Ramsey ‘gutted’ after relegation but backs Cardiff for instant return

Cardiff City’s relegation to League One left an emotional mark on Aaron Ramsey, but the caretaker manager believes they can return to the Championship with minimal changes to the club’s structure.

As Cardiff’s relegation was confirmed by a goalless draw at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, Wales captain Aaron Ramsey was in charge of his second game.

The 34-year-old midfielder won’t be in a rush to make a decision as his Bluebirds contract expires at the end of this season. He also has an uncertain future ahead.

“I don’t know] about the upcoming season.” Over the next few weeks, it’s time to digest everything, according to Ramsey.

Ramsey thinks that despite their low standing, the Cardiff players are still of high quality.

“These players will give you everything,” he said, “if the right structures are in place, with coaching staff and things.”

“They are more than capable of coming straight back up if they can do that and give them the opportunities they deserve.”

That team has a lot of quality, they say. Never mind League One, they should be battling it out for the top spot in this division.

With just one game left, Cardiff, who had fallen to the bottom of the Championship table and was five points clear of safety, had long anticipated relegation.

The Welsh club’s previous three seasons had only squandered the Bluebirds’ ability to recover from the drop, which was typical for the Welsh club.

Omer Riza replaced him as manager of the season after Erol Bulut’s departure, which lasted seven months. Ramsey was their third manager of the season when he took charge of the final three games.

During owner Vincent Tan’s 15 years in charge, there have been 16 different managers in Cardiff, with eight of those coming within the last four years.

Home fans chanted for Tan’s departure after protesting against the club’s board earlier this season, but the final whistle came on Saturday.

Supporters and a number of well-known former players share the view that the Bluebirds’ biggest problems lie with the board, where there is a clear lack of football knowledge.

Tan, Mehmet Dalman, and Ken Choo, the club’s chairman, none of whom have any prior experience in the game and are rarely present at games or the training ground, are the only ones who are in charge of the club’s operations.

Things “are a little different from what I’ve had at other clubs,” I said. A head of football or a sporting director, for example, are typically in charge of everything and overseeing daily operations, according to Ramsey.

The most important thing for me is ensuring that there are the right coaching staff because they foster the right behaviors and foster a culture. Making the right choice in that regard and placing the right trust in the right person to attract the right people who are concerned about the team’s best interests is the most crucial factor.

“You can get away with a lot of other things and give these players an opportunity as long as that structure is good,” he said.