By Gareth James
Erol Bulut has taken a swipe at his critics by labelling some of their criticism “stupid” and suggested genuine Cardiff City fans would offer support instead of complaints.
Bulut may be under huge pressure after his team’s winless start to the season, but if he does go down this weekend, he seems intent on going down fighting.
Never seen Erol Bulut quite so passionate or animated in a press conference. Launched into a huge monologue on all things from pressure to criticism.https://t.co/G4V1yWLZew pic.twitter.com/EaI3TeaMWq
— Glen Williams (@GlenWilliams12) September 19, 2024
In a passionate defence of his record and position as Bluebirds manager, the German-born Turk claimed supporters should get behind the team, instead of finding fault with a squad who have earned one point from five matches and scored one goal.
“It’s normal that I have pressure, when you don’t have the results we are expecting – what the board and the fans are expecting – but I can live with this,” said Bulut.
‘It’s the first time in my career I’ve had a start like this. I am also living this at the moment.
“We have to be realistic. The opponents against us, how they created, what they created and what we created, they were not better than us, maybe Burnley we can put away. But all the other games we had chances to win a game or lead the game.
“But football is like this, when you don’t score and opponents score, you can’t change the results.
“It’s normal you get pressure. What I don’t like also, if media or social media are writing about something to criticise me or my work, this I don’t like. Because it’s not true.
“You have to be honest. When everything goes well, everything is fine, when you have a few losses, no-one is next to you. This is not something new.
“At least now I can see who is really next to us and who is not next to us. This is the point. Now I see real fans and real people who are next to us.
“When we are winning, everyone is next to us. When we are losing as a team, then who is next to us? When I see stupid things on social media about my players or myself, I don’t need that.
“If you are with us or with Cardiff City, you have to be with us until we die. Not only when we are winning, I don’t need that.
“I am including everybody. I don’t care who takes it personally. It doesn’t matter who. I take everybody in. Fans, media, we have to be together, but we are not.”
#CardiffCity are considering the future of manager Erol Bulut after today’s defeat at Derby. Bulut facing the sack following a fourth defeat in 5 Championship matches this season.
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) September 14, 2024
It has been suggested Bulut will be sacked if Cardiff lose at home to Leeds United on Saturday.
That outcome is hardly unprecedented, since club owner Vincent Tan has seen off 11 managers in his 14 years at the club.
But Bulut has insisted Cardiff have been “unlucky” in finding themselves bottom of the table.
Erol Bulut takes swipe at media in impassioned speech as Cardiff City gear up for Leeds United: https://t.co/JyybNlrZxo
— Leeds News App (@leedsnews_app) September 19, 2024
He added: “You attack me after five games, one point, 11 goals conceded, fine. If everything goes bad, you try and make it bad, why didn’t you write them last season about these bad things? OK, you were writing a few bad things, that is normal.
“Then it was the style of play, how we play, now this is how we play, so now it’s the results? What is it? A few people were writing about something. I don’t want to talk about, I know who’s talking.
“But it’s not the moment to speak about that. We have to speak about results. We have to fight to get back.
“We have a team where we don’t have to be in this position now after the first five games. We have been a bit unlucky. The opponents have been more lucky than us.
‘We didn’t score, we didn’t make the result. This is normal and then I get pressure. I accept that. But in Turkey we say that if you attack under the belt it’s not good, you need to stay on the level. But I can live with this.
“This is not my first team. I have trained a few teams, including Fenerbahce, then you can understand the pressure. It’s just the way (it’s written) I don’t like.”
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