Cardiff City headlines as Man Utd coach pips ex-Bluebirds bosses to Ipswich job and Jay Bothroyd reveals heart surgery

The latest Bluebirds headlines from Cardiff City Stadium

Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Friday, December 17.

Man Utd coach beats Harris and Warnock to Ipswich gig

Former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna has beaten ex-Cardiff City managers Neil Harris and Neil Warnock to the Ipswich Town job.

It was understood that Harris was on the Tractor Boys' shortlist to take over following the departure of Paul Cook, having previously been in contention at Portman Road ahead of the latter's appointment.

Harris was the bookmakers' favourite pretty much since Cook left Ipswich and appeared likely to get the gig.

That was until Warnock, who left Middlesbrough last month, shot up the odds lists and looked to be gatecrashing Harris' party.

But it was announced on Thursday night that the left-field option for McKenna, who was former Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's No.2 up at Old Trafford, was going to take the reins.

“I’d like to thank Mark Ashton and the owners for putting their faith in me and Martyn [Pert, his assistant] to take the club forward,” Northern Irishman McKenna, 35, said.

"Leaving a club like Manchester United was obviously a difficult decision, but I strongly believe in the opportunity to build something here.

"It feels like the right time, project and Club to make my first step into first-team management.

"For now, the focus for the team has to be on a huge game on Saturday. After that, I cannot wait to meet everyone and get to work."

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Bothroyd's heart scare

Cardiff City legend Jay Bothroyd has opened up on the 'scary' time he underwent heart surgery.

While he didn't reveal when it happened, the former Bluebirds front man revealed he recently had an operation on his heart after struggling to breathe while doing fitness drills at his former club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.

"I had heart surgery, I'm fine now but at the time it was really scary," he told Joe's All To Play For YouTube show.

"I took a week off, because it was international break, then when I came back I was training with the fitness coach, doing sprints and all that kind of stuff. I didn't feel right. I was like, gasping.

"I carried on, just thinking it was hay fever or I needed my asthma pump. But I still didn't feel good.

"The day before the game I did the training match, eight versus eight, and then I went to the physio after and said I needed to see a respiratory doctor.

"I went to the hospital... you get your tests done every year, to see what your resting heart rate is, and mine is pretty low, it's like 35 or 36. I went there and [the doctor] said, 'Your heart rate is in the 100s right now'. I was like, 'Really? So, what's the story?'

"Because I was at home and sitting down and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. I was thinking that something was wrong but I didn't want to believe it."

He underwent surgery at the hospital just days later, before which the doctor told him he couldn't play football for six months.

He remembers telling his family about it and his loved ones crying upon hearing the news.

"That was difficult," he added, "telling my parents, my wife and my son."

Bothroyd concluded that segment of the interview by confirming he felt well now and is glad he had the procedure.

He announced that he parted ways with the Japanese club last month and is now back in England.

Robins says Cardiff game 'up in the air'

Coventry City boss Mark Robins has said the Boxing Day clash with Cardiff City is 'up in the air' amid the recent spate of positive Covid-19 cases.

Cardiff's match against Derby Count this Saturday was postponed owing to positive tests in both camps and it has thrown next week's fixture into doubt, too.

Coventry's own game with Stoke City was called off, too, after the Potters camp had a number of players test positive this week. And Robins believes the Cardiff game is now under threat, too.

“I am going to give the players the weekend off, and I think that’s mentally and physically the right thing to do, and then get them back in to work towards the Cardiff game, which is up in the air because they cancelled their game against Derby,” said the City manager.

“We just don’t know what’s going to happen and we have to work towards that as if it’s going to be played.”

He added: “It’s inevitable from time to time, and we just don’t know with the way things have turned. It’s disappointing and it’s difficult because you’re in limbo, you hear things and then you still have to prepare as much as you can do but your mentality shifts.

“Players talk, so we knew what was going on (at Stoke). It’s disappointing because we wanted to play. It’s always a good game coming into the Christmas period, so it’s not ideal but we have to deal with it.

“So we will give them the weekend off and then we’ll come in next week in the lead up to Cardiff, but that’s got its own issues because the Cardiff-Derby game is off as well.”

Gabbidon: Defence is my only Cardiff concern

Former Cardiff City centre back Danny Gabbidon has praised the Bluebirds' resilience but is concerned that the defence has shown no sign of improvement despite the change of management.

The Bluebirds have the second-worst defensive record in the league behind Peterborough United and it is crippling their chances of getting away from the drop zone.

With each passing match Cardiff are seemingly scrapping to get back into the match after going behind early and that was once again the case against Birmingham City last weekend.

Having gone 2-0 down, second-half goals from Kieffer Moore and Mark McGuinness earned a dramatic late draw at St Andrew's. But while that draw felt like a win for many, given the circumstances, Gabbidon said he is yet to see a marked improvement in the defence under the new coaching setup.

"He's done well since he's come into the team, Mark McGuinness," Gabbidon said on BBC's EJFOF. "They are still nowhere near good enough defensively, they don't look like keeping a clean sheet. But on an individual basis, I think he's come into the team and done pretty well, got a couple of goals.

"It probably suits the way Cardiff are looking to play now. He is a bit better on the ball, a bit more composed.

