"A mistake" - Pundit reacts to latest Erol Bulut update at Cardiff City | OneFootball

Pundit and former England international Carlton Palmer has said that Cardiff City should make sure that they keep manager Erol Bulut amid rumours of him leaving the club at the end of the season.

It has been reported by Turkish outlet Mackolik that Bulut is one of the contenders for the manager’s job at Turkish giants Besiktas.

Bulut made the move to South Wales last summer, signing a one-year deal with the Bluebirds. However, there has been no sign so far that the club are thinking of extending his contract.

Cardiff narrowly avoided relegation last season to League One, finishing in 21st, but Bulut has managed to keep them away from the relegation battle this season, with his side currently in the top half of the Championship table.

They currently sit in 11th position with 59 points.

Carlton Palmer gives his verdict on Erol Bulut’s future at Cardiff

Speaking exclusively to FLW, he said: “Cardiff City, sitting mid-table in the Championship on 59 points, they have been on a bit of a bad run, only two wins in their last six games, and four defeats in those games. But the manager, Erol Bulut, has done a great job in keeping them there, and his contract is set to run out at the end of this season, and he is attracting interest from Besiktas, who are one of the clubs tracking him and are very keen on him.

“I would think that Cardiff would wait until the end of the season and the manager and the club will sit down and see where they can go forward. I think it would be a mistake for Cardiff to let him go given the job that he has done, they were perilously in danger of getting drawn into a relegation battle and were down the bottom, and he has managed to pull them up, and with three games to go, they are looking at a mid-table finish.

“It would not take an awful lot in the transfer window in the summer, to maybe get Cardiff pushing for a play-off place next season. So I am sure they will sit down and have that conversation, and I am sure Cardiff will want to keep him for as long as possible.”

Should Cardiff keep hold of Erol Bulut?

Bulut has done a great job at the Cardiff City Stadium so far.

In his first managerial job away from his homeland of Turkey, he has taken Cardiff from relegation-threatened strugglers and made them a solid Championship side.

Bulut’s managerial record suggests he is not one to stick around, with this being his fifth managerial reign in the last seven years - never lasting at least two years at a club.

Overall though, his average points per game record and win percentage across his managerial stints have been good - so there is cause for optimism for next season.

But with Besiktas being one of the biggest clubs in Turkey, and with them likely to be playing European football next season, it may tempt him to move back home.