Omer Riza - new Cardiff coach?

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...tment-29406209

Cardiff City look set to add ex-Watford first-team coach Omer Riza to their coaching staff, WalesOnline understands.

Erol Bulut has been keen to bolster his backroom team this summer and indeed it was one of his stipulations when he was in talks to agree a new two-year deal with the Bluebirds.

Cardiff had held talks with former City first-team coach James Rowberry over returning to the club, however last week we were told a deal could not get over the line.

But the club do appear to be closing in on adding someone to their coaching staff and that comes in the form of Omer Riza, whose most recent role was as part of the first-team staff at Vicarage Road under Valerien Ismael.

Riza had spent six years with the club, joining in August 2018 as part of their academy setup before he progressed through to take the reins as Watford under-23s head coach in 2019. He was added to Ismael's coaching staff last summer but left when the manager was sacked back in March.

Riza juggled much of his time with Watford with his role at the English FA, where he held the position of England under-17s assistant coach from 2019 and 2023, until he was promoted to first-team duties by the Hornets.

His previous role at Leyton Orient, predominantly in the youth-team setup before he stepped up to take on the role as assistant manager at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Having come through the Arsenal academy, Riza's playing career saw him take in no fewer than 16 clubs. The 44-year-old was a striker in his playing days and it is understood Cardiff hope he will add to their attacking struggles, which have been evident in recent seasons, particularly from open play.

Part of Riza's duties while in the England setup was being charge of "in-possession" play, which, it is hoped, will help Cardiff boost their scoring numbers outside of set pieces and help to nail down the attacking identity Bulut wants to implement.

Riza also has a Turkish connection, too, which will doubtless help in him building a strong relationship with Bulut and the coaching staff. The London-born coach had great success playing for Denizlispor and Trabzonspor and even turned out for Turkey's under-23s during the early part of his career.

Cardiff finished the table rock bottom for goals scored from open play last year. Their tally of 25 was beaten by relegated Rotherham United (26), Huddersfield Town (32) and Birmingham City (38). They also ranked in the bottom five for shots and xG from open play.

It is hoped Riza's expertise can help to inflate those numbers next season, while also boosting the club's "control zones", helping them become more dominant further up the pitch, something they struggled to do for much of last season.

There could well be other changes on the club's coaching staff, with one potentially leaving and another coming in to give City's bench a new look next term.

Thank you for wading through the utter shite that is the Wales Online website to report what it was they were trying to convey.

Watford were rubbish under Valerien Ismael, so let's hope this guy has a more positive impact here than he did there if he ends up coming to City.

Following his sacking by Watford, Riza said: “Obviously very disappointed with the decision to be relieved of my position at Watford. I felt I was the person for continuity at the club since being there for six years. Maybe it should have been my time to take the team and continue on the journey that I love.

“For whatever reason, it wasn’t to be and it hurts, but I need to take it all onto my next objective. Looking for a Head Coach position where I can apply my processes, my experience, my knowledge and above all my humility.”

He sounds very humble...

:hehe:

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Following his sacking by Watford, Riza said: “Obviously very disappointed with the decision to be relieved of my position at Watford. I felt I was the person for continuity at the club since being there for six years. Maybe it should have been my time to take the team and continue on the journey that I love.

“For whatever reason, it wasn’t to be and it hurts, but I need to take it all onto my next objective. Looking for a Head Coach position where I can apply my processes, my experience, my knowledge and above all my humility.”

He sounds very humble...

:hehe:

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Shrewd.

Let's get behind him

Bluebirds!

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Following his sacking by Watford, Riza said: “Obviously very disappointed with the decision to be relieved of my position at Watford. I felt I was the person for continuity at the club since being there for six years. Maybe it should have been my time to take the team and continue on the journey that I love.

“For whatever reason, it wasn’t to be and it hurts, but I need to take it all onto my next objective. Looking for a Head Coach position where I can apply my processes, my experience, my knowledge and above all my humility.”

