By Gareth James
Cardiff City boss Omer Riza insists he will have money to spend in order to bolster his squad during the January transfer window.
Riza, who had been serving as the Bluebirds’ interim manager, was officially appointed on a contract running until the end of the season on Thursday.
With his own position now secure – for six months, at least – Riza is turning his attention to recruitment plans ahead of the window opening next month.
“Conversations are ongoing in respect of a longlist and a shortlist of players and recognising where the weaknesses are we have in the squad, and how we need to replenish or replace players to make sure that, come January, we are taking the team to another level,” Riza explained.
“The conversations have been good. We’re talking all the time. If we need to strengthen, I’m sure we will be given the opportunity to do so.”
We are pleased to confirm that Omer Riza has been appointed as the Club’s First Team Manager until the end of the 2024/25 campaign. #CityAsOne
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 5, 2024
Riza has overseen notable progress during his 12 matches in charge, guiding Cardiff to 16 points and introducing a more progressive style of play.
However, recent form has been less encouraging, with the team failing to win in their last five outings.
Cardiff currently sit 20th in the Championship table, just two points clear of the relegation zone, as they prepare to face Watford on Saturday.
But the man who took over from Erol Bulut after the former manager’s sacking in September believes he can continue to pull his team away from the drop zone and do enough to earn an extended deal in the summer.
“I’d like to think that if things go really well and we performed to levels that we’re all expected to, then obviously those conversations will all take place further down the line,” he added.
“But for me the immediate concern now is that we keep progressing, we keep performing and, yes, maybe things will happen in January as well.
“Hopefully we can step up another gear and hopefully climb up the table and be in a more stable position as a club in general.
“I think the stability will help, now there’s no questions. Everyone knows I’m here, everyone knows that we’re going to be working towards the same goals.
“The blip in performances, people might not be happy with certain things, but looking at it from a manager’s perspective and a coach’s perspective, I think there has been elements in games where we’ve lost games where we shouldn’t have done.
“And there’s been games when we haven’t been good enough.
“That’s down to consistency and an element of instability. I think all those things will hopefully now bring us more together and give us strength as a unit, a unity to help us kick on.”
Omer Riza gets Cardiff City Job . . . But Only Until End Of Season
Riza welcomes Watford, the club where he previously coached, to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday and is keen to show them what they are now missing.
“It’ll be an extra boost for me. It’s a really important game. I was there for a long time and I know a lot of people there and older players and staff.
“And yeah, it would mean something to me to put on a good performance and perform well.”
