Like Liam Neeson in the Taken film franchise, a Cardiff manager requires a very particular set of skills.
With the club looking for their ninth manager in four years and supporters in a holding pattern, an agency has been recruited to fashion a shortlist from the available options. With more good managers than openings, that process should be fairly straightforward with rich pickings on offer, but as we all know, Cardiff are not your regular club.
The structure, the fact that the club is effectively a dictatorship, their reputation as a sacking club and their now lowly status will all be working against them, but if you’re willing to look past all of the above, there is an opportunity to take over a big club at its lowest ebb and revive it. If you’re prepared to play the game and get your hands dirty, you may be the one to raise the Titanic.
How fans judge managers is always interesting. It tends to be a mix of stats and fashion, but I tend to think, especially with Cardiff, that you need to work backwards. Recent history proves that you can’t just parachute anyone in and hope for the best. You have to look at the very specific demands and find the best fit. For me, that is Rob Edwards.
Embed from Getty ImagesNow I have no idea if he has any interest at all in the post or if Cardiff could afford him, but for me, Edwards comes the closest to ticking every box. He’s a very good manager in an industry that judges you almost squarely on your last gig, so for some he’s now a failed Championship manager, having been sacked for failing to arrest Luton’s slide. That makes him suddenly attainable, in theory at least, when previously he would have been out of Cardiff’s reach. Whether he would want to risk becoming a failed League One manager with Cardiff is another matter.
Edwards is a very skilled communicator and that is vitally important at Cardiff. It is probably the most overlooked quality at a club where you need to manage up, manage out and manage within. You are the sole voice and your every word will be analysed. This is where I worry about current bookies favourite Ian Evatt, who rubbed Bolton supporters up the wrong way when he was chippy about their criticisms. Not everyone can work a room like Neil Warnock or divide one like Steve Morison, but results aside, it may be the next most important factor to consider. When you take into account his CV, age, nationality and a style of play that is more geared towards Cardiff’s traditional strengths and values, I think Edwards is hard to top.
The people’s champ has long been Nathan Jones and while Charlton’s involvement in the play-offs has effectively ruled him out, he will remain a scratch that need to be itched for some. His calling card is his passion and there was a timely reminder of that the other night when he dropped to his knees in praise as the semi-final drew to a successful close. The fact that his histrionics divided viewers goes a long way towards highlighting why he remains an acquired taste for some and not others. Ranting and raving is all well and good when you’re winning, but comes across as tiresome and desperate when you’re not. His personality draws attention away from his achievements, which are impressive, but his failures are equally as impressive and that will forever be a cause for concern.
Embed from Getty ImagesAaron Ramsey is an interesting option, should he choose to hang up his boots because while rookie managers tend to be swallowed whole at Cardiff, Ramsey has a standing at the club and the game in general where that might not be so much of a concern. He has already demonstrated that he knows his own mind, what the club needs and what the club currently is. Were Cardiff to succeed with him at the helm, it would be particularly sweet, but his inexperience represents a mighty risk as he remains an unknown quantity in management.
The current odds see Evatt pitted against Des Buckingham, who bested him in last season’s League One play-off final and would also by my pick of the two. Both experienced and a bright prospect, Buckingham was a serious consideration for the Wales job last year and is a great man manager, as exemplified by the way he revived Josh Murphy’s career. If there’s one thing that Cardiff will desperately need next season, its someone that can motivate a group of players that are underachieving and will probably be licking their wounds.
When you also factor in the likes of Ruben Selles, Steven Gerrard, Gary O’Neil and Miron Muslic, there are no shortage of options. It all depends on how attractive the club is for candidates, with all the baggage and recent failure, plus how far the club are prepared to push the boat out. Its clear what these managers can offer Cardiff, but what Cardiff can offer in return is the key factor.