Cardiff in meltdown. Liverpool chance to go top.

What an unholy mess at Cardiff which at face value looks grossly unfair on manager Malky Mackay.

15th in the Premier League and four points off the drop zone is far better than most pundits would have expected at this stage of the season and throw in their notable scalp of Swansea.

Despite this, it looks long odds-on that this will be Mackay’s last game in charge on the Bluebirds.

Mackay received an ultimatum via email from owner Vincent Tan on Monday, telling the 41-year-old to quit his post, or face being sacked. Details of the message first emerged on Thursday night.

Mackay did not attend Friday’s pre-match media conference ahead of the trip to Anfield, with assistant David Kerslake taking his place.

But the former Watford boss has travelled to Liverpool with his squad for what appears almost certain to be his last game in charge.

This isn’t a game that Cardiff would have expected to win with Liverpool pitching to go top of the table (possibly just for a couple of hours) and there’s little recent head to head form between the sides:

HEAD TO HEAD
(last 10)
Feb 2012 Carling Cup Liverpool 2-2 Cardiff
Oct 2007 Carling Cup Liverpool 2-1 Cardiff
Dec 1959 Div 2 (old) Liverpool 0-4 Cardiff
Aug 1959 Div 2 (old) Cardiff 3-2 Liverpool
Feb 1959 Div 2 (old) Cardiff 3-0 Liverpool
Sep 1958 Div 2 (old) Liverpool 1-2 Cardiff
Dec 1957 Div 2 (old) Cardiff 6-1 Liverpool
Aug 1957 Div 2 (old) Liverpool 3-0 Cardiff
Apr 1954 Div 1 (old) Liverpool 0-1 Cardiff
Nov 1953 Div 1 (old) Cardiff 3-1 Liverpool

Throw into the mix Liverpool on a high after Luis Suarez has signed a new long-term contract and surely there’s only one way this can go.

It’s hard to believe that Cardiff’s off the field drama won’t spill over into their performance at Anfield and the mood is hardly a positive one.

More than happy to buy supremacy with Star Spreads at around 2.2. In fact, I thought the bar might be set higher.

ADVICE

BUY LIVERPOOL / CARDIFF at around 2.20

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.