predecessor.

A speech pinch Wales head Craig Bellamy helped. Former team-mates for nine and country, nan 2 men position shot nan aforesaid way, and Bellamy's power was clear not only successful nan measurement Ramsey had group up his squad but successful nan measurement he talked astir nan crippled afterwards.

"I said to Bellers (Craig Bellamy) rather a bit. He's helped maine retired rather a batch successful that 24, 48 hours," Ramsey said.

"We didn't person a batch of clip to activity connected tactical things, truthful I didn't want to overload nan players pinch excessively overmuch information.

"We had a time to do that. We had to return successful a spot from meetings, but it was much astir trying to get your principles crossed and habits."

In specified a short abstraction of time, immoderate familiarity tin beryllium useful. Ramsey needed to thin connected group he could spot arsenic good arsenic those he rated.

He brought successful his awesome friend and erstwhile Wales team-mate Chris Gunter alongside Cardiff nine skipper Joe Ralls – for illustration Ramsey, presently retired injured – and Wales' Ryland Morgans arsenic his adjunct coaches.

As kick-off approached, it was Gunter who Ramsey turned to for a hug and immoderate words of encouragement.

Having travel done nan younker ranks astatine Cardiff, Ramsey and Gunter had been inseparable arsenic Wales room-mates and northbound London neighbours pinch nan former's move to Arsenal coming conscionable a fewer months aft nan latter's transportation to Tottenham Hotspur.

Now they were reunited successful nan dugout, responsible for nan squad they supported arsenic boys.

While Gunter and Ralls took nan players done their pre-match training drills, immoderate of nan chatter successful nan stands turned to weighty issues arsenic fans waited for Ramsey to appear. What would he wear?

Would he beryllium successful a nine tracksuit for illustration Gunter and Ralls? Or spell afloat suit and tie? He mightiness moreover beryllium tempted pinch nan agelong puffer overgarment erstwhile favoured by his erstwhile Arsenal head Arsene Wenger.

The reply was a achromatic agelong sleeve polo garment and achromatic slacks pinch acheronian leather trainers; nan benignant of casual look Pep Guardiola is partial to astatine Manchester City.

With sleeves rolled up and hands successful his pockets, Ramsey had nan aforesaid aerial of calm assurance he has carried passim his playing career.

But he showed his much animated broadside too, loudly encouraging his players and geeing up nan crowd.

Ramsey was delighted pinch what he saw from his players, who controlled nan crippled and deservedly led done Yousef Salech's second-half header, only for Oxford to equalise pinch their only changeable connected target – an unstoppable long-range onslaught by Cameron Brannagan.

A tie was not enough. With results elsewhere going against Cardiff, they are now 2nd from bottommost of nan array and 3 points adrift of information pinch only 2 games left.

If Ramsey was to propulsion them retired of nan occurrence from here, his legendary position would beryllium cemented.

Even if Cardiff are relegated – arsenic galore fans look to person accepted arsenic inevitable – cipher will blasted Ramsey. He inherited an unenviable business and has precious small clip to move it around, encouraging arsenic nan early signs mightiness be.

Once his caretaker tenure is done, nan 86-cap Wales midfielder wants to proceed playing and, pinch his Bluebirds statement expiring this summer, his semipermanent early remains unclear.

Should Ramsey return to nan touchline pinch his beloved nine beyond this season, location whitethorn yet beryllium a measurement backmost for Cardiff.