Cardiff City

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It will be a case of caretaker bosses all round as Cardiff City attempt to save themselves from relegation to League One over the next two weekends.

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is attempting to find his feet in the Cardiff dugout, having been parachuted in for their final three games of a miserable season following the departure of Omer Riza.

Ramsey's brief spell as interim manager began with a home draw against Oxford United on Monday, which leaves Cardiff deep in trouble heading into the final week of the Championship season.

The Bluebirds are three points adrift of safety, meaning they may need wins in both their remaining fixtures – at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and at Norwich City seven days later – to preserve their second-tier status.

In what or may not be good news, Ramsey will be up against two other rookie bosses in both those matches.

West Brom will be led by former Albion and Scotland midfielder James Morrison (above), who has been placed in caretaker charge following the dismissal of head coach Tony Mowbray earlier this week.

And when Cardiff go to Carrow Road, Ramsey will pit his wits against his old Arsenal midfield colleague Jack Wilshere (below).

The former England international is at the helm for the final two games of Norwich's underwhelming season after head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup was relieved of his duties on Tuesday.

Remarkably, therefore, Ramsey will be the most experienced manager in each of Cardiff's two remaining games, given that he already has one game under his belt.

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Cardiff City have put "unfair" pressure on Aaron Ramsey by asking the Wales captain to lead the Bluebirds in their final three games of the season, according to Robert Earnshaw.

Midfielder Ramsey, 34, who is currently injured, will oversee his side's games against Oxford United, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City as the Bluebirds bid to preserve their Championship status.

It comes after Omer Riza was sacked by the club following a run of just one win in nine Championship matches - which leaves Cardiff in 23rd place, a point adrift of safety.

But former Wales and Cardiff striker Earnshaw says he has sympathy for 86-cap Wales international Ramsey for being tasked with keeping the Bluebirds in the second tier.

"It's a bit of a weird decision," he told BBC Radio Wales.

"From my point of view, Rambo [Ramsey], Chris Gunter [who will assist Ramsey], those are brilliant guys, those two have got bright futures, I think they're brilliant guys.

"But I just thought, from the club, it was very unfair to put Rambo, as a player right now, injured, in charge and say to him 'get us out of trouble'.

"I just thought it was a very unfair type of pressure. Aaron's going to get asked 'will you take the team for the last three games?'. Aaron's not going to say 'no', of course he's not.

"If you're going to give it to him, give it to him in the summer. I don't think it's fair on the fans."

Ramsey will be the third person to lead Cardiff this season following the departures of Riza and Erol Bulut.

And Earnshaw feels Cardiff are suffering due to a succession of poor decisions made by the club's hierarchy.

"It's a shot at nothing. There's no pressure on Aaron, if he does this, it'll be amazing," added Earnshaw.

"I think they need to win three out of three, and that's the type of pressure that I'm saying is unfair.

"I hope Ramsey can do it. He wants to become a coach, I know he's been working at it. He definitely would have woken up on Saturday morning not expecting a call to say 'do you want to take the team?'. That is very unusual.

"It just shows a bunch of bad decisions from the club. Erol Bulut last summer was almost going into pre-season not knowing which Cardiff City manager was going to be in charge.

"Then he gets it, then a few games later he's gone. Omer Riza takes over, he's here supposedly until the end of the season, then he's gone before the end of the season.

"There's been a few bad decisions and it's just putting a lot of pressure on the football club right now."

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Nathan Blake feels Cardiff City's decision to appoint Aaron Ramsey as boss is a "roll of the dice" and stated the Wales captain needs to work a "miracle" to keep the Bluebirds in the Championship.

Cardiff sacked Omer Riza fewer than 24 hours after losing 2-0 to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane - a result that leaves the Bluebirds a point adrift of safety in 23rd place.

Midfielder Ramsey, 34, will now take charge of Cardiff's final three games of the season, against Oxford United, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City as his side bid to defy the odds to preserve their second tier status.

