Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Blake backs Riza’s ‘Premier League’ style

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[Huw Evans agency]

Nathan Blake has already said he believes interim Cardiff City boss Omer Riza should be given the job on a permanent basis.

Now the former Wales striker has suggested Riza’s style of football is the best seen at Cardiff in a decade.

Having continued their sharp upturn in form with a 2-1 win over Norwich City last weekend, Riza’s Cardiff go to Luton Town on Wednesday.

“The managerial changes there’s been at Cardiff for the last over 10 years has been ridiculous,” ex-Bluebird Blake told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“But the style of football I’ve seen, personally, probably is the best I’ve seen in the last 10 years. I would include the Neil Warnock era in that, even though Neil got promotion.

“I think the style of football is more updated and more in tune with what you see in Premier League football. If that is your goal, and you’re trying to get there, then you need to at least adopt a style that if you get there, it’s going to keep you there.”

Cardiff have lost only one of seven games under Riza and Blake believes his impact has lifted players’ morale.

“They’re playing a different brand of football than they were under Erol Bulut,” said Blake.

“I think everyone can see that, and it’s just surprising how a few results can change confidence in players… a slight style of play change and all of a sudden a few results and then they’ve really kicked on.

“A lot of players are in good form, rather than the flip side, [a lot of players] who were struggling. So I put it down to confidence. Results breed confidence.”

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[BBC]

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