I think I’ve mentioned before on here that I do some voluntary work for Cardiff City Supporters’Trust. One of my duties is to prepare and send out e-mail messages to members and today I was asked to send this one out.
“Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust Board today issued a statement because of growing uncertainty over the future of manager Erol Bulut.
The Board said: “We are reliably informed that the decision on who shall be the club’s manager for the 2024-25 season, and on what terms, has been solely in the hands of club owner Vincent Tan for some time.
“The Trust Board understands that as of today he has not made a decision on whether or not a new contract should be offered to the current manager Erol Bulut or the search should begin for a new manager.
“We strongly urge the owner to make that decision as speedily as possible to remove growing uncertainties and disquiet amongst fans about the matter. Cardiff City fans deserve certainty, given that at this time they are being asked to renew their season tickets or become new season ticket holders.”
Tonight I heard the message referred to on Radio Wales as a plea to give Erol Bulut a contract for next season, but is it really that? It seems to me that if there is a plea involved in it, it’s more that Vincent Tan should make his mind up one way or another on the matter- either offer Bulut his new contract or tell him he’s not getting a new one and start the search for another new manager.
Anyway, that’s not really why I made reference to the message, it was more to get over that, despite the issue of Bulut’s contract being the subject of the moment at Cardiff City judging by what I’m reading on social media and hearing on post game phone ins, working on that message for about ten minutes before I sent it out just brought home how apathetic I am about the whole thing.
I’ve been gradually moving into the Bulut out camp since he had his moan after the Plymouth match and the Swansea game, but more particularly, the feeble surrender against Sunderland moved me firmly into it.
Therefore, you would have thought that I would be thinking let’s get rid of Bulut as soon as possible, but how can you be hopeful that this would lead to an improvement when you know that the decision on who replaces him will be made by men who have gained themselves plenty of experience of appointing new managers in the last ten years or more, but still seem completely hopeless at it?
This week I saw it suggested somewhere that Vincent Tan and Mehmet Dalman have alternative attempts at appointing new managers because it’s thought that the other made such a bad pick with the last one that they were happy to let thee other have a go. I don’t think that’s true, but it doesn’t fall into the too ridiculous to be true category either.
Where the theory holds water is when it’s particularly applied to Erol Bulut. Back in the summer when he was appointed, it was pretty obvious that he was Mr Dalman’s man, not Mr Tan’s. Indeed, there were remarks towards our owner which may have been viewed as disparaging regarding his football knowledge made at Erol Bulut’s first press conference from a surprising source (I think you know who I mean).
Mr Dalman had tried to bring Bulut to the club a year or two earlier, but he was just about to be appointed Fenerbache manager apparently and it was his time in this job I believe which enabled the club and some in the local media to portray Bulut as representing a managerial step up in class from what we’ve been used to.
Well, today’s 3-1 home loss to Hull left me even more convinced that our manager is not much of an upgrade on the likes of Harris, McCarthy, Morison, Hudson and Lamouchi – if he is one at all. This afternoon, there was all of the usual negativity, obsession with what his team did out of possession, uninspired substitutions and lack of attacking numbers, but there were also one or two new things which only made the whole step up in class line all the harder to believe.
Of course, those who defend our manager can, rightly, point to the fact that, in reality, we’ve been safe from the drop for weeks and barring a very poor finish to the campaign, we’re going to finish in the region of ten places higher than we did last season.
So, although I’ll say that sometimes it’s hard to work out how and why it’s happened, there has to be an acknowledgement that we have improved since last season. However, while some will use the transfer embargo we were under to further Bulut’s cause in that he’s improved us while having his hands tied by not being able to spend on new players, I would argue that it looks to me as if he’s had the biggest football budget to work with of any City manager since the summer of 2020 when Neil Harris was able to bring Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson to the club.
I’ll not go into a blow by blow account of today’s game because, to a large extent, it was more of the same old, same old, but there were a couple of notable exceptions.
For example, despite being 2-0 down at half time, I thought it was a slightly more encouraging first half compared to many at Cardiff City Stadium this season. I say this because, as someone who always used to rail against the long ball game we played for so many years, it was notable that it had all but disappeared today.
Instead, what attacking we did (there still wasn’t a great deal of it) consisted of us trying to put together the sort of move that Hull managed for their second goal. The intention was laudable, but all it did really was show our limitations in this department (especially in comparison to most of the teams we play).