"That was a big goal, but they've got to start defending better. The two goals were poor, basic goals to concede. It's great resilience to come back, but you can't keep going behind in games and clawing your way back. That's the only worry for me.

"Steve Morison, since he's come in, hasn't done a bad job. It's still a mixed bag. If you look at the last five games it's two wins, two losses and a draw. Sometimes they aren't there in the first half and they come to life in the second half.

"Sometimes as a manager, when you come in, one of the easiest things to do is to get the team more defensively solid. It's much harder to stick ball in the back of the net and get the team going forward. It's much easier to come in and work with the defence and make sure you're hard to beat. Players understand that a bit more.

"That's my only concern, we haven't really seen that yet. They are still defending poorly and conceding poor goals.

"But what we have seen is more chances, more possession. There have been improvements, but I'd like to see the team defending better.

"Great to get something from the game, great to get something from it. But there is still a lot of work to be done all around the pitch.

Former Wales striker turned pundit and commentator Iwan Roberts praised Cardiff's character on the podcast.

They have made it hard for themselves but Roberts said, to their credit, they wouldn't be where they are without the fight they continue to show in the dying moments of matches.

"Kieffer Moore getting his goal, five for the season for him. He was on about seven or eight this time last season, so he's not too far away from his goal tally at the same time last season.

"Then Mark McGuinness scored, another vital goal like up at Preston, on 91 minutes, the scenes there and the celebrations... I bet it would have felt like a win.

"The one thing we've always said about Cardiff is that they've got character. What they maybe haven't got is the quality that other teams in the Championship have. No one has ever questioned the character and once again they showed it at St Andrew's."

Purse the new under-23s boss

Former Cardiff City captain Darren Purse has been named the club's new under-23s manager.

Cardiff have been on the lookout for someone to take the reins after Steve Morison was promoted to first-team manager after doing a stellar job at under-23s level over the last 18 months or so.

When Morison was named as Mick McCarthy's permanent successor last month a job advert was sent out and it took little time for the Bluebirds to find their man.

The former centre back, 44, played 123 times for Cardiff after being appointed captain following his arrival in 2005.

Purse is the latest former City captain and centre back to return to the club after Mark Hudson joined Morison's coaching staff alongside Tom Ramasut last month.

Speaking of the appointment, Cardiff City CEO, Ken Choo, said: “To be able to welcome Darren back to our club in this critical position is something I’m extremely happy to be announcing today.

“City supporters know Darren and what he brought as a player in terms of professionalism and commitment. Having somebody with that experience and personality working with our young players will be invaluable as we look to bring more exciting talent through in the coming years.”

Read the full story here.

Decision on sporting events to be made on Monday

Mark Drakeford has revealed a decision on how sporting events in Wales will continue amid a rise in coronavirus cases will be made on Monday.

Cardiff City and Swansea City have both seen their weekend Championship fixtures against Derby County and Queens Park Rangers respectively called off due to Covid-19 outbreaks.

On Friday, it was announced that the Ospreys had forfeited their Champions Cup match with Racing 92 after a spread of the virus within their camp.

A European Professional Club Rugby statement read: "EPCR has been informed by Ospreys that they have a recorded a number of positive tests for Covid-19 among their playing squad and as a consequence, the club is not in a position to safely fulfil its fixture."

Further postponements in the sport are expected this month, while rugby's European competition were on the verge of chaos after the French government restricted travel between the UK and France.

Premier League shareholders are set to convene on Monday in a bid to discuss the possibility of temporarily halting the top-flight schedule.

Prior to the final weekend of sporting events before Christmas, Welsh Government chiefs held discussions over how best to safeguard those participating and attending fixtures throughout the country over the coming weeks and months.

And First Minister Drakeford has revealed they are seeking further information on how the Omicron variant operates in outdoor areas before making a decision - which could potentially include a reduction on crowd limits - on Monday.

"Big events, sporting events, the festive period, a big time for the sporting calendar. There are no plans for that to change at the moment and we'll be making some announcements about that on Monday," he told BBC Breakfast.

Read the full story here.

Moore leads tribute after body found in search for agent

Cardiff City striker Kieffer Moore is among those who have paid tribute to football agent Dominic Yarwood after police confirmed they found a body believed to be him.

The 32-year-old went missing on Wednesday evening in Worsley, Greater Manchester, and search pleas were sent out by many across social media, including Moore and footballers who are attached to the Elite Management Agency.

However, police tragically confirmed on Thursday that a body had been found during the search and while formal identification has not yet taken place, Dominic's family have been told by Greater Manchester Police they believe it to be him.

There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.

Dominic's agency posted a heartfelt tweet after learning the news, branding him "a great friend, agent and team member."

"Dom, You’ll never know how much you’re going to be missed," the agency wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

"A great friend, agent, and team member.

"You’ve helped Elite get to where it is today and it will never be the same without you around.

"Sending all our love and support to your family and friends. #RIP #Dom."

Bluebirds and Wales striker Moore wrote on his own Instagram: "Still can't get my head around the news.

"Rest easy, mate."

Yarwood and Elite were instrumental in facilitating the striker's move to Cardiff in the summer of 2019. In the last few months, Moore has changed agencies and is now attached to Unique Sports Group.

Read the full story here.