' QUESTIONS ABOUT NEXT SEASON '

Russell Slade's future, will skipper David Marshall be sold, how to bring back the missing thousands... we look at the key questions Tan needs to answer

WalesOnline

Cardiff City wind up their Championship campaign with a home game against Birmingham this weekend, but there is a much bigger picture at stake... what happens during the summer and in the 2016-17 campaign.

Saturday's 3-0 Hillsborough humiliation ended Cardiff's top six hopes this time around and means planning needs to take place for what happens next.

Will Cardiff really go after the Premier League dream once more? Will there be further cutbacks?

And what happens to the manager and the star players as part of that equation?

Here we analyse the key issues that owner Vincent Tan will need to address as a matter of urgency.



Is Russell Slade going to be manager next season or not?



To say thoughts are divided on Slade as manager is an understatement, really.

The view from the very start has been that the club is too big for him, the job beyond a man without a promotion to his name and experience only in the lower leagues.

But during his 18 months in charge, the tide has slowly turned amongst some fans. If public opinion is not exactly fully on the manager’s side, it seems more supporters are minded to keep him in the Welsh capital than perhaps was the case previously.

The reasoning seems to hinge on the fact that Slade has had to work within limited resources and carry out a big cost-cutting exercise. As such he deserves a further chance, Slade's backers say.

However, his many critics counter that the Bluebirds failed to get into the top six. The boring style of football he has peddled for most of his time at the club has dismayed fans. And, despite obvious budget limitations, Slade's questionable dealings in the transfer market, especially when it comes to getting strikers, is also held against him.

A manager being permitted to run down his deal is pretty rare. Some might suggest it shows the true lack of confidence in Slade by some of the club hierarchy.

Whatever, it seems the final decision on Slade will be down to Vincent Tan. As always with the Bluebirds’ owner, trying to second guess his opinion is extremely difficult.

He has, however, previously staunchly backed Slade.



If Slade does go, who should replace him?


The decision whether to give Slade a new deal is intrinsically linked with another question.

What is the real ambition of the club next term?

Getting rid of the current manager will be viewed by many as a declaration of intent, of the club finally showing some ambition.

But it wouldn't just be about parting company with Slade. Who replaces him would be just as significant.

There are plenty of names out there as possibles for the job. The one that refuses to go away is that of Bluebirds idol, Craig Bellamy.

He is massively popular with supporters, of course, and would galvanise the fan base. But there are concerns within the club that it is too early for a man who has always expressed his desire to start at the bottom of the coaching structure.

The likes of former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, Rangers chief Mark Warbuton, even veteran campaigner Neil Warnock have been mentioned in dispatches.


Neil Warnock has revived Rotherham. Could he take Cardiff to the next level?
Each have their plus points, but could they work as closely and harmoniously with Tan himself as Slade has managed.

Getting a personal endorsement from Tan on his appointment helped Slade.

Tan is cautious when it comes to managerial appointments. He already believes he has had his fingers burnt with Malky Mackay and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and seems more comfortable with Slade, despite many others' reservations.

It’s not a case of who might want the job if Slade goes, but who can handle the job at this point.



Will there be funds available in the summer transfer window?


This is another one of those queries pretty much down to what Tan decides.

The club laboured under a transfer embargo in January, but the belief is that will be gone by the summer.

Tan himself has been keen to cut costs recently after the huge excesses of the Premier League campaign and the plethora of players Solskjaer bought in for the start of last season's Championship campaign, before he was quickly dismissed and Slade took over.

There is talk within the club of Tan perhaps plotting another Premier League push this summer, of freeing up funds to capture the clutch of quality players needed to freshen up the dressing room and turn the Bluebirds into proper challengers next term.

This remains mere conjecture right at this moment. Indeed, Tan may choose different funding depending upon who his manager is.

Whatever, those transfer dealings in the close season will be the ultimate sign of the level of ambition in the Welsh capital.



Can Cardiff hold onto their prize assets this summer?

