When it comes to the long ride ahead of a Championship season, nothing prepares a manager better than some time in the saddle. Which may account for the difference in approach between this summer and last for Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut. A year ago, the German-born Turk was bold in his declarations that promotion, or a top six finish at least, was his aim for the campaign.

New Cardiff City signing Alex Robertson is keen to follow in his uncle’s footsteps for the Bluebirds. The 21-year-old midfielder, an Australian international, has joined Cardiff on a four-year contract.

Will Evans has completed a move from Newport County to Mansfield with County chairman Huw Jenkins admitting the £200,000 fee was too good to turn down. Evans has been a jewel in the Rodney Parade crown for the past two seasons and a number of clubs higher up the Football League were understood to be keen to land the former Cymru Premier player.

The New Saints may be a bit pre-occupied with their European campaign at present, but they showed no signs of easing up on their domestic dominance of Welsh football as they kicked off the defence of their Nathaniel MG Cup title with a 5-1 home win over Flint Town United. It turned out to be a good dress-rehearsal for Craig Harrison’s team ahead of Tuesday night’s Europa League third round clash with Moldovan champions, FC Petrocub.

The summer transfer window used to be a frothy cocktail – all foam, sprigs of mint and mini-umbrellas – before the start of the new football season. But this year’s is more like a flat pint of lager served in a plastic cup. Low on fizz, energy and sparkle.

Swansea City have signed Slovenian striker Zan Vipotnik on a four-year deal. The club were in desperate need of strengthening their forward resources ahead of the new Championship season and have recruited a 10-cap international who played at this summer’s Euro 2024 finals.

Cardiff just confirmed their fourth summer signing today, with ex-Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi arriving on a free transfer. The 29-year-old joins on a yearlong deal, adding quality out wide to the Bluebirds side ahead of what is bound to be a challenging season in the Championship this year.

Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut reckons he’s signed an all-rounder who can deliver the vital ingredient for the club next season – goals. Bulut revealed his excitement after the Bluebirds secured the signing of Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Kanga on a season-long loan.

Their Champions League dreams may be hanging by a thread after a 5-0 hammering in Budapest, but Welsh champions The New Saints still believe there is plenty to play for in their second qualifying round, second leg clash with Ferencvaros at Park Hall on Tuesday night (7.00pm kick-off). The Hungarian champions of the past six years proved too strong on the night and in front of a near capacity 23,700 crowd at the Groupama Arena last week they gave their new head coach Pascal Jansen plenty to smile about.

Welsh coaching guru Osian Roberts is spending his summer watching the seeds he has planted across Europe come into full bloom. It might have been a very different few months for Roberts had he not decided to withdraw himself early on from the race to succeed Rob Page as Wales manager.

New Swansea City goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux has revealed the chance to reunite with head coach Luke Williams played a major part in his move from Burnley. Vigouroux has joined the Swans for an undisclosed fee on a two-year deal and will work under Williams for a second time after the pair were together at Swindon Town.

New Saints manager Craig Harrison admitted his team were powerless to prevent a heavy 5-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round in Hungary. The Cymru Premier champions were overwhelmed by Ferencvaros and TNS already look destined to drop down to the Europa League after the home leg.

He may not have quite matched Billy McCandless’ 1948 record of winning his first three games in charge, but Graham Potter did okay as manager of Swansea City. There was no promotion from the Championship to the Premier League – the Swans finished 10th in his one season in charge in 2018-2019 – but there was enough to admire to realise why England may now be keen to make him their successor to the departed Gareth Southgate.

Graham Potter says he feels “really ready, really excited” to return to football management, but would not comment on speculation linking him with the vacant England job. The former Swansea City boss has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April 2023 after just seven months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Caernarfon Town earned one of their best results in European football after Gruffydd John scored decisively in a penalty shoot-out to beat Crusaders of Northern Ireland. The Welsh club triumphed over Crusaders in a thrilling shoot-out in Belfast, advancing to the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.

Jess Fishlock earned the praise of Helen Ward as the record for most goals scored by any player in a Welsh shirt passed from one to the other. Fishlock broke the all-time Wales goalscoring record as Rhian Wilkinson’s side strolled to a 2-0 win over Kosovo in Llanelli.

Swansea City new signing Eom Ji-Sung will do “whatever he needs to do” to be successful, according to head coach Luke Williams. Eom has moved to the Swansea.Com Stadium from South Korean top-flight club Gwangju FC on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Jess Fishlock is being celebrated as the pivotal figure in Welsh women’s football as she approaches a historic milestone against Kosovo. At 37, Fishlock is already Wales’ most capped footballer on 153 appearances and is on the brink of setting a new record for international goals, needing just one more to surpass Helen Ward’s tally of 44.

Cardiff City have announced their second signing of the summer – Calum Chambers. The 29-year-old defender parted ways with Aston Villa by mutual consent after two years and joins Cardiff as a free transfer, bringing with him a wealth of experience as an England international.

Craig Bellamy swears he’s a reformed character these days, but the new Wales boss has urged young coaches to mind their manners. The former Burnley assistant manager is so fluent in both the language of modern football and old-school passionate positivity that the FA of Wales wasted little time in making him their successor to Rob Page. But Bellamy’s road to international management has not been without the odd wrong turn – most notably a spell at Cardiff City in charge of their U18s.