A complete restructure could be needed at Cardiff City to give them the best chance of bouncing back from relegation, says former Bluebirds striker Nathan Blake.
Cardiff will play third-tier football for the first time in 22 years next season, and Blake, who watched his old side finish bottom of the Championship by losing at Norwich on the final day, says things need to change from top to bottom.
“If I was (owner) Vincent Tan I would bring someone in to liaise with – someone who understands the club, understands the game, understands the fans,” said Blake on Radio Wales Sport.
“They need someone who can see a player, scout a player, recruit a player…and I’d have him or her as a conduit in between the team and the owner.”
In a statement before the Norwich game, the club and its board of directors promised “a thorough period of review across several structures and practices”, involving “the owner, board, executive management and stakeholders”.
In a message to fans, Tan also hit back at criticism that he has minimal contact with the club, and doesn’t care, insisting he watches every game and speaks to the manager before and after each one.
But many fans have long questioned Tan’s apparent reluctance to appoint a director of football or some kind of intermediary between the board and the management team, and Blake argues more experience is needed around decision making.
“The board needs more experience, and an understanding they’re responsible for the overall running of the club,” said Blake.
“Training ground, making sure the youth team are training with the first team, things like that.
“Then you go down to the next level and the management structure, and who are you going to bring in?
“And then you get to the next level and look at the recruitment of players who are available who can get you out of the league, and back up into the Championship.
“It’s all so topsy turvy at the moment. There’s a lot of work to do.”
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