With the surprising news that Russell Slade will take a new role as Head of Football within Cardiff City Football Club, who will take to the dugout?
Five Cardiff City Managerial Candidates
Paul Trollope
Trollope has been head coach since February 2015 and has had an influence on the coaching setup since his arrival. His only managerial role was at Bristol Rovers, where he oversaw 284 games from the dugout, winning 106, drawing 71 and losing 107.
He gained promotion to League One with Rovers via the play-offs and also took the club to their first FA Cup quarter-final in 50 years. Trollope believes in ‘attack-minded football’ and to play ‘progressive, passing football’. He will be a strong option for Vincent Tan if he looks to hire within the club after citing Slade’s move upstairs as a ‘re-shuffle’.
Gus Poyet
Poyet is available after leaving AEK Athens before the season ended. The board were less than impressed and chose to remove him earlier than anticipated.
Poyet has good Championship experience having led Brighton and Hove Albion to the Championship play-off semi-finals against Crystal Palace but was informed to stay away from the club pending an internal enquiry. He was sacked soon after. Poyet has reportedly already held talks with Nottingham Forest over their managerial vacancy but after two acrimonious sackings, would his attitude clash with owner Tan?
Ian Holloway
The marmite man of football. Fans are divided on Holloway: some love him, whilst others loathe him. He has a fantastic positivity about him and his most memorable achievement would have been beating Cardiff City 3-2 in the Championship play-off final during the 2009-2010 season.
Currently unemployed by a club, he is currently offering his services as a pundit for Sky Sports Championship broadcasts. He likes positive football too but could be another personality which is too big for Tan to handle.
Paul Clement
An incredible dismissal from Derby County who were sitting just five points off the top of the league at the time, cited on their website:
“It was clear in this plan, which was briefed to supporters, players, sponsors and all our stakeholders last summer that promotion this season was not the primary target. The priorities were building on the Derby way and style of football enjoyed in the past two seasons; adding depth and strength to our playing squad; and, developing and improving player and team performance.
“Sadly, on these measurements, we have not made enough progress and that is why we have decided to part company with Paul.”
A man with a great footballing philosophy after spells assisting Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, Clement is currently assisting with the England U21’s but could be persuaded by another crack at the Championship.
Neal Ardley
Currently the ninth longest-serving manager in England’s four top-flights of football after almost four years in charge of AFC Wimbledon, he has led the Dons to this season’s League 2 Play-Offs and—if promoted—could face bitter rivals Milton Keynes Dons next season in League One.
Ardley was a favourite amongst fans during his one season at Cardiff City, scoring one goal in 38 appearances for the Bluebirds. He started preparing for a manager’s role at the early age of 24, when he took his first coaching badges before completing his training for the UEFA Pro coaching qualification in 2010. In 2007, the day he retired from professional football, he was appointed as Cardiff City’s Academy manager and was pivotal in the break-through of Joe Ralls. If appointed, he could bring former Bluebirds centre-back Neil Cox into his coaching staff.
With Slade still involved in a high-level capacity, the club can aim for a younger manager with Slade available to guide and assist when needed. After an eighth placed finish in this year’s Championship, the club will be looking to start next season as positively as the 2015-2016 season has ended with the new club shirt available to pre-order, also worn by the players in today’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham City. On the same day, Cardiff City’s transfer embargo was lifted.