I’ll single out two players here, but they’re far from the only ones guilty of these sort of errors – today Manolis Siopis and Jamilu Collins had the chances to play passes to a team mate that would not have left them through on goal, but would have put them in down the flank clear of the full back, in both cases, they were simple passes that were completely botched. It’s a source of mystery to me that professional footballers in what is portrayed as one of the strongest leagues in Europe cannot be relied upon to make passes that should not test their technique – especially using modern day equipment and pitches.
In saying that, City did not have much luck today. Only Hull’s second goal out of the three they scored did not carry a degree of good fortune to it – before I develop this, I would just say that the goal, which to my eyes consisted of slick, incisive passing and combination play before a very composed finish by expensive Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho, provoked a totally different response from our manager. He saw it as the low point in what he thought was an unacceptable first half showing – Bulut was left fuming at what he saw as his team’s lack of a press and not implementing what they’d done in preparation for the game in training – you know, all of the usual out of possession stuff he puts so much emphasis on..
Going back to City’s lack of good fortune, Carvalho’s opener was a fine example of hitting a half volley from the edge of the penalty area correctly, but there was luck in how a half cleared corner fell so perfectly for him.
Another example of this ill fortune came in the second half when sub Josh Wilson-Esbrand pulled up with a hamstring injury to end a promising looking attack, but, having made his usual type substitutions by bringing on Wilson-Esbrand for Josh Bowler, Aaron Ramsey for David Turnbull (the usual reluctance to have two attacking midfielders on the pitch at the same time) and Famala Diedhiou for Yakou Meite, Bulut now had to bring on Josh Tanner to play left wing back, but not acting to make his fifth substitution while he could looked like a mistake (needless to say, Joel Colwill and Cian Ashford stayed on the bench).
Whether Hull’s third goal was down to bad luck or pure farce is arguable, but, I’ll be generous and edge towards the former. Very annoying is definitely what it was though because, having just got back into the game when Karlan Grant surprised Ryan Allsop with a shot from fifteen yards hit earlier than the ex City keeper expected, Bulut decided to change to a three centreback system and he was passing on instructions to Nat Phillips when Joe Ralls, keen to keep the momentum in our favour, took a quick free kick to Phillips, but the defender, distracted by what his manager was saying, let the ball run past him and Jaden Philogene, making an otherwise quiet return to Cardiff City Stadium, accepted the gift and ran on to comfortably beat Ethan Horvarth to, effectively, kill the game off.
I wouldn’t blame Bulut, Ralls or Phillips too much for this goal, but it was yet another home defeat to go on top of the three previous seasons full of them – this abysmal record in front of their own fans makes it hard enough for the club to sell the season tickets for 24/25 that went on sale this week, so, to make that situation even worse with the uncertainty about the manager only makes the job even harder..
Elsewhere, the under 18s followed up a midweek 4-4 draw with Hull with a 5-0 win at Wigan thanks to goals by Tanatswa Nyakhuwa with two, Ronan Kpakio, Louis Phillips and Lennon Talbot.
In the Highadmit South Wales Alliance Premier Division, Treherbert Boys and Girls Club’s title chances took a hit with a 4-3 loss at Cardiff Airport, that left them in fourth place, but still only two points off the top, while Ton Pentre drew 1-1 at one of the title challengers, Bridgend Street.
The most worthwhile activity at Cardiff yesterday was the six v six half-time children’s game near the Canton Stand which received a genuine enthusiasm from the spectators. Apart from that, the so-called professional men were not worth tuppence.
If we did not have fluke successes, such as Bowder had recently, we should be – and rightly so – in a struggle for survival rather than the likely continued existence in the division as is now the case.
Some years ago I remarked on the MAGA Blog that Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. This would seem to be the same tactic that the current manager is likely to be pursuing for ever and ever. Only a change of manager can bring about a change of approach which would be more successful and more exciting to see. Surely someone like Steve Cooper, a scion both of Pontypridd and a genuine fan of Cardiff City, could be a better option, perhaps assisted by Aaron Ramsey who will, at some time in the future, become a Cardiff City manager when you add up all the elements leading in such a direction..
Paul, compadre,
Liam Rosenior again shows one why the near miracle at Pride Park attributed to Wazza was really down to him… as I always suspected at the time, and subsequent events have proved.
Right… that statement out of the way, down to the events of yesterday.
You say you would not blame anyone for the farcical
third goal. That surprises me. To me the finger points at one man. Bulut and his dreadful Bulutball.
Why in God’s name are we taking a free kick from the halfway line and playing it slightly backwards? Especially when the man taking it, is our best taker of corners and free kicks? Insanity rules, OK?
