' Showdown Malky & Tan on Friday '

Malky Mackay set for showdown talks with Vincent Tan following Saints loss

Daily Mirror Thursday Dec 26th, 2013 By Phil Cadden


Malky Mackay will discover his fate as Cardiff boss tomorrow when he faces crunch talks with owner Vincent Tan.

Under-pressure Mackay oversaw a defensive nightmare as Southampton scored three times in just 13 first-half minutes to record their first Premier League win in seven outings.

It is understood that Mackay, whose future remains uncertain following this limp loss , will finally face a showdown meeting with Tan and chairman Mehmet Dalman on the day the Bluebirds take on rock-bottom Sunderland in a crunch home clash.

Prior to kick-off in the Welsh capital yesterday, approximately, 700 Cardiff fans protested against Tan’s running of the club on the back of the infamous explosive email which ordered Mackay to ‘resign or face the axe’ last week.

Yet the angry supporters did not get to see Malaysian billionaire tycoon Tan, who was already inside the ground and spotted talking to Dalman pitchside before the game.

But Mackay hardly did his case of keeping his status as Cardiff chief any good as the Scotsman suffered a knock-out blow on Boxing Day .

After Peter Whittingham missed a glorious chance to put the hosts ahead, the Saints clinically surged clear courtesy of a Jay Rodriguez double and a close-range finish by strike partner Rickie Lambert to leave Mackay’s side drop to 16th and just one point above the relegation zone.

Asked if he was confident of facing Gus Poyet’s struggling side, Mackay replied: “It is something you’ll have to ask someone else, if that is the case or not.

“I have belief in my ability to be the manager here and that group of players are working hard for me. The staff are working hard and everyone is pulling in that direction right now, so as far as I am concerned that group are competing well in this league.

“There are games we should have won, there are games we should have done better in. This is a season where I firmly believe we can stay in this league and build on it like Southampton did last year, and kick on again like they have this year.

“There are plenty of good people at this football club, in terms of staff and players, all pulling in one direction and we believe we can do that.

“We are not in the bottom three at the moment and we are where they are supposed to be. Some people might have us languishing in the bottom three but they have not done that all season.

“It was always going to be a tough battle no matter what as we were playing catch-up like the other two teams who came up.

“But I am pushing and standing strong to make sure if it is anything to do with me and my staff that we will make sure we stay in this league.”

Cardiff’s nightmare started in the 14th minute when Adam Lallana set up Rodriguez for his first goal by breaking the home side’s offside trap before squaring for the former Burnley striker at the back post.


Then Rodriguez, who came back to haunt Mackay following a £5million bid in the summer of 2012, added Southampton’s and his second just six minutes later when he reacted ahead of the napping Kevin Theophile-Catherine to put the ball through David Marshall’s legs from Lambert’s centre.

But Lambert did not take long to get in on the action himself, pouncing in the 27th minute when Rodriguez beat Aron Gunnarsson in an aerial challenge and the Scouser slotted past Marshall.

Mackay added: “I’m certainly not going to make any excuses at all. I thought we gave away three really poor goals and we can’t do that against a good team. It was unlike us in terms of the quality of the goals we lost.

“We had a great chance just a couple for minutes before the first goal where (Craig) Noone puts a great ball into the back post and Peter Whittingham nine times out of ten would score.

“Within five minutes, they go and do something similar. We can’t give ourselves a mountain to climb in games. In the second half, we came back into it and pressed them back and made more of a game of it. We can’t give cheap goals away.”

Not a minute too soon. This PL experience is turning into a nightmare. They really need to sort it out.

It's been a while, but this is starting to feel like a relegation season. Today was very dispiriting.

Tan either needs to have the guts to sack Malky, or confirm him in post until the end of the season, come what may. The uncertainty and rumours must stop.