He sounds very humble...

:hehe:

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Not like you to be sarcastic about these things

Have you fallen out of bed ?

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Not like you to be sarcastic about these things

Have you fallen out of bed ?

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Thing is sludge, I would have thought that everyone will want this bloke to do well. He won't change the players we have or give them more ability, but he might notice things about their game that could benefit them. That's what good coaches do. They ain't going to make mature footballers touch better, or cast the awareness wand. We just don't know anything about him. I'd love to see our forward players play with more intelligence, awareness, look like they're reading the game.

The mistake people make ( in my opinion) is that a forward is only as good as the service provided, true to a point, but they can show us that they can play even if they aren't scoring goals. Etete a point in question with some on here.

Why do I feel suitably underwhelmed. Is it the new law that any new recruit for any position at the club must now have a Turkish connection…..

Really makes little difference who the coaches are unless the tactics change. Maybe he influence Bulut, but probably not.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Really makes little difference who the coaches are unless the tactics change. Maybe he influence Bulut, but probably not.

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This is how I see it.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Really makes little difference who the coaches are unless the tactics change. Maybe he influence Bulut, but probably not.

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I'm not sure I agree - it's not as though the tactic is to be useless in attack on purpose

I’m not sure he is really being brought in by City to “add to their attacking struggles” :hehe:

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Originally Posted by Rjk

I'm not sure I agree - it's not as though the tactic is to be useless in attack on purpose

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I agree with that. We are all aware of the tactics employed by Bulut, but i'm a firm believer in players having the ability to at least show us that they're capable. That doesn't have to mean goals, which seems to be the barometer on here. A lack of goals can be put down to tactics, but poor decision making, poor touch, lack of awareness, the inability to hold the ball up or draw fouls and use what a player can under the restraints of Bulut's tactics aren't really discussed. It's as simple as a lack of service means that out forward players can't really be judged. That is complete nonsense and airs on the side of taking responsibility away from the players and completely putting it at the feet of the manager, because that line suits some people.

Interestingly while at Leyton Orient he stated he was a big fan of Conte's 3-4-3 system. Orient played it quite a bit.
Basically
3 centre backs - one playing deeper almost as a sweeper
2 very attacking wing backs.
2 ball winning / defensive midfielders.
1 centre forward/ number 9/ target man
2 creative fowards/ attacking midfielders.

Something like:
............Hovarth
............Goutas
.........Ng..........McG
Tanner..Siopis..Ralls..o'dowda
.....Colwill.....Ramsey
............Moore!?

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Originally Posted by Rjk

I'm not sure I agree - it's not as though the tactic is to be useless in attack on purpose

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No, but there's been too much emphasis on attacking players, Colwill for example, coming deep to defend rather than concentrating on attacking, and on wingers playing on the wrong side.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Thing is sludge, I would have thought that everyone will want this bloke to do well. He won't change the players we have or give them more ability, but he might notice things about their game that could benefit them. That's what good coaches do. They ain't going to make mature footballers touch better, or cast the awareness wand. We just don't know anything about him. I'd love to see our forward players play with more intelligence, awareness, look like they're reading the game.

The mistake people make ( in my opinion) is that a forward is only as good as the service provided, true to a point, but they can show us that they can play even if they aren't scoring goals. Etete a point in question with some on here.

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I think that colwill has the potential to be a good championship player

I don't think Etete will ever make it as this level but I would be happy to be wrong

That's it

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

I think that colwill has the potential to be a good championship player

I don't think Etete will ever make it as this level but I would be happy to be wrong

That's it

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Etete-No chance. Colwil-I still can't get my head around him, He perplexes me. Add some goals and assists, then yeah, we hae something on our hands, without that then he reminds me of someone who is really good at football but doesn't know how to 'Play' it.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Etete-No chance. Colwil-I still can't get my head around him, He perplexes me. Add some goals and assists, then yeah, we hae something on our hands, without that then he reminds me of someone who is really good at football but doesn't know how to 'Play' it.

