As the Bluebirds prepare for Saturday’s FA Cup first-round trip to Peterborough United, defender Ng’s comments on Colwill cast a light on the chemistry driving manager Brian Barry-Murphy’s young squad.
“I’ve known Rubin for a number of years now and I love him and hate him because he can be so frustrating at times,” said Ng.
“What a talent he is and he should be playing at the highest level.
“But he needed a gaffa like we have now to show off his true potential.
“In the past it has been tough for him because we haven’t had proper coaches. We had managers who didn’t really coach much. With Brian, we are going to see the best of Rubin.”
Colwill’s dazzling display in Cardiff’s midweek Carabao Cup win over Wrexham drew widespread praise, and Ng believes the 21-year-old’s rise illustrates how far the club has come since Barry-Murphy’s arrival in the summer.
“He ran the game the other night and he’s got so many silky skills he’s a joke,” added Ng.
“He hates playing against me in training because I just kick him all the time because I can’t get near him. I’m just happy he’s on our side.”
Perry Ng of Cardiff City in action. Pic. Alamy
Collwill has started in all 13 League One matches so far for the Bluebirds this season, as well as in three of their four Carabao Cup ties.
The 23-year-old Wales international has shown consistent form and the FA Cup test at Peterborough will provide another chance to show his value to Barry-Murphy’s side - and underline why a number of major clubs are tracking his progress.
“The cup ties have been good for us so far,” added Ng.
“The gaffa likes to change the team a lot to give players who haven’t been playing a chance to play. We’ve benefitted from that so far.”
That spirit of opportunity has become central to Barry-Murphy’s Cardiff — a smaller, tighter-knit squad working daily under a demanding coach determined to change the club’s culture.
“It has made us a lot tighter and closer,” Ng explained. “When he first came in, Brian said he liked working with a smaller and younger squad.
“That’s the way I was brought up at Crewe and that’s something I really like. We’re with each other every day and we know no one is going anywhere. It’s really good.”
READ MORE: Rubin Colwill Embraces Leadership Role as Cardiff City Choose a Different Path to Promotion
Cardiff’s players are still buzzing from their midweek win and the subsequent Carabao Cup draw, which handed them a mouth-watering home tie against Chelsea in December.
But Ng is adamant that the excitement won’t distract from the immediate task in front of them.
“We’ve got another big cup game on Saturday and we just have to concentrate game by game,” he said.
“The excitement for that Chelsea game will benefit us going into all our games. We have to use that energy going into all the games leading up to that cup tie and hopefully take some momentum with us into that game.”
READ MORE: Cardiff City's Rubin Colwill Ready To Graft As Crunch Time Approaches For Wales Young Gun
Momentum has been building ever since the summer overhaul. Ng, one of the senior figures in the dressing room, admits the transformation under Barry-Murphy has been both refreshing and necessary.
“It was a scary summer,” he recalled. “But they recruited a manager who wanted to try to change the whole culture of the club, and improve standards and everything off the pitch, and to be fair to him he has done that.
“The standards weren’t very good over the past few years. He doesn’t miss a trick, he’s very strict and he’s doing a brilliant job so far.”
That renewed sense of belief has been evident in performances too. Cardiff’s young squad has taken major strides since their opening-day league victory over Peterborough, and Ng believes they’re a different proposition now.
“I think we have progressed a lot but we still have a long way to go,” he said.
“We’ve learned from every defeat so far and I think we will only get better and better. We are a young and inexperienced squad, but if we keep listening to the gaffa and his staff we will become a top team.”
READ MORE: Brian Barry-Murphy Kicks Cardiff City's Chelsea Tie Into the Long Grass
Saturday’s trip to the Weston Homes Stadium won’t be easy. Peterborough, under new manager, former Swansea City head coach Luke Williams, are looking to bounce back after a rocky spell in the league.
But Ng says Cardiff will approach the tie with the same intensity and identity that has defined their recent form.
“We will be going there looking to stamp our authority on the game and looking to go through,” he said.
“It will be another tough game at Peterborough, who have just had a new manager and will be looking to bounce back.”
With the emergence of Wales youngster Ronan Kpakio this season, Ng has only started four league games so far but the 29-year-old defender insists he is content because of the wider transformation at the club.
“This is the happiest I’ve been at Cardiff,” he admitted. “I can see a real project with Brian and the younger lads. It’s probably the most talented squad we’ve had here.
“I’m just loving it, and if we stick together I think we can go a long way.”
