With still no word as to what happened when Chairman and chief investor met after the Board meeting nearly three weeks ago (I’m beginning to wonder if we will ever get formal confirmation of what was decided), this was a pretty quiet week until Paul Lambert decided to resign from his job as Norwich manager to take on the vacant post at Aston Villa. Predictably, former Canary Malky Mackay was soon being mentioned as a possible successor for Lambert and was installed as the bookie’s favourite for the job at Carrow Road. When Sky Sports ran this story a few days ago, there seemed some substance to all of the speculation, but City quickly issued a statement of their owndenying this.
What has changed since then is that, after initially refusing to accept Lambert’s resignation, Norwich have hammered out a compensation deal with Villa and the Scot has been confirmed as their new boss. Therefore, the way is free for the Premiership club to make a formal approach to us for permission to speak to Malky Mackay about him becoming their manager. Whether such a move is in their plans though has to be open to some doubt. The bookies are often way off with their odds regarding those in the running for vacant posts (for example, this time last year in the early days following Dave Jones’ departure, I don’t remember Malky Mackay featuring too prominently in the betting for new City manager). For what it’s worth (and that’s not much!) my opinion is that, if they want him, it’s more likely that Norwich will get Malky Mackay as their next manager than it is they don’t, because I think the lure of a job in the Premiership at a former club will prove too great. I don’t say this with any great confidence mind, because, although many of us don’t tend to believe it down here, Cardiff is now one of the most attractive managerial posts around outside of the twenty in the Premiership (if the worst came to the worst and we lost our manager, we might be pleasantly surprised as to the quality of those who would want to replace him).
Transfer target Richard Keogh was given a torrid time of it by Craig Bellamy in Coventry's 2-0 defeat at Cardiff City Stadium on Boxing Day 2010, but he it's not every week that you have to mark someone of that quality at this level and Keogh has established a reputation as good quality Championship defender over the past two seasons.
On the transfer front, the week saw our bid (reported to be £800,000) for Coventry right back/central defender rejected by the Midlands club. Keogh, who has one year left on his contract at the Ricoh Arena, has been Coventry’s Player of the season in each of the two years since he joined them from Carlisle (he won the same award with the Cumbrians in his last year with them as well) and they are desperate to negotiate a new deal and retain him as their captain for 2012/13. However, City are, reportedly, ready to go in with another offer , but I’d say that Coventry’s relegation, as well as their precarious financial state, leaves them in a pretty weak negotiating position and with other Championship sides monitoring the situation (Bristol City had a “derisory” offer of £250, 000 rejected a couple of weeks ago), they are surely going to be looking to sell if, hardly surprisingly, Keogh rejects any new contract with them – in those circumstances £800,000 may start looking a lot more attractive to the Sky Blues than it does now.
Just a couple of other quick lines to finish. Firstly, the local press has declared that City have no interest in Wycombe’s top scorer Stuart Beavon despite speculation linking him with us in the national media and, secondly, details of our pre season programme of fixtures have been confirmed with no home friendly against a continental club this time – we entertain Newcastle instead on the Saturday before the league season makes a, late, start on August 18.