Exclusive: David Prutton makes revelation on Omer Riza's Cardiff City future - "brutal" Vincent Tan call mooted | OneFootball

David Prutton has given his thoughts on whether Cardiff City will stick with manager Omer Riza next season.

Pundit David Prutton believes Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan would not hesitate to part company with manager Omer Riza in the summer if the club are relegated to League One.

Riza initially took charge of Cardiff on an interim basis in September after Erol Bulut was sacked following a disastrous start to the season that saw the club pick up just one point from their first six league games.

The 45-year-old inspired an impressive turnaround in the early stages of his caretaker spell, but despite the fact that results were starting to decline, he was surprisingly handed the permanent job in December, signing a contract until the end of the season.

It seemed as though the decision to end the managerial uncertainty was a good one as Riza led his side to a seven-game unbeaten run shortly after his appointment was confirmed, but victories have been few and far between in recent months, and the Bluebirds dropped back into the relegation zone after Derby County's 2-0 win over Preston North End on Wednesday night.

In total, Riza has won just 11 of his 36 games in charge of Cardiff, drawing 12 and losing 13, and with the threat of relegation looming, there are big question marks over whether he will be given a new deal in the summer.

David Prutton on Omer Riza's Cardiff City future

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton admitted that he would not be surprised to see Riza depart Cardiff in the summer as part of the inquest that would take place if they suffered relegation to League One.

"Trying to second guess Vincent Tan, who knows," Prutton said.

"It took them a while to put Omer Riza in charge, and having the need to change the manager, given what we've seen on the pitch, could be a situation which pays off.

"I think we would see a huge self-reflection time if they do end up in League One because it is a huge football club with recent Premier League experience.

"As is an owner's want, he will be very brutal and honest in his assessment, and if Omer isn't the right man to take them forward, I'm sure Vincent will have absolutely no qualms in making what he perceives to be the right decision."

It is fair to say that Riza inherited a tough situation after replacing Bulut in September, and he helped to breathe life into Cardiff's season after taking over as caretaker following their dismal start to the campaign.

However, after winning four of his first seven games, the Bluebirds have won just five of their last 26 league matches, and that record simply is not good enough to warrant Riza being handed a contract extension in the summer.

Riza's exit will likely be inevitable if Cardiff are relegated, but even if they stay in the Championship, there is not enough evidence to suggest that he is the right man to take the club forward long-term, and Tan must start looking for alternative options.