Cardiff City

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Former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe says the vacant manager's position at Cardiff City is a "fantastic job".

The 46-year-old, who has also managed Bury and Plymouth Argyle, is one of the bookies' favourites including ex-Croatia boss Slaven Bilic and Steven Schumacher - sacked as Stoke City boss in September - to become Cardiff's next permanent manager.

Interim Bluebirds boss Omer Riza has been in charge since Erol Bulut's sacking and has said he would like the role full time.

Lowe had been at Preston since 2021 but asked to leave in August after just one game of the new season following discussions with the club’s board.

While Lowe would not be drawn on whether there has been any contact with the Cardiff hierarchy, he made it clear it was a job worth considering.

“I can’t tell you anything that you don’t already know,” Lowe told Sky Sports.

“What I will say is that I think Cardiff City’s a fantastic football club, very attractive to any manager who is out of work.

“[They have a] great fanbase and [they are] probably in a false position because they have got some quality players and they have got a fantastic youth system as well.

“So it’s a fantastic job for not just myself but… any other manager that’s out of work.”

Cardiff remain bottom of the Championship despite Riza leading them to their first league win of the season against Millwall and a draw at Bristol City this month.

The Bluebirds return to action on Saturday, 19 October with a 12:30 BST kick-off at home to Plymouth Argyle.

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Wales international Charlie Savage has given an insight into the type of boss Cardiff City would be getting if they looked at Reading’s Ruben Selles.

This weekend marks three weeks since the Bluebirds began their search for a new manager following the dismissal of Erol Bulut.

Assistant Omer Riza has stepped up to take interim charge of the team, with the club prepared to keep him in the hotseat for the visit of Plymouth after the international break as they continue to assess their options.

Among the names linked to the role, former Southampton manager Selles has crept up the bookmakers odds having impressed during difficult times in Berkshire.

He recently raised eyebrows when he suggested he had ‘had enough’ of the off-the-field issues at the League One side.

It is not clear whether Selles is a genuine target of the Cardiff hierarchy, but Reading youngster Savage was full of praise for the Spaniard who he says gives youth a chance to shine.

Speaking prior to Wales Under-21’s final Euro qualifier against Czechia in Newport, Reading youngster Savage was asked about life playing under Selles.

And he said: “I had to get out of playing Under-21s football for Manchester United and experience playing men’s football. The learning you get playing for three points every week, you can’t mirror that.

“That learning is essential for any young player. You need games and minutes and to get that, especially under a manager like Rubén Selles, is really good.

“He is a manager who likes developing young players and gives them a chance. He showed that when had a 16-year-old [Andre Garcia] who's still at school play for us at the weekend; it’s a prime example that he will give you that chance. He wants to develop people’s games, and I’ve really enjoyed playing under him.”

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Karlan Grant says he wanted to “prove a point” at West Bromwich Albion after his loan spell at Cardiff City.

Forward Grant, 27, scored six times in 40 appearances for the Bluebirds last season after being allowed to leave by Albion boss Carlos Corberan.

But having returned to The Hawthorns in the summer, Grant has played in all nine – and started eight - of fourth-placed West Brom’s Championship games this season.

Though there was some speculation at various stages about the possibility of a permanent move to Cardiff, Grant says he always expected to return to West Brom, where he is under contract until 2026.

"It was nice to have the back of the manager at Cardiff and it was a different style of play,” he said.

"Just playing games has put me in a good position for this season. I've been raring to go and I wanted to come back prove a point."

Read more: Grant enjoying 'fresh chance' back at West Brom

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It is now 18 days since Cardiff City sacked Erol Bulut, but still Bluebirds fans wonder who will be the club’s next permanent manager.

The likes of Slaven Bilic, Ryan Lowe, Steven Schumacher and Nathan Jones have been touted as contenders to take over at the Championship club.

For the moment, however, interim manager Omer Riza remains at the helm as Cardiff prepare to return to action after the international break with a home game against Plymouth Argyle on 19 October.

With winless Portsmouth visiting the Welsh capital three days later, Cardiff have a chance to build on their upturn in form since Riza took the reins.

