"The right call" - Pundit fires praise at Cardiff City after big Erol Bulut development | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has defended Cardiff City's decision to sack Erol Bulut after just six games of the season

Pundit and former England international Carlton Palmer has backed Cardiff City for parting ways with Erol Bulut after just six matches of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.

The Turkish boss guided Cardiff to a 12th-placed finish in his first season with the club, which earned him a fresh two-year contract.

Bulut had been the only manager to last a full season at Cardiff since Neil Warnock saw out the entirety of their 2018/19 Premier League campaign, seemingly representing much-needed stability and continuity at a club synonymous with a high managerial turnover.

Cardiff had appeared to undertake a promising summer transfer window, making a series of high-profile acquisitions in Calum Chambers, Anwar El Ghazi and Chris Willock while bolstering the younger core of the squad by bringing in Alex Robertson, Will Fish and Jesper Daland. Supporters headed into the season with palpable positivity and optimism, although that feeling was quickly quashed by a torrid start to the term - Cardiff's worst since 1989/90.

Cardiff's only point - and goal - of the current season under Bulut came in a 1-1 South Wales Derby draw away at Swansea City, where three players largely overlooked by the Turk in Rubin Colwill, Ollie Tanner and Callum Robinson came off the bench to combine for the late strike which salvaged a rare result in SA1.

However, Bulut largely lost the backing of the Bluebirds faithful following a disappointing 2-0 home defeat at home to Middlesbrough on August 31.

He saw out the international break without facing the sack but a 1-0 loss at Derby County before yet another 2-0 defeat - Cardiff's third of that scoreline - to promotion hopefuls Leeds United on Saturday afternoon urged Vincent Tan to pull the trigger six games into the season, with the side left at the foot of the table and already four points adrift from 22nd-placed Preston North End.

Carlton Palmer's reaction to Erol Bulut's Cardiff City sacking

Palmer subscribes to the school of thought that managers should be afforded ample time to recover from difficult starts in an era where key decision-makers are more trigger-happy than ever before.

However, the pundit believes that the magnitude of Cardiff's torrid early-season form and the perilous position it could have left them in without action justifies the club's decision to axe Bulut.

"It's never nice to see a manager to get the sack, as a former manager I know how difficult that can be," Palmer exclusively explained to Football League World.

"I've always said 'be patient, be patient, be patient', but when you're four points adrift at the bottom of the league you've got to do something. He did really well last season and led them to a 12th-placed finish, earning a two-year contract, but it's been a disappointing start to the season for Bulut.

"It really is difficult, so it's the right call. Sometimes you have to make those calls early if you want to stay in the division. I think it's unfortunate for Bulut, like I said he did really well last season with the points tally, but already when you're down there you don't want to be leaving yourself too big a gap to get out of that position.

"Again, unfortunately, a new manager coming in can't do anything until the January transfer window but you do get a feel-good factor when a new manager comes in, there's always a pick-up from the players and, hopefully, they can do a bit of business in January.

"I think it's the right call, it's early, but it's a decision that's got to be made after six games and with only one point on the board and no wins. I think Bulut will be disappointed but will understand why that decision has been taken."

Cardiff City must get managerial decision right following Erol Bulut sacking

Cardiff are back in familiar territory, as the managerial hot seat often becomes vacant in these parts during the autumn period. Supporters may cast their minds back to September 2022, when Steve Morison was handed his marching orders before being replaced internally by Mark Hudson - which proved to be a disastrous, and short-lived appointment.

The club's aversion to casting their net out externally was costly and they found themselves embroiled in a relegation battle by the time Hudson was sacked and replaced by Sabri Lamouchi in January.

Now, though, expectation among supporters has been heightened, and the playing squad is in considerably better health. This time, they must display more ambition and exploration. Cardiff supporters have been accused of overestimating the squad, although it is difficult to attest that it contains plenty of quality at Championship level.

Perry Ng was among the finest full-backs in the division last term. The aforementioned Chambers spent his entire career in the Premier League with the likes of Arsenal and Southampton before joining this summer at the age of 29. Robertson is a precocious talent who can incorporate progression, composure and control into Cardiff's midfield and ex-Aston Villa winger El-Ghazi possesses plenty of pedigree.

Meanwhile, Robinson, Willock and even Yakou Meite have all proven their worth at Championship level and homegrown playmaker Colwill is perhaps the most gifted member of Cardiff's squad, with his limited opportunities under Bulut becoming a real and rightful sticking point among fans.

Pre-season ambitions may already be out of reach, but the season remains more than salvageable and the squad itself is malleable. The performances of this side thus far should really be more reflective of Bulut's flaws and failings as opposed to an inherent lack of quality, and there is plenty of talent for the next manager to tap into.

Who that turns out to be is a mystery as things stand, but by hook or by crook, the Bluebirds simply must get it right this time around.