Owner's Demands Drive Cardiff City Forward
Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has described Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan as a “tough boss” who continually demands more from his team, even as the Bluebirds have made an impressive start to their League One campaign. Despite the club’s unbeaten run in all competitions and their position at the top of the table with 17 points from a possible 21, Barry-Murphy revealed that Tan is always seeking further improvement, especially in attack.
Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
Under Barry-Murphy’s leadership, Cardiff have scored 12 goals and conceded only two so far this season. As they prepare for a crucial top-of-the-table clash with Bradford City at Cardiff City Stadium, the head coach acknowledged that Tan’s expectations remain high. “I speak to him before and after every game,” Barry-Murphy explained. “He’s a tough boss. He wants things done in the way he expects. Obviously he’s enjoying the games and he wants more – as we all do. He always wants more goals and less conceded, which is obviously my job. If I do it well enough, he’ll be happy, and if I don’t he won’t be.”
Owner’s Support from Afar
Although Tan has not attended a Cardiff match since 2023, Barry-Murphy is hopeful that the Malaysian owner will make a visit to south Wales soon, especially as the club aims for an immediate return to the Championship. “I would hope so,” he responded when asked about Tan’s plans to attend a game. “I hope he’s enjoying what he’s seeing. Our intention is to give him more of that. He has a clear way he wants to see the game played, and my job is to try to supply that in the way I know how.”
Cardiff’s Young Talent Impresses
The 47-year-old coach also praised the adaptation of his new-look side, which now includes several academy graduates such as Wales internationals Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio. “I expected us to play really well and produce performances like we have done, but the players’ understanding of how we want to do that has probably exceeded my expectations,” Barry-Murphy said. “We expected to be competitive and to win games. It’s clear that we have to. But it’s how quickly they’ve adapted.”
Challenges Ahead Despite Promising Start
Barry-Murphy admitted that the season has not been without its difficulties, highlighting their last match where a 97th-minute goal from Yousef Salech saw Cardiff drop points against Stockport County. “We saw a clear sign last Saturday that we weren’t at our best in trying to overcome Stockport,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do to be competitive in this league. Bradford will be a great test for us. It’s a great game coming back in front of what will be a huge crowd for us.”
