Manager's sacking would suit Leeds United if it was delayed until next week

As of Tuesday night, there had been no word of a trigger being pulled in Malaysia. Erol Bulut was expected to wake up on Wednesday morning and remain Cardiff City’s manager, which seems like a good thing for Leeds United.

LeedsLive would like to see a man keep his job. The pessimists will always say the state of play going into Saturday’s match will not suit the Whites. If Bulut stays, it’s a Cardiff team playing to save their manager’s skin with a vociferous home backing and, if he goes, it’s a revitalised group of players unburdened by a terrible start and listening to a new, if interim, voice in the dressing room.

Vincent Tan has not built a reputation for sound strategy since taking control of the Bluebirds, so a sacking could come at any time between now and kick-off, but, ordinarily, a club would want to give a new face as much time as possible to have an impact on the next game. Therefore, if Bulut’s survived the weekend, the strategy would seem to suggest he is being given more time to turn this around.

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There were only three wins from the final nine league matches of last season, which may play into the heat Bulut has come under in the early part of this campaign. Although, last season’s 12th-place finish was an improvement on the firefighting of the two previous years.

Reporting from the Cardiff patch by our sister title, WalesOnline, all suggests it’s going to be much better for the Whites if Bulut does hang on until Saturday. Club correspondent Glen Williams wrote: “Bulut promised big changes coming into the season and they have not worked.

“The defence is conceding goals at an alarming rate, easy, avoidable ones at that, and the attack is so sorely lacking any sort of verve, pace or imagination it is far too easy to defend against. Yes, these things take time to really nail, but it's a results business and unless there are tangible signs of improvement then all roads point in one direction.

“The manager also promised changes heading into the Derby [County] game and while he altered some personnel, the result was the same. The visitors enjoyed 63.6 per cent possession, let off nine shots and still could not find a way past the goalkeeper, Jacob Widell Zetterström. A similar story can be said for games against Sunderland and Middlesbrough.”

Further to that, and what may embolden Leeds most, is the lack of fight which has been identified in Cardiff’s game. They are not fighting back in these matches when they go behind, Williams has reported.

“Cardiff had a decent transfer window, no better than that,” he wrote. “Talk from some this was a squad capable of promotion contention always seemed lofty, but a candidate for relegation? Surely not. No way.

“The players at Bulut's disposal are too good for that, even if they aren't showing it right now. What that is down to, everyone has their own theory. The system, the blend of players, the style of play, the number of so-called 'defensive midfielders' being deployed, new signings flattering to deceive, a lack of clear-cut chances, the dearth of pace, the statuesque defending.

“The fact there is a litany from which to choose probably tells its own story. The stock excuse of creating enough chances, but not putting them away, however, is losing its clout. Cardiff's xG (expected goals) is 3.2, which is 23rd out of 24 in the Championship. If they are creating chances, as we are told, then they're not good enough.

“What will have disappointed supporters, which might be going under the radar a little with so much focus on this new style of play yielding nothing in terms of attacking output so far, is the lack of fight they are showing. It's a trait Cardiff has always prided itself on. Last season, they scrapped tooth and nail to stay in games and nicked equalisers or winners at the end.

“Save a spirited breakaway goal, which was expertly constructed by Rubin Colwill and Ollie Tanner and finished by Callum Robinson, against Swansea City, the Bluebirds have been unable to pick themselves up off the canvas to fight back into ties let alone win them. When teams break against Cardiff, they look in trouble. The opposite is true with regards to the Bluebirds' often cumbersome attacks.”

This could be a home crowd that is ready to turn if Leeds start well on Saturday too. United need a get-right result in their own regard at the weekend and if Bulut can avoid the bullet, it may be the perfect time for the 460-mile round-trip.