Everything we know about Cardiff City's manager search with deadline tomorrow

Wales Online

30-05-2025

Everything we know about Cardiff City's manager search with deadline tomorrow
The Bluebirds are still yet to appoint a new manager, with the month of June soon to be upon us
Leicester City coach Brian Barry-Murphy
(Image: Getty Images )
Cardiff City's search for a new manager is yet to reach its conclusion, with the natives understandably getting restless about the situation.
Chairman Mehmet Dalman told the media and the club's Fan Advisory Board that they were confident a new man would be in post by the end of May. Indeed, club sources a week ago insisted they were still confident that would be the case. However, the month ends tomorrow – and there is no white smoke just yet.
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Omer Riza was sacked almost six weeks ago, meaning the club have had ample time to sort a successor. Granted, they ideally would have wanted to know in which division they would be playing their football next season, but even so, you suspect many clubs with more full-time footballing members of staff would have had swifter succession planning.
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For it is the third year in a row in which Cardiff risk starting the summer cold. Two years ago, the club cut loose from Sabri Lamouchi after he helped to steer the club to safety, albeit narrowly.
Then, last year, it took an age for Cardiff to resolve the contract dispute with Erol Bulut, whose own deal was up after overseeing a 12th-placed finish.
It risks poor transfer planning and less time to implement a robust strategy for the short term – and next season, the short term is very important. Cardiff will play in the third tier for the first time in more than two decades and it will be unfamiliar territory, getting the manager call right and the summer business correct are both paramount.
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While the Champions League final rings to its conclusion in Munich tomorrow night, there will be Cardiff fans pointing at their watches saying, "Well, it's June tomorrow? They said the end of May!"
Right they did. More of a self-imposed deadline than a hard deadline, but a deadline nonetheless. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community
The board's recommendation, from the shortlist, has been with Vincent Tan for more than a week now. There were considerations, we are told, post-recommendation, with one or two other names still in the offing, one of them likely Nathan Jones, who then took Charlton up via the play-offs on Sunday.
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A number of candidates have been in the mix over the course of the last three weeks or so. The main runners and riders, which you can read about more in depth here, being the likes of Ian Evatt, Rob Edwards, Des Buckingham, Brian Barry-Murphy, Aaron Ramsey, Ruben Selles and Co, although it must be stressed that is not an exhaustive list.
We were told that Tan had gone a little colder on the idea of appointing a younger, or more inexperienced, should we say, senior boss, after taking culpability for appointing and then continuing with Riza for so long last season. We were also told that experience in English football and a promotion on the CV were both desirable qualities, too. However, two candidates buck that trend and are understood to be in the frame.
Barry-Murphy has one poor spell at Rochdale to his name when it comes to senior football, however his work within the Manchester City academy is lauded. He is also on the staff under Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester City, who just got relegated from the Premier League. However, the Dutchman's future at the King Power Stadium is shrouded in doubt, so Barry-Murphy may be out of there shortly, either way.
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He would represent something of a project and Cardiff would need to commit to giving him time and resources to see that project through.
Another is Vitor Campelos, a manager who was in the conversation before Bulut was appointed two years ago. It is understood that he is also a potential candidate. He has a strong track record of bringing through young players — his former Chaves player, Alexsandro, has just been called up by Brazil after impressing for Lille and the manager signed him for a pittance while in charge of Chaves.
A clear question mark is hanging over his head, though, when it comes to experience of English football, of which he has none. The 50-year-old's experience is largely limited to the top few divisions in Portugal with spells at Trofense, Vitória Guimarães, Moreirense, Chaves, Gil Vicente and, most recently, AVS, where he lasted just 12 matches with the top-flight club before leaving in November last year.
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Of the others, Edwards and Selles would represent ambitious appointments, but both appear to be eyeing jobs higher in the pyramid than Cardiff at present. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
Evatt and Buckingham both have their merits and tentative backers from different corners within the club, too. Evatt's strong character and consistency at League One level are to be admired, while Buckingham's recent promotion with Oxford United is undoubtedly a tick in the 'pros' column. Buckingham, much like Barry-Murphy, would be a project-type manager, too.
Ramsey is not to be discounted, of course, however it seems increasingly remote a prospect that he won't be playing football next season. He has stated his desire to play for Wales at the next World Cup and that, surely, prohibits him from taking on the all-encompassing job of managing the club the size of Cardiff City.
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The only way that would happen is if the footballing structure he so craves is implemented in order for him to focus solely on matters at the training ground and on matchday. Will that sort of structure be put in place this summer? Again, looks unlikely.
The reason for the delay would appear to be the broad spectrum of options having been put in front of the board and subsequently Tan. They all have different merits — once again, it's not an exhaustive list — and all have very different drawbacks.
Fans will hope the delay isn't drawn out too much longer and a very important summer can then kick off in earnest.