Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:04 pm
Cardiff owner flies in to sack manager Malky Mackay
By David Ornstein
BBC Sport
Cardiff owner Vincent Tan will decide in the coming hours whether to sack boss Malky Mackay before or after Saturday's league match at Liverpool.
Tan is flying to the United Kingdom having told Mackay to resign or face being dismissed - and Mackay has repeatedly said he will not walk away.
Chairman Mehmet Dalman has a preferred candidate to succeed the 41-year-old and Tan's permission to strike a deal.
“
All I'm here to do is talk about the Liverpool game
”
Cardiff assistant David Kerslake responds to questions at Friday's news conference
The target is understood to be a household name at another British club.
Dalman, who has failed in his attempts to make peace between Tan and Mackay, plans to open talks immediately and make an appointment in the coming days.
Tan was considering a role for Dave Jones as manager or director of football, but the Malaysian businessman has decided against proceeding with that idea.
The pair have rebuilt their relationship after Jones, recently sacked by Sheffield Wednesday, took legal action against Tan after being dismissed by the Bluebirds in May 2011.
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David Kerslake tries to deflect questions about Mackay's future
Despite the latest developments, Mackay is keen to stay at the club he joined in June 2011 and guided to the Premier League for the first time last summer.
But both the Scot and the Cardiff hierarchy acknowledge his relationship with Tan is damaged beyond repair.
It is understood the former Watford boss would be entitled to compensation if sacked and could launch a constructive dismissal case if he eventually decides to resign.
Assistant manager David Kerslake, rather than Mackay, faced the media at a news conference on Friday to look ahead to Saturday's game against Liverpool and refused to discuss Mackay's position.
"All I'm here to do is talk about the Liverpool game," he said.