Cardiff City manager decision state of play as situation comes to a head

Wales Online

5 days ago

Cardiff City manager decision state of play as situation comes to a head
The Bluebirds are closing in on the appointment of a new manager
Nathan Jones, manager of Charlton Athletic
(Image: Getty Images )
Cardiff City are hoping to announce their new manager in the coming days, putting weeks of speculation to bed.
It has been six weeks since Omer Riza was sacked as Bluebirds boss and since then, Cardiff have suffered relegation, set up a task force to find a new manager and interviewed a handful of prospective candidates. And a decision is now close, however hopes that an announcement would be made on Monday, as per one hopeful source, appear to be ebbing away as the day goes on.
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The club wanted this done and dusted a while back and are keen to get a decision over the line, hence the rapidly changing, conflicting and sometimes confusing narratives playing out, with members of the board split on who they would want as the new boss.
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But is thought an announcement is finally set to be made this week, which will be music to the ears of Cardiff fans, who want to see their club kick on with plans for the season. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community
At present, the waters are muddied, and the situation is still shrouded in uncertainty. We are told there are still things which need ironing out, while the phrase 'lots of moving parts' has been used on more than one occasion.
This all appears to be coming to a head after news of Cardiff's admiration for Nathan Jones ramped up over the weekend.
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Cardiff's board put through their recommendations for Vincent Tan's consideration following interviews with Mehmet Dalman and Ken Choo, however we were told at the time that one other potential candidate could still be in the mix.
Given that news came just a couple of days before Charlton's triumph in the League One play-off final, it seems inconceivable that candidate wasn't boyhood City fan Jones.
Jones has certainly been a contender, however the complication would clearly relate to the three years left on his deal at The Valley, which would require significant compensation for him and his backroom staff. Not to mention the fact that Charlton would be very reluctant to allow their promotion-winning manager to leave.
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Indeed even this morning, trusted south London journalist Rich Cawley appeared to rule out the notion that the 52-year-old would be allowed to leave – bluntly stating there was "no chance" the Welshman would be granted an exit. Charlton are playing hardball, it seems, and understandably so, too.
The idea of capturing Jones excites Cardiff fans and would likely lead to a significant upsurge in season ticket sales. However, it is fraught with difficulty and Cardiff's hierarchy know there are easier, and cheaper, options to go for.
So, who else is in the frame? Aaron Ramsey has had his boardroom backers from the very beginning and the notion of him becoming the next boss simply won't go away.
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Now, this also ties in with the fact there are many moving parts and complications with regards to the Wales midfielder, who returned from his family holiday late last week, not least that he is still a player.
But it is also understood that Ramsey sought assurances over a number of things during the recruitment process, should he be given the green light, including but not limited to an experienced backroom team, player recruitment and the day-to-day running of the football operation at the club.
Implementing someone to oversee that last point, in particular, would at least take the pressure off of Ramsey, who could then continue playing in a bid to reach that 2026 World Cup with Wales, which is still a burning ambition within him. Perhaps Mark Allen, a Cardiff man who was drafted in to oversee the recruitment process, might fit that bill?
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Ramsey's return to Cardiff in a playing sense has not been what he had envisaged, suffering both major injury bouts and relegation, but appointing him as a manager would represent the start of a major rebuild project, something many Cardiff fans believe is needed, and he could still make a real success of his most recent return in a hybrid role. Other more cautious or jaded fans, would ideally like a more experienced hand at the tiller.
Brian Barry-Murphy would represent a similar appointment. He, like Ramsey, has had backers from the start and would also be less of a plug-in-and-play manager and more of a long-term appointment. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
He is currently on the backroom staff at Leicester City along with Ruud van Nistelrooy, which might be categorised as a moving part, however far less complicated than Ramsey's situation.
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The likes of Ian Evatt and Des Buckingham have also been interviewed for the post, however talk of them has quietened over the last few days, while candidates like Rob Edwards and Ruben Selles are thought to have made their desire for a job higher up the pyramid known earlier in the process.