"Shop window" - Omer Riza fires subtle warning to Cardiff City and Vincent Tan | OneFootball

Cardiff City interim boss Omer Riza has spoken on his future at the club

Cardiff City interim manager Omer Riza has fired a subtle warning to Vincent Tan and the club chiefs about putting himself in the "shop window" amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future.

Riza was appointed as interim manager following the September sacking of Erol Bulut, who had left Cardiff with just a point to their name, a goal difference of minus 12 and three points away from safety after only six matches. It was the worst start to a season Cardiff had endured in their 125-year history, but few could've anticipated the resurgence that has taken place under Riza.

Cardiff have won four of their seven exchanges since Riza's appointment, and the 48-year-old has implemented a more exciting and fit-for-purpose brand of attacking football which has liberated the likes of Rubin Colwill, Ollie Tanner, Callum Robinson and many more.

Unsurprisingly, then, with Cardiff now six points away from the bottom-place spot they had occupied under Bulut and with a streak of four straight victories at home, supporters are keen to see Riza's efforts rewarded handsomely with a contract until the end of the season.

It's something that Riza himself naturally wants too, having recently held "positive talks" with the hierarchy prior to last weekend's dramatic 2-1 win over Norwich City, but as yet, the boss remains stuck in limbo.

Omer Riza's admission on Cardiff City tenure

Ahead of Cardiff's upcoming home fixture against Blackburn Rovers tomorrow afternoon, Riza confirmed that he too is still unclear on what the immediate future holds, with Cardiff yet to appoint a new permanent successor to Bulut.

Riza has likened his current situation to that of a player being put in the shop window, which could potentially suggest that he's up for grabs if Cardiff opt against making his appointment a permanent one. Of course, Riza has made little secret of his ambition to land the job, but the continued delay is evidently a sticking point and he's called for resolution.

In a subtle warning to Tan and the Cardiff chiefs, he told BBC Sport Wales: "My contract is until the end of the season and I'll continue to work hard. Between now and then, like players are in the shop window I suppose a coach is in the shop window as well.

"That's the only way I can look at it that I'll keep working hard. I love what I'm doing here, I love the club, I love the people, love the fans, I love everything I've done since I came here.

"At the same time, I don't have control of what my future is at the moment.

"If you win every game there's not much that people can say, but to win every game is difficult. As soon as you lose a few games it gives the club the chance to say they want to bring someone else in... for me what's important is I'm doing the right thing for the players and the club."

During his pre-Blackburn press conference, Riza also spoke with WalesOnline and admitted that it's "hard to carry on" amid such uncertainty, which appears to now be taking something of a toll on the interim boss.

He said: "I have just enjoyed the whole thing and I want to carry on. It's hard to carry on when you don't know what's next.

"That can be hard, too, your decision-making, what you're trying to achieve, when you are in a position, your decision-making can be different, because you are just working towards every game.

"I've not had any meetings with regards to my plans moving forward for the club. I've not had any conversations like that - people are seeing that from what we are doing on the grass. Obviously I have got ideas and I've always said it's important I get fans off their seats. Fans have to get off their seats and enjoy themselves and that is down to the players, the staff and the team.

"It would be nice to have a transfer window, two transfer windows, build slowly and create more and more. I had two objectives; making sure we were an attacking side and every time we got the ball the opposition were scared, and we are disciplined and work really hard. But there's no point me thinking about what we can turn this club into if I don't know if I'm going to be here or not."

Cardiff City, Vincent Tan need to make Omer Riza decision

Riza's reign to date has taken the club by storm, breathing life into a season that had appeared prematurely extinguished following such a miserable start under Bulut. Of course, though, the state of play cannot remain this way forever and something eventually has to give.

You would imagine that Cardiff will finally come to a decision during the international break, which commences after tomorrow's match at home to Blackburn, but the lack of clarity and urgency is now beginning to frustrate many.

It's hard to contest that Riza has earned his stripes, crucially picking up the required results to lift Cardiff out of the relegation zone while also unleashing a less-restrictive, more front-footed attacking style devoid of the passivity and pragmatism that had been deployed during Bulut's start to the season.

He's gradually made a huge impression on fans, who are rightly keen to see him land the job full-time, and it would be short-sighted for Cardiff to look in a different direction after all this time. Riza has the fans onside, and the players too, and Tan would do well to tune into the overarching school of thought.