Cardiff City are now on the look-out for a new manager for the first time in three years following Neil Warnock's departure from the club earlier this week after his side's 1-0 defeat to Bristol City.

Josh Brownhill scored the only goal of the game as the Robins ran out victorious at the Cardiff City Stadium, and the match proved to mark the end of Warnock's reign in South Wales as he then departed by mutual consent the following day.

The 70-year-old achieved plenty of success throughout his time in the Welsh capital, as he transformed the Bluebirds from a struggling Championship outfit into a Premier League side before their relegation back to the second tier last term.

Cardiff would have been hoping Warnock could have led the club on another promotion charge this season, but this has not been the case as the Bluebirds have struggled to get into their stride this campaign, and this has ultimately led to Warnock's exit.

The Welsh side now have a significant decision to make with regard to identifying Warnock's replacement, as they must choose which direction they want to take the club in, while also picking a manager who can ensure Cardiff's survival this season.

The Daily Mail have been reporting that Charlton boss Lee Bowyer and former Millwall manager Neil Harris are the two frontrunners for the role, and these two candidates quite accurately reflect the two different paths the club could choose to take.

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Harris would represent a short-term fix as he would be able to deploy a similar direct and physical style of play to that of Warnock, and his record at Millwall suggests he is capable of picking up results with this strategy.

This means the 42-year-old would most likely be able to develop an effective system with those players already at the club, and he would stand an excellent chance of improving Cardiff's fortunes, even if it might not be the most attractive thing to watch.

On the other hand, Bowyer would definitely be a more exciting appointment given his achievements at Charlton over the last year, while his lively style of play means this appointment would be with the view to a more long-term project.

It might be difficult for Bowyer to achieve consistent success early on during his potential reign at Cardiff, but the club would hope that results would arrive when he starts putting his own stamp on the squad in upcoming transfer windows.

There are clearly two paths facing Cardiff at present, with both routes having their own merits, but it seems that Bowyer would surely be the best choice for Cardiff at this time. The current Cardiff squad might not be entirely suited to his style of play, but Bowyer's tactical awareness means he should still be able to achieve results from the start of his tenure.

It will not be easy to lure him away from Charlton given his affinity with the club, and the appointment may be more of a risk than that of Harris, but it is the best option if Cardiff want to truly progress forward from the Warnock era.