Cardiff City face Liverpool today at Anfield in a fixture that should be a cause of celebration for Cardiff fans. The teams have not met in the same division for over 50 years and when they last played each other in the League Cardiff won 4 - 0 at Anfield in Bill Shankly's first game in charge of LIverpool.
Today we could be seeing a manager in his final match as Cardiff manager as Malky Mackay knows the club's owner, Vincent Tan, is deperate to get him out. Tan flew into the UK last night and was set to meet chairman Mehmet Dalman to have one final round of talks over Mackay's future.
The football world has had it's eyes open to the bizarre behaviour of Tan and now the media around the globe are questioning him, his decisions and his lack of understanding of British football.
There is all round sympathy for Mackay who is in the most impossible of situations. Mackay though says he will not resign depite the owner threatening to sack him if he doesn't.
As previously reported Tan emailed Malky with a list of grievences including over-spending and poor tactics. It seems Tan expects Cardiff to be far higher up the table based on the money spent.
It may also be because Malky is hugely popular and Tan isn't. The owners ego is taking a hit and he doen't like it. Tan is not used to playing second fiddle and his assumption that Cardiff should be in a better position just because he's spent a few quid shows his lack of understanding of how the game works.
Maybe Cardiff should be in a better position but anyone who knows anything about football is aware that nothing is certain and you take nothing for granted. Malky has nearly made it to the midway point of the season and he is in with a good a shout as any team from 10th place down to still be a Premier League team come May.
Tan is thought to have wanted to bring Dave Jones back as temporary manager when Malky goes, Dalman is thought to have talked him out of that. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Sven Goran Eriksson and even Craig Bellamy have been mentioned as possible successors.
All this while Malky is still in post. It really shows a lack of class and competence by the club.
No one, apart from it seems Dalman, has any any skills of dealing with Tan and actually trying to talk sense to him. The meeting due to take place overnight will be Dalman's last chance to try and save Mackay's job and let him get on with keeping Cardiff in the Premier League.
Liverpool v Cardiff City
Saturday 12:45pm.