A personal message from Tan Sri Vincent Tan | 29/04/2025

[WJ99mobile]

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...t-tan-29042025

To all Cardiff City supporters,
I wish to acknowledge the open letter that has been issued by our Supporters’ Trust. We hear your words and I share your hurt and frustration. Not all decisions when it comes to the First Team have worked as I had hoped for us.

To lose our place in the Championship is upsetting. The important thing is that we regain it at the earliest opportunity and I would like to take this chance to tell you that I am committed to getting us back. A period of review is being undertaken; a permanent manager and management team will be appointed in the coming weeks. As a point of developing strategy, our Board of Directors have begun internal discussions with executive management and staff to strategise and plan for the summer and new season.

To say I don’t care is wrong and I strongly push back on that. I watch every game and speak to the Board and manager before and after each one. My family will tell you: I kick every ball!

We have enjoyed good times together. I can tell all Cardiff City supporters that it is my intention to support correcting the situation we find ourselves in. I want us to all pull in the same direction.

I will make every effort to be in Cardiff at the next opportunity that my scheduling allows. I am sorry that we are where we are this summer. It is now time to rebuild.

Vincent

[Father Dougal]

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...TF7TXsYefVGRRw

The Club and its Board of Directors acknowledge the recent communication from Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust and the overwhelming feeling of supporter sadness and frustration that accompanies us leaving the Championship for the 2025/26 season.
We hear you.

This will be the first time in 22 years that Cardiff City Football Club has not been a Premier League or Championship club and it’s a reality that we are determined to address and correct at the earliest opportunity.

To have the best chance of achieving this, there will be a thorough period of review across several structures and practices. This review has begun and involves the Owner, Board, Executive Management and stakeholders. It will culminate in the appointment and announcement of a new permanent manager and management team that can sculpt and coach a competitive squad through pre-season and into the 2025/26 campaign.

This message has been internally communicated to Club staff as the first point of a developing strategy. We commit to communicating further strategy points with you as the summer progresses; as appointments are made; as our revamped playing squad takes shape; and as we rebuild.

Thank you for your support.

And the personal message from tan

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...FeRZ-FS9P1Nd5A

[WJ99mobile]

A clear message, finally.

I wonder how long Tan can be the scapegoat for this club.

[Father Dougal]

It's quite predictable stuff really but initial impression does leave me slightly more optimistic that relegation could actually turn out to be a good thing if they do as they say above as they weren't going to change anything whilst we kept staying up.

No guarantee but I feel we have a chance of change now however small.

[The Bloop]

Does the appointment of a 'management team' include a Director of Football?

[Father Dougal]

Does the appointment of a 'management team' include a Director of Football?

Steve mcphail

[Trigger]

It's short and low on any detail to really extract.

But...any sort of apology attached to his name has been like blood from a stone so it's a start.

Absolutely meaningless if it's just words with no actual desire for any real change.

[The Lone Gunman]

I wonder how long Tan can be the scapegoat for this club.

Why do you think he's a scapegoat?

[Father Dougal]

It's short and low on any detail to really extract.

But...any sort of apology attached to his name has been like blood from a stone so it's a start.

Absolutely meaningless if it's just words with no actual desire for any real change.

Yeah we all expected this kind of language and when bulut was sacked we heard how they were going to find his replacement and we know how that ended.

Still overall I agree. It's as close to an apology as we will get.

[Dave Blue]

Why do you think he's a scapegoat?

Well do you blame the people who hoodwink him into thinking they know about football or him for believing them?

[Father Dougal]

Well do you blame the people who hoodwink him into thinking they know about football or him for believing them?

Isn't dalman on record saying he wants a DOF but tan wont allow it?

[The Lone Gunman]

Well do you blame the people who hoodwink him into thinking they know about football or him for believing them?

They're all culpable. But Tan is the primary decision maker. Nothing significant happens without his blessing. He's not some sort of silent partner - very, very far from it.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Well do you blame the people who hoodwink him into thinking they know about football or him for believing them?

Tan has employed these same people for around 10 years. It is a Tan problem.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

I'm glad something has been said now at least.

For me the key phrase is "a thorough period of review across several structures and practices." That could mean potentially changing the way the club is run - full time CEO, DOF, owner taking a back seat - but as it goes on to say "It will culminate in the appointment and announcement of a new permanent manager and management team," it probably doesn't.

Who are the "stakeholders" it says are involved in the review?

[the other bob wilson]

Trouble is he’s had fourteen years, at least, to do the things he talks about - they’re just words until they get turned into actions. Why wasn’t all of this being done ten years ago?

[Splott-light...]

a new full time manager was always going to be a necessity because we don't have one currently, nothing in those statements could be considered enlightening or new news.

our fans will lap it up though, desperate for a morsel of positivity.

[The Lone Gunman]

Trouble is he’s had fourteen years, at least, to do the things he talks about - they’re just words until they get turned into actions. Why wasn’t all of this being done ten years ago?

We can only hope that the penny has finally dropped. It's a remote possibility, but a possibility all the same. Maybe relegation to the third tier will at last convince Tan that he needs to employ people behind the scenes with genuine knowledge of the game. Perhaps he'll finally realise that cutting corners by employing the cheapest options as managers and coaches is an idiotic false economy. Maybe relegation will bring about the reset the club so desperately needs.

