By Gareth James
Alex Robertson insists Cardiff City’s players have been impressed with Omer Riza and would have no complaints if Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan upgraded the stand-in’s job.
Riza is four games into his interim stint in charge of the Bluebirds and has delivered seven points and eight goals to lift the club from bottom to 22nd in the Championship.
In their previous six matches under Erol Bulut – who was given the bullet – they managed just one point and a solitary goal.
The Riza roll gathered further momentum at the weekend with a 5-0 thrashing of Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle that took the Bluebirds off the bottom of the table.
“Everyone is understanding now what we need to do to win games,” said midfielder Robertson of Riza’s guidance.
“All the boys really like working under him. I do, definitely. Over the past four games, he has been excellent.
“Even the boys who aren’t playing, he will speak to them and they can have their say. I think everyone is on the same wavelength with him, but as players we don’t know what’s going to go on with the manager situation.”
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As an owner, Malaysian Tan tends to be driven by gut instinct and whim rather than strategy, so the feelgood factor of a five-goal thrashing and a move off the bottom of the table should certainly aid Riza’s cause.
This was Cardiff’s biggest league win for seven years and although Plymouth fell to pieces like wet cardboard after Ibrahim Cissoko’s first-half sending off, there was a slickness and coherence about the Bluebirds which had been badly missing.
Robertson, the impressive Rubin Colwill and Ollie Tanner were at the centre of that and Australian Robertson – who moved from Manchester City in the summer – added: “We just feel good in ourselves and have been given a bit more freedom.”
The Omer Riza dilemma…
If we’d replaced Bulut with a new permanent manager who played the football we have been playing and got 7 from 12 points, I think we’d all have been delighted.
With no other options materialising, I’m now supportive of giving him a chance this season.— Cardiff Matchworn Shirts (@ccfcmatchworn) October 20, 2024
Robertson scored Cardiff’s first goal, followed by Colwill, Anwar El Ghazi, Callum Robinson and Chris Willock.
Plymouth were already 2-0 down when Cissoko shoved Perry Ng in the chest, an offence less dangerous – but more stupid – than when Ng had booted the ball into Cissoko laying on the ground, for which the Cardiff defender got a yellow.
That meant the Bluebirds could pick off 10-man Plymouth almost at will, especially as Riza had eyes in the sky in the form of Aaron Ramsey.
“We had Aaron Ramsey upstairs today casting an eye down to give us some information and it all came together well today,” said Riza.
“I said to Aaron yesterday that I’d like him to go up there, cast his eye over the game and if he had anything of importance to come down.
“To be fair, when he came down and mentioned a couple of things, it was what was in our minds anyway which is nice, so we’re all on the same page.
“It’s important when you’ve got players like Rallsy (Joe Ralls) and Aaron who are experienced and aren’t playing, you have to try and use them in a different way and we did that today.”
“I’m happy for the players and the fans. Today it came together, we went 2-0 up before the red card and we looked dominant.
“We had a mixed bag of who scored, players that came on were effective. I’m just really happy.”
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For Plymouth manager Rooney, this was a repeat of the hurtling runaway disaster he suffered on the opening day when Argyle lost 4-0 to Sheffield Wednesday.
Rooney – banned from the touchline and five grand lighter in the pocket after an FA rap – was measured in his public verdict.
“Of course, you are angry, you are upset and disappointed, but that’s more when I’m speaking to the players,” he said.
“I am very disappointed with the performance because that wasn’t us, but the main thing will be to move on quickly because dwelling on this won’t help anyone.”
Plymouth have not won away in five attempts so far this season and have scored just one goal, whilst conceding 12.
Rooney has an immediate opportunity to improve those statistics when Argyle visit Millwall on Wednesday night, whilst Cardiff have a chance to gain more momentum at home to Portsmouth on Tuesday.
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