Erol Bulut has admitted Cardiff City are paying the price for missed chances after their promotion hopes took another nosedive. The Bluebirds’ 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion leaves them back in 14th spot in the Championship, a distant eight points off the play-off places.

Luke Williams has ordered his Swansea City to be braver after a “timid” capitulation at home Leeds United plunged them back into relegation worries. The Swans were hammered 4-0 by Leeds United in another defensive horror show that could easily have been far more painful.

Liam Cullen has admitted Swansea City’s win at Hull City was a “massive” result for a club who looked as if they could be sliding towards a relegation scrap. The Swans striker scored the only goal of the game on Saturday to give head coach Luke Williams his first win in the Championship at the fifth attempt.

Erol Bulut sounded like Warren Gatland as he asked for fans to be patient following Cardiff City’s fourth defeat in five games. The Bluebirds’ 2-0 loss at home to Preston North End means Bulut’s side have not won in front of their own fans for two months. Bulut made five signings in the January transfer window but insisted it will take time for them to gel.

An upbeat Luke Williams believes Swansea City may have turned a corner after he gained his first Championship win since becoming head coach. Williams pinpointed a sense of belief in the dressing room after his team won 1-0 at promotion-chasing Hull City to give him his first league win at the fifth attempt. A well-taken strike from Liam Cullen proved the difference, although Swansea could easily have improved their lead in a largely dominant display.

Wales manager Robert Page has admitted he and his analysts have work to do after the draw for the upcoming Nations League. But the Wales boss insisted his team have been handed a good group after being drawn against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey.

Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut threatened to quit when there were no new signings with a week to go in the January transfer window, but now he admits to being stunned by the uplift in standards when he finally got four players in. The Bluebirds brought in Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Nat Phillips and Famara Diedhiou on loan from Man City, Liverpool and Granada respectively.

The Football Association of Wales is expected to hold its nose and vote in favour of a rule change which would allow UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to serve a further term in 2027. National associations, including the FAW and English FA, will be asked to amend a raft of UEFA statutes at Thursday’s Congress in Paris.

Neil Warnock has wasted little time before ruffling feathers in Scotland after questioning the attitude of Rangers’ ball boys. The former Cardiff City manager queried the ball boys’ tactics after his first game as Aberdeen boss ended with a tense 2-1 defeat by Rangers which took the hosts level on points with Premiership leaders Celtic.

Record goalscorer Helen Ward has joined the coaching staff of Wales’ women’s team. Former Newport manager James Rowberry has also been appointed to interim boss Jon Grey’s coaching staff for this month’s friendly with Republic of Ireland, following the shock departure of Gemma Grainger.

Former Swansea City striker Morgan Whittaker insists he doesn’t need the ancient Roman piazzas when he’s got the precincts of Plymouth. At least not yet. The Pilgrims striker plundered his 17th goal of the season – the only goal of the game at the home of his former club – to underline why Lazio made an £8m bid for the Championship’s top scorer three days before deadline day.

Josh Bowler has been told he needs to have more faith in his ability if he is to build on his stunning winner for Cardiff City at Watford. The advice was offered by Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut after on-loan winger Bowler proved the difference with the best goal Cardiff have scored this season Bowler held off one Watford player, cut inside another and sent a delightful curler beyond the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Ben Hamer and into the far corner.

Morgan Whittaker proved a point at Swansea City by helping Plymouth take all three away from home for the first time this season. The former Swans striker also showed why Plymouth were prepared to turn down a £8m bid from Lazio two days before the end of the transfer window. Whittaker – who left the Swans in a £1million move in July last year – scored a sublime 18th minute goal in a 1-0 Plymouth win that proved the difference between two mid-table clubs travelling in different directions.

David Turnbull has described Cardiff City as a “huge club” after leaving Celtic to join the Bluebirds in a deadline day deal worth around £2m. Cardiff confirmed the arrival of the Scottish international midfielder on a permanent deal from for an undisclosed fee, penning a contract until June 2027.

Erol Bulut insists new loan signing Famara Diédhiou can rediscover his goalscoring touch with Cardiff City in the Championship. The Bluebirds manager has made Diedhiou his second recruit of the January transfer window, even though the Senegal striker has only scored one goal in the past year for his Spanish club, Granada.

Luke Williams insisted he would take some encouragement from Swansea City’s latest defeat – even though it was their third in as many games during which they have conceded 11 goals. The Swans fell to a 3-1 defeat at Leicester City which leaves then 17th in the Championship, eight points above the relegation zone.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson admitted his team were handed a lesson by Blackburn Rovers after they followed the rest of Wales’ clubs in bowing out of the FA Cup. Wrexham lost 4-1 at Ewood Park, despite taking an early lead against the Championship club.

Graham Coughlan admitted he was contemplating a major upset after seeing his Newport County team equalise against Manchester United. United survived a massive FA Cup fright at Rodney Parade as the League Two minnows fought back to 2-2 after conceding twice inside the opening 13 minutes.

Everyone knows Sunday’s FA Cup clash between Newport County and Manchester United is one of the classic ‘David v Goliath’ ties of the fourth round. But when you hear former County boss Michael Flynn describe it as “the biggest game in the club’s history” then you realise the enormity of the occasion. Flynn knows all about the romance of the cup having led County to victories over Leeds United, Leicester City and Middlesbrough, earning a draw against Tottenham Hotspur, and facing Manchester City in the fifth round. 

Will Evans will try his utmost to embarrass Eric Ramsay on Sunday – 18 months after the Newport County striker was a guest at the Manchester United assistant manager’s wedding. Evans will be County’s main hope of goals and a creative spark that might ignite one of the great FA Cup shocks of all-time, although perhaps not as big a surprise for those United fans who have long since grown used to seeing their team lose at places they shouldn’t.