What would constitute progress this season?
It’s up to the individual, I guess. Anything higher than 21st is literal progress, but expectations, especially under the current circumstances, should be trained a little higher than that. Cardiff were bedded into 14th place for a while and most seemed relatively satisfied with that, but they‘ve since crept into the top half of the table and a play-off push now looks more likely than a relegation scrap.
That certainly defies most people’s expectations, but Cardiff’s chances of breaking into the top six still seem rather remote, unless they continue their recent fine form through to the end of the season. What a difference a month makes though. Only a few weeks ago, Cardiff were in the midst of a period, stretching back about four months, where their results placed them in the bottom three of the form table. Their recent turnaround was as unlikely as it was necessary to keep them out of trouble.
There’s no doubting that the higher up the table you finish, the better, for finances, morale and attracting new players in the summer. For me though, real progress would be ending the season with the same manager we started it with. To then have that guy start the next season in a position of strength, rather than against the ropes, fighting for his future.
Therefore, its time to agree a new deal with Erol Bulut.
Embed from Getty ImagesI sense no appetite at the club to replace him, so why delay what feels inevitable? For once, it would be nice to have the stability of knowing who the manager will be when we renew our season tickets. For the man in charge to make summer plans for himself, rather than for someone else. It would be a statement of intent for Cardiff to make such a proactive statement and let’s be honest, largely out of character.
What’s the alternative, anyway? Starting all over again, all over again? Let’s not forget that it was the arrival of Bulut that appeared to invigorate the board and inspire renewed enthusiasm. Long may that continue because without that, you’re fighting a turgid, losing battle.
Bulut isn’t perfect. Far from it, in fact. He’s conservative, which was as advertised, to be fair. His coaching is not always evident on the pitch and his substitutes often feel pre-planned, as opposed to in response to how the game is unfolding. He often seems unsatisfied with his lot and doesn’t always accept responsibility for Cardiff’s failings, although, in his defence, he doesn’t really take credit for their successes either.
When Cardiff have been bad, they’ve been very bad, even if there are often mitigating circumstances. It’s been very much a tenure of two halves, with August, September and the last three weeks or so being very good, with everything in between leaving a lot to be desired. The positives have on the whole outweighed the negatives though.
Embed from Getty ImagesThree derby wins has been Bulut’s calling card and a full set would be an achievement for the ages. A victory over Swansea would lead nicely into the international break and could leave them a couple of points away from the play-off places, with eight games remaining. With Callum O’Dowda back, plus Aaron Ramsey, Callum Robinson and Mark McGuinness not far behind him, Cardiff do feel well placed for a late charge.
The international break also feels like the opportune time to sit down with Erol and try to thrash out his future. Ahead of a congested final month, it’s the last free block of time before the season draws to a close. If, as has been suggested, Bulut has a clause that can be activated to trigger an extension, push the button and make it so.
Sometimes you aim high and sometimes you aim low. Sometimes you don’t want to rock the boat and occasionally, by not rocking the boat, you are in fact aiming high. It feels like Cardiff are in a largely good place and a full factory reset is the last thing they need. That leaves only one real solution and there’s no time like the present.