"I just wish Aaron and the boys all the best," Blake told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"It's a thankless task. It can't get any worse, it's only up they can go from this position.

"I think most people have accepted the fate of Cardiff City. They know there's hope because they've got three games left.

"I think what people are hoping is that a miracle happens, Aaron and his team can win three games and possibly stay up.

"I don't know how they change the mindset of the players basically overnight, but stranger things have happened.

"It's a roll of the dice, I don't think there were many options, and I'm surprised they've pulled the trigger at this time, but I'm not surprised at the same time.

"A lot of fans will see it for what it is. When you're in desperate times, you make desperate decisions. Those desperate decisions, nine times out of ten, they don't pay off. Hopefully Aaron can work a miracle."

Having lost his first game as interim boss after replacing Erol Bulut, Cardiff gained 14 points from a possible 18 under Riza to recover from what was their worst ever start to a season.

But their form has been way below the required standard since that bright start under Riza, although former Bluebirds and Wales forward Blake feels Cardiff's problems go way beyond the managerial situation.

"He (Riza) started off well and then it just slowly but surely evaporated. The pressure came from different areas," added Blake.

"I keep maintaining that it's not a problem that any manager has been able to fix. Collectively there's got to be more responsibility and there's got to be a better understanding of the game and what it takes to manage a football club.

"The owner (Vincent Tan) sinks in money, that's not the problem, it's how the money is spent that is often the problem.

"It's hopefully a solution to a major problem, but if it isn't, it doesn't tarnish Aaron in any way. He's going to give it a go and we'll see what happens.

"I would have thought he's well respected and the players will hopefully listen to him."

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Robert Earnshaw feels Cardiff City fans have "seen enough" after they directed chants towards Omer Riza following their side's 2-0 defeat by Sheffield United.

The Bluebirds remain in the Championship's relegation zone with just three games of the 2024-25 season left to play after goals from Gustavo Hamer and Ben Brereton Diaz earned the Blades a 2-0 triumph at Bramall Lane.

Sections of the 1,000-plus away following in South Yorkshire vented their frustration late on, chanting "we want Riza out" and "you're getting sacked in the morning".

And former Wales and Cardiff forward Earnshaw believes the Bluebirds faithful aimed the chants towards Riza because "they don't see a way out".

"They've seen enough to be honest," Earnshaw told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"The fans are looking at the team and they are chanting because they don't see a way out, they don't see the manager making a difference.

"He's fighting for his job, Cardiff City are fighting for a Championship place. This is worrying for me.

"I don't think they'll change the manager and I don't think you can because I think it's more disruptive than it helps the team. That would be a complete panic.

"You've got to really focus on what the team needs, a bit of stability. All of this is a real test for Omer Riza."

He added: "What do you say? It is hanging by a thread. It's crunch time, it's nerves, all of those things."

Just five points separate the bottom five teams in the second tier with three matches of the regular season remaining.

Cardiff - currently 23rd and a point adrift of 21st-placed Derby County, who have a vastly superior goal difference - round off the campaign with home matches against Oxford United and West Bromwich Albion before a trip to Norwich City on the final day.

But Earnshaw feels the Bluebirds can still preserve their Championship status over the remainder of the run-in.

"Of course they can (stay up) because you have Plymouth who are bottom on 40 points. I think it's three teams from five, all the way up to Hull who are on 45 points," he added.

"Three out of five will go down, Cardiff are in that, that's the disappointing thing.

"They can get out of it, but it's three cup finals now. They play Oxford, West Brom, my old team, and Norwich, one of my old teams.

"West Brom is difficult, Norwich away is difficult. I think it's a minimum they've got to win two out of three, but you've got to be aiming for three out of three wins.

"I worry from what I hear from the manager and the players because we've been accustomed, especially this season, to having a lower level than Cardiff City should have. Cardiff City shouldn't be in this position.

"We should be aiming for bigger things than fighting relegation."

