Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones responds to Cardiff City job link and bookies odds

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones has given his response to being in the betting odds to become Cardiff City’s next boss.

The Welsh side sacked Erol Bulut on Sunday after a winless start to the Championship campaign.

Jones, while manager of Luton Town, admitted back in 2022 that he would “never turn down” one day bossing them.

“I worked on the turnstiles when I was an apprentice and then rushed and watched all the games,” he told Wales Online a couple of years ago. “All my mates came down and then we would all go back and chat about the games. I love Cardiff City.”

The South London Press understands there is significant compensation which would need to be paid by any club wanting to procure the services of the former Stoke City and Southampton chief.

Jones signed a long-term contract with Charlton in February and has been backed both in terms of transfer strategy and also bringing in backroom staff.

Asked about being one of the favourites with the bookies for the Cardiff vacancy, he told the South London Press today: “When this kind of stuff comes up I’m very flattered to be linked with that. One day – I’ve made no secret and been totally open – I would like to manage Cardiff. It is my home town club – my dad lives close.

“But, right now, I have got a fantastic job and I’m at a wonderful club where I’m really, really looking to build something.

“So that is where we are. I won’t be disrespectful to anyone in any way. So for me it is nothing – I get on with my job day to day and I love my job here and the people I work with. I’ve asked a lot of people to buy-in to that. There is nothing to say really.”

The South London Press was told earlier this week that Charlton had not received any contact from Cardiff in relation to Jones.

Asked if he had had contact directly, the Addicks boss laughed and added: “If I had I’m not going to suddenly turn around and say it here, am I! There is nothing really to worry about. I’ve got a wonderful job here and I took this job for a certain reason – because I believe we can build something special.

“I make no secret about the Cardiff job, because it is my hometown club and all the affiliations I have there. One day I really, really would love to manage the football club. Right now I’m Charlton manager and I’m thoroughly enjoying the project we are building.”

Former Cardiff City striker Nathan Blake has slammed Cardiff’s decision-makers for their running of the club.

He told BBC Radio Wales: “It’s not just a problem that’s come around now, I’ve been saying it for six or seven years, maybe longer. I don’t look at the hierarchy at Cardiff and think really they know what they’re doing.

“They’ve been in charge 10, 11 maybe 12 seasons now so it’s a massive gamble, you’re gambling with a lot of money, but it seems to be, at the end of the day, one singer, one song, one person makes decisions and those decisions aren’t always to the benefit of the club.

“It seems to be a bit of a merry-go-round for Cardiff when managers do come in.

“There seems to be a lot of toing and froing whether he was going to get a new contract and then a few players signed and then it seemed to just fall off the edge of a cliff.

“Why? I don’t know, but once you start the season poorly and you can’t pick up a result and you’re conceding so many goals, that was, I think, a major problem for them, confidence gets knocked.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD