When Omer Riza was appointed Cardiff City’s temporary manager following Erol Bulut’s dismissal in September, few expected him to remain in charge just a few weeks before Christmas.
Apart from some of the club’s supporters, who are well aware of how poorly managed they have been in the past, it’s remarkable that Riza has been the club’s temporary manager for longer than some clubs have had permanent leaders.
After a promising start, the Bluebirds have now been without a win for over a month, making the situation less than ideal for all involved.
However, Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has stated that he is not convinced by Riza and hopes to find a more appropriate candidate to take permanent charge, but it is unclear how long this will take.
Vincent Tan clearly isn’t 100% convinced by Omer Riza
Riza took care of his first game on September 28th and has provided four victories, four draws, and four loses in his 12 games in charge, which is not a bad result by any means, and the prognosis was much better a month ago.
If Tan had been persuaded by Riza, he would have appointed him during the international break, when Cardiff’s interim manager flew to Malaysia to meet with him, but nearly a fortnight later, there has been no further update, and with results declining since then, it appears that his permanent appointment is now unlikely.
Tan clearly isn’t sold on Riza; if he was, he would have appointed him by now, especially after some of their outstanding results in October and early November, and it appears that he’s now just keeping the dugout warm till a permanent manager is recruited.
It obviously puts Riza in a tough situation, as do Cardiff’s players, with the Bluebirds’ interim manager a popular figure within the group, and Tan really needs to make a choice one way or the other, merely to provide some clarity for everyone at the club.
Riza certainly wants the job full-time, and knowing that other people are being considered for it when he is doing his best will be frustrating for him, but he would be surprised if he was appointed now.
Tan is waiting for a more appealing choice, like former West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic, although the timeline is unclear.
Omer Riza is in an awkward situation at Cardiff City
Riza is in a difficult position. He’s been left in the lurch and can’t plan for the future while managing Cardiff on a game-by-game basis.
If Tan told him they were preparing to bring in someone else, it would at least provide him with some certainty; if he was told he would be employed on a permanent basis, he could begin planning ahead with the Bluebirds in a relegation struggle.
| Current Championship table | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Club | P | GD | Pts |
| 19th | Luton Town | 18 | -13 | 18 |
| 20th | Cardiff City | 18 | -11 | 17 |
| 21st | Plymouth Argyle | 18 | -20 | 17 |
| 22nd | Hull City | 18 | -9 | 15 |
| 23rd | QPR | 18 | -11 | 15 |
| 24th | Portsmouth | 16 | -12 | 13 |
The January transfer window is only a few weeks away, and Cardiff will undoubtedly want a permanent manager to bring in players that fit their style; otherwise, every item of business may be considered surplus to requirements.
Riza has been placed in an embarrassing situation and must be relieved of it in some way, and it is due to poor management on the part of the club’s board.
However, at this time, it would be a great surprise if Riza was named Cardiff’s permanent manager, and it appears that Tan isn’t quite convinced of him.
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