That free kick was deserving of an angled ball from Ralls towards their box: once he had waited for either Goutas or Phillips to get up there to add aerial threat to those already around the D.
Just been watching the Old Firm on my telly, and I am feeling mixed emotions right now… delighted that the boys in blue got a draw that seemed impossible at half time, but sad that yet another Cardiff product reminds us of what it is we have lost.
I of course refer to Llanishen High School old boy, Rabbi Matondo who scored a beautiful final equaliser in injury time. To think Man City stole him from us for £500K… ye gods…!!
Will Bulut seriously blood young local talent? The record shows he has more faith in trawling the Turkish/Greek first divisions, than looking for players coming through his academy.
Give Bulut the bullet… figuratively speaking… (I say ‘figuratively’ in case Humza Yousaf is reading this…!!)
DW
The spokesman for the Supporters Trust on Rob Phillips radio show on Saturday said that he thought supporters were fifty/fifty on whether Bulut should be given a new contract.
I wonder whether Mayans are equally divided especially those of us who watch us play like an away team every week.
The pros and cons of staying with him I see as follows
PROs
He has made us good at set pieces (statistically the best in the Championship) which is a game within a game and an important part of winning close matches.
Better the devil you know? This is not to be sneezed at given our track record for appointing managers but is not the same as choosing continuity rather than chopping and changing.Continuity is good only if you can see progress
The continuity I see at home games is my deja vu soon after kickoff as we drop back in defence and the away fans start singing the library song
CONS
Just about everything Bulut says and does!
I like your heading for this week’s blog and I think that farcical is the perfect adjective to describe the third Hull goal.We had just scored a goal against a team that had been winless for six matches and must have been vulnerable to pressure but instead we showed them our Benevolent Society!
I was a little surprised that your report of the match didn’t expand on the mention in your title to ‘Moneybags Hull’.
Erol Bulut had said before the game how Hull had supported their manager in the Summer and January transfer windows. As a result it’s no surprise to see that the current Hull City squad is valued at around twice the value of the Cardiff City squad (£100M compared to £50M).
Hull City paid Aston Villa £5M for former Cardiff loan player Jaden Philogene last summer, when we were told there was no question we would be able to get anywhere near matching it.
In the January window Hull also secured the loan of Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool, who is on a reported salary of around £160k per month at Liverpool.
Both players showed their value with the quality of their goals against us.
I’m probably being harsh singling out Joe Ralls, as he’s had a decent season IMO, and mostly did so against Hull, but there were two occasions when he showed the gulf in class between him and the two Hull City players mentioned.
Firstly, Joe had a very similar chance to Carvalho’s first goal – a corner cleared to the edge of the penalty area on the volley.
Carvalho sweetly struck his volley low (and possibly slightly fortunately, although importantly on target) through a group of players and into the net for the opening goal.
Joe on the other hand hit his similar opportunity way over the crossbar and high into the Grange End.
I also blame Joe for the catastrophic free-kick which handed Hull the opportunity to halt our comeback and restore their two goal lead, just three minutes after we’d fought our way back into the game with an excellent goal from Karlan Grant.
Philogene capitalised on Ralls error and showed the speed and clinical finish that you expect from a player of his value.
With us being awarded a free-kick close to the halfway line a few minutes after scoring, and our defenders looking to get forward to press for another, Ralls blindly played the ball towards Phillips, without looking at where he was moving, or even if he was looking to receive the ball.
Philogene’s third goal for Hull effectively ended the game as a contest.
I don’t think we currently have a player capable of producing similar match-winning qualities of Carvalho and Philogene.
Grant, who is possibly the closest we have, is a loan player who Erol Bulut said he’d like to have here again next season, but he probably won’t be, whether or not Erol himself is also still here.
Grant will still be under contract with West Brom, and I’m sure they will look to regain at least a decent chunk of the £15M they paid Huddersfield for him, if they decide to sell (which apparently seems likely), whether they get promoted or not.
Hull’s higher value players were mostly able to pass their way around our press with ease and generally looked more comfortable on the ball than we did.
That said I felt we were making our pressure count with Grant’s goal and I fancied us to get another with the tide starting to turn.
Unfortunately that was dashed by Ralls horrible error.
One positive from the result is that, with our current injury problems, it will mean some of our younger players like Cian Ashford and Joel Colwill, should be given opportunities to perform in our remaining games.
I should also mention that I’d previously praised ref John Busby for his excellent performance at our away win at Watford when he let the game flow and wasn’t swayed by players falling over.
