Cardiff’s Mackay faces a showdown with Tan

CARDIFF CITY manager Malky Mackay’s future hung in the balance yesterday as club owner Vincent Tan was due to fly into Britain.

Mackay, 41, was reportedly on the verge of leaving the Premier League club after being told to resign or face being sacked by the controversial Malaysian owner.

He suffered a public rebuke from Tan earlier in the week after angering the club’s supremo by asking to sign at least three players during the January transfer window.

Mackay was told by Tan that he wouldn’t get any new funds in the New Year because he had already been handed a significant transfer kitty following Cardiff ’s promotion from the Championship last season.

Tan is said to have criticised Mackay’s signings, style of play and results before demanding he resign or be sacked.

Mackay’s position has been under scrutiny since Tan removed his head of recruitment, Iain Moody, in October amid suggestions of a transfer window overspend.

Mackay, who led Cardiff to the 2012 League Cup final before securing the Championship title, stated he would not resign and it is believed it could cost Tan somewhere in the region of £3 million to sack him, as the manager is under contract until 2016.

The Scot did not turn up for yesterday’s pre- match press conference ahead of today’s trip to Liverpool.

Former Manchester United striker and current Molde boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as well as ex-England manager SvenGoran Eriksson have been tipped as possible replacements for Mackay. – Sapa-AFP