FIFTY DAYS REACHED, TWO DOWN, HOW MUCH LONGER?

Happy 50th day without a manager for those who celebrate! It's a mess. A total mess. Fifty days without a manager, thirty-six days since our season ended. Cardiff have tried for both Nathan Jones and Aaron Ramsey, but opted for something else. It can't go on like this... *insert Mick McCarthy clip*. What's next in this never-ending quest for a new manager for Cardiff City, as they appear to be back at square one?

Cardiff City owner Tan Sri Vincent Tan.

The drama at Cardiff City goes on, with favourite for the job Aaron Ramsey opting to continue his playing career with Club Universidad Nacional in Mexico. This comes just a few days after City's previous preferred choice, Nathan Jones, signed a new five-year deal with Charlton Athletic.

The Bluebirds squad report for the first day of Pre Season in fifteen days time, and as it stands don't have any idea who it will be they are reporting to, which further adds to the whole mess of this situation Cardiff City find themselves in.

Nathan Jones:

Cardiff tried for Jones, and who can blame them? Jones was probably the only candidate that would universally please City supporters. But ultimately it's another of countless situations in recent years where City have gone in full-guns blazing and come away with nothing.

It was always deemed a complicating deal for Cardiff to do, and it definitely played out that way. I'm sure the deal being leaked without it being closed didn't do City many favours either. However, the facts have it, he was top of City's wish list and opted against it, rather signing a new five-year deal in the Championship, which you really can't blame him for.

Yes, Jones said he's never be able to turn the job down if offered, but the context of Cardiff in League One and Charlton in the Championship throws a spanner in the work of that. But if we can't tempt someone whose 'dream job' is to manage the club, then where are we at? Granted Charlton were never going to just hand Jones over, but if Jones wanted the deal badly it could've got done, I believe.

Aaron Ramsey:

Ramsey has opted to continue playing with Pumas in order to fulfil his wish of playing at the next World Cup. There's no denying it's been an underwhelming homecoming, twenty-three appearances across two season, three goals and no assists. It's not we as fans dreamed of, nor Rambo I'd imagine.

The question marks come with Ramsey claiming his move back to Cardiff was largely due to family reasons, as he wanted to be closer to home to finish his playing career. Moving 5,293 miles away slightly goes against that. But it's Ramsey's prerogative to continue playing, that's totally fine, but that doesn't mean City fans can't be disappointed.

Regarding the manager situation with Ramsey, that is also frustrating. Perhaps Rambo's strong feelings on continuing to play could've been made clearer to Cardiff City, but, if they were made clear to Cardiff, why did we put all our eggs in the Rambo basket? There's something in this that just really doesn't add up.

The other four candidates:

Cardiff City are now back to arguably square one. Ian Evatt, Neil Critchley, Brian Barry-Murphy and Des Buckingham are the named candidates on City's list, with Paul Abbandonato now claiming it's between the latter two on that list.

Surely if you're in their position, you've just been given an immediate red flag. You know at a minimum you were third choice. There's nothing better than feeling wanted, and Cardiff have failed to do it with the other candidates. Who could really blame any of them for saying 'Thanks, but no thanks' at this stage? There's a very good chance City have rubbed these people up the wrong way.

Not only does it ring alarm bells for the candidates, but also for the fan. We now know that Cardiff are scrambling for anyone, and that anyone definitely was not their preferred candidate. Another public humiliation for the football club.

What Next?

This is very much still in the air, clearly. Cardiff need someone in for pre season, so really should be working with a deadline that falls a little while before that. But with no indications on who it could be we all remain in the same limbo we were on the nineteenth of April when Omer Riza was sacked.

Another public humiliation for Cardiff City on this never-ending cycle. This manager process has yet again highlighted the need for footballing people in the board, but we can't even get that right. City have messed up a fairly simple thing that should take no more than three to four weeks.

In terms of what's next, you're probably looking at damage limitation at this stage. City will likely be under-prepared going into next season which could have a significant impact on the season, all because we lack any proactivity.

Summary - How much longer?

Who knows is the real answer. We've been told 'next week' for the last three weeks, and here we are. So to put a time-frame on it is a non-starter. It has to be something this entire process hasn't been, QUICK!

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