Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:15 pm
Former Cardiff City captain Steven Caulker says he is “surprised” the Bluebirds have not offered Erol Bulut a new contract.
Bulut took charge at Cardiff City Stadium last summer on an initial one-year deal.
After a promising start to the season, Cardiff look to be heading for a mid-table Championship finish – which represents significant progress after the struggles of the last two campaigns.
Caulker played under Bulut for Turkish clubs Alanyaspor and Gaziantep.
And the centre-back, who is now taking his first steps in management as player-boss of Spanish side Malaga City, says Cardiff should back Bulut now if they want him to stay beyond this season.
“I think he would like to stay. I think lot depends on the club - I am quite surprised the club haven’t yet offered him a renewal,” Caulker told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
“He has been working with a limited budget, let’s say. He hasn’t had the chance to say 'I want this signing and that signing'. He has been fairly restricted in that sense.
“Cardiff is Cardiff. I don’t know where they are at. They have sacked a lot of managers. Maybe they are looking for that bit of consistency but at the same time waiting for the results to pick up. I don’t know.
“But I am sure there is a little bit of uncertainty there and that will have an effect in the changing room.
“If they are going to keep him, it would be good for them to come out and back him, and I believe he would stay. I can’t see why he wouldn’t.”
Cardiff, who go to Bristol City on Saturday, are 14th in the table after beating Stoke last weekend to register a first win in five league games.
Caulker says recent struggles will not affect Bulut.
“Knowing him on a personal level, he is very resilient,” he added.
“I know there’s quite a few disgruntled fans but I don’t think he’s going to go under from that pressure.
“I think he is going to rally the troops, so to speak, get the boys together and come back fighting, as they did against Stoke.”