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Cardiff City could find themselves bottom of the Championship before they kick off against Sheffield United on Friday (17:30 BST) with rivals going head-to-head earlier in the day.

But Cardiff's plan is to have Derby County and Hull City in their sights by the time Monday's fixtures come along, with the two teams currently above the Bluebirds being mentioned as targets by manager Omer Riza.

Cardiff are currently in 22nd, a point off safety, with only Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle below them in the table.

Luton go to Derby in the lunchtime kick-off on Friday knowing a win would see them leapfrog Riza's side.

Then Plymouth – buoyed by last weekend's surprise win over Sheffield United – head to Middlesbrough (15:00 BST).

Boro, in eighth place, are still firmly in the play-off hunt but have lost their past two matches.

An away win for Argyle would increase the pressure on Cardiff when they step out at Bramall Lane.

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Yet Bluebirds players have been told to keep minds on their job as they attempt to retain their second-tier status.

"Everyone's aware what the scores are elsewhere when it's a later kick-off, but it's just about us managing our situation and performing the best we can," said Riza.

"We can't look at other games and think it's going to help us or not."

When asked which teams above Cardiff in the table he views as being part of the relegation fight, Riza did not discount the likes of Stoke City, Oxford United and Portsmouth.

But he said: "It's probably looking like us, Hull, Derby. That's probably it, if I'm being honest. But there's four games and 12 points and a lot of twists and turns to come yet and we have to focus on our own games.

"I am not looking at what [points total] I think it's going to take, what we need to do or might need to do. We are just going to have to stay present and stay in the moment, that's what's important now.

"If you start looking at what you might need, negative thoughts can lead to other pressures."

Sheffield United's blip could not have come at a worse time.

Three defeats in a row when you need to be increasing the momentum not seeing it disappear.

It's left Chris Wilder scratching his head - and around - for a way to rescue the Blades' hopes of automatic promotion.

They may not find Cardiff in charitable mood either with their Championship status still very much in peril and keen to bounce back from defeat by Stoke and return to the toughness that saw them go four games unbeaten prior to that setback.

Sheffield United have won their last five league games against Cardiff, their best ever winning run against the Bluebirds.

• Cardiff are winless in their past three league visits to Bramall Lane (D1 L2) since registering a 2-0 victory in April 2011 under Dave Jones.

• Sheffield United have won eight of their past 10 league games on Good Friday (D1 L1), keeping seven clean sheets in that time.

• Cardiff have lost eight of their past 11 league games on Good Friday (W3), though did win their last away game against Blackpool in 2023 (3-1).

• Sheffield United have lost each of their past three league games, as many as in their previous 16 matches (W11 D2), not since April 2011 have the Blades lost four successive Championship league games.

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales

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It's been 22 years since Cardiff City last played in the third tier but, after two narrow escapes in the previous three seasons, there's a growing sense around the club that this might be one crisis too far.

Last Saturday's 1-0 home defeat against relegation rivals Stoke was a hammer blow to the Bluebirds' survival hopes, prompting boos from their fans at the final whistle.

Cardiff are 22nd in the table and, one point adrift of safety with just four games left, their fate is now out of their own hands.

Manager Omer Riza has been under pressure for months but, with time running out, club owner Vincent Tan is thought to be reluctant to make a second managerial change of the season.

Even if Riza does leave, though, many believe Cardiff's most significant issues lie with Tan and the board, who have been the subject of angry fan protests.

The outlook is bleak with a daunting trip to promotion contenders Sheffield United to come on Friday.

Cardiff host fellow strugglers Oxford on Monday and, with matches against West Brom and Norwich to finish, the odds are stacked against the Welsh side.

All is not lost quite yet but, having played with fire for a number of years now, Cardiff's luck might be about to finally run out.

Read more: Who will avoid relegation from the Championship?

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Cardiff City will be without forward Isaak Davies for Friday's Championship clash at Sheffield United – and are waiting to see whether he will feature again this season.