Relegation is never nice, but its part of football. Those of us of a certain age remember a few! But relegation in these circumstances would be criminal.

yeah get me back in the championship, please

Let's all be totally honest here...if all this shite wasn't going on and there was harmony between board and manager where realistically do posters on here think we would be in the league at this moment in time?
Are we where we should be?
Would we be happy with the football played if it was keeping us away from the trapdoor?
People have had to take sides..some on one side of the fence some on tuther.
Fulham, Palace and Sunderland have all changed managers recently and all 3 have seen improved performances and unexpected wins, could the same work for us?...no doubt we will find out very soon. Some will be pleased with the outcome others will not, let's just hope whatever the outcome it's the best decision for our beloved Bluebirds.

Let's all be totally honest here...if all this shite wasn't going on and there was harmony between board and manager where realistically do posters on here think we would be in the league at this moment in time?
Are we where we should be?
Would we be happy with the football played if it was keeping us away from the trapdoor?
People have had to take sides..some on one side of the fence some on tuther.
Fulham, Palace and Sunderland have all changed managers recently and all 3 have seen improved performances and unexpected wins, could the same work for us?...no doubt we will find out very soon. Some will be pleased with the outcome others will not, let's just hope whatever the outcome it's the best decision for our beloved Bluebirds.

We'd be inexactly the same position.....a relegation scrap.

But, like you say, others around us seem to be making changes.

With 4 bottom clubs changing managers and West Ham looking at bring in striker options, it looks like those around us are preparing for the new year to put up a decent fight.

With no change, is it realistic to think we can compete in the new year to avoid the drop? I can't see it myself.....something needs to change.

Let's all be totally honest here...if all this shite wasn't going on and there was harmony between board and manager where realistically do posters on here think we would be in the league at this moment in time?
Are we where we should be?
Would we be happy with the football played if it was keeping us away from the trapdoor?
People have had to take sides..some on one side of the fence some on tuther.
Fulham, Palace and Sunderland have all changed managers recently and all 3 have seen improved performances and unexpected wins, could the same work for us?...no doubt we will find out very soon. Some will be pleased with the outcome others will not, let's just hope whatever the outcome it's the best decision for our beloved Bluebirds.

We'd be inexactly the same position.....a relegation scrap.

But, like you say, others around us seem to be making changes.

With 4 bottom clubs changing managers and West Ham looking at bring in striker options, it looks like those around us are preparing for the new year to put up a decent fight.

With no change, is it realistic to think we can compete in the new year to avoid the drop? I can't see it myself.....something needs to change.

Yes with other teams planning to bring in signings and some already with different managers will our "no Jan signings and as you were on the management front will we be able to hang on in there?

Let's all be totally honest here...if all this shite wasn't going on and there was harmony between board and manager where realistically do posters on here think we would be in the league at this moment in time?
Are we where we should be?
Would we be happy with the football played if it was keeping us away from the trapdoor?
People have had to take sides..some on one side of the fence some on tuther.
Fulham, Palace and Sunderland have all changed managers recently and all 3 have seen improved performances and unexpected wins, could the same work for us?...no doubt we will find out very soon. Some will be pleased with the outcome others will not, let's just hope whatever the outcome it's the best decision for our beloved Bluebirds.

We'd be inexactly the same position.....a relegation scrap.

But, like you say, others around us seem to be making changes.

With 4 bottom clubs changing managers and West Ham looking at bring in striker options, it looks like those around us are preparing for the new year to put up a decent fight.

With no change, is it realistic to think we can compete in the new year to avoid the drop? I can't see it myself.....something needs to change.

Lets have it sorted today. Too many complacent opinions here all season. If Malky had got us to fourth in the league by now, I'd still be shitting myself for the rest of the season. In this league you can plummet fast if you don't have your wits about you.

Even if the change was starting to use squad rotation, that would be something.

Competition for places could give some of the players a boost.....the ones not playing would get a lift by seeing some opportunities to fight for, and the regulars would have to pick their game up.

Apart from the inclusion of Noone, competition for places has been piss poor. (The Noone inclusion is probably only down to the absence of Bellers though, so in effect a forced change)