Omer Riza makes Cardiff City survival claim - Bluebirds supporters are skeptical | OneFootball

Cardiff City supporters have voiced their feelings towards under-fire manager Omer Riza as the threat of relegation grows in each passing week

Cardiff City remain in the Championship's bottom three with just six games left to play following Saturday afternoon's 1-1 draw away to QPR, and supporters have continued to voice their frustrations towards under-fire manager Omer Riza.

The Bluebirds returned from West London with their second successive result of that scoreline in as many outings, having played out a frustrating 1-1 draw at home against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

However, they have won just two of their last twelve matches and the pressure is beginning to grow on Riza, as the threat of relegation looms larger as we edge ever closer to the conclusion of the campaign in under a month's time.

Direct relegation rivals in Oxford United, Hull City, Stoke, Luton Town and even bottom-placed Plymouth Argyle all managed to pick up points over the weekend, with the U's and the Pilgrims claiming particularly invaluable victories at home to Sheffield United and Norwich respectively.

Cardiff, down in 22nd position but tied on points with Derby County in 21st, are in dire straits at the minute. Their hopes of avoiding a return to League One for the first time in more than 20 years are dwindling by the minute, but Riza remains "confident" that his side will stay up in the Championship.

Bluebirds supporters, however, see it differently and have aimed criticism towards Riza in the wake of yet another frustrating result in their fight to avoid the drop.

Cardiff City supporters voice frustrations towards Omer Riza following QPR draw

Riza spoke with BBC Sport Wales after the match, with his interview later posted on X for supporters to engage with.

The 45-year-old, who only arrived at Cardiff as a first-team coach from Watford last season and initially held the role of interim manager for a staggering two months following the September sacking of Erol Bulut before being handed the job full-time, is "stealing a living" according to one particularly-frustrated supporter.

The loss of confidence in Riza's ability to guide Cardiff to survival is clear, as laid bare by another fan.

Overall, the Bluebirds faithful are rightly growing impatient with the side's form amid the growing danger of relegation, and this supporter said it's the "same old story" each week.

Omer Riza's upcoming matches in charge of Cardiff City

Riza, who signed a short-term contract until the end of the season back in December, is running out of time to rescue the Bluebirds and his own chances of potentially landing the job into next term and beyond.

That's a prospect very few supporters would now be willing to get behind, regardless of the outcome of this season come the start of May.

Nonetheless, a series of crucial showdowns await as Cardiff enter the dying embers of the campaign. Next up is another trip on the road to mid-table opposition in Preston North End on Tuesday evening, before Saturday's huge six-pointer at home to 20th-placed Stoke.

Defeat to the Potters would likely spell doom for Cardiff, who will then travel to automatic promotion hopefuls Sheffield United before returning to the Welsh capital to host another relegation rival in Oxford on April 21.

From there, just two matches will remain, with the Bluebirds to face West Bromwich Albion in the penultimate game of the season ahead of the final-day trip to Norwich.

Cardiff's hopes of picking up results against the likes of the Blades, Baggies and Norwich, two of whom are competing for promotion, may be slim. That's exactly why they need to make it count in clashes with Stoke and Oxford in particular, while further points will doubtless be needed elsewhere too, but they are swiftly fighting a losing battle and the next week may prove crucial in determining just what division awaits next season.