Vincent Tan, the Cardiff City owner, has granted Malky Mackay a stay of execution after another bizarre chain of events at the club. After being told last week to resign as manager or face the sack, Mackay waved goodbye to the Cardiff supporters at Anfield on Saturday, assuming he would be relieved of his duties but he has now been given the opportunity to remain in charge temporarily.

Mehmet Dalman, the Cardiff chairman, held talks with Tan on Friday night and, on the back of the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool, brokered a peace deal of sorts. Dalman said that Tan's ultimatum had been withdrawn and that the "crisis for the time being is over".

He did, however, leave the door open to the inevitable prospect of more problems further down the line. “As things stand Malky is in charge for the foreseeable future and will be until something else happens,” Dalman said.

Dalman plans to meet with Mackay to discuss the situation, although no talks have been scheduled. After everything that has happened over the last couple of months, Mackay will take the latest development with a pinch of salt. The notorious email that Tan sent was so vitriolic that it is impossible to believe his relationship with the Malaysian tycoon can be repaired.

Dalman said: “There’s goodwill on Vincent’s side. I’ve not had a chance to talk to Malky just yet but I will obviously do that as well. If we wish to work towards a reconciliation, Vincent Tan has offered us that opportunity to move towards that. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

“What I do have is Vincent’s word that if we don’t succeed with our dialogue with Malky, I and the board will be handed the responsibility of going out and getting the manager we think is best to take the club forward.”

Cardiff are at home against Southampton on Boxing Day, when supporters are planning to protest against Tan's ownership.

Guardian Service