Bulut's Cardiff record v predecessors

On the day he was unveiled as new Cardiff City manager, one of the Bluebirds hierarchy described Erol Bulut as something of a wildcard.

Regardless of the contract poker playing out over Bulut’s future, it is safe to say Cardiff’s hired hand has provided returns.

In fact, as he approaches his 50th game in the Cardiff dug-out with this weekend’s final day of the season trip to relegated Rotherham United, Bulut can lay claim to already being one of the Bluebirds’ best bosses in recent times when it comes to wins.

Currently, the former Fenerbahce man can boast a 40.8% win ratio in charge thanks to 20 victories from 49 games in all competitions.

That is better than any of his five immediate predecessors who have held the position since Neil Warnock’s time as manager.

Even then, serial promotion winner Warnock’s win ratio was only slightly better at 40.97%.

And a win at the New York Stadium on Saturday would lift Bulut up to 42% - the best since Malky Mackay’s 43.2% during a period where the club reached the play-offs, a League Cup final and secured the Championship title.

If no new deal is agreed to extend Bulut's services, that is not a bad way to bow out.

There is a caveat, of course, in that Warnock’s record includes a season in the Premier League.

But Bulut’s 19 Championship wins is still the most in a campaign since the veteran Yorkshireman took the club to the top flight in 2018, when a superb season saw 27 victories celebrated.

Conversely, there have been 21 defeats this season – only one shy of last year’s struggle for second-tier survival – with Cardiff only drawing five games all term. Only promoted Leicester City have drawn fewer.

But given one of the attributes chairman Mehmet Dalman cited when explaining Bulut’s appointment was his knowledge of how to win games; the statistics show he has done just that.

Cardiff manager win ratios since 2013:

• Malky Mackay – 43.2%

• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – 30%

• Russell Slade – 37.21%

• Paul Trollope – 16.67%

• Neil Warnock – 40.97%

• Neil Harris – 38.71%

• Mick McCarthy – 36.84%

• Steve Morison – 35.56%

• Mark Hudson – 22.22%

• Sabri Lamouchi – 33.33%

• Erol Bulut – 40.8%