It is imperative that Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan repairs his relationship with manager Malky Mackay, both for the sake of the club and for his own reputation.┬á MackayÔÇÖs future has been tirelessly debated in recent weeks, but it must be Tan who is feeling the pressure.
The managerÔÇÖs position is far more powerful than has been given credit for in most of the press, including in this column last week.┬á Tan must, therefore, do whatever he can to keep him at the club ÔÇô not only because he is an excellent manager to whom Tan is indebted, but also because he could not survive if the managerÔÇÖs army of allies took up arms against him.
Mackay is admired both in the dressing room and on the terraces.  Having rebuilt the squad almost from scratch since arriving in the Welsh capital in 2011, he has earned strong support from the fans, as well as from his players and backroom staff.  Recent decisions to include him in all board meetings and to give him the final say on transfers only strengthen his authority.
In contrast, TanÔÇÖs staggering financial investment has not been enough to resuscitate his languishing popularity.┬á It has struggled to recover since his rebranding of the Bluebirds last season and sustained further damage following the saga surrounding the appointment of the head of recruitment and attempts to influence team tactics.
The owner is, therefore, left in a vulnerable position, with only his cheque book for security.┬á Aligning himself more closely with Mackay and more actively supporting the managerÔÇÖs performance could silence many critics, while refocusing his attention on the boardroom might serve to redress the balance of power between himself and the manager.
Only time will tell if the Malaysian billionaire can undertake a damage limitation exercise sufficient to keep Mackay at the Cardiff City Stadium and find the stability that will be crucial to keeping CardiffÔÇÖs Premier League dream alive.
David Hooson
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