Cardiff won their first game of the league season on Tuesday night, beating Neil Harris’s Millwall 1-0 thanks to a headed goal from Perry Ng.
In truth, it should have been more, but this is where this Cardiff team is right now. It was Riza’s first win as a Championship manager, albeit on an interim basis, and Alnwick believes it’s down to a big shift in the players’ intensity levels.
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“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,” Alnwick said of Riza.
“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.”
This season has not gone how Cardiff would have wanted. Bulut signed a two-year deal after steering the club to 12th last year, but then oversaw the worst start in the club’s 125-year history, failing to win any of the first six games.
Speaking of Bulut’s dismissal, Alnwick said: “It’s not nice. They’re 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.”
Don Goodman: Four candidates for ‘unattractive’ Bluebirds job
Former West Brom, Sunderland and Wolves striker Don Goodman believes the vacant Cardiff post is not an attractive one for managers.
The Bluebirds are searching for a new boss, with interim manager Omer Riza having thrown his hat in the ring, but believes that given the number of managers who have been fired from the post in recent years, thinks some could even turn it down.
The former player turned commentator also threw four names into the ring with regards to possible candidates Vincent Tan and Co should be looking at. Sign up to our Cardiff City newsletter here.
“Cardiff City had got off to their worst start in 94 years and are looking for their 12th permanent manager in 14 years under Vincent Tan. It’s an indicator that the hierarchy is not reliable in picking the right man for the job” Goodman told Grosvenor Sport.
“Cardiff have just tamely fallen away since they were relegated in 2019 and you have never really given them a chance of being able to compete at the top of the Championship.
“They have just one win and morale must be on the floor. It’s going to take one heck of a turnaround from the new manager. They can either go down the experienced route with someone like Rob Page, Ryan Lowe and Gary Rowett or go for a younger manager with someone like Steven Schumacher.
“Is it an attractive job? Given the number of managers they’ve been through and their start to the season, I don’t think it is. That might be their problem and people could turn it down.”
Millwall chief reveals Wintle clause
Millwall director of football Steve Gallen has confirmed Ryan Wintle has a recall clause in his loan deal.
The Lions made three loan additions – Wintle, Middlesbrough striker Josh Coburn, and Liverpool full-back Calum Scanlon. Wintle has featured three times for the Lions off the bench, with Neil Harris having expressed his surprise at the midfielder becoming available in the summer.
When asked about January, Gallen told Millwall TV: “You look at whether there are any gaps in our squad right now? I think generally at the end of the window we pretty much covered everything, in terms of if someone goes down then is there a replacement?
“We have to recognise that the three loan players we brought in could – potentially – go back in January, which means we might have to cover that.
“But also we have got some loans out as well that could potentially come back in and cover us there. On the whole, in terms of the squad and the squad balance, I was really pleased with how it all ended.
“It gives us a few months’ breathing space where we can focus on the football – the manager can focus on the team and the players. But, of course, we are already looking at January where we could potentially improve the team or lose someone back to their parent club.”
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Cardiff will ‘reap rewards’ from Colwill loan
Wales under-21s boss Matty Jones believes Cardiff will “reap the rewards” from Joel Colwill’s loan to Cheltenham Town – and believes he excels in areas his brother Rubin does not.
Joel has enjoyed a fantastic start to his loan in League Two, winning the club’s Goal of the Month award for August, and has been rewarded with another call-up to Wales’ under-21s squad alongside his older brother.
The 19-year-old scored two goals against Newport County on debut and has three goals and two assists in 10 games for the Robins all told.
“The first line he said to me when he came into the last camp was – ‘Can I play Newport again?!'” Jones said of Colwill Jr.
“He has hit the ground running. That shows the faith Flynney (Michael Flynn) has shown in him, it shows the impression he has made there. The feedback has been excellent, he has grown in stature. You can see his courage, bravery and psychological elements in his game grow. He has grown up since he’s gone to Cheltenham.
“He has had a run of games there which puts us in a fantastic place. Instead of being on the periphery of a squad, he has now become a starter.”
