Neil Warnock is reportedly in the frame to succeed Mark Hudson as Cardiff City manager with the pressure mounting on the Bluebirds boss' shoulders.
The Bluebirds are in a precarious position at present, dangling just two points above the drop zone but under a transfer embargo which has rendered the chances of drastically improving the current squad very slim.
Hudson, who was given the job on a permanent basis on November having taken over from Steve Morison, has found it tough going in the Cardiff hot-seat, having won just four games out of the 16 in which he has been at the helm. The Bluebirds are now winless in their last seven outings in the Championship.
And the Daily Mail report that Warnock, 74, will be sounded out if Vincent Tan decides to oust Hudson from the position. Tan said in an interview with WalesOnline in November that the club were happy to make Hudson manager until the end of the season "unless he does badly", meaning the question now is where the owner's threshold for poor results lies.
Cardiff, and Tan in particular, want Hudson to succeed. The club need him to steady the ship and consolidate their position in the second tier this season. It's the easiest option while the board and lawyers crack on with pressing legal and financial issues behind the scenes.
Cardiff's poor run under Hudson is the last thing Cardiff needed. With so much firefighting being done off the pitch regarding the attempt to lift the transfer embargo while still grappling with the fallout from the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision against them pertaining to the transfer fee to Nantes for Emiliano Sala, the board wanted results on the pitch to take care of themselves.
Tan was happy to hand the keys to Hudson until the end of the season, believing him to be a secure enough pair of hands with a squad of players who, while not world-beaters, are more than capable of challenging for a mid-table position.
But a paucity of goals, resulting in a severe lack of points, means the conversation has drifted towards Hudson's future and just how much more time he will be afforded to get it right. It's impossible to ignore the failure to win games - and it's no surprise to see Championship-survival guru Warnock linked.
Just like Warnock's first appointment and the arrival of Mick McCarthy, Cardiff are not averse to bringing managers in on an SOS basis. Because for Tan, the thought of dropping into League One and the financial shortfall which would come with that is simply out of the question.
It is why Cardiff always find themselves caught between two stools. The grander plan is to have a younger, progressive manager at the helm who buys into a more modern style of play in order to take the club forward. They have taken the decision to do that on a more sensible and sustainable playing budget in order to get the club on a more stable footing after the coronavirus pandemic hit Tan and his leisure business hard in the pocket.
It is a commendable blueprint, and one which was desperately needed, but is also one which has not worked to date.
Neil Harris tried and ultimately failed to change the style of play. Enter McCarthy, who got a tune out of the players instantly and even won the only South Wales derby since both teams dropped down to the Championship in 2019 as he almost got City to the play-offs.
Steve Morison tried, and appeared to be making strides while doing a decent job at overhauling the playing squad to suit a different style, before Tan pulled the plug again. Some believed that to be premature. Tan, though, stuck to his guns and appointed Hudson, believing he could use the raw materials in the squad to build on what Morison had put in place.
It's just not worked out, especially in the forward areas, so far.
So, does that mean enter Warnock, again? He has always been a potential default fall-back option for Cardiff when results have turned against them in the last three years. He is rarely far away from the conversation.
But it's not completely straightforward.
Warnock loves Cardiff. He had some of his greatest moments in the game in the Welsh capital, including that promotion to the Premier League, and is adored by Bluebirds supporters. From a romantic point of view, if Tan does opt to change tack, there will be no shortage of fans happy to see Warnock back. Especially those who understand the ruinous implications of relegation.
He still has a fantastic relationship with Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman, of whom he has always spoken so highly, and is in fairly regular contact with him.
Warnock is also a proven quantity with a fantastic record at this level. The work he did with Rotherham United, Cardiff and even Middlesbrough in recent years is commendable.
Warnock cites his job with the Millers as one of the best of his career, taking them from 22nd in the league in February to secure safety in the Championship.
At Cardiff, of course, he stabilised the club which started the season poorly under Paul Trollope before winning promotion in his second season. During that time, he is credited with bringing a broken club together, from the owner, to the board, players and fans. Something which wouldn't go amiss right now.
With Boro, he took over a side in the summer of 2020, after the sacking of Jonathan Woodgate. After finishing 17th under Woodgate, Warnock steered them to 10th the following season and was then replaced by Chris Wilder in November 2021, with the club just four points off the play-offs.
As the evidence above proves conclusively, there are few figures in the game better equipped to stave off the disastrous prospect of relegation.
There is another camp, though, which would see Warnock's return as an admission of failure. Failing to move on, move forward, alter the things which were holding the club back, in order for short-term stability.
This is not a squad built in Warnock's image and one wonders how a Warnock team would line up with the current players at his disposal. Would he be happy with Perry Ng as a ball-playing centre-half, where he has played so well but has, on occasion, been outjumped or outmuscled?
How would he solve the left-back problem? Would someone like Joel Bagan get a reprieve?
And would he treat Rubin Colwill like Lee Tomlin or like Adel Taraabt at QPR?
What about the youngsters and academy products who have come through in recent years, would the conveyor belt stop? Well, Warnock would likely only be considered on a short-term basis anyway, so perhaps that aspect of the club wouldn't be damaged too much.
Then again, Cardiff's last three managers, McCarthy, Morison and Hudson, were each appointed short-term - and ended up getting the job full-time.
And then there is the question of the Sala case and the fight against it. Might bringing Warnock back into the fold make the situation even messier than it already is? He is intrinsically linked to it, having been the manager in charge who wanted to sign Sala.
And what of Warnock actually being retired at the age of 74? Last April he announced he was bowing out from management.
However, in an interview with the Portsmouth News on Tuesday, it appears he is still tempted by the prospect of returning to the dugout.
Which, of course, probably will be a surprise to no one. Such is his enthusiasm for management.
"I don’t know about the job there at the minute, you would have to see if they have already got things sorted out," he said when asked about the vacant post at Fratton Park following the exit of Danny Cowley.
"Sometimes I think a short-term appointment at clubs enables them to just take their time and get the right man in place.
"That’s the only thing for me. I couldn’t do it for two or three years anyhow, but it depends if they are in a rush and they want to bring somebody in straight away. You never know, do you, but I’ve not had any contact with anybody.
"I’ve had offers (from other clubs) over the last few months, but didn’t want to do anything over Christmas anyhow. I thought I would see what crops up and if there’s anything interesting."
Quite how telling those remarks are is still up for debate at present. But, on whichever side of the fence you sit, there are big arguments for and big arguments against the potential return of such an iconic figure.
And Cardiff wish there was no conversation to be had at all.
But Hudson is in desperate need of good results. An FA Cup fixture, live on ITV on Sunday, against Leeds United is in the offing this weekend, before a relegation six-pointer against Wigan Athletic the following week in the Championship.
It appears to be crunch time for the Bluebirds boss now. The shadow of Neil Warnock always looms large at Cardiff City.
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