Cardiff City: 'This storm has been coming'

That toxicity has been a theme of the Tan era, manifesting itself with unrest at games and numerous fan protests.

Tan's rebranding of Cardiff from their traditional blue to red in 2012 caused deep divisions, which have not fully healed for some even a decade after he reversed his decision.

More recently, supporters have voiced their anger with two large demonstrations this season against the owner, chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo.

Cardiff's perpetual lurching from one crisis to another is seen by many as a result of a lack of football knowledge on the board, denying the club a clear strategy or long-term plan.

"The board don't know what they're doing and haven't done since they first stepped through the door," says Blake.

"Things need to change. Whether they will or not, who knows, but if they don't, I just don't know where this ends.

"These fans deserve more, this city deserves more. To have a billionaire owner and still be in the position we're in… there needs to be a plan. The board needs to improve. I don't think anything changes until things change at the top."

That was what fans were demanding at a protest before the draw against Oxford United on Easter Monday.

"We've been fighting a relegation battle for four years and we've had enough of it. The owner just doesn't want to know," Chris, one of the leaders of the protest holding a banner that read 'Tan Out', told BBC Sport Wales.

"He hasn't been to a game for years. We can't cope with Tan anymore. We don't know who would replace him but it can't get any worse."

Therein lies the issue for those who want Tan gone: Cardiff are utterly dependent on their owner and there are currently no feasible alternatives.

The club recorded pre-tax losses of £11.66m in its most recent accounts for the 2023-24 season, showing further support from Tan.

The Malaysian businessman added another £11.83m worth of loans, bringing the total owed to him to around £68m.

The club said the loans will be written off or converted to equity, while interest is also being waived. Tan has also provided a written commitment outlining his ongoing support.

Loans from directors and other connected parties have also increased by an additional £11m, taking the total to £40.3m.

Dalman accounts for a large amount of that £40.3m so, although fans may call for the chairman and board to be sacked, it is not a case of simply dismissing a man so heavily invested in the club.

Until Tan and Dalman can sell Cardiff to a buyer willing to match their valuation, they will be staying. And where Tan is concerned, the club cannot survive without him for now.

As Dalman himself wrote in the accounts, Cardiff remain "heavily reliant upon the continued financial support of our owner… without which the future of the club would look much more precarious".

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