Cardiff City

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Nathan Blake has already said he believes interim Cardiff City boss Omer Riza should be given the job on a permanent basis.

Now the former Wales striker has suggested Riza's style of football is the best seen at Cardiff in a decade.

Having continued their sharp upturn in form with a 2-1 win over Norwich City last weekend, Riza's Cardiff go to Luton Town on Wednesday.

"The managerial changes there's been at Cardiff for the last over 10 years has been ridiculous," ex-Bluebird Blake told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"But the style of football I've seen, personally, probably is the best I've seen in the last 10 years. I would include the Neil Warnock era in that, even though Neil got promotion.

"I think the style of football is more updated and more in tune with what you see in Premier League football. If that is your goal, and you're trying to get there, then you need to at least adopt a style that if you get there, it's going to keep you there."

Cardiff have lost only one of seven games under Riza and Blake believes his impact has lifted players' morale.

"They're playing a different brand of football than they were under Erol Bulut," said Blake.

"I think everyone can see that, and it's just surprising how a few results can change confidence in players... a slight style of play change and all of a sudden a few results and then they've really kicked on.

"A lot of players are in good form, rather than the flip side, [a lot of players] who were struggling. So I put it down to confidence. Results breed confidence."

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Wales head coach Craig Bellamy hopes Aaron Ramsey will carry on playing for another "couple of years" despite his recent injury problems.

The Cardiff City midfielder has not played since mid-September because of a hamstring strain.

Ramsey, 33, also missed a large chunk of last season with a knee injury.

Ramsey has not been included in the Wales squad for Nations League games against Turkey and Iceland this month, even though he is closing in on a return to full fitness.

"I honestly still believe that he still has a good couple of years in him because of his footballing brain," said Bellamy.

"If you just watch his movement and how he's able to use his feet... you can tell a lot about a footballer with the way they use their feet

"Aaron is still able to do that, he still has an eye for a pass and can still time his runs.

"I believe he still has a period of really good football ahead of him that he's going to be able to offer us."

After he was appointed in July, Bellamy decided to keep Ramsey on as Wales captain even though the former Arsenal player only made 15 appearances for club and country last season.

Bellamy says a man who played an important role in helping Wales qualify for two European Championships and a World Cup still has an important role.

"He still has a lot to offer, not only playing-wise, but also to younger players and being able to show them what elite footballers look like," Bellamy added.

"When I was developing as a player, learning off the likes of Mark Hughes and Gary Speed and seeing really elite levels allowed me to have a decent career."

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Cardiff City interim manager Omar Riza is waiting to see if Alex Robertson will be fit to return to the squad for Wednesday's game against Luton Town.

The midfielder missed the 2-1 win against Norwich City on Saturday with a hamstring injury.

"He had a slight ache in his hamstring, so it was a cautious one really," said Riza.

"We just need to manage him and see how he progresses before we make a decision on what happens on Wednesday."

Robertson joined Cardiff from Manchester City in the summer and has scored twice in 12 appearances this season.

The Australian international has developed into a key player for the Bluebirds and before he suffered the injury had started every game since Riza took charge.

Cardiff will look to extend their six-game unbeaten run when they face the Hatters.

Right-back Perry Ng is available again having being suspended for the game against Norwich.

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Callum Robinson has singled out Omar Riza’s man management skills as a big reason for Cardiff City's upturn in form in the Championship.

The Bluebirds are unbeaten in their last six matches under Riza, winning four and scoring 11 goals.

Striker Robinson scored one of two late goals in Riza’s latest victory, a 2-1 win against Norwich City and the Cardiff caretaker boss has since revealed that he has held "constructive talks" with the club’s board as they mull over the full-time manager’s position.

"I think Riza has done an unbelievable job," said Robinson.

"I don't think there’s [another] manager out there at the moment, form-wise. Since he’s taken over, I don't reckon anyone has got as many points as us, so he's done a great job and got us all confident again.

"It’s nice to see squad [players] getting used and they're coming in with the same mentality, wanting to do well and that's all we can ask for. I think Riza has pushed the whole squad to be used and to be ready when it’s your chance."

