Quite rightly, a lot of attention from people inside and outside Cardiff City is focused on surviving in the Championship this season.

The Bluebirds are just above the relegation zone, four points clear of the three teams below them, but have a game more than two of them.

There are 12 games to go and it looks like it will be over. Cardiff’s brief revival, which saw them win games against Birmingham City and Reading, was cut short this past weekend when they suffered a 2-0 defeat by Norwich City.

READ MORE: Cardiff City news: Players on loan nowhere

Thus, a dozen games for Sabri Lamouchi to “save the club”, as he says. Two of those games, including one this weekend, are also classics against Bristol City and Swansea City. Two more against former Blackpool manager Mick McCarthy and, of course, Huddersfield Town’s Neil Warnock.

Everywhere you look, there’s a subdivision just around the corner. That’s why there is so much attention and intrigue surrounding this close relegation battle at the bottom of the league. Only nine points separate the last eight teams.

However, Cardiff have some problems that cannot be overlooked. With everything on the line for the Bluebirds’ survival in the division, they can’t start the preseason or the upcoming quarter on a bad footing. There needs to be planning to ensure they are up and running and avoid this crisis again in 12 months.

So we’re looking at the uncertainty around some longer term issues that need to be resolved and when they are likely to be resolved…

Manager

Perhaps the most important of the lot.

When a manager is appointed there is hardly a universally positive mood, but it is fair to say that the mood among Bluebirds fans was one of unanimous optimism when Lamouchi took over.

The Frenchman only signed a contract until the end of this campaign and in his first press conference with the media he openly explained why this happened. However, he said that if he achieved his aim of keeping the club in the division, he would like to remain on the bench next season.

“Talking to the club is easy,” he said last month of his contract. “I’m not just here to save the club. I’m here to try to create a future together. I can’t talk about the future if the job isn’t done.”

“Our goal, my goal, is to work together for a long time. But to do that, you have to do a great job now before the end of the season. And seeing Cardiff in the Championship next season is everything.”

If he does, will he be on the bench next season? “Absolutely!” he replied.

But this battle for survival may go all the way. It could be May before we know if City made the big break. The executive situation is still shrouded in uncertainty, making long-term decisions less straightforward.

On the other side of the coin though, would Lamouchi want to train in the top flight? This is unlikely. If they are demoted, that could be six managers in two and a half years. This is not really a stability model.

Perhaps during the international break next month, when the negative picture is a little clearer, negotiations can take place.

players without contract

This brings us to the players who don’t have a contract. Cardiff found themselves in a similar situation last year when caretaker manager Steve Morison was faced with the prospect of 10 players completing their deals in just a few months.

Morrison then got a contract until the end of the 2022/23 campaign, which obviously didn’t work out, and was able to make clearer decisions about who he wanted to keep at the club. Turns out it was just Joe Rolls.

But the time is coming when Lamouche will have to start serious conversations about who he thinks should be next to the building next semester, even if his own future is still up in the air as of this writing.

Mark Harris, Gavin White, Tom Sang, Joel Bagan, Eli King, Connor Wickham and loan duo Kieron Evans and Dillon Phillips sign their end-of-season deals.

How many of them will remain at the club next year? Well, that’s a good question. Harris and, more recently, Wickham were most involved, but the others played small roles at best. However, it looks like his future will be decided in the coming weeks.

Asked when these players’ futures would be decided, Lamouchi said last week: “That’s an absolutely good question. So I’ll probably count after the international break.

“Let me focus on Norwich, Bristol after that, Preston, West Brom and Rotherham. So after Rotherham, during the international break, let’s sit down with the club and see where we are at the moment.

“And then we will take responsibility for the club’s expectations.”

Young

Now it’s complicated, and something seems to have changed with Lamouche; attract young players from Cardiff.

Cardiff made a conscious decision under Neil Harris to invest in and promote youth. They give more attention to their academy and select talent to train with the first team to keep them engaged.

It worked to an extent with Harris, Bagan, Rubin Colville and Isaac Davis, while others stepped up before being quickly removed from the firing line.

However, since Lamouche’s arrival, the manager has opted for grittier, more established league players and looks keen to infuse experience into his squad.

This means that young people invariably move towards the under-21s for playing time, which in turn pushes other young prospects towards the under-18s, and so on. This is a growing concern that has not gone unnoticed by advocates.

Burnley took an interest in Isaac Davies last summer and even made an offer for him. Rubin Colville played in the World Cup a few months ago and Harris was also in Qatar with Wales. But the instability of constant leadership changes and the focus on short-term survival seems to have taken its toll.

The club consider these players an asset and desperately want their values ​​not to drop. At the same time, however, Lamouchi is rightly focused on supporting the club. If they aren’t playing, and let’s be honest, they probably haven’t made the progress the club would like, then tough decisions have to be made.

However, it would be a shame to see all the hard work that went into the Bluebirds production line over the last few years go to waste. The talent is there and needs to be coaxed and nurtured because it could make the club millions in the transfer market or even save a small fortune if it doesn’t have to come from elsewhere.

Addressing youth development and the long-term strategy of getting youth into the first team is another bridge to cross before too many become disillusioned.

transfers

Cardiff cannot afford another near-the-window disaster like the one they had in January. They must be locked, loaded and ready to go when the summer window opens.

There’s constant work going on behind the scenes when it comes to the transfer window and the recruiting team have certainly been busy over the last 18 months, that’s for sure.

Currently, they propose two scenarios: a transfer strategy for both the Championship and the Primeira Liga. Of course, everyone in the club hopes they can pull the trigger in the first scenario.

Transfer priorities are already being defined. With Sori Kaba out, Wickham and Harris out of contract and Isaac Davies without a chance, at least one striker will be needed.

And because goals have been so valuable, creativity in midfield has also been lacking. Their midfields are very similar now.

They will have two players that will feel like new signings in Ebu Adams and Jamilah Collins. The latter’s return could mitigate the need for a left-back in the summer window. Having Adams and Collins back next year will be a huge boost.

Cedric Kipre is due to return to West Brom, which means a defender is also top of the list. While Mark McGuinness and Perry Ng will return to play big roles next term, as long as neither leaves, they need another body as Jack Simpson has struggled this term.

The partial transfer embargo will also play a role, and we shouldn’t forget about it. The EFL stipulates that Cardiff is not yet allowed to pay player loans or transfer fees, so the Bluebirds will be back to buying in a tighter market than most unless he is released.

Quality loans or free agent choices are the best they can hope for right now. This requires even more careful planning. But if the manager quits before summer shopping, the job becomes 10 times harder.

Source: Wales Online