Jason Perry and Nathan Blake in agreement over Cardiff City transfer mess

Former Cardiff City men Jason Perry and Nathan Blake are in agreement over the transfer mess at the Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds suffered a miserable away defeat to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, dropping further back in the playoff race.

Manager Erol Bulut put together a fine first half of the season, ensuring City performed well above expectations given the lack of paid-for arrivals in the summer. But he was seemingly promised significant reinforcements during the January window.

Bulut spoke regularly about likely incomings leading into the January window, but he was not expecting to lead his team into a January 20 clash at Plymouth without a single new seigning and with two loan players having left the club.

The Turkish boss is now starting to voice his concerns, and fans are understandably concerned that he may walk away if new signings are now delivered as promised. Criticism of the board is now resurfacing, and former players Perry and Blake have issued their verdicts.

“I’ve been saying it for years, Erol Bulut is finding out what every manager finds out when they step into the hotseat of Cardiff City… it is a circus above you, and there in itself is the problem at Cardiff City, and it will not change,” Perry said on BBC Radio Wales’ Call Rob.

“I was at the game working with (BBC Sport correspondent) Rob Phillips when Rob interviewed Vincent Tan. Vincent Tan said he was going to give the manager money in the January transfer window, play-offs he was talking about. I came back with negatives. That does not give me any confidence, I wish he wouldn’t talk, you’ll cause more harm than good.

“January is a difficult time to spend your money. You know if you’re going to spend in January, you’re going to pay over the odds. It isn’t a secret. If you’re not prepared to do that, you don’t get your players. So if you’re not going to do that, don’t say anything.”

Meanwhile, former City favourite Blake told BBC Radio Wales: “The manager has been talking about bringing in players in the January transfer window since early December, maybe late November. You try and keep those cards close to your chest but I think it’s probably as a result of trying to convince the owner to do some business.

“He’s probably come in with the assumption that, come January, we’ll make the squad a bit stronger and move forward. He’s trying to embed himself in the club while progressing, but it’s just not happening. He’s blindfolded, his hands are tied. He’s not sure what’s happening.

“If he doesn’t feel he’s getting backed or the club has a plan to move forward, then it’s almost ‘what’s the point?’ and I think that’s what you’re hearing from him now’. He’s starting to question whether it’s worthwhile for him to be here because there doesn’t seem to be any sort of plan in place.”