Robinson’s late strike was his fourth goal since Riza has taken charge and the Republic of Ireland international says his manager has also been a source of support since the death of close friend and former Sheffield United teammate George Baldock.

"He's just a good person," added Robinson.

"Sometimes being a manager, the main thing is being a good man manager. With football it's tactics and everything on the pitch but I feel that when there's so many games, sometimes it's off the pitch and he’s given me all my confidence back, got me in the right positions where I've played and scored goals in the past.

"He’s spoken to me about football and non-football stuff and the not so good two or three weeks with one of my best mates passing, he was texting me and making sure I was fine.

"It’s just the little things, the small percentages and he's probably doing that with a lot of the boys and that pushes you to want to do well for him and I feel that all the boys have done that for him. Us lads couldn’t have done much more in the last three weeks for him and it's proved with the points we’ve picked up along the way."

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Cardiff City interim boss Omer Riza says he held “constructive talks” with the club's board as he inches closer to becoming the Bluebirds’ permanent boss.

The Bluebirds’ recent revival under Riza continued as two late goals from Callum Robinson and Callum O’Dowda saw them stun Norwich City in the Welsh capital.

As reported by BBC Sport Wales, Riza met with Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo before the Canaries clash.

Cardiff have earned 14 points from Riza’s seven games in charge, with the Bluebirds winning four, drawing twice and losing just once.

“We’ve had a good constructive meeting yesterday and we will move forward with that,” Riza told BBC Sport Wales.

“I was really happy with the meeting and I am sure in due course the board will talk with you guys (the media).”

Riza says he is continuing to enjoy his opportunity, following the sacking of previous boss Erol Bulut.

“I have been working hard for a long-time for a position like this,” Riza added.

“This opportunity has come around (being interim manager) and I am thankful for it and I think everyone is applying themselves the right way, we are getting results and I’d like to think that everyone is happy.

“We will keep moving forwards.”

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Cardiff City interim manager Omer Riza says his side no longer feel they are “underdogs” going into games.

The Bluebirds go into Saturday’s Championship home game with Norwich City on the back of an unbeaten five-game run.

The former Watford coach has masterminded a run which has seen Cardiff glean 11 points from his six matches at the helm.

They take on a Norwich side who are a point outside the play-off places and are unbeaten in their last seven league games.

But having elevated Cardiff from the bottom of the table, Riza acknowledges morale is high in the camp.

He said: “They are a dangerous side. They play good football, they can open you up, have it down the sides or through the middle of the pitch, they counter very quickly and they’re decisive in their attacking approach.

“So we’re going to have to be really good defensively, like we were against West Brom (where Cardiff drew 0-0 last Saturday).

“But I definitely feel that we’re not going into the game thinking that we are underdogs, if you like.

“The way we’re performing at the moment, we’re going to go in like we want to win the game, which I’ve said in every game that we approach.”

Cardiff are currently 20th in the table, four points away from bottom club Portsmouth.

But Riza, who is due to have talks with the Cardiff hierarchy this weekend, believes there is still so much work to do.

He said: “Its important players are in a good place mentally and physically for them to be able to perform.

“I think they are in a good place at the moment and they need to continue because we have not really achieved anything yet, other than trying to get ourselves back to where we thought we should have started.

“There is a lot more work to do and we cannot sit on our laurels and think we have done enough, because have done nowhere near enough yet.

"I said to the boys we need to keep pushing forward and keep working hard.”

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Cardiff City interim boss Omer Riza has admitted he deleted his social media account in the wake of comments after a game last month.

Riza has lifted Cardiff off the bottom of the Championship table since he took over following the sacking of Erol Bulut at the end of September.

But he took down his account on X - formerly known as Twitter - after the 1-1 draw at Bristol City, his third game in interim charge..

Cardiff led the Severnside derby through an Ollie Tanner goal before Bristol City equalised late on following a change of shape by the Bluebirds boss.

There were some angry comments on social media over a lost opportunity.