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Sounds to me like you have done a pretty good job of getting your head around him. We all hope there is still time to learn.

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Originally Posted by John Buchanan

Sounds to me like you have done a pretty good job of getting your head around him. We all hope there is still time to learn.

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He's a good player in possession and he's improved of the ball as well, although I do feel a bit sorry for him in that respect as it's not natural to him. He's our only really creative outlet and I can't see that changing anytime soon . The club has a responsibility in getting the best out of him and Colwill has a responsibility in making things count more often than it does with him.

I’m much more sympathetic towards our strikers (actually, apart from when Lamouchi was playing any two out of Kaba, Etete and Wickham together, that should read striker) - they’re left to fend for themselves and I maintain that none of our recent strikers miss bucketloads of simple chances over the course of a season, so that proves the point that we’ve been useless at creating chances from open play for years.

If you go back to the only striker who has scored goals at what we’d call an acceptable rate, Kieffer Moore had a very good Championship quality attacking midfielder in Harry Wilson helping him out in the season he scored twenty - I accept that none of our recent strikers are as good as Moore, but it can’t be a coincidence that the one season we had a proven Championship quality number ten in the last four, we had a striker who scored more than twice as many as any other striker we’ve had in that time.

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

I’m much more sympathetic towards our strikers (actually, apart from when Lamouchi was playing any two out of Kaba, Etete and Wickham together, that should read striker) - they’re left to fend for themselves and I maintain that none of our recent strikers miss bucketloads of simple chances over the course of a season, so that proves the point that we’ve been useless at creating chances from open play for years.

If you go back to the only striker who has scored goals at what we’d call an acceptable rate, Kieffer Moore had a very good Championship quality attacking midfielder in Harry Wilson helping him out in the season he scored twenty - I accept that none of our recent strikers are as good as Moore, but it can’t be a coincidence that the one season we had a proven Championship quality number ten in the last four, we had a striker who scored more than twice as many as any other striker we’ve had in that time.

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Agree with all of that, and pretty much all of us know that chances to score goals is scarce. But what about the things that they can influence Bob, there's more to playing in an advanced role than just scoring goals, especially in a team like ours. Do you have the sames thought on defenders, they're just there to defend? I'm not knocking it Bob, just curious :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

No, but there's been too much emphasis on attacking players, Colwill for example, coming deep to defend rather than concentrating on attacking, and on wingers playing on the wrong side.

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Im not sure how a coach, coming in to work for a manager is going to change the managers philosophy, like you point out he's already got his way of playing. Even if they end up being coached differently in training and take on mew ideas they've still got to play the way the manager tells them to on match day.

I hope things change, I just don't see how one new man is going to change anything as theres still the same man calling the shots.

Wales online did this last year, weren't we told we had an exciting attacking possession based football manager coming in? it came from Dalman or WOL one of the sources. They just like to hype up all the idiots that buy into the crap they say, it gets them clicks.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

I agree with that. We are all aware of the tactics employed by Bulut, but i'm a firm believer in players having the ability to at least show us that they're capable. That doesn't have to mean goals, which seems to be the barometer on here. A lack of goals can be put down to tactics, but poor decision making, poor touch, lack of awareness, the inability to hold the ball up or draw fouls and use what a player can under the restraints of Bulut's tactics aren't really discussed. It's as simple as a lack of service means that out forward players can't really be judged. That is complete nonsense and airs on the side of taking responsibility away from the players and completely putting it at the feet of the manager, because that line suits some people.

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Goals isn't the barometer for all of us, I want to see the potential to improve our play, if its a work in progress and going to take some time so be it. This win at all costs NOW mentality is spoiling football.

Excellent

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Originally Posted by life on mars

Excellent

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Please elaborate.

What is so exciting about a person coming in as a member of the coaching team?

