Ramsey 'gutted' but backs Cardiff for instant return
An emotional Aaron Ramsey was "gutted" by Cardiff City's relegation to League One, but the caretaker manager believes that, with the right changes to the club's structure, they could make an instant return to the Championship.Wales captain Ramsey was taking charge of his second match as Cardiff's relegation was confirmed with a goalless draw at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.The 34-year-old midfielder faces an uncertain future with his Bluebirds contract expiring at the end of this season, and he will not rush to make any decisions."I don't know [about next season]. Now is the time to digest everything over the next few weeks," said Ramsey."I'm gutted. I'm a fan as well. I'm sad to see this club going down. The fans have had a difficult time this season and I really feel for them. I know how they're feeling.
"I think if the right structures are in place with coaching staff and things, these players will give you everything. If they can do that and give them the opportunities they deserve, then of course they're more than capable of coming straight back up."There's a lot of quality in that team. They should be competing towards the top end of this league, never mind League One."Relegation had long seemed inevitable for Cardiff, who fell to the bottom of the Championship table, five points adrift of safety, following Saturday's draw which left them with just one win in 14 matches.The Bluebirds had only narrowly avoided the drop in two of the previous three seasons, and this campaign was typically turbulent for the Welsh club.Ramsey became their third manager of the season when he took the reins for the final three games a week ago, succeeding Omer Riza, whose tenure lasted seven months following the departure of Erol Bulut.Cardiff have gone through 16 different managers during owner Vincent Tan's 15-year tenure, with eight of those coming in the past four years.After the final whistle on Saturday, home fans applauded Cardiff's players, but chanted for Tan's departure, having held protests against the club's board earlier this season.Supporters, as well as several notable former players, believe the Bluebirds' most significant issues are at board level, where there is an apparent lack of football knowledge.There is no sporting director or director of football, with the running of the club left to Tan, chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo, none of whom have a background in the game and are seldom at games or the training ground."Things are a little different to what I've experienced at other clubs. Normally you do have a head of football or a sporting director, things like that, who are overseeing everything, day-to-day operations and they are aligned with the club," said Ramsey."But the biggest thing for me is making sure the right coaching staff is there, because they drive the right habits and create a culture, so that's the most important thing, making the right decision in that and trusting the right person with that to bring in the right people around them, who has the team's best interest at heart."As long as that structure is okay you can get away with a lot of other things and you can give these players an opportunity."At the end of the day, everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror and we have to be big enough to accept that. It's so, so important, because this club has got so much potential, it's just about getting that right and it's about responding to this and getting back quickly."
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