After calling many of their remarks regarding the team’s recent performances “clueless,” the Bluebirds’ head coach has come under fire from the team’s supporters.
This weekend, Cardiff travels to Sheffield United, where a win would mean Leeds needs four points from their final four games to secure automatic promotion. If the Blades have been defeated again, a Leeds victory at the Kassam Stadium will leave Daniel Farke’s team needing only one point from their remaining three games. The Whites will play Oxford United on Good Friday after the final whistle has sounded at Bramall Lane.
Even though Sheffield United has dropped their previous three games, they are still the favourites to face Riza’s Bluebirds, who are currently experiencing a terrible run of their own. Cardiff has only won once in their previous eight games and has lost their last four, dropping them into the bottom three.
“I’ve got a family. I can be obsessed with the situation and knowing the importance of it and sometimes you can neglect your family, and ignore them at times. Then you reflect and think that shouldn’t happen and as a young manager it’s something I need to get better at,” Riza said ahead of his side’s trip to South Yorkshire.
“I know how important it is. It’s a failure on my part if we go down. I have standards, I have goals, ideas about where I feel I can take this club.
“I do read comments, I read all the comments from fans and unfortunately a lot of them are clueless,” he added.
What have Cardiff fans said about Riza’s outburst?
In a statement released on Thursday, Cardiff City’s Supporters Trust called the manager’s remarks “disrespectful.”
It read: “Comments that fans are clueless are both disappointing and disrespectful given the need for everyone to be pulling in the same direction as Cardiff City battles to avoid relegation.
“Given the club’s precarious position, the manager, indeed any manager, should expect to receive criticism from fervent supporters who are passionate about the future of our club. We hope Omer will reflect on his ill-judged comments.”
Cardiff still has a chance to influence the result of this Championship season at both ends of the table and is just one point from safety.
Chris Wilder, the manager of the Blades, called a portion of his own team’s supporters a “disgrace” following their defeat against Oxford earlier this month, demonstrating that everyone is anxious and upset about the situation at hand.
