Millwall: Neil Harris issues warning to Cardiff City manager candidates and surprise Vincent Tan claim | OneFootball

Millwall boss Neil Harris has reflected on his time at Cardiff City ahead of Tuesday evening's encounter

Millwall boss Neil Harris has issued a warning to Cardiff City new manager candidates and dropped a surprising claim on Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan ahead of tomorrow evening's EFL Championship clash.

The 47-year-old will return to the Cardiff City Stadium for the first time following his dismissal in January 2021 when Millwall travel to South Wales on Tuesday night.

His side may just travel across the border with a certain degree of confidence after putting Preston North End to the sword in a 3-1 home victory over the weekend, while the Bluebirds fell to yet another defeat.

Cardiff's miserable early-season form continued as they lost 4-1 at Hull City on Saturday afternoon, with interim boss Omer Riza taking the reins after the sacking of Erol Bulut. Their latest defeat now means they have lost six of their opening seven matches, with Callum Robinson accounting for Cardiff's only two goals of the 2024/25 Championship campaign to date.

At the other end of the pitch, no less than 17 goals - 2.4 per match - have been let in, and Cardiff unsurprisingly find themselves rooted to the foot of the division and four points adrift of 21st-placed Coventry City.

Make no mistake about it, Cardiff simply must get their next managerial appointment right, one which they are expected to make during the international break following Sunday's Severnside Derby trip to Bristol City.

However, former boss Harris has offered a glowing verdict on the club's hierarchy - who have been subjected to strong supporter criticism as of late - ahead of tomorrow's encounter, while warning potential candidates of the challenges which come with the job.

Millwall boss Neil Harris' surprising Cardiff City, Vincent Tan claim

Harris is still rather fondly remembered among supporters for his 18-month stay with the club, where he guided them to the Championship play-offs in his first season.

They were defeated across two legs by Fulham, who ended up gaining promotion the Premier League, although there was understandable pressure when Cardiff signed the likes of Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore that summer.

The 2020/21 term turned out to be a disappointing one for Harris, and he ended up receiving his marching orders after a six-game losing run following the turn of the year. Nonetheless, though, the Lions boss still represents Cardiff's most successful manager post-Neil Warnock and he positively reflects on his time in Wales.

However, he has provided little secret of the natural, and pressurising, trials and tribulations which accompany managing a club and fanbase with significant expectations.

"Very enjoyable. Strange during Covid times, as well. Vincent Tan [owner] was class - an absolute class man. I got on great with him. Great support from above in Ken Choo [chairman] and Mehmet Dalman [chief executive],"Harris told London News Online of his time at Cardiff.

"I loved it. Obviously we got very, very close to the Premier League - just fell short which was a huge disappointment at the time.

"It is a tough job at Cardiff City and the next manager will find that out as well! It’s very difficult to appease everybody.

"I really look forward to my first return on Tuesday to see some really, really good people.”

Quizzed on whether the Bluebirds job will be viewed as attractive to prospective coaches, he said:"It’s the capital of Wales. It is a big football club and you’re brilliantly backed by Vincent. Yeah, it is a really, really good job - but the demand is to get it right."

Cardiff City fans will hope Neil Harris is right about Vincent Tan, Ken Choo and Mehmet Dalman

Harris' admission will come as a real shock to the ears of the Cardiff faithful, who have made their feelings present on the club's operations at boardroom level.

Controversial owner Tan is said to be apprehensive about the idea of appointing a director of football, which would provide much-needed strategic and footballing nous to a hierarchy deemed to be sorely lacking in that department.

Meanwhile, the continual turnover of both the playing squad and the managers at the club - Cardiff are looking for their 12th permanent boss of Tan's tenure - are also criticisms routinely voiced by fans.

From the outside looking in, you could quite reasonably assume that support is rather limited by the hierarchy, but Harris' voice still holds merit in this corner of the world and fans will hope the new manager is offered the same backing and assistance claimed by the ex-boss.