Former Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley has suggested that Steve Morison has managed to turn things around for the Bluebirds since taking over, but warned it will be a tough challenge for him to keep them clear of trouble.
Morison has been handed the Cardiff job on a permanent basis until the end of the current campaign after he has managed to steady the ship since taking over from Mick McCarthy.
The Bluebirds were sinking like a stone by the time they made the decision to part ways with McCarthy after a run of eight successive defeats in the Championship. As a result, Morison took over a side that were only just above the relegation zone and firmly amongst the group of teams fighting for their survival this term.
The experienced former Millwall and Leeds United forward guided Cardiff to one win and one draw in his first three games as caretaker manager. That saw him guide his side to a point at Stoke City despite them falling 3-0 down and also end the Bluebirds’ ten-game winless run last time against Huddersfield Town.
The aim for Morrison will now to be to try and maintain that momentum and get the Bluebirds consistently winning matches again. However, there can not be too much room for another poor period of form given they are still only three points clear of the relegation zone.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Ledley suggested that he feels Morison deserves the chance to takeover on a more permanent basis after making a difference for the Bluebirds so far. However, he added that it will have to be a case of seeing how things turn out with them still in a difficult position in the table.
He said: "Steve has created a different style of play at Cardiff and it's working
"The fans are happy and obviously the board are happy.
"It's going to be a lot of pressure on him because they are still in a relegation battle. Only time will tell - we will see how well they do."
The verdict
The Cardiff job is an excellent chance for Morison to prove his worth as a manager and it gives him the chance to build on a good start to life in caretaker charge.
He has managed to make a lot of notable improvements in performances since taking over but now the real test will be on after he has been named their manager for the rest of the campaign.
Ledley is right that the Bluebirds are still in a very difficult position in the table and therefore Morison still faces a massive challenge this term in what is his first-ever managerial role. So, it will be interesting to see how he manages to keep things going and keep the momentum in his players following their win against Huddersfield.
Morison will also have to show he can pick his side up from setbacks that come their way again this season and not allow themselves to lose confidence and slump to the sort of losing run that they endured under McCarthy this term. Those are major challenges, but the Bluebirds should have enough within their squad to at least survive under Morrison’s guidance.