Malky Mackay reaction: Managers back Cardiff City manager over Vincent Tan amid unrest

Mackay has been reportedly issued with an ultimatum from Tan calling for him to 'resign of face being sacked'

Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has been issued with an ultimatum from club owner Vincent Tan that he "resign or face being sacked' (GETTY IMAGES)

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan should be thanking manager Malky Mackay for what he has achieved and not threatening him with the sack, Hull boss Steve Bruce has claimed.

Press Association Sport understands Tan has sent an email telling the Scot to resign or else face being fired - but Mackay is adamant he has no intention of quitting.

When told of the email, Bruce said: "Oh my gosh - Merry Christmas... But nothing surprises me any more because of the way football has gone.

"From the outside they should be really thanking Malky, he has done a wonderful job. He gets them up, and is making a fist of keeping them up but it's the industry we work in.

"The big successful clubs - the one thing they have is consistency.

"I think all of us in this job think it seems to be getting worse, 25 per cent of the clubs in the Premier League have changed managers all ready.

"When you look at the lower divisions too the fall-out rate of managers is quite ridiculous and I think we are going to deter people from coming into management, especially up-and-coming young ones, as managers simply do not get time now."

Bruce claims Mackay should be thanked, not sacked (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Wales international Iwan Roberts played with Mackay at Norwich and is outraged by the developments.

"It's one thing after another. Instead of facing Malky face to face in a room, he sent him an e-mail with an ultimatum," he told talkSPORT.

"Why should Malky resign? He has done a terrific job, got them to a League Cup final, the play-offs, won the league and got them promoted. They are four points off the bottom three. Where did the owners think they would be? Top four, top five?

"He (Tan) is living on a different planet to me.

"After every victory, this is the man who is on the pitch, clapping the fans, instead of letting the players and staff get their just desserts. He's out there feeding his ego, he needs to stop interfering and let Malky get on with his job.

"If you don't want Malky there, be brave, man up, face him and tell him 'you're going one way, we want someone else to take the club in another direction'."

Hull fans are no strangers to off-the-field dramas and are currently battling owner Assam Allam who wants to change their name to Hull Tigers - a move which carries shades of Cardiff's change of shirt from blue to red.

Allam has told the fans who sing 'City Till We Die' that they can "die when they want" as the fallout continues, and the Hull fans' group designed to prevent the name change has sent its best wishes to its Cardiff counterparts.

A statement from City Till We Die said: "City Till We Die (CTWD) would like to offer our sympathy and support for the fans of Cardiff City FC following the latest antics of their owner, Vincent Tan.

"While CTWD continue to oppose Hull City owner Dr Allam's plans to change the name of our football club, we appreciate the backing Dr Allam has given to our manager, Steve Bruce, to ensure that success is achieved on the field of play.

"CTWD support the team passionately and Steve Bruce has given us a team to be proud of and we thank him and Dr Allam for that.

"CTWD wholeheartedly support Cardiff City fans in their continued struggle to convince Vincent Tan that their team should play in their traditional blue shirts - matching their nickname of The Bluebirds."

Mourinho does not like seeing managers sacked during the season (GETTY IMAGES)

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said clubs should respect the contracts agreed with managers.

He added: "I don't speak about individual cases, because I don't know them. Only the persons that are involved in any one of these five cases, plus the Cardiff situation, only they can speak about the situation.

"The only thing I can say is that every manager that is sacked is something that I am not happy with. I believe that when you give the job to somebody it's because you trust somebody and, even if the results are not the results that people expect, I think every manager deserves time to complete his contract and, at the end of it, in a fair way, to analyse with his club if there are conditions to continue or if it's better to end.

"I don't like people to be sacked in the middle of the season."

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said Mackay should stick to his guns.

He said: "If what they're saying is true, 'resign or I'll sack you' is not a decision for Malky to make is it? It's a decision for the owner to make, not for Malky. Malky needs to sit there and what will be will be.

Allardyce feels Mackay would deserve another crack at the Premier League if he is sacked (GETTY IMAGES)

"I don't know how damaging it will be if they decide to dismiss Malky. Only time will tell. Gus Poyet leaves Brighton but goes to Sunderland, Roberto Martinez doesn't get sacked but gets Wigan relegated but then gets the Everton job.

"On what he has achieved it could be that another football club in the Premier League decides that Malky Mackay is the man for them. That's what I think he would deserve if the situation does happen. Whether it does or not, only Malky will decide whether it has damaged his reputation or not."

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini said it was vital for a manager to have a good relationship with a chairman.

He added: "It is impossible for the manager to be successful if the president of the club does not trust in him."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said there is no real secret to his longevity other than he was given more time than most managers.

He said: "To be given time is important first of all when you're a young manager you need to learn the job. Nobody goes in a job at 33, 34 years of age and knows the job. If he's not given the time somebody else comes in and he has the same problem.

Wenger claims that the game needs stability with managers in order to produce quality (Getty Images)

"There are some countries where the instability of managers is chronic. After what happens you have no quality anymore because people with quality do not go into jobs where they are sacked every three weeks for ridiculous reasons so it's very important for the quality of the game that there is a certain stability."

PA