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Perry Ng says he’s the happiest he’s ever been at Cardiff City – despite playing fewer minutes this season – after admitting last year was “a disaster” that forced the club into the reset it desperately needed. The defender, who has become one of the Bluebirds’ most consistent performers since joining in 2021, has had to fight with Ronan Kpakio for the right-back spot this term. Kpakio has emerged as a real talent, but Ng is a dependable player who brings a lot to the table as a double Player of the Year Award winner. And Ng has spoken candidly about the rollercoaster 18 months Cardiff have endured and the huge impact Brian Barry-Murphy has already made on the club. Sign up to our Cardiff City WhatsApp channel here . “It’s been tough at times,” Ng said. “People might be thinking that because I’m not playing as much now that I am disappointed, but this is the happiest I’ve been at Cardiff. "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.” Ng didn’t shy away from describing just how bad things had become last season, calling it “horrible” and “a disaster”. But he believes the difficult campaign may have been a necessary step towards rebuilding properly. “I was worried in the summer,” he admitted. “This club has been through so many ups and downs and last year was horrible, a disaster. I took a few weeks to reflect and then realised this is maybe what the club needed – a bit of a reset. “When we didn’t get a new manager for a couple of weeks I was thinking, ‘what’s going on here, I hope they don’t make a mistake again’. But I had one session with Brian before I got injured and I knew from that day he was going to be a top, top gaffer.” Ng has been glowing in his praise for Barry-Murphy, describing him as a manager who has completely changed the culture of the club - both on and off the field. “The standards weren’t very good over the past few years,” he said. “But they’ve recruited a manager who wanted to change the whole culture of the club, and to be fair to him, he’s done that. He doesn’t miss a trick, he’s very strict and he’s doing a brilliant job so far. “He’s pulled everyone together, which is the opposite of how it’s been in the past. He’s young, exciting, and when you listen to what he believes in, he drives us all forward. We just need to keep that going all season.” For Barry-Murphy, the feeling appears to be mutual, with the Bluebirds head coach also waxing lyrical about the right-back. "From my perspective, you always think you're being hard on the players because you want to improve them - Perry is a case in point," Barry-Murphy said. "When I came to the club, I thought 'this is a player who is capable of playing at the highest level'. "And you want to make sure he is looking to push and progress - rather than just being happy with what he's achieved - because he is slightly older than most members of our squad. "But the level of his performances are of the highest level. And what I've seen is a player keen to evolve, push and try and achieve more than he has done before. That ambition is the most important thing for me." The 29-year-old says Barry-Murphy’s footballing philosophy has reinvigorated both the squad and the fanbase, even though the players are still adjusting to a completely new way of playing. “With the style of play we’ve got now, it does take a few months to get to peak fitness,” Ng said. “We’re playing a completely different style of football to the last five years, and it’s going to take time to get used to it. But we’ll see the benefit of that later on.” He added: “In the past, we’d go into games not really knowing what was going to happen. Now, we know exactly how we’re going to press up front and what we’re going to do on the ball. That gives us so much confidence.” Ng also praised the togetherness within the squad, something he feels has improved drastically under the new manager. “When Brian came in, he said he liked working with a smaller, younger squad. That’s the way I was brought up at Crewe and it’s something I really like,” he said. “In previous seasons the turnover of players was mad. Now, we’re tighter and closer. We know no one’s going anywhere, we’re together every day and it’s really good.” Cardiff’s young players have been key to their impressive Carabao Cup run and recent upturn in form, and Ng says Barry-Murphy deserves credit for backing them. Sign up to our daily Bluebirds newsletter here . “It’s always been a thing at this club that the younger players get half a chance but then get hung out to dry,” he said. “But Brian doesn’t care – if he thinks you’re ready and you train well, he’ll play you. He’s brilliant with the young lads.” Cardiff’s win at Wrexham in midweek only strengthened the growing belief around the club. “It’s given us a massive lift,” said Ng. “They’ve spent around £40m and it was a big test for us, but we stuck to our game plan and showed what we can do.” And after a turbulent few years, Ng says he finally feels part of something exciting again. “I just hope it can continue and we can keep hold of Brian,” he said. “I feel I’m on the same wavelength as him when we speak about football. His standards on and off the pitch are just crazy. “This is the happiest I’ve ever been at Cardiff City - and that says a lot.” --- *Follow all of our social channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Bluebirds news. Sign up to our daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here . You can also follow us on social media on our X account and Facebook . Our Cardiff City correspondent Glen Williams is also on social media. 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