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Originally Posted by Dembe

Please elaborate.

What is so exciting about a person coming in as a member of the coaching team?

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His background and an area where we lack quality and experience, he brings that .

Check his CV .

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Originally Posted by life on mars

His background and an area where we lack quality and experience, he brings that .

Check his CV .

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Let's hope you are right. Im not sure how a coach, brought in to work under a manager, is going to influence tactics and the way we set up. Bulut will make all them decisions, as the man in charge should. I struggle to see how we see any difference on the pitch, it's just more nonsense from WOL to get idiots excited over basically nothing.

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Originally Posted by Robin Friday's Ghost

Thank you for wading through the utter shite that is the Wales Online website to report what it was they were trying to convey.

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Wales Online hopes that he will add to our attacking struggles.

Quote - "it is understood Cardiff hope he will add to their attacking struggles."

There was a time when journalists were expected to be able to write coherently, and say what they meant.

It's pathetic.

Interesting appointment. Would have thought, with the Turkish connection he would have been front runner anyway ahead of James Rowberry.
Note that the goalkeeper coach is off. Don't really know what influence he has had to know if this is good or bad. Plenty of goalie coaches about, I am sure.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Really makes little difference who the coaches are unless the tactics change. Maybe he influence Bulut, but probably not.

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Ultimately a number two is just that it's the Manager that makes the final decisions, but they are important, Ferguson saw appointing a good quality assistant Manager as very important and they bring new ideas and personalities into the squad.

Six moths in we will know if he has made any difference.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Agree with all of that, and pretty much all of us know that chances to score goals is scarce. But what about the things that they can influence Bob, there's more to playing in an advanced role than just scoring goals, especially in a team like ours. Do you have the sames thought on defenders, they're just there to defend? I'm not knocking it Bob, just curious :thumbup:

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I've been trying to think of how and why I've become so negative about City in recent years and it's hard to put a finger on it, but I've always thought it's over simplistic to put all of our problems down to a particular part of the team - for me, our malaise runs from numbers one to eleven.

That said, until the second half of last season, I've always thought of us as being pretty secure defensively, but, by the time we were rolling over to let an awful Rotherham side tickle our tummies, we'd been defending poorly for weeks.

The midfield is the part of the team that annoys me the most - I don't see that we have made any real progress from when we had that much of a muchness quartet of Ralls, Pack, Vaulks and Bacuna, now we have Ralls, Wintle and Siopis who are slightly different versions of the same player - I think all three of them are Championship quality footballers, but, virtually from minute one, I was thinking why sign Siopis, he's not what we need in our midfield.

We've played with two wingers every season since we got relegated and when has it worked? Hoilet and Mendez-Laing were an effective pair for a while, but I don't remember another one since then.

As for our forward, whoever it has been in recent years, he's not been the finished article in terms of Championship quality apart from Kieffer Moore who we got lucky with because Wigan had to sell him at a knockdown price, whoever has played number nine for us has weaknesses to their game which makes their signings a gamble. However, let's be honest, unless we can do one of three things - find a 'gem|" that no one else know on the continent in the manner that Swansea did with Michu, break our wage structure to sign a quality Bosman or hit the jackpot with a young loanee from the Premier League, getting the sort of player who will be more or less guaranteed to score us the goals we want from them is going to leave with very little change from ten million pounds - if we had to go into next season with the strikers we have presently, I would make Etete my number one choice because I feel the potential for improvement id stronger in him than it is in Meite .

To try and summarise, I want to see us not making Championship football look so hard - apart from two seasons, we've been in this league continuously since 2023 and in that time, there have only been three seasons where relegation became a possibility, yet, having been a confident, front team with more falir and creativity than most sides we faced for our first decade back at this level, we've become a team that plays "underdog football" and goes into new seasons with a mindset which suggests to me that we think we shouldn't really be here - we used to try to win games by being more skilful and creative than our opponents, now do it by trying to drag them down to our level.