3 managers Cardiff City should consider if Vincent Tan doesn't appoint Omer Riza | OneFootball

FLW looks at three potential Omer Riza alternatives at Cardiff City, who must look to rectify their managerial situation over the international break

Vincent Tan is now faced with a crucial juncture at Cardiff City ahead of the commencement of the November international break, where the demand to appoint a new permanent manager following the September sacking of Erol Bulut has reached its peak.

There is a palpable sense of impatience and frustration from supporters, who are still awaiting a full-time appointment no less than 50 days after Bulut was relieved of his duties, having led Cardiff to the worst start to a season in the club's 125-year history.

Omer Riza, of course, has been entrusted with the reins ever since on an interim basis and, in the view of many fans, has done a stellar job on the most part. Cardiff had lost five of their first six matches under Bulut, who left the side rooted to the foot of the division when he was handed his marching orders following a turgid 2-0 home defeat to Leeds United.

Riza, meanwhile, has lost just three of his nine matches in the job - a remarkably long time for a caretaker manager to be at the helm for, it must be said.

Cardiff have claimed four victories under his stewardship, all of which have come on home soil, while perhaps the most significant takeaway from Riza's tenure is the increased liberation and freedom he's handed to the nucleus of this squad, propelling the likes of Rubin Colwill and Alex Robertson to fresh heights and cumulatively implementing a less-pragmatic, higher-tempo brand of attacking football.

He has rightly gained a sizable buy-in from players and supporters alike, who are all keen to see his efforts rewarded. However, Cardiff are still yet to make a final decision on Riza's future, despite the boss holding "positive talks" with the hierarchy before last weekend's dramatic 2-1 home victory over Norwich City.

Following a less-impressive 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Riza admitted that he is still unclear on his position with the club, with his situation just feeling somewhat more precarious across the last few days after back-to-back defeats.

Which direction Cardiff go in is, as ever, anybody's guess. Naturally so, the hope and general consensus is for Cardiff to appoint him on a full-time basis, but there's always the possibility that Tan may look elsewhere and with that in mind, Football League World has taken a look at three potential alternatives if Cardiff opt against retaining Riza's services.

Mark Robins

The outstanding candidate sure to be on the wishlist of any club in the Championship with an uncertain managerial situation, Mark Robins' esteemed track record at this level speaks for itself and would make him a notable upgrade on Riza, even if the best bet for Cardiff may be preserving the continuity and progression under his stewardship.

On Thursday morning, Robins saw his seven-year association with Championship rivals Coventry City brought to an abrupt and untimely end as he was handed his marching orders following a slow start to the campaign, although the ex-Manchester United forward had won two of the side's last three matches.

The decision to part ways with Robins sent shockwaves up and down the country while the Sky Blues faithful were left heartbroken, a testament to the calibre and quality of manager we're talking about here.

Whether they source an internal or external appointment, Cardiff, who are still searching for their 12th permanent manager in 14 years, fundamentally need a boss capable of steadily building the foundations, paving the pathway for success and bringing stability.

Needless to say, Robins puts a great big tick through that box, having returned to Coventry for his second spell with the club while they were in the depths of League Two before taking them back up to the Championship and to within one penalty-kick of an improbable promotion to the Premier League in the 2023 play-off final, losing out at the hands of Luton Town.

It was an all-too-similar fate the following year when his Coventry side heroically overturned a three-goal defecit against Man United in last season's FA Cup semi-final, only to once again taste heartbreak on Wembley Way courtesy of spot-kicks.

But Robins is an excellent manager who has the ability to deal with tricky boardroom structures, as evidenced by his success in the West Midlands amid the SISU era, has an eye for young talent, has continually made his sides better than the sum of their parts and boasts a track record of delivering finishes at the top-end of whichever division he's been in.

The only question here simply has to be whether Robins would actually take the job at Cardiff.

Steven Schumacher

Another harshly-dismissed boss from the second-tier this season, Steven Schumacher remains out of work following his Stoke City exit in September.

A name set upon the lips of many fans at the time in which Bulut was dismissed, the popularity towards Schumacher has cooled amid Riza's unprecedented upwards spell, but he too should be strongly considered if Tan opts against hiring the 45-year-old full-time.

His dismissal in the Potteries doesn't reflect on his managerial abilities all too much, with Schumacher having cemented a reputation as one of the most promising upcoming bosses in the EFL. He plays a progressive, possession-based style which sees his teams typically play out from the back, although he does like his sides to play through the thirds with pace and intent at the same time.

Schumacher's dynamic approach was there for all to see when he guided Plymouth Argyle to the 2022/23 League One title with 101 points, beating off intensely stiff competition from Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town. His form at Home Park earned a move to Stoke, whom he helped stay in the Championship last season before being sacked just a few games into the new campaign, despite the Potters being very much in mid-table at the time.

In many ways, Stoke are similar to Cardiff and share both approaches to player and managerial recruitment and the natural high managerial turnover which goes along with that, so Schumacher really shouldn't be judged all that much by his dismissal.

He's still an incredibly promising young manager, one who you would also back to build a tangible upwards project over a meaningful amount of time - if he was given the luxury of time, of course.

Brian Barry-Murphy

linked to the then-vacant hot-seat back in 2021 following the sacking of Mick McCarthy.

Barry-Murphy appears to be something of a favourite with certain supporters keen to see a modern and progressive, yet effective and dynamic, possession-based modus operandi implemented. His stock has been built upon those fundamental coaching principles, having gained regard for his relentless emphasis upon playing out from the back and between the lines while with Rochdale before joining Manchester City in July 2021.

The Irishman headed across Greater Manchester to lead the Citizens' Elite Development Squad to two successive Premier League 2 triumphs, but he's now available after leaving the club back in the summer. Despite rather limited experience in high-level, first-team coaching, Barry-Murphy is a tactically-astute coach with great pedigree, honed by coaching some of the domestic game's finest young talents at Man City.

Those to have learned under his tutelege include the likes of Oscar Bobb, Romeo Lavia, James McAtee, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, Liam Delap and one such Alex Robertson, too.

Cardiff now have a squad more fit for purpose to learn the ropes of an ultra-possession-orientated approach, and highly-technical young talents such as Colwill and Robertson would surely flourish under that style. It's a slightly riskier appointment compared to Schumacher and Robins, sure, but the potential upside could be even greater.