What’s Going On At Cardiff City? Erol Bulut Demands More From The Board
There can’t be a boring day at Cardiff City - no matter the day of the week there will always be something that keeps your eyes peeled on the club and this weekend has been no different.
21st January 2024
Ahead of Saturday’s defeat to Plymouth Argyle, manager Erol Bulut had expressed his concern over the amount of unavailable players he had in his squad - as well as his hope for new signings on the horizon before the closure of the January window.
A thin squad headed South to face Plymouth on Saturday with a number of Academy players being called up to the bench. The Bluebirds fell to a 3-1 defeat on the road but it was Bulut’s post match comments that have made the headlines ahead of what is now becoming a make or break time for Cardiff ahead of the second half of the league campaign.
Bulut Demands New Signings & Sends Board Message
Following the loss, Bulut gave a damning interview during Rob Phillips’ ‘Call Rob’ show. The manager stated that he is ‘unhappy with many things’ behind the scenes - mainly linked to the lack of transfer activity so far in this window. Bulut also stated that he has to ‘think about himself’ in this job due to the number of sacrifices he has made to be in the position he is - giving his all to succeed at Cardiff.
The manager stated that things have to change otherwise he will have to think about his position as manager. Comments like these should be warning signs to those above him at the club - back the manager or lose someone that the fans adore and who seems to seriously wants to succeed at the club. However, this is a board headed by Vincent Tan who will not like these comments by the manager and it would come as no surprise if he was to pull the plug on yet another coach and continue his endless cycle of bad decisions at the club.
It’s no secret that Mehmet Dalman was the spearhead for the appointment of Bulut. Dalman has mentioned on a number of occasions that he was excited about Bulut and would be working closely alongside him to ensure his ambitions of success. However, Bulut alluded to what had been promised/spoken about with him before he took the job when airing his frustrations about the current state behind the scenes - a valid point to bring up, especially when it’s becoming difficult to only work with what you’ve got.
The Flip Side - Poor Performances & Lack Of Results
The past 10 matches have raised concerns. Three wins in that time as well as one draw have shown that there is still a lot of work to be done - not only on the addition of new players. From the players perspective, some members of the current squad need to go, from simply not good enough to a lack of desire to play for the club, there needs to be a focus on outgoings this window as much as there needs to be more progress on incomings.
A manager's perspective can be viewed from two ways, a lack of style will come into the conversation as Bulut’s football lacks a core identity - but that can of course come down to missing key players or not having the right profiles in the squad. However, the manager has been doing a lot of things right, getting his side within touching distance of the play-offs and is seemingly not being backed by the board for his efforts.
The board will be expecting good results due to their own ambitious comments before the season. Dalman and Bulut both alluding to the prospects of promotion when in reality it would have to have been a joint heroic effort for that to be a reality come the end of the campaign. Tan won’t be happy with recent form and when you add that to Bulut’s recent comments then we could be steering towards some unwanted news before the next fixture.
What Next?
It’s a make or break 10 days ahead for the Bluebirds with the January transfer window nearing a close with no business completed. Bulut will undoubtedly have to face some sort of questioning by those above him over his recent comments but can also take that time to really let out his frustrations and hopefully find a compromise before its too late.
Speaking out against the board has however sparked the end for managers in the past and with Tan’s lack of patience it would come as no shock to see Bulut depart the Cardiff City Stadium before this window closes. The Bluebirds now don’t play until after the window closes as they face Watford in early February and time is well and truly ticking.