After defeat in his first game at Hull, Riza delivered a maiden league win of the campaign against Millwall and then took a point at Bristol City last Sunday – although Cardiff might have triumphed at Ashton Gate after going ahead through Ollie Tanner’s stunning goal.

So who do Cardiff’s supporters want to succeed Bulut? We asked earlier this week if you think the club should stick with Riza or look elsewhere – and you have sent numerous responses.

Here are some of your thoughts.

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John: The players have responded well and I like Riza’s style of high-energy pressing and more players up front. As a long-time supporter I’m quietly confident we will move up the table with more entertaining football.

Roy: The [interim] manager’s decision to sit back and let Bristol City come on to us has left me thinking that he does not have the experience to carry us forward.

Nathan: If he didn’t change things so early against Bristol City, then I would say give him time. But the fact is that we are bottom of the league and cannot take a risk on someone in charge, making inexperienced mistakes. I’d definitely keep him on the coaching staff.

Jon: Riza has improved the way we play but the very fact that he panicked on Sunday when we were dominating the game and brought on the extra defender shows he isn’t ready. The only man for the job in my opinion is Nathan Jones. He knows the league, plays attractive football and is used to working with a small budget.

Yanto: [Riza is] only ever an interim manager, although players seem to work for him. Naivety in substitutions against Bristol City will cost him a permanent appointment. Can’t see it happening as [club owner Vincent] Tan will choose who he wants, but I want Nathan Jones, local lad, loads of passion…

Greg: The current problem with the club is not just the manager but the people behind the appointment of the manager. [Chairman Mehmet] Dalman and [chief executive Ken] Choo need to take a long, hard look at themselves as appointing eight managers in five years calls into question their governance of the club.

Steve: Cardiff need a better manager than Riza. He didn’t ‘manage’ the last 20 minutes of the Bristol City game at all well. We should have come away with the three points.

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Gary: Certainly more commitment from the players and purpose to our play. However, his tactical blunder on Sunday gifted momentum to Bristol City at a time we were dominating the game. Therefore, big question for me about his management ability.

JT: Give the guy [Riza] a chance, at least until Christmas. Everyone has to start somewhere and so far he seems to be making some improvements and he seems keen to prove himself. Who knows, he could be ‘the one’.

Marcus: Omer Riza for the job - give him a solid chance.

Raj: Slaven Bilic would be the best candidate for the Cardiff City job. His coaching experience, previously both with Premier League and Championship teams, proves he can handle the job.

Colin: We have failed twice with recruiting from within. We must get this right so [need] an experienced manager who has proven quality [in the] Championship and a strong character.

Andy: Give Omer a chance. Players look like they want to play for him. We’re already looking more positive going forward. We’ve more points in last two games than all season. He’s already on the payroll so what’s the point in starting all over again?

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Darren: Riza is inexperienced and out of his depth. The job, at this time, requires someone with experience and a thorough and in-depth knowledge of the Championship. The players are not too good to go down, and they will without a solid gameplan and tactical nous. [Tony] Mowbray type is needed to steady the ship and deal with the noise from ‘upstairs’.

Patrick: Appreciate Risa’s hard work and efforts as interim manager but we need an experienced manager at Championship level, especially for the long term instead of the continual quick fix which results in poor results.

John: I think the board need to go all out to get David Moyes, he would be the man

Ben: I think we need someone with a little more experience. Keep him [Riza] on as a No. 2 so he can keep learning!

Dai: I'm concerned that Riza is too inexperienced at a time when we need some knowledge of the league but if the board choose him, it will show that they have lost interest in the club. Nathan Jones for me, please.

Alex: Terrible substitutions during the Bristol City game made it more likely they would equalise. A 'rookie error'. He is a rookie. The team now needs wins, not draws. However, he immediately changed the shape of the team after the Bristol City equaliser. Despite what he says, he recognises his error. Give him Plymouth and Portsmouth, then decide.

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Omer Riza believes Cardiff City's squad is edging towards reaching the levels of competitiveness the Bluebirds require to continue their improvement following the departure of former manager Erol Bulut.

Aaron Ramsey, Isaak Davies and Kion Etete have all sustained serious injuries, while others including Callum O’Dowda, Manolis Siopis and Jesper Daland only returned from short-term issues in last weekend's draw with Bristol City.

