3 Nathan Jones alternatives Cardiff City must consider ASAP after Bluebirds setback | OneFootball

Football League World looks at three potential alternatives to Nathan Jones in Cardiff City's managerial search

Cardiff City will hope to finally appoint a new permanent successor to Omer Riza in the coming days as a six-week managerial search amid the club's relegation to League One approaches its natural conclusion.

The Bluebirds have had seven permanent managers in place in just three-and-a-half years, and supporters steadfastly believe that sourcing a good hire this time around is the first real step towards a hopeful rebuild of the side both on and off-the-pitch ahead of City's first third-tier campaign since 2002/03.

Naturally, no shortage of names have been linked to the dugout in the Welsh capital. Aaron Ramsey, who took charge of the side on a caretaker basis for the remaining three matches of the Championship season but remains under playing contract until the end of this month and is keen to continue on the pitch for at least one more season in order to feature for Wales at next summer's FIFA World Cup, has been in contention.

Des Buckingham and Ian Evatt, meanwhile, both available after respective dismissals from Oxford United and Bolton during the previous season, have been interviewed, which was first revealed exclusively by Football League World. Former Manchester City Elite Development Squad boss Brian Barry-Murphy, who is currently working as assistant to Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester City, has also been of interest to the Bluebirds, and then there is the case of Nathan Jones.

Over the weekend, Jones reportedly emerged as a "strong and late contender" to take over at Cardiff. A boyhood Cardiff supporter who hails from the Rhondda Valley, Jones has publicly outlined his dream to eventually manage the Bluebirds on more than one occasion, previously admitting he would not turn down the opportunity.

He is, however, preparing for life back in the Championship with Charlton Athletic after guiding the Addicks to promotion via the League One play-offs, and has a sizeable compensation package believed to be in the region of £1 million, while he is also still under contract for another three years. It had appeared as though Jones was poised to become Cardiff's next manager, but that was played down by journalist Richard Cawley on Monday morning as he reported that there was "no chance" of the Welshman leaving Charlton for a return to South Wales.

So where does that leave Cardiff, then? There is a school of thought - and an alarming one at that, it must be said - that Cardiff are now back to square one, having courted Jones so vigorously over other available targets.

Now, though, Vincent Tan may have to move on and pursue other candidates, and with that in mind, FLW has taken a look at three potential alternatives to Jones.

Des Buckingham

Buckingham, of course, is known to have been of interest to Cardiff, which makes him a sensible and viable alternative for the club to consider in the coming days.

Jones has many backers in his corner at Cardiff, but there is a feeling among some supporters that Buckingham, a progressive head coach with a pedigree honed from experience in the City Group conglomerate and a renowned attacking, possession-based style of play, would represent a more tangible long-term candidate.

Formerly of Mumbai City and Melbourne City, Buckingham returned to boyhood club Oxford in November 2023 and, at the end of that season, led them to promotion back to English football's second-tier for the first time in 25 years.

They did so in style, too. Buckingham's Oxford side, spearheaded by ex-Bluebirds winger Josh Murphy, maintained an average of 52.3% possession but orientated around swift attacking breaks by creating 53 chances, posting the second-most shots on target per match for any League One side (5.3) and scoring the fourth-most goals in the division with 1.7 each game.

Oxford, quite naturally, were forced to be more diligent and pragmatic in the Championship, and that reality didn't quite align with Buckingham's philosophy.

He was promptly relieved of his duties back in December in what appeared a contentious decision at the time, but the U's key decision-makers were ultimately vindicated when experienced boss Gary Rowett secured survival in their first season back in the Championship.

That perhaps goes against Buckingham's favour, but the opportunity to oversee a long-term project while implementing a clear, coherent and progressive style of play and working closely with a wealth of young players would appeal to Buckingham - and his experience in doing so, coupled with the promotion he has on his CV in his only third-tier campaign to date - puts him up there as a strong and convincing candidate.

Gerhard Struber

A markedly different profile of coach to keep under consideration could be Gerhard Struber, who is also available following his controversial dismissal from German outfit FC Koln just last month.

The Austrian can count spells with the likes of FC Liefering, Wolfsberger AC and Red Bull Salzburg in his homeland but is best known, at least in the EFL sphere, for his single season at Barnsley in the 2019/20 campaign, where he kept the Tykes - then with the youngest squad across the Championship - in the division on the final day against all odds.

While at Oakwell, Struber favoured a high-pressing brand of football which emphasised real intensity both in and out of possession, which Cardiff sorely lacked under both Erol Bulut and Riza last term. Struber, who operated with a 3-4-2-1 shape at Barnsley, made the Tykes tough to play against, particularly when pressing high up the pitch, and while he would perhaps not bring the swashbuckling, sexy football which certain supporters are desperate to see, Cardiff would be much more diligent and efficient under his watch.

He hasn't quite kicked on after deciding to walk away from Barnsley for the job at New York Red Bulls in 2020. He lasted three years Stateside before returning home to Austria for a fairly short stay of under twelve months with Red Bull Salzburg.

Last summer, Struber was appointed as manager of FC Koln but was relieved of his duties with two games to spare of the 2024/25 season, despite having the side on the brink of promotion to the Bundesliga. Koln then managed to win the title.

Much of that remains down to Struber and, if he is indeed willing to return to English football with a move to League One, could prove an inspired appointment.

Damien Duff

Last but not least, a rather left-field but nonetheless potentially-appealing option to run the rule over could just be former Chelsea and Fulham winger Damien Duff, who has launched a promising managerial career back in Ireland after hanging up his boots back in 2015.

Now aged 46, Duff has been in charge of League of Ireland Premier Division side Shelbourne since February 2022, leading the side to the league title in 2024.

Under Duff's stewardship, Shelbourne have consistently scored as one of the most defensively-robust sides in the Irish top-flight. He likes his side to play with a high intensity, too, with a strong emphasis on winning the ball back quickly and hitting opponents high up the pitch with pace and energy.

Cardiff sides of recent years have so sorely lacked that intensity and dynamism, but urgently need it one way or another ahead of what promises to be a physically-gruelling 46-game slog in League One, where opposition sides will be happy to let them see most of the ball.

The appointment of Duff, of course, would be accompanied by an undeniable risk factor. After all, he has never managed outside his native Ireland and, considering just how high the stakes are for achieving promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt, it's easy to see why some would be more convinced by an appointment with tangible third-tier nous and experience.

But, much like Buckingham and other names to have circulated such as the aforementioned Barry-Murphy, Duff is the profile of coach who could help to lead a long-term rebuilding project, and Cardiff need to keep the bigger and broader picture in equal thinking to the objective of promotion.