Malky Mackay has been sacked by Cardiff City chairman Vincent Tan, following persistent doubting rumours over Mackay’s managerial position at the South Wales side over recent weeks.
Tan had issued Mackay with an ultimatam over recent weeks, and following the heavy 3-0 home defeat against Southampton, Vincent Tan saw it correctly to relieve Mackay of his duties as manager of the club, after a fractious relationship between the two.
Cardiff were 3-0 down inside 27 minutes yesterday, and it was inevitable that Mackay was on borrowed time, after a string of bizarre incident’s that Tan oversaw during Mackay’s tenure, from the changing of the club’s colour’s from Blue to Red, sacking chief executive, and Mackay’s close friend Ian Moody in October, and the relevant email that Mackay received a week ago concerning his future as the Cardiff City manager.
Mackay lead the Bluebirds to promotion in the 2012/13 campaign, after leading the club to the League title in emphatic fashion, but Tan’s recent behaviour has seen Mackay put in an impossible position as manager of the club.
Mackay signed a whole host of stellar players as the Bluebirds looked to assert themselves in the top flight, as he and former executive Moody captured the likes of Gary Medal, Steven Caulker, and Peter Odemwingie, as the side enjoyed a steady start to life in the top flight.
Mackay guided the side to impressive wins against the likes of Manchester City and the south Wales derby against Swansea City, he also oversaw his side gaining a point against Manchester United.
The news comes twelve days following that email that Tan sent, telling Mackay to resign or be sacked, but the Scot failed to follow Tan’s orders, and looked to have been granted with a sudden reprieve after the club issued a statement that he would be the club’s manager for the forseeable future.
After taking charge of the South Wales club in the summer of 2011, and guided the club to the play off’s, with West Ham United beating them in the semi finals.
Mackay also guided the club to a League Cup Final in 2012, were the Bluebirds lost in emphatic fashion in defeat to Liverpool on penalties at Wembley, in the February of that year.
Tan had finally lost patience with the popular Scottish manager, and according to media sources, walked out at the half time break in disgust, and has apparently been on the look out for a new manager for several weeks now, with various manager’s being lined up by Tan.
Mackay’s recent treatment has been condemned by nearly every manager in the Premier League, with Brendan Rodgers and Sam Allardyce speaking up in support of Mackay over recent weeks.
Mackay remained calm that he would come to an agreement with Tan, and was quoted in yesterday’s post match press interview following the defeat to Southampton….
Myself and my staff knew exactly how tough this was going to be this season, as did the players and the media,” he said. “We are competing well, 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. 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.
Earlier the agent of Yilmaz Vural, the Turkish journeyman who has been linked with the Cardiff job, mischeviously tweeted that “explosive” events lie ahead. Muzzi Ozcan tweeted: “The story is coming to a End in Wales and a new story will be born … The next 48 hours will be explosive !”
The club’s official Twitter account tweeted: ‘The Board of Directors at #CardiffCity have relieved Malky Mackay of his duties. A new first team manager will be appointed in due course.’
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1