"A good move" - Pundit backs Alex Neil to replace Erol Bulut at Cardiff City | OneFootball

Alex Neil has been linked with the vacant Cardiff City job

Pundit and former England international Carlton Palmer has tipped Alex Neil to take the reigns at Cardiff City, who are expected to hire a permanent manager during the two-week international break.

The Bluebirds remain in search of their 12th permanent managerial appointment in 14 years following the dismissal of Erol Bulut last month. The Turk claimed just one point from his opening six games of the 2024/25 Championship campaign, with a 2-0 defeat at home to Leeds United ultimately forcing divisive owner Vincent Tan into action.

Cardiff are still rooted to the foot of the Championship and were forced to wait until Tuesday evening for their first league victory, which came in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Neil Harris' Millwall.

Results have improved somewhat under the temporary tuition of Omer Riza, who has returned four points from his three fixtures as interim manager and led Cardiff to a 1-1 draw in Sunday afternoon's Severnside Derby showdown at Bristol City.

However, Riza is expected to be replaced by a permanent hire at some stage of the October international break. According to a recent report from The Mirror, both Tony Mowbray and Nathan Jones are under consideration while Alex Neil and Steven Schumacher are said to be interested.

Carlton Palmer's Cardiff City, Alex Neil verdict

Palmer believes that Neil, who has been out of work since his sacking from Stoke City last December, would represent a strong appointment for Cardiff.

The Scotsman guided Sunderland back to the Championship from League One in 2022 and has previous Championship experience with the likes of Stoke, Preston North End and Norwich City.

"Alex Neil has been out of work, the former Sunderland boss was sacked by Stoke City last December," Palmer exclusively explained to Football League World.

"He's out of work and sacking season has begun already, so his name has been mentioned for the Cardiff City job.

"But Neil has been mentioned in regards to potentially taking over at Cardiff, they were looking like they were going to get cast adrift at the bottom of the Championship but they've rallied recently. They've got one win and two draw so they sit on five points.

"It's all about making decisions in life. He jumped ship from Sunderland and went to Stoke and it just didn't work out for him there, but you have to look at his record before.

"He's proven that he's a very astute manager, sometimes you make the wrong decision and we all do that in life. Sometimes they don't work out.

"He's proven at the clubs he's been at when he hasn't always had the resources, he's managed to get the teams playing well. He's tactically very astute, so I think this would be a good move for Neil to get his career back on track."

Steven Schumacher, Tony Mowbray may be better Cardiff City fits than Alex Neil

Neil does have factors in his favour, such as his promotion-winning experience with both Sunderland and, crucially, Norwich from the Championship in 2015, as well as stabilising Preston in the second-tier.

Cardiff could do much worse, then, but there is also a school of thought that Mowbray or Schumacher would come as better fits.

Neil struggled at Stoke, a club somewhat similar to Cardiff in terms of the invariably high turnover of the managers and the playing squad, the scattergun approach to appointments and recruitment, the force of financial backing without tangible strategy or results and undoubted expectation both among supporters and at boardroom level.

The Bluebirds need a manager personally and professionally equipped to deal with the trials and tribulations that accompany the role, alongside implementing the progressive, attack-minded brand of football which both the hierarchy and supporters largely demand.

Somebody in the mold of a Schumacher or a Mowbray may prove a more sensible appointment given the criteria, and Neil's lack of success at Stoke could mean Cardiff will be better-served looking elsewhere.