Cardiff City boss Barry-Murphy has revealed he expects the club to complete a new signing in the near future, as the Bluebirds continue their efforts to strengthen the squad following a hard-fought draw away at Derby County.
Speaking after the goalless outcome in the Championship encounter, Barry-Murphy indicated that discussions over incoming transfers were ongoing and that the club was working collectively to identify the right additions. "Fingers crossed something will happen soon," he said. "We work as a team [on transfers]. We make sure that the players we bring in can improve the squad and that we don't waste any money on behalf of the owners and the supporters, who contribute so much to the club."
The manager declined to specify exactly how many new faces he was hoping to bring through the doors before the window shuts, but was clear that squad improvement remained a priority without undermining the group already at his disposal. "I wouldn't say a number [of how many players I want]," he explained. "It's obvious that we are trying to improve the squad. We have to show the players who are already here the respect."
Among those waiting in the wings is a player whose return has been eagerly anticipated by supporters, though Barry-Murphy was quick to dampen expectations over an imminent recall. Asked how close the player was to being involved against Derby, he responded plainly: "Not so close. He hasn't trained with us yet. He still has some issues with his knee. It's difficult to say [when he will be back]."
So far this season, Cardiff's business in the market has been relatively limited. Goalkeeper Nathan Trott and forward Jack Moylan arrived as the club's only permanent signings, while defender Calum Scanlon returned to the Welsh capital on a season-long loan from Liverpool. The relatively quiet window stands in contrast to the ambitions of a side that finished as runners-up in League One last term and earned promotion back to the second tier.
Despite the step up in quality proving challenging early on, with Cardiff still searching for their first Championship victory of the campaign, Barry-Murphy struck an optimistic tone about his team's trajectory. He praised the character and application shown by his players in a tricky away fixture, insisting the point at Pride Park was a fair reflection of a spirited display. "I'm very proud and pleased with the performance," he said. "We wanted to try and win, go for the game and try to be as aggressive as possible. I felt that the best form of defence for us was to attack."
The Cardiff boss acknowledged that his side had shown plenty of ambition, though he conceded there was room for greater composure and cutting edge as the match wore on. "The players certainly did that," he added. "I'm just a little bit disappointed that we couldn't get the win. For the players, it was about getting the balance between having the ball and creating meaningful chances. We did enough of that in the first half, but probably not enough in the second half. But we are away at Derby, in the Championship, so to get a point is pleasing."
Conceding early in the second half was a frustrating moment, Barry-Murphy admitted, though he credited Derby's quality for creating problems that were difficult to nullify. "[I'm] always [disappointed to concede early in the second half], but they have a really good team and create situations that are difficult to defend," he said.
Looking ahead, the Cardiff manager remained confident that his team's fortunes would improve as the season progresses. "I'm very pleased with our players, and we feel like we can improve a lot, and we will," he concluded. "We can't ask for more in terms of effort."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.