Sabri Lamouchi: 'Excited' Cardiff City boss needs to 'change' Championship strugglers

New manager Sabri Lamouchi is "excited" by the challenge he faces at Cardiff City and says "change" is needed to help steer them away from the Championship relegation zone.

Cardiff have named Lamouchi, 51, as their third manager of 2022-23, with ex-Bluebirds defender Sol Bamba rejoining the club as his assistant.

Cardiff are 21st in the table and are without a win in nine league games.

"I know the situation of the club," said Lamouchi.

"I am here because I know the history of the club. It's not an easy challenge, but it's an exciting challenge. I am excited to work with the team and the staff."

Asked whether he was confident of guiding Cardiff clear of relegation, the former Nottingham Forest boss said: "I am never confident and I don't want to be confident.

"I don't want to talk about the past and why we are here. I know the club deserves a better position and where we are is not our position.

"Of course the club, the fans, players want better for all of us so we need to start to work all together.

"The last victory was in November so we need to change something.

"My job will be to find, as soon as possible, the best system, to put the best player in the best position, a new dynamic, more positive and to look for a new momentum.

"My job will be to find the right structure for the team and to give them what I am wanting from all of them on the pitch. And step by step we will try and go out of this situation."

Lamouchi is understood to have agreed a deal until the end of the season at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The former French international midfielder said he was "lucky" to be at a "massive club", though he added he was not a "magician" and "the team needs the fans and the fans need the emotion".

Not banking on signings

A transfer embargo placed on Cardiff was partially lifted when the club paid the first instalment of a £15m transfer fee for striker Emiliano Sala who died in a plane crash en route to joining the club in 2019.

They are now able to sign free transfers and loanees. Cardiff have identified three targets ahead of the close of the January transfer window on Tuesday, the night of Lamouchi's first game at the helm away to Luton Town.

Sabri Lamouchi managed Ivory Coast at the 2014 World Cup

Lamouchi will have the final say on players coming in, but said: "I am not looking to new players.

"I have enough experience to know, in a few days it's very hard to find the right players. So if we find it, it will be the because the board will do a great job and it will be a great surprise for me.

"But I am just looking at the players at my disposal right now."

Lamouchi 'commands respect'

Bamba returns to the club at the suggestion of Lamouchi, who coached the former Bluebirds defender during his time as manager of the Ivory Coast national team.

Asked about Sabri's qualities, Bamba said: "Since the first time I met him 11 years ago, straightaway we clicked.

"As a manager he commands respect. He is aware tactically and technically, I think this is very important. That is what this club needs at the minute.

"The connection is very important between the board, the players and the fans.

"The fans have to be involved and we have to bring the club together because let's be honest, at the minute, there is a fair distance between the fans and the club and the board.

"Our job is to bring them all together."

Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman said the appointment of Lamouchi brought "a new level of professionalism which the club deserves".