Why Stockport County will be terrified of Cardiff City star dubbed as League One's best | OneFootball

Stockport County will be fearing the thought of facing off against Cardiff City and Rubin Colwill on Saturday afternoon

Stockport County will be desperate to return to winning ways on Saturday afternoon when they play host to a table-topping Cardiff City side who have started the 2025/26 League One campaign in inspired fashion after suffering relegation from the Championship - but they may have their work cut out.

Saturday's showdown at Edgeley Park will be contested by two outfits with viable ambitions of achieving promotion to English football's second-tier, with the visitors having dropped out of it for the first time in more than 20 years back in May whereas Stockport made it to the League One play-off semi-finals before falling to defeat at the hands of Leyton Orient on penalties.

The Hatters have, however, endured a mixed start to the new season, with form going awry in recent weeks after winning their opening two matches. Stockport have claimed just one win from the last four in league action - at home to lowly Burton Albion - and, last weekend, suffered a damaging 4-2 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle, a side who Cardiff trounced 4-0 prior to this month's international break.

Stockport showed their goalscoring prowess with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers' U21 side in the EFL Trophy, though recent league form and the visible defensive cracks continuing to appear perhaps undermine that result and may leave Dave Challinor sweating ahead of what may prove to be his team's sternest test to date.

And there is, of course, one Cardiff threat in particular who Stockport will not be relishing coming up against.

Stockport County must be frightened of Cardiff City's Rubin Colwill ahead of big Edgeley Park fixture

Cardiff have been League One's most impressive outfit by a fair distance. They are the only team to remain unbeaten after six matches and are still yet to concede from open play, having only let in Bradley Ihionvein's penalty for Peterborough United on the opening day.

The Bluebirds have been dominant in each phase, marrying a steely defensive resolve with possession-based control in the middle of the park and an aggressive, high-octane style both with and without the ball in the final third. Central to that has been playmaker Rubin Colwill, named as vice-captain by Bluebirds head coach Brian Barry-Murphy ahead of the start of the season but, more often than not, leading out his boyhood club after skipper Calum Chambers swiftly lost his place in the side.

Colwill, an almost-perennially divisive and — owing to a multitude of factors — inconsistent attacking midfielder, has relished the newfound responsibility, increasing his output and work-rate out-of-possession and offering enhanced X-Factor and production with the ball at his feet.

The 9-cap Welsh international has been the star of the show so far this season, for both Cardiff and in League One as a whole. Many supporters, both of a Cardiff persuasion and externally, have questioned how Colwill is even plying his trade in the third-tier, believing him to be the division's best player by a country mile.

It's easy to see why. He captured attention after scoring a stunning free-kick in the 2-1 win over Peterborough, offering a sign of what was to come as he struck another free-kick to help Cardiff through to the second-round of the EFL Cup against Swindon Town before finding the back of the net in wins over Rotherham United and Plymouth.

With assists against both Cheltenham Town and Plymouth also on the stat-line, Colwill's record reads a hugely-impressive return of four goals and two assists from just eight affairs in the league and EFL Cup.

The Cardiff academy product, who has made more than 160 appearances for the Bluebirds after debuting back in 2021, has always possessed the ability to, at his best, breeze past opposition defenders, with his imposing physical frame at odds with his crafty elegance with the ball.

The exhibition of that has, much to the frustration of supporters and previous managers, not always been on a consistent basis, but former strugglers are now firmly behind Colwill, who has matched up his raw and inventive talent with responsibility and decisiveness, bringing leadership and a considerable goal threat to his game.

The way he can play effortlessly on the half-turn, bring others into the game, drive forward in possession and finish off attacking moves are all central to the philosophy of Barry-Murphy, who has handed the maestro a new lease of life and will be hoping that his star man can deliver the goods once again away to Stockport on Saturday.

Stockport County's defensive woes will heighten Cardiff City, Rubin Colwill fear

Any League One side, regardless of defensive solidity, will be sweating over the proposition of attempting to nullify Colwill, with the playmaker swiftly proving himself as an unstoppable force for third-tier opponents.

Stockport, however, may just have that feeling heightened in light of the sheer amount of goals they have shipped in recent times, letting in seven across their last two matches.

Cardiff have been among League One's most prolific outfits and much of that flows through Colwill, who is yet to be stopped and is the orchestrator behind just about everything positive that the Bluebirds have done thus far, with the starlet's ball-carrying, deft and evasive and line-breaking passing qualities just as influential to his side's system and results as his form infront of goal.

Stockport will know that keeping him quiet may just prove a tall order, with Challinor sure to be scheming up the best - or any possible - ways to prevent Colwill from wreaking havoc once again this weekend. Whether Stockport are capable of finding a way to do so could just go some way to determining Saturday's outcome.