And Riza - who has overseen a loss, a win and a draw during his three games as interim boss - believes the Bluebirds can only improve as players return to full fitness.

He said: “We will manage to get them back to where they need to be and then you have a squad of 26-28 to pick from where they’re all fighting for their shirts and hopefully that gives us the competitiveness to really kick on.”

Meanwhile, Riza added that he will wait for news on defender Dimitrios Goutas, who was withdrawn at Ashton Gate as a precaution after a blow to the head, with Cardiff able to use a concussion substitution to replace him in the final stages.

“He was fine in the dressing room but it will be monitored by the medical team and [they will] deal with it,” Riza said.

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Aaron Ramsey’s absence through injury means there is no senior Cardiff City representative in the Wales squad for the Nations League games in Iceland on Friday and home to Montenegro next Monday.

Ramsey has been pictured training with Wales but is not expected to finish his rehabilitation for between three and four weeks, according to Cardiff interim boss Omer Riza.

His club-mate Rubin Colwill is with the Wales Under-21 squad preparing for their key Euro 2025 qualifier against Czech Republic on Friday.

Two more members of Riza’s current squad, Cian Ashford and Tom Davies, are also with the Under-21s.

Callum Robinson will remain at Cardiff during the international having been omitted from the Republic of Ireland squad, though Callum O’Dowda is involved in Nations League games away in Finland on Thursday and Greece on Sunday.

He could come up against Cardiff colleague Manolis Siopis in the Greece fixture.

The Greeks also face England at Wembley on Thursday.

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath has been named in Mauricio Pochettino’s first USA squad, for friendlies against Panama on Sunday and Mexico a week on Wednesday.

And Cardiff midfielder Andy Rinomhota has been called up by Zimbabwe for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Namibia, on Thursday and next Monday.

Summer signing Jesper Daland, meanwhile, is not in the Norway squad in this international window having only returned from an injury lay-off in Cardiff’s weekend draw at Bristol City.

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Former Cardiff City captain Jason Perry says Rubin Collwill has taken the first step in letting his football do the talking, praising his "ugly" work.

But Perry says he is keen for a lid to be kept on expectations of the young Wales international.

Collwill was told he faces a “make or break” year at international level by Wales Under-21 boss Matty Jones after he was again left out of Craig Bellamy’s senior squad.

While plenty are excited about the 22-year-old’s potential, Perry is among those who believe the academy product needs to focus on living up to the headlines by concentrating on the basics.

Yet the former defender said he was pleased by what he saw from Collwill in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

“People went too early with Rubin,” Perry told BBC Radio Wales Sport. “I’ve said it before, there’s been too much hype about him from the media, supporters.

“I just want him to play his game and not have people talking about him.

“But in this game was the first time I saw a performance where he pressed with intelligence, he showed he had energy, he showed all the ugly things you have to do.

“And when he got on the ball, the weight of the passes was sensational, the easy balls to help his team as well.”

“But this was 90 minutes, let’s not get carried away about Premier League and how he’s going to be the main man, let’s enjoy it, let’s keep the profile low, let’s let him do it all season.”

Time is ticking on Cardiff City's search for a new manager - with interim boss Omer Riza waiting to find out if he is staying in charge for the Bluebirds' next game.

It is more than two weeks since Erol Bulut was relieved of his duties after a 2-0 home defeat by Leeds United.

Riza - brought in by the club over the summer to assist Bulut - was told to take temporary charge as chief executive Ken Choo oversaw the hunt for the next man.

The 44-year-old Riza has since taken four points from three games and has made it clear he would like the job on a longer-term basis.

Speaking after Sunday's Severnside derby draw with Bristol City, the former Watford coach says he was not sure if he would still be in the hotseat for the visit of Plymouth Argyle after the international break on 19 October, with the visit of fellow strugglers Portsmouth coming up just four days later.

But amid mixed responses to his time in charge so far, do you think Riza has done enough to be named manager? Would you be happy if he was handed the role until the end of the season?

Or do you think Cardiff need to look elsewhere - and who is the realistic best option?

You can have your say by letting us know your thoughts here, external.

