‘We are not hearing you’: Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust express frustration over managerial impasse

Rhodri Evans
The Cardiff City Supporters Trust have released a statement condemning the Cardiff board for their lack of communication during the search for a new manager.
Cardiff City are currently without a manager ahead of their first season in League One for over 20 years.
Last season, the Bluebirds saw three different coaches manage the team: Erol Bulut, Omer Riza, and finally Aaron Ramsey as a player-coach for the final three matches of the season.
The new manager – who it has been reported will potentially be announced later this week – will be Cardiff’s ninth in four seasons.
Following the uncertainty and protracted process in recent weeks, the Supporters Trust have slammed the Cardiff board for “no formal communication” between the club and it’s fans.
The statement reads: “It is a matter of considerable concern that there has been no formal communication from the club to fans in respect of where we are in appointing a new manager.”
The frustration stems from a statement made by Vincent Tan on the 29th April, shortly after the club’s relegation to the third tier was confirmed.
In it, Tan asserted that the board “hears your words and shares your hurt and frustration.” Following almost a month without movement, the CCFC Trust have now responded to Tan, saying that there is an ” information vacuum … filled with rumour” around the club at the moment.
“Since the season ended at Norwich on May 3 fans have learned via external news outlets that Sports Agency Wasserman had been engaged to assist in the recruitment process along with Mark Allen, a former Swansea City Sporting Director,” the statement from the Trust continues.
“Of course, at the Fans Advisory Board (FAB) meeting on May 12 these issues were discussed. However, as the club did not publish the minutes until May 23 (11 days after the meeting and not the promised 48 hours) it was a bit late to be told the bare minimum that the process had already started (prior to May 12) and that the end of May was the target for appointment which has now come and gone.
“Looking at the news on the club website since the club statement regarding relegation on April 29 there has been no mention of manager recruitment. What appears to be an information vacuum is being filled with rumour, betting odds from bookmakers and social media and press speculation but nothing official from the club.
“Fans are very concerned about the appointment of a new manager in our new situation in League 1. Given the club’s poor handling of the manager’s position in 2024-25, getting it right for next season, set against a background of the promised root and branch review, is a bigger priority than ever.”
The Supporters Trust suggests that more transparent communication from Cardiff regarding the stage of the hiring process would “go a long way to quelling concerns.”
The statement reads: “Fans don’t expect confidential information on specifics of who, when and where that might compromise the process but at least letting them know officially where we are in the procedure and updating of timescales would go a long way to quelling concerns.”
“Even a sentence or two from the club to say that the recruitment is proceeding but we do not want to jeopardise the process would be helpful. The club appears to be its own worst enemy in this respect and its silence only fuels negative speculation that impacts upon themselves.
“The club have gone some way to filling the football expertise gap in appointing external consultants to assist in the recruitment process, however, it is reasonable to say that the fanbase still has reservations that Vincent Tan will embrace any recommendation that they may come up with and put in place a decision based on his own special kind of footballing expertise.”
The release ends with a stinging barb aimed at Vincent Tan – who has owned Cardiff City since 2010:
“‘We hear you’ said the club in its statement of April 29. Well, we are not hearing you.”
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