Supporters have been sending a clear message to owner Tan

Paul Abbandonato: Cardiff City fans' faith in Malky Mackay knows no bounds as doubt remains over future
Wednesday 27th Nov 2013.


' Supporters have been sending a clear message to owner Vincent Tan '


Supporters have been sending a clear message to owner Vincent Tan as rumours persist that Mackay is on borrowed time despite his achievements


Malky Mackay is as popular as ever among the Cardiff City supporters


I never thought this would be possible, but if anything Malky Mackay appears to be even more popular with Cardiff City fans today than he was on the night his Bluebirds clinched their historic promotion to the Premier League back on April 16.

The affection in which he is held came across loud and clear during the battling 2-2 draw achieved against champions Manchester United.

Even when Malky’s Bluebirds twice trailed during the game, ‘Don’t sack Mackay’ chants roared around Cardiff City Stadium.

It was a clear message to Vincent Tan, although I’m not sure it’s necessarily going to do much good as time goes on because speculation continues about Mackay’s future.

However, the supporters have made their views plainly known. I’m not sure there is another manager in Britain held in such affectionate esteem by his own folk right at this moment as Mackay.

Look, if we’re being brutally honest, some of the football played under Malky at times this season has been conservative at best, dull and uninspiring if your glass is half empty.

They have set up too defensively, flair players like Kim Bo-Kyung are overlooked for workhorses such as Don Cowie.

City were so negative at Carrow Road they made crisis club Norwich look like world-beaters, didn’t muster a single chance in losing at Aston Villa.

But for Mackay it is a means to an end, trying to get his team a foothold in this division and muster enough points to ensure City are a Premier League side again next season.



Mackay will know the balance between defence and offence hasn’t been quite right in some matches, but it certainly was on Sunday as his Bluebirds went toe to toe with Manchester United and made sure they did not come off second best.

This United team are a pale shadow of some of the Sir Alex Ferguson-led teams which dominated football for two decades.

With respect, midfielders such as Tom Cleverly and Marouane Fellaini would never have had a look-in when Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham were in their pomp.

Wayne Rooney aside, there was no cutting edge to the David Moyes United Class of 2013.

But it was still a terrific achievement by these Bluebirds to twice come from behind to salvage a deserved point.

That they were able to do that was down to the team spirit, organisation and camaraderie Mackay continues to instil.

The manager deserves enormous credit for ensuring his Bluebirds have not just imploded in the wake of the Iain Moody-Alisher Apsalyamov controvery.

When the rumpus first erupted, there was lots of talk about whether Mackay would walk, would be dismissed, whether it would have a detrimental effect on the dressing room.

What Cardiff were doing was dubbed an embarrassment. How would the players react to their manager being undermined?

Things didn’t look good. In the first game after the furore blew up, Mackay’s men collapsed 4-1 at Chelsea.

It's a good point the fans on Sunday showed that Malkie has the full backing of the fans. What we need to do is keep up the support for MM as we will be the only ones fighting for our manager. It looks like if you work for VT it's best to keep your mouth well and truly shut.

Case in question is Ali no more " CARDIFF CITY THE BLUEBIRDSSSSSSSSSSSS" I wonder who stopped him saying that?

Answers on a postcard!!!!!

I am at every home game and go on just before the warm ups.

Ali always calls us the Bluebirds in his intro, he doesn't at the kick off.