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Cardiff castle will be lit up in blue on Monday evening to celebrate the anniversary of Cardiff City's first ever game.

The walls of the Welsh landmark will turn to the colour of the capital city's club, 125 years on from the first time they took to the field.

Cardiff - then known as Riverside AFC - played Barry West End on 7 October 1899 close to the castle at Sophia Gardens.

The club was formed by Bartley Wilson who was a member of Riverside Cricket Club, based at the now home of Glamorgan.

With the idea of keeping the players fit during the winter, Wilson arranged to set up the football club, with its first friendly falling on this day 125 years ago.

The marking of the date forms part of the club's season-long celebrations of the anniversary,

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Cardiff City interim boss Omer Riza says he does not regret the substitutions he made in the Bluebirds’ 1-1 draw with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Cardiff led through Ollie Tanner’s superb opening goal and seemed to be in control of the contest before a switch to five defenders on 66 minutes saw them lose momentum.

Riza’s substitutions have been criticised by some Cardiff fans, but the interim boss says he felt it was the right decision.

“Misses when you are 1-0 up are always costly because anything can happen and it allows the opposition to apply pressure,” he told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

“But we missed those opportunities and that is something we need to improve.

“I don’t really have any regrets on the substitutions, I felt the game was swaying a little bit, I thought they were getting through us a bit more through the middle of the pitch.

“We thought out of possession we could go 5-4-1.

“We still managed to maintain a certain amount of pressure, but we need to be calmer in our processes.”

Riza admitted the draw, which failed to lift Cardiff off the foot of the Championship, dented the Bluebirds’ morale.

“The players are deflated because it (winning the game) was in the palm of our hands,” he added.

“But before the game I think we’d have taken a point. It hasn’t taken us off the bottom of the table, but I am happy with the players.”

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Cardiff City may have had some difficult days in the south Wales derby in the last few years, but they have enjoyed their recent meetings with Bristol City.

The Bluebirds make the short trip to Ashton Gate today for the Severnside derby against Bristol City.

And despite their difficult start to the season, Cardiff can travel with some confidence given that they have won the last three games against the Robins without conceding a goal.

There will be a new man leading the Bluebirds across the Bridge, of course, with Omer Riza in charge following last month’s sacking of Erol Bulut.

Cardiff’s interim boss was in the dugout as part of Bulut’s staff for the draw at Swansea City in August.

And while he has only been working in south Wales since the summer, the former Watford coach insists he knows the significance of the Bristol City fixture.

“It’s a massive game, a derby,” Riza said.

“I know how important derbies are. Against Swansea we put up a good game and could have come away with a win.

“We will approach this in the same way – we will be high intensity, not allowing the opposition to play if we can and looking to implement our style on them.”

In truth, of course, the stakes in every Cardiff game are high right now.

Despite Tuesday’s victory over Millwall, Cardiff remain bottom of the Championship having failed to win in their first seven league games of 2024-25.

It will take a few more results before the Welsh club’s fans can start enjoying what so far has been a painful season.

And for Riza, every game counts as he tries to convince the Cardiff hierarchy that he should be given the manager’s job on a permanent basis.

“The players have been excellent. They have taken everything on board,” Riza added.

“Bristol City have been a bit hot and cold this season but they are not a bad team. They can hurt us if we don’t do things properly, but on the flip side we can hurt them.”

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Omer Riza is confident Cardiff City can continue to progress after claiming a long-awaited first league win of the season against Millwall in midweek.

Cardiff remain bottom of the Championship as they prepare for Sunday’s Severnside derby at Bristol City.

But interim boss Riza believes his team can put the club’s worst ever start to a season behind them by building on the Millwall victory.

“We have made changes tactically, we have made personnel changes, and I think there’s been elements of an uplift in that,” said Riza, who took charge after Erol Bulut was sacked 13 days ago.

“I think there’s a real togetherness at the moment. We have got a result in a tough game against Millwall and if we continue doing the things we are working on, we will continue to improve.”

Riza’s first game at the helm was a heavy defeat at Hull City last weekend.

But having taken the lead in a league game for the first time this season against the Tigers, Cardiff repeated the trick when Perry Ng headed in against Millwall on Tuesday.