I'm not holding my breath on any of the above, but I'm not ruling any of it out either. It's blatantly obvious to everyone (or almost everyone) that significant change is needed in terms of how Cardiff City FC operates. Perhaps it will finally become clear to Vincent Tan too.

[WJ99mobile]

Why do you think he's a scapegoat?

He has failed. But as has everyone at the club. The main but not sole reason for our relegation is pitchside.

Do you see Dalman / Choo protests? No
Do you see Bulut protests? No
Have you heard many boo's at the players? Very few.

There's apathy right across the club and it's supporters except when it comes to Tan, (who bankrolled quite a number of signings last summer and January that on the whole, thought we're to be better than it's transpired). When it comes to Tan it's rather targetted and venomous.

That's why I believe he's a scapegoat.

[Crisp White Lines]

He has failed. But as has everyone at the club. The main but not sole reason for our relegation is pitchside.

Do you see Dalman / Choo protests? No
Do you see Bulut protests? No
Have you heard many boo's at the players? Very few.

There's apathy right across the club and it's supporters except when it comes to Tan, (who bankrolled quite a number of signings last summer and January that on the whole, thought we're to be better than it's transpired). When it comes to Tan it's rather targetted and venomous.

That's why I believe he's a scapegoat.

Tan firmly positioned himself as the sole decision maker.

Fans recognise that, others, although not blameless, are not the root cause of the club’s problems.

In this regard, the fans are not clueless.

[WJ99mobile]

Tan firmly positioned himself as the sole decision maker.

Fans recognise that, others, although not blameless, are not the root cause of the club’s problems.

In this regard, the fans are not clueless.

https://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.ph...finishing-20th

A lot of fans clearly are clueless.

Not many would have put us relegated.

[Crisp White Lines]

https://www.ccmb.co.uk/showthread.ph...finishing-20th

A lot of fans clearly are clueless.

Not many would have put us relegated.

“In this regard…”

My comment is related to recognising Tan is the root cause of problems.

Nothing to do with what you’ve now chosen to highlight.

[The Lone Gunman]

He has failed. But as has everyone at the club. The main but not sole reason for our relegation is pitchside.

Do you see Dalman / Choo protests? No
Do you see Bulut protests? No
Have you heard many boo's at the players? Very few.

There's apathy right across the club and it's supporters except when it comes to Tan, (who bankrolled quite a number of signings last summer and January that on the whole, thought we're to be better than it's transpired). When it comes to Tan it's rather targetted and venomous.

That's why I believe he's a scapegoat.

The reason the ire is directed primarily at Vincent Tan is because anyone who has even an ounce of sense can see by now how the club operates. After all, Tan has been in control of it for way more than a decade. He brought Mehmet Dalman to Cardiff City and made him Chairman. Ken Choo is one of Tan's underlings. Every major decision is made by Tan - he dictates who does what, and who is employed at the club's management levels and who isn't. It's no more complicated than that.

It's no coincidence that Cardiff City FC has employed as many different managers as it has since Tan took over. A former CEO (who was in position at the time) told me back in 2012 that Tan was the most difficult person he'd ever worked with by some considerable distance. He didn't last much longer as Tan took complete control.

There are many people who are culpable for the club's current situation, but the buck stops firmly with Vincent Tan. He owns the club, he has total control over the club and he's made a terrible, terrible mess of things.

[the other bob wilson]

We can only hope that the penny has finally dropped. It's a remote possibility, but a possibility all the same. Maybe relegation to the third tier will at last convince Tan that he needs to employ people behind the scenes with genuine knowledge of the game. Perhaps he'll finally realise that cutting corners by employing the cheapest options as managers and coaches is an idiotic false economy. Maybe relegation will bring about the reset the club so desperately needs.

I'm not holding my breath on any of the above, but I'm not ruling any of it out either. It's blatantly obvious to everyone (or almost everyone) that significant change is needed in terms of how Cardiff City FC operates. Perhaps it will finally become clear to Vincent Tan too.

You’re right to the extent that I think relegation to League One is more likely to make Vincent Tan “see the light” when it comes to how a modern day football club should be run than anything else that has happened in his time here. However, I’m far from convinced it will do.

It’s hardly promising to read in the club statement on the website that it seems that it’s the same clowns who have got us in this mess who will be carrying out the “thorough period of review” - why should anyone believe they’ll get it right this time when they’ve got so much wrong in the past?

[Hilts]

Ah the review period has been announced.

First tick box for the same mistakes all over again.

[The Lone Gunman]

It’s hardly promising to read in the club statement on the website that it seems that it’s the same clowns who have got us in this mess who will be carrying out the “thorough period of review” - why should anyone believe they’ll get it right this time when they’ve got so much wrong in the past?

That's a fair observation, but it's a start and it's probably the best we could hope for under the circumstances.

I guess it depends who is doing the reviewing. If Dalman, Choo and their minions are conducting the review internally then I don't hold out much hope for change. But if they consult with or bring in someone with a genuine football background during this review, then it can only be a good thing.