Riza reacted by removing his account and "felt better" as a result.

"I speak to the boys about white noise and sometimes you have just got to take it away to do your job properly," said Riza.

"I just felt I was reading all the time stuff I did not really need to read and it has probably helped me. I have come away from it and I can just focus."

Riza added: "I am not being ignorant I still read stuff because I think it’s good to read stuff because sometimes it can help you. But I decided to come off because it was getting to a point where I felt some of the stuff just made no sense.

"So when it makes no sense then why was I reading it? I came off it and felt better for it."

Riza has accumulated eleven points from his six games at the helm, which has included home wins over Millwall, Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth. After a defeat at Hull in his first game in charge, Riza has steered the team to draws at Bristol and West Bromwich Albion.

On the back of a five game unbeaten run, Riza said: "I think if you win your games at home and draw your games away I think you are picking up good points.

"Obviously you want to win away as well, you want to win every game but it is not always as easy as people say."

The Cardiff manager said he had not spoken to the players about social media, but often checked on their mental wellbeing.

And as his side face a tough test at home to Norwich City on Saturday, he said: "As long as the fans can leave the stadium knowing the boys have worked really hard even if we lose. My thing is always if you lose a game then you are not good enough it is part and parcel of the game.

"I always say, when we come off the pitch we should have left nothing out there at all in respect of energy, intensity, work rate, work ethic for the fans. If you can top that off with a good performance, goals and wins then everyone is happy."

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Cardiff City are sweating on the fitness of top scorer Callum Robinson for Saturday’s Championship home game with Norwich City.

Interim manager Omer Riza said the four-goal Republic of Ireland striker had sustained a knock on his Achilles tendon.

Robinson has netted three of his goals in the six games Riza has been in charge and will be assessed ahead of the Norwich clash.

Riza said: "A lot of the boys are in good form at the moment and we don’t want to lose players.

"At the same time we have players chomping at the bit to play as well.

"But Callum has been a really important, integral part of the team and I hope he will be okay.”

Riza will be forced into a change of personnel from last weekend’s goalless draw away to West Bromwich Albion, because right-back Perry Ng is suspended having collected five bookings this season.

His one-match ban coincides with Cardiff having to deal with Norwich winger Borja Sainz, who could lay claim to currently being one of the best players in the Championship.

Riza said: "Perry has been outstanding, obviously he is a big loss to us in this game.

"We are playing against probably one of the best wingers in the league at the moment in Sainz. He has scored 10 goals so far this year, is creative and causes problems. Perry would have dealt with that, but I think we will be fine."

Cardiff have options in the position with former Manchester United player Will Fish and ex-Aston Villa defender Callum Chambers among possible contenders.

Riza said: "The boys have to be ready to play where they need to play, they need to be prepared and take ownership of what is given to them, what obstacles are put in front of them and I am sure they are all professional enough to do that."

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Cardiff City will have to handle the player who has arguably been the Championship’s star this season if their upturn in fortunes is to continue against Norwich City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Bluebirds will go in search of a fourth win in seven matches under interim boss Omer Riza when the Canaries come to the Welsh capital.

But facing Riza’s rearguard – who have conceded only once in five games – this weekend will be Borja Sainz, the Spanish forward who is the second tier’s leading scorer with 10 goals in 12 games.

Sainz, 23, netted twice in Norwich’s 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough last weekend to take his overall goal tally for the season to 11 from 14 appearances.

He scored eight goals in his debut Championship campaign, but has really come to the fore this season in a Norwich side who are eighth in the table having lost only one league game since the opening weekend of the campaign – though they have had six draws.

Sainz - who joined Norwich from Turkish side Giresunspor - operates primarily from the left flank.

With Perry Ng missing through suspension this weekend, his replacement on the right of Cardiff’s defence may face a testing afternoon.

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Nathan Blake says Cardiff City's owners should take note of the style of football the Bluebirds are currently playing under interim boss Omer Riza.

Cardiff have gained 11 points from six Championship matches since the departure of Erol Bulut, scoring 10 goals in that period.