Manager Omer Riza also has doubts over defender Perry Ng who has missed the crucial build-up to a fixture that could be key to the Bluebirds' survival hopes.

Ng, who started last weekend's damaging 1-0 defeat by Stoke City, has only managed light sessions after picking up an unspecified issue, with Riza admitting he was "not sure" over the 28-year-old's availability.

Davies, 23, has been involved in all bar one of the last 10 games after returning from a serious hamstring injury suffered in pre-season.

But he has been ruled out of the trip to Bramall Lane with another hamstring problem, with manager Omer Riza now awaiting results of a scan to see if he can recover in time for remaining fixtures against Oxford United (21 April), West Bromwich Albion (26 April) and Norwich City (3 May).

Riza described the injury as "slight" and will hope for positive news.

The Bluebirds do welcome back Anwar El Ghazi after a recent back issue, while Andy Rinomhota has also returned to training in a bid to face the Blades.

Chris Wilder's Blades side have lost their last three to see them drop behind Burnley and Leeds United in the bid for automatic promotion, but Riza says he is only focussed on what his own side can deliver.

"Whether if it's us and we're going to survive or Sheffield United getting automatic promotion, you have to win games," added Riza of the challenge, which will see Cardiff kick off at 17:30 BST and knowing the results of several survival-race rivals going into the game.

"Whether they've lost their last three and their manager will be on them, or whether we've lost our last game - or forecasting we should lose because they're higher up in the table than us - the mindset is let's see what happens. We have to be focused on believing we can win the game."

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Cardiff City have four games to salvage something from their painful season by ensuring they avoid relegation from the Championship.

The Bluebirds have not played in the third tier of English football for 22 years.

But after a run of one win in their past eight matches, Omer Riza's side need to find some form - and fast - if they are to be in the Championship rather than League One come August.

As things stand, Cardiff are going down. They are 22nd in the table on 42 points, one point adrift of 21st-placed Derby County.

Over the last decade, an average of 45 points has been required to finish one place above the bottom three.

But this season, with a number of teams in the relegation mix delivering results in recent weeks, it seems more will be more needed.

Traditionally, 50 points is seen as the Championship's survival mark, yet last year Birmingham City went down despite reaching the half-century, while Blackburn Rovers were relegated in 2017 with 51 points to their name.

How many will it take this time around? That is hard to say, but what is clear is that Cardiff need results after last weekend's dispiriting home loss to Stoke City.

They have a testing trip to Sheffield United on Friday, before 17th-placed Oxford United come to Wales next Monday.

There is another home game against West Bromwich Albion on 26 April, before Cardiff finish with a trip to Norwich City.

Riza's players must hope they are not bidding farewell to the Championship at Carrow Road.

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Much will depend on the fortunes of others, of course, with eight clubs within eight points of one another at the bottom of the table.

Plymouth Argyle, who prop up the rest, face trips to Middlesbrough and Preston North End and home games against Coventry City and Leeds United.

Luton Town, in 23rd, have home fixtures against Bristol City and Coventry sandwiched by trips to Derby and West Brom.

The Hatters' potentially pivotal game at Pride Park comes on Friday, with the Rams then facing trips to West Brom and Hull City - who are just a place and two points above them - before a final-day home fixture against Stoke.

As well as Derby, Hull also host Preston and have away fixtures to come at Swansea City and 19th-placed Portsmouth, with Pompey meeting Norwich (away), Watford (home) and Sheffield Wednesday (away) before the final-day encounter with the Tigers.

Stoke's run-in sees them host both Sheffield clubs while going to Leeds and Derby. Oxford also face Leeds - at home - before their trip to Cardiff, with Gary Rowett's team rounding off the season with games against Sunderland (home) and Swansea (away).

The end of the 2024-25 Championship is within sight, yet everything is still to be decided.

For Cardiff, just like numerous others, there are nervous times ahead.