I thought the same ref had a pretty good first half on Saturday, although his second half performance wasn’t of the same standard unfortunately, and reminded me of our teams alarming performance slump against Sunderland after we went a goal down.
Finally, while the mood amongst our fans was pretty low after the Hull defeat, I did at least smile when a fan posted this sketch by John Bishop on football fans on Tik Tok, as it certainly applied here last Saturday (apologies for the earthy language) – https://www.tiktok.com/@johnbish100/video/7343657209571577120
Morning Paul et al – If I had the nerve, I would have stood up mid way through the second half and started singing, with apologies to John Lennon and co for the slight change in lyrics, “All we are saying is Give YOUTH a Chance” and kept on until sufficient numbers of the dwindling crowd joined in and it was loud enough for it to register with Mr Bulot. His pre pre match procrastinations about Ashford and Colwill minor having opportunities is becoming boring, There can be no justification in selecting Meite and replacing him with the ex Bristol City bod with the unpronounceable name and ignoring our youngsters. Shameful.
I sit on Level 4, great view but little leg room (I’m 2 metres tall). Aisle seat and am bothered by the comings and goings of those that frequently need to pass me for whatever reason whilst the match is in progress. But on Saturday, there was a change.
There must have been about ten that did not return after half-time. And with the messages on the screen advising that season tickets for next year are now available, I fear that many will not bother to take advantage of the “early bird” offer and not return at all. I’m beginning to think that I may fall into that category.
Following Grant’s goal that appeared to surprise Allsopp, I thought we might have a chance at another, but the error that restored Hull’s two goal advantage seemed to knock the stuffing out of our lot. From there on, it was a complete stroll for them. Our substitutions were ineffective and leadership on and off the pitch lacking and Philogene really should have scored his second. Such was the scene, that the ground was emptying at a fairly rapid rate many minutes before the end.
I suspect that I will purchase the £10 to watch our away performance against the Brummies, purely on the grounds that we put up a better show away from home. But I repeat my message to our leader “Give YOUTH a Chance”
Thanks all for the replies, just a few quick thoughts on some of the points raised.
Anthony, I like the sound of Steve Cooper assisted by Aaron Ramsey because it would, hopefully take the Alan Tate factor out of the equation. Sadly, I think Tate is probably part of any negotiation that Cooper would have with any prospective employer – there’s also the question of would Cooper be willing to work for Vincent Tan? I have always suspected that there are lots of good managers who wouldn’t be.
Dai, I was taken to task on the messageboard I use for suggesting that the third goal was more down to bad luck than a cock up and ended up admitting I was wrong, but, of someone is to be blamed for it, Joe Ralls is he one most culpable in my opinion – there is plenty that Bulut can be blamed for. Since his outburst after the Plymouth loss ‘ve thought he would not be with us next season and it seems more likely than ever now – if he does end up getting e new deal, the delay in it being offered to him makes it clear that Erol Bulut does not have Vincent Tan’s full confidence.
Mike, I get the feeling that a lot of people who were on the fence about the manager have moved into the Bulut out camp in the last few weeks. Using myself as an example, back in January the Trust magazine carried a article by me in which I almost ridiculed the idea of Bulut leaving the club, within a few weeks my line had changed to it wouldn’t bother me at all if Vincent an decided to let him go and now, after the Swansea loss and the pathetic reaction to it in the Sunderland match, I want a different manager for next season – you’re so right when you say our approach doesn’t change whether we’re playing at home or away.
Blue Bayou, the reason I didn’t develop the theme of moneybags Hull was that I’d already done that to an extent in the preamble about the game at the start of the Hull seven decades quiz piece – suffice it to say that I can’t see any way in which Hull will not be contravening FFP rules this season.
Regarding the ref, City players spend too much time on the floor appealing for fouls and I don’t think that helps them when they genuinely are fouled – that said, I thought that, while there was no way you could blame him for our defeat, he was no more than a five out of ten.
Bobby Madley in charge tomorrow as well!
Brian, my thoughts about Colwill junior and Ashford playing in a league game is I’ll believe it when I see it. Both of them have been given chances in cup games and I’d say that, apart from a bad miss by the latter when we were 3-0 down in the FA Cup game at Sheffield Wednesday, there’s not been much that they can be criticised for. I’ve just said on the City website I use that Colwill and Ashford should be insulted by the argument that their presence in the team for a league game somehow means that we become much weaker – how on earth can that team that took on Sunderland for example be any worse for their presence in it?