"Vincent Tan loves" - Cardiff City backed to make Omer Riza call and plot approaches for Ryan Mason and ex-Man City coach | OneFootball

FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit discussed Omer Riza's future and who could potentially replace him in the Bluebirds dugout this summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Cardiff City have been backed to part ways with Omer Riza and pursue a younger head coach, with both Ryan Mason and Brian Barry-Murphy name-dropped as potential options for Vincent Tan to pursue this summer.

Riza was instated as the 14th permanent managerial hire of Tan's rein in charge of the Bluebirds when he was promoted from his two-month interim role back in December, having stepped up to replace Erol Bulut following a nightmareish start to the current campaign.

The former Watford first-team coach penned terms until the end of the season, but due to both Cardiff's form and the length of time it took the hierarchy to be convinced of appointing him on a full-time basis, Riza's tenure has seldom felt secure.

There have been real green chutes of positivity under Riza's leadership, such as a four-match home winning streak at the start of his time in charge and the eight-game unbeaten run across January, which included a notable 3-0 thrashing of fierce rivals Swansea City in the Welsh capital.

However, since taking over in September, Riza has led Cardiff to just nine league victories - and only five since November. Cardiff returned to winning ways ahead of the international break by winning 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers, which leaves them in 21st place and one point above Derby County in 22nd, but that came days after a turgid home defeat to fellow strugglers Luton Town and they remain very much in danger of suffering relegation to League One.

Just like they had after the 3-2 defeat at Oxford United on Boxing Day, Cardiff resisted pulling the plug on Riza's stay in the wake of the loss to the Hatters.

It does appear as though the 45-year-old will remain in charge until the end of the season, but regardless of what division awaits Cardiff for the 2025/26 term, they have been backed to look elsewhere and avoid extending his stay.

Vincent Tan backed to avoid keeping Omer Riza on at Cardiff City

FLW spoke to our resident Bluebirds fan pundit, Matt Hall, and asked whether he believes the summer will represent a good opportunity to part ways with Riza regardless of Cardiff's divisional status.

Matt feels that Riza has retained Tan's faith for the remainder of this season, but that the Malaysian owner will not offer him a new contract once the summer rolls around.

"Omer Riza has the faith of the hierarchy but I sense that it will be until the end of the season only," Matt told FLW.

"I think it's fair to say there have been key points in the season where Riza could have been dismissed, we've missed those points really. When he came in as interim, we interviewed managers and Steven Schumacher was linked, that did not transpire. We had Slaven Bilic lined up for January, that did not transpire either.

"We had the Oxford defeat, which came on the back of a really poor run of games and he stayed on. So the faith will remain until the end of the season, it could've been different if we lost to Blackburn but, for me, I think they will part ways in the summer.

"Vincent Tan loves young managers, but his love for a young manager is probably only trumped by his desire to get back to the Premier League.

"He has spent so much money on wages and transfer fees that I don't see him not going out for a big manager to try and get things over the line.

Cardiff City backed to pursue Ryan Mason, Brian Barry-Murphy as Omer Riza replacements

FLW also asked Matt who he would like to see come in as a potential replacement for Riza. Matt would not be surprised to see an experienced managerial hire such as Bilic, but believes Tan's "love for young managers" could see Cardiff head in a more progressive, long-term direction by plotting an approach for either Ryan Mason or Brian Barry-Murphy.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mason is currently assistant to Ange Postecoglou at the Lilywhites and is forging a solid reputation in coaching.

Meanwhile, Barry-Murphy has previously been linked with the Cardiff job and is now with Leicester City after making a name for himself coaching in Manchester City's youth system.

"What profile of manager he would go for is a difficult question to answer because I think it comes into two categories," Matt continued.

"Someone like a Bilic, whether he would be lined back up because of going down the experienced route of getting a Neil Warnock-type to get them over the line - Bilic could be a more modern-day version of that.

"The alternative would be a younger manager, but one with a bit more pedigree behind them. Someone like a Ryan Mason, that sort of category of manager they could try and pull away from a big-six club.

"Another interesting name that has always been branded about is Brian Barry-Murphy, he was a coach at Manchester City for so long in the academy. He had a similar role to Enzo Maresca when he was taken by Leicester City.

"I believe he's currently Ruud Van Nistelrooy's number two. But I don't see Van Nistelrooy lasting at Leicester, so he could be a free man quite soon.

"It would be a risk, but a risk they would be more willing to take in the summer rather than now.

"I think Riza himself would be a bit unfortunate if he was replaced by someone like him because, experience-wise, there's not much difference. But I don't think Riza has shown enough signs for them to keep him on.

"I think their fingers were burnt with Bulut, the signs were not there. They spent a lot of money and were promised a lot of things and it did not go to plan."