Backroom changes causes concern for Cardiff
Published:
Cardiff’s Malky Mackay is now at evens to be the next Premier League manager to leave.
The club’s decision to place Mackay’s key adviser Iain Moody on gardening leave has raised eyebrows and left many wondering what now lies ahead for the Scot.
Cardiff’s Malaysian owner Vincent Tan has replaced Moody with 23-year-old Kazakh Alisher Apsalyamov with the Welsh side sitting contently in 14th place in the league table.
It isn’t the first time Tan has made significant decisions, famously changing the Bluebirds kit from their traditional blue to red, much to the angst of the Cardiff faithful.
The removal of one of Mackay’s backroom staff is an added complication for the club experiencing their first taste of Premier League football.
Cardiff invested heavily over the summer, bringing in Gary Medel for £11m from Sevilla, Stephen Caulker from Tottenham for £8m and £8.5m on Andreas Cornelius from FC Copenhagen to name but a few, adding to the pressure to avoid relegation this season.
The removal of Moody will serve as a reminder to Mackay than Tan isn’t afraid to call the shots, and the former defender will now be looking over his shoulder.
Should Mackay stick it out under Tan’s watchful eye, then Martin Jol at Fulham is 10/3 to be the first boss to leave a top tier club.
After the Europa League final days under Roy Hodgson, Fulham have stagnated in the past couple of seasons and currently sit 17th in the table.
The Cottagers spent most of last season in the lower end of the top 10, and the additions Jol made of Dimitar Berbatov and Martin Stekelenberg signalled an intent to climb further still.
Just two wins from seven games this season has seen tensions rise at Craven Cottage however, and such form will doubtlessly not be allowed to continue.
Former Tottenham boss Jol was turfed out of White Hart Lane in late October back in 2007 after a poor start, and the Dutchman finds himself in a strikingly similar scenario.
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