They then dug deep to deliver a maiden league clean sheet of the 2024-25 campaign.

“I think you can see that element of belief coming back in the squad,” Riza added.

“You can see the players understanding the work-rate and work ethic have to be there no matter what, whether it’s a derby.

“Whether it’s Millwall, whether it’s Plymouth, it doesn’t matter. That has to be there first and foremost before you get any foothold in a game.

“We have the quality as players in possession and the way we set up to cause the opposition a problem, so we are confident we can progress.”

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Joel Bagan feels he has returned to Cardiff City a “different player” following his loan spell at Belgian club Zulte Waregem.

Having spent last season in Belgium’s second tier, the 23-year-old defender has made six appearances for Cardiff in all competitions this term.

Bagan earned praise for his performance in the Bluebirds’ first league win of the season on Tuesday as they beat Millwall 1-0.

The left-back has previously faced criticism for a perceived lack of aggression in his play but he believes that is one of the attributes he improved during his time in Belgium.

“It’s tough. I’ve spoken to managers before and said it's different in training to games,” Bagan said.

“I don't want to go into training and start smashing my team-mates before a game. But this season, I don't know, I think maybe it just comes with playing more regularly, you start to do things without thinking.

“I think that's why Belgium for me last year was so important, to get that run of games and playing regularly. I’ve come back this season and feel a lot more confident and feel like a different player.”

The win over Millwall was Cardiff’s first clean sheet in the Championship this season.

They remain bottom of the table and head to Bristol City on Sunday, but Bagan believes he and his team-mates proved a point with that much-needed victory.

“Yeah, definitely. No team wants to be sat bottom of the league without a win. We know as players, we haven't been good enough,” he said.

“It was important to get that first win, something to build on now and hopefully we can continue that and there are more points to come.”

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Cardiff City will be boosted by the return of three players from injury for Sunday's Championship encounter at Bristol City.

Winger Callum O'Dowda is available after missing Tuesday's 1-0 win over Millwall as a precautionary measure.

Midfielder Manolis Siopis returns having been absent for the previous two matches.

And centre-back Jasper Daland - who interim manager Omer Riza had said earlier this week was close to a return - is in contention after an ankle injury caused the Norwegian to miss four games.

"Jesper trained today, so it was nice to see him back," said Riza.

"He was training for a week but he's been getting through certain phases of his rehab. Today he trained really well, so he will be up for selection.

"Callum O'Dowda trained today and trained really well, he is ready for selection.

"Sio [Siopis] trained with medical today but will be training tomorrow with us, so he is up for selection."

Cardiff are still without long-term injury absentees such as midfielder Aaron Ramsey and striker Kion Etete.

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Cardiff City goalkeeper Jak Alnwick believes interim manager Omer Riza has boosted the Bluebirds’ intensity as they look to climb off the bottom of the Championship table.

Cardiff earned their first league win of the season at the eighth attempt on Tuesday, beating Millwall 1-0 at home.

The Welsh side had endured their worst start to a season in their history, costing former manager Erol Bulut his job last month.

Alnwick says he has “nothing but good words” for Bulut and his staff, but has seen an improvement during Riza’s two games so far.

“He’s a possession-based coach and I think with the training level he’s put the intensity up through different drills or whatever it may be,” said Alnwick.

“I think I've seen a bit of a difference in the training level, not so much with the standard but the intensity has gone up a little bit.

“It looks like we've got a bit more intensity to our game and also a bit of calmness.”

Having been on the periphery of Cardiff’s squad before Bulut’s arrival in 2023, Alnwick enjoyed regular first-team football under the former Fenerbahce boss.

He lost his place to Evan Horvath but has since reclaimed his starting berth ahead of the United States international.

Asked about Bulut’s departure, Alnwick added: “It’s not nice. They [Bulut and his staff] are great men who’ve lost their jobs and you never want to see that at a football club. He's moved his whole life over from a different country and made a real commitment and, on a personal level, I couldn't thank them enough.

“Since they came to the club, I ended up playing a lot of games, I signed a new contract and I made this my home and that was down to them. So I've got nothing but good words for them. It just didn't work out. But that's how it is in football. It can happen.”