Will Cardiff cash in on their prize asset David Marshall?
As much as who they bring in, it is who Cardiff let go that will also give a clear indication of what the ambitions are next term.

Goalkeeper and captain David Marshall’s potential move back to the Premier League has already been mooted.

Will the Scottish international finally leave after seemingly being close to a departure before?

Other quality players too will be linked with a move out of the door. How much more will Fabio stay patient after being overlooked for Lee Peltier and Scott Malone for parts of the campaign?

What happens with the talented Craig Noone and even young Joe Ralls after his breakthrough in the Championship this season?

Despite the cutbacks, Cardiff are regarded as still possessing a squad packed with talent by Championship standards. Whether they can again keep it together is a big concern this summer.



Will enough be done to attract the fans back?


Will Cardiff City Stadium's expensive upper Ninian stand be in use, or mothballed once more?

After a season marked by record low crowds at Cardiff City Stadium, things improved at the back end of the season for a number of factors.

There was the fact the Bluebirds were still fighting for a play-off place, but the swelling crowds were also very much down to initiatives by the club to lure spectators back.

School schemes and free tickets have been the big factors.

The club insists that competitively priced season tickets have sold well for the next campaign.

You could argue the best way to ensure that Cardiff City Stadium is bouncing come August and September is to bring in a new exciting manager in place of Slade.

The appointment of, say, Bellamy would immediately ignite interest. Holding onto top players and bringing in some impressive signings would help too.

After that, it is success on the pitch and an attractive brand of football that will keep those fans turning up.

Many have found the football on show lacking in quality.

Whether Cardiff will need to finally reopen that mothballed upper Ninian Stand will ultimately depend on how they fare out on the pitch.

The talented Craig Noone, and Joe Ralls dear me.

And as far as Tan having another push and spending more money do people not understand the FInancial Fair Play rules taking into account we will have even less income next year with the reduced parachute payments.

Taking into account we are under a transfer embargo for breaking the rules in the first place, yes Tan may be up for throwing more money at it but this is why the rules were brought in in the first place to stop reckless owners spending more than there income.

So unless we can generate more income perhaps with naming rights on the stadium AKA Man City and the Ethiad them I think throwing money and paying over the odds in wages are probably not an option.

Maybe the Bourenmoth/ Watford strategy maybe the only alternative.

Really enjoyed that article

The talented Craig Noone, and Joe Ralls dear me.

And as far as Tan having another push and spending more money do people not understand the FInancial Fair Play rules taking into account we will have even less income next year with the reduced parachute payments.

Taking into account we are under a transfer embargo for breaking the rules in the first place, yes Tan may be up for throwing more money at it but this is why the rules were brought in in the first place to stop reckless owners spending more than there income.

So unless we can generate more income perhaps with naming rights on the stadium AKA Man City and the Ethiad them I think throwing money and paying over the odds in wages are probably not an option.

Maybe the Bourenmoth/ Watford strategy maybe the only alternative.

Yeah seems we've already started to explore that option with Zahore being purchased and loaned to us from Tans Belgian club. It could be a good source of decent foreign players if the scouting system we have in place is any good.

The talented Craig Noone, and Joe Ralls dear me.

And as far as Tan having another push and spending more money do people not understand the FInancial Fair Play rules taking into account we will have even less income next year with the reduced parachute payments.

Taking into account we are under a transfer embargo for breaking the rules in the first place, yes Tan may be up for throwing more money at it but this is why the rules were brought in in the first place to stop reckless owners spending more than there income.

So unless we can generate more income perhaps with naming rights on the stadium AKA Man City and the Ethiad them I think throwing money and paying over the odds in wages are probably not an option.

Maybe the Bourenmoth/ Watford strategy maybe the only alternative.

Yeah seems we've already started to explore that option with Zahore being purchased and loaned to us from Tans Belgian club. It could be a good source of decent foreign players if the scouting system we have in place is any good.

Tan is an admirer of the Watford system.

Slade will be in situ for next season (fairly certain)

No money will be given to kick start a run at the title.

Fans will return if the games become exciting to watch (see line 1, so no).