"I'm not 100%" - Cardiff City doubts raised amid links with Reading FC manager Ruben Selles | OneFootball

FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit has given his reaction to reports linking the club with a move for Reading manager Ruben Selles.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Cardiff City are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Erol Bulut.

Bulut led Cardiff to a respectable 12th-placed finish in the Championship last season, but he was dismissed last month after his side picked up just one point from their first six games of the new campaign.

Omer Riza is currently in caretaker charge of the Bluebirds, and has inspired an upturn in form in recent weeks, but despite the 44-year-old making his desire to land the permanent job clear, it seems the club are weighing up an external appointment.

According to the Daily Mirror, former Sunderland and Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray has been sounded out about taking over at the Cardiff City Stadium, while Steven Schumacher, Alex Neil and Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones are also under consideration.

Another potential candidate emerged on Tuesday, with Wales Online claiming that Reading manager Ruben Selles is another name that has been discussed by the Cardiff hierarchy.

Selles has been in charge of the Royals since last summer, and despite suffering a six-point deduction, he comfortably led the club to safety in League One last season as they finished 17th in the table.

However, Reading's off-field issues have continued into the new season, and while Selles is continuing to deliver results on the pitch, the Spaniard described the ongoing ownership uncertainty at the Select Car Leasing Stadium as "exhausting".

Cardiff City fan pundit reacts to Ruben Selles speculation

When asked if he would be happy with the potential appointment of Selles, FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit Jack Price said that he would be open to the 41-year-old taking over at the club, but he admitted that he would prefer the likes of Tony Mowbray and Steven Schumacher.

"Cardiff have been linked with Ruben Selles, he appears to be the next name in the running," Jack said.

"I can't confess to having seen a great deal (of Reading) under Selles in League One, but what I do know is that he's said to favour a high-pressing brand of attacking football. They ranked very highly for goals per game last season despite finishing 17th.

"I think that would instantly give him some credit with the fan base. Obviously, a big flaw of ours with Erol Bulut was the lack of attacking intent that we had, no pace in attack and no urgency to our play.

"So getting a new appointment in who wants us to be more front-footed is definitely a positive.

"He's also given young players a lot of minutes at Reading, mainly academy graduates, and I know that's perhaps been out of necessity rather than anything else given the state of play at the club, but it is positive that he'll give young players the minutes if they're good enough and if he thinks they're up to the level.

"There are a few here at Cardiff, mainly Michael Reindorf and Cian Ashford who probably are good enough and haven't received the minutes that I think a lot of Cardiff fans would argue their talent deserves.

"You have got to wonder whether Selles would leave Reading. They're obviously a club who have been through real peril in the last few years with Dai Yongge with the points deductions and transfer embargoes. It's been a really sorry state of affairs.

"While admittedly the situation is not as bad and Cardiff are in the second tier, would he leave Reading to come to a club where the owners can be trigger-happy?

"Vincent Tan doesn't refrain from pulling the trigger and can do so very early if he feels the need to, and the support in the day-to-day football operations isn't quite there in my opinion.

"It would be an attractive opportunity for him in some ways, and it would be a step-up.

"Would I prefer Selles to some of the other names that have been touted? I'm not 100% on that.

"I think if I'm looking at someone like a Tony Mowbray or Steven Schumacher, who have been linked with the vacancy, I would prefer either of those.

"They have got more experience at second tier level and Selles doesn't have that, but he has got a solid body of work. I think he has done very well at Reading, given the circumstances.

"It's not an appointment I'd hate, far from it.

"I don't know loads about him to be honest in the same way that maybe I could talk on the other names that have been linked.

"I guess I'd be open to it, but as I say, there are other names that I'd probably prefer."

Ruben Selles would be a gamble for Cardiff City

Jack is right that Selles could potentially be a good appointment for Cardiff, but he should not be the Bluebirds' first choice.

Selles has done an excellent job in incredibly difficult circumstances at Reading, and he has shown impressive loyalty to the club in a situation that many other managers would have walked away from.

It is understandable that Selles is on the radar of Championship clubs, but there are question marks over whether he would be the right man to keep Cardiff in the division, and his struggles in a relegation battle during his time in charge of Southampton in the Premier League raise doubts over his suitability for the role.

It is difficult to disagree with Jack that Mowbray and Schumacher would both be better appointments, and given the questionable way that the Bluebirds have been run in recent years, Selles may have reservations about taking the job after the off-field turmoil he has experienced with the Royals.