They have also kept three successive clean sheets under Riza, the most recent of which came in a goalless draw with promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion.

By contrast, they netted just once in six league games under Bulut this season and failed to keep a single clean sheet.

Former Cardiff and Wales striker Blake feels the Bluebirds should continue as they are at present following a significant improvement under Riza.

"You do need some sort of consistency. When a manager gets a job permanently, it does change the mindset of players," he told Call Rob.

"I think they need that stability going forwards. You've got to take your hat off to him (Riza) , from where they were and how they were playing, they've totally changed around.

"I did the game against Portsmouth, and what I'd say to the ownership is that, going forwards, when people talk about the philosophy of Cardiff City and how they play, just watch what's going on at the moment and you'll understand.

"For me, he's done a really good job in a difficult circumstance.

"What Cardiff's owners need to do is make sure they don't try to start controlling things.

"Just step out and let people who can do the job do their job well."

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Danny Gabbidon feels Cardiff City should be in no rush to appoint a new permanent manager given the way the club are progressing under Omer Riza.

The Bluebirds were rock bottom of the table having collected just one point from their opening six Championship fixtures of the season.

Erol Bulut was subsequently sacked by the club, but Cardiff have significantly improved under interim boss Riza - who has seen his side claim 11 points from six league outings.

Given the club's improvement under Riza, former Cardiff and Wales defender Gabbidon says the Bluebirds' hierarchy should allow the caretaker manager to continue to focus on helping the team steer clear of the relegation zone.

"While they're winning, why do you need to rush into making a decision?" he told the BBC's Radio Wales Sport

"They've got some big games coming up, Norwich and Luton, those are the games where his credentials as a manager will be tested.

"While they're winning, I don't think there's any rush to do anything or make it permanent.

"If they were losing games still then yes, there's a quicker need to maybe change things or bring someone in.

"While it's going at the minute, just let him go on, see how the team does, let him build the confidence in the players, and if they keep picking up results then he will deserve to get the job."

Mark Hudson and Steve Morison are among those to be given the Cardiff job permanently on short-term deals having had stints as interim manager with the Bluebirds.

However, both failed to last beyond a year in the role, and Gabbidon - who was briefly joint-caretaker boss of the club alongside Scott Young following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's departure during the 2014-15 campaign - has urged the Bluebirds to learn from previous mistakes.

"We've seen Cardiff City go down that road of a caretaker manager coming in, getting some results and you're quick to give him a contract and once he's got the job, things go pear shaped," added Gabbidon.

"At the moment, there's not too much pressure on him (Riza). Just let the manager manage. No rush for me."

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Iwan Roberts believes the future is bright for Cardiff City after they extended their unbeaten run with a goalless draw against promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion.

The Bluebirds have not lost in five matches under caretaker boss Omer Riza and kept a third successive clean sheet during the stalemate with the Baggies.

"They weren't great in the second-half, but I thought they played as well as West Brom - who are a good team and among the favourites to go up from the Championship - in the first-half," ex-Wales striker Roberts told BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast.

"Maybe it was the worst half under Omer Riza in the second-half, but Callum Robinson missed a great chance to steal all three points.

"But it was a good point away from home.

"They haven't lost in five, three clean sheets in a row, the first time they've done that in more than a year. Things are looking good."

Cardiff collected just one point from their opening six Championship matches under Erol Bulut but have gained 11 points from the same number of games under Riza.

The Bluebirds sit 20th ahead of their contest against Norwich City at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

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Cardiff City will have a hole to fill at right-back when they host Norwich City next Saturday after Perry Ng picked up a fifth yellow card of the season.

Ng was booked in the first half of this weekend’s 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

The 28-year-old has played in all 12 of Cardiff’s league games to date this season.

Interim manager Omer Riza had defenders Will Fish and Jesper Daland on the bench at The Hawthorns.

Calum Chambers, who has been playing centre-back, has spent much of his career operating on the right side of defence.

Cardiff will look to extend their five-game unbeaten run when they face the Canaries.