By Gareth James
Sol Bamba insists his new boss at Cardiff City, Sabri Lamouchi, commands respect and has the tactical nous to keep the club in the Championship.
Bamba has rejoined the club he enjoyed success with as a player as their new assistant and right-hand man to Frenchman Lamouchi.
The pair worked together when Lamouchi was manager of the Ivory Coast national team between 2012 and 2014 and Bamba was a player in that squad alongside former Swansea City star Wilfried Bony.
“Since the first time I met him 11 years ago, straightaway we clicked,” said Bamba.
“As a manager he commands respect. He is aware tactically and technically, I think this is very important. That is what this club needs at the minute.
“The connection is very important between the board, the players and the fans.
“The fans have to be involved and we have to bring the club together because let’s be honest, at the minute, there is a fair distance between the fans and the club and the board.
“Our job is to bring them all together.”
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Lamouchi enjoyed a 50 per cent win percentage as manager of the Ivorians, but that figure dropped to 36 per cent during his 18-month spell in charge of Nottingham Forest.
He will need to improve on that figure if he is to pull Cardiff away from the relegation zone, but he insisted he was not a “magician” and that he could offer no guarantees.
The Bluebirds are 21st in the table and are without a win in nine league games.
“I know the situation of the club,” said Lamouchi.
“I am here because I know the history of the club. It’s not an easy challenge, but it’s an exciting challenge. I am excited to work with the team and the staff.”
“I am never confident and I don’t want to be confident. I don’t want to talk about the past and why we are here. I know the club deserves a better position and where we are is not our position.
“Of course the club, the fans, players want better for all of us so we need to start to work all together.
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“The last victory was in November so we need to change something. My job will be to find, as soon as possible, the best system, to put the best player in the best position, a new dynamic, more positive and to look for a new momentum.
“My job will be to find the right structure for the team and to give them what I am wanting from all of them on the pitch. And step by step we will try and go out of this situation.”
Lamouchi is understood to have agreed a deal until the end of the season at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The 51-year-old former France international – who was in charge of Forest between June 2019 and October 2020 – has signed a deal to replace Mark Hudson, who was sacked on January 14 after just 18 games in charge.
First team coach Dean Whitehead had taken charge while a search for Hudson’s successor was conducted, with the former Sunderland and Stoke midfielder overseeing a 1-0 loss to Millwall in the league and a 5-2 defeat to Leeds in the FA Cup third round replay.
Whitehead will remain at the club under the new regime, as will coach Tom Ramasut and goalkeeping coach Graham Stack.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Cardiff owner Vincent Tan said: “I’d like to welcome Sabri to Cardiff City and offer him my full support. His appointment has come about following a period of serious consideration and reflection as to what is the best for our club.
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“I’m confident that Sabri will be able to deliver what we know this squad is capable of achieving and I look forward to the games that we have ahead of us.
“I’d also like to welcome back Sol to Sabri’s coaching staff, a sentiment I know that you will share. I want to thank Dean [Whitehead], Tom [Ramasut] and Graham [Stack] for their commitment and diligence during the interim period and am pleased that they will be part of our plans going forward.”
Cardiff’s seven managers in the last seven years
Paul Trollope – May 18 to October 4 2016
Neil Warnock – October 5 2016 to November 11 2019
Neil Harris – November 16 2019 to January 21 2021
Mick McCarthy – January 22 to October 23 2021
Steve Morison – October 29 2021 to September 18 2022
Mark Hudson – September 18 2022 to January 14 2023
Sabri Lamouchi – January 27 2023 to present
Cardiff’s next five fixtures
Luton (A) – Tuesday January 31, 7.45pm
Hull (A) – Saturday February 4, 3pm
Middlesbrough (H) – Saturday February 11, 3pm
Birmingham (A) – Tuesday February 14, 7.45pm
Reading (H) – Friday February 17, 8pm
