Clear Cardiff City manager favourite emerges after double setback
The Bluebirds are yet to appoint a new permanent manager after sacking Omer Riza nearly two months ago
Buckingham is now the clear favourite to take the Cardiff job
Des Buckingham is now the odds-on favourite to take the Cardiff City job as the end of the club's manager search saga draws nearer.
The Bluebirds are still in the hunt for a permanent successor to Omer Riza since he was dismissed in the closing stages of last season, as the club were relegated to League One. A shortlist, using the help of an external agency, was drawn up for Vincent Tan's consideration, but nearly eight weeks on from Riza's departure and with pre-season getting under way next month, an appointment is yet to be made.
After Nathan Jones signed a new long-term deal with Charlton to end speculation linking him with the Cardiff job, midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who took charge of the team as interim manager for the final three matches of their dismal Championship campaign, looked likely to take up the reins at his boyhood club on a permanent basis.
However, in bombshell news over the weekend, it was reported that Ramsey will now up sticks and move to Mexico to join Liga MX side Pumas, with the Wales legend "ready for a new chapter" across the Atlantic, according to the Press Association transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
An announcement regarding the Bluebirds' new boss was due at the start of the week, but, in the wake of the double setback, that didn't happen. However, there now finally looks to be light at the end of the tunnel with former Oxford United boss Buckingham emerging as the clear favourite for the job.
The 40-year-old is now priced as 8/13 favourite by BetVictor, ahead of Leicester City coach Brian Barry-Murphy (6/5) and ex-Bolton boss Ian Evatt (6/1). Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community
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Buckingham, who has been out of work since being sacked by Oxford in December, was riding high in the bookies' odds for the Cardiff job around a month ago and is back in pole position with Jones and Ramsey now off the table.
Having led the Us to League One promotion last year, he was always in the mix for the Bluebirds gig and was involved in the interview process which concluded at the end of last month.
Buckingham has also been linked with the vacant post at Plymouth Argyle, who were also relegated to League One on the final day of the season. However, that job could well go to Barry-Murphy, who is now the bookies' favourite to take over at Home Park.
The Irishman, who is currently a first-team coach at Leicester, is currently evens with BetVictor to take to the Argyle dugout, in what would be his second major role after leaving Rochdale in 2021. Barry-Murphy is ahead of Tom Cleverley, Jack Wilshere and Buckingham in the odds for the Plymouth job, as well as Evatt, who left Bolton in January.
While Cardiff said that a new process to select the next manager made them hopeful of appointing a new boss by the end of May, the process has dragged on with Tan accused of treating fans with "contempt".
In a statement released earlier this week, Cardiff City Supporters Trust described the delay as "intolerable", with fans "concerned and angry" about the situation.
"Time is moving on, critical pre-season decisions need to be made in terms of the squad which cannot happen without a manager," the statement read.
"It is as long ago as 19 April that Omer Riza was relieved of his duties and 3 May was the final game of the season and it is 10 June that this communication is being written with still no sign of an appointment.
"As the ultimate power within the club does Vincent Tan have a sense of urgency? The club may say that there is no reason to panic but it is fair to say that the fanbase view the situation with some concern and anger.
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"That fact that there has been a deafening silence from the club has not been helpful... we are led to believe that the current state of inertia/indecision is purely down to the owner [Tan] and... [chief executive] Ken Choo."
It continued: "This situation is intolerable and only serves to demonstrate the contempt the owner holds the fanbase in. We have no idea where we are in the process. Are the experts employed to assist in the job of finding a new manager still in the building? Are they continuing to advise? We hope they are but we just don't know.
"We will continue to liaise with the club to try and urge them to improve communication as fans deserve to be treated better."
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