23 December 2013
Malky Mackay says he expected to be sacked as Cardiff manager last weekend.
Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan sent Mackay an email at the start of the week telling him to resign or be dismissed.
But despite Saturday's 3-1 loss at Liverpool and his worsening relationship with Tan, the 41-year-old Scot insisted he would not quit.
"I did feel I was going to lose my job on the weekend," said Mackay, "The email deeply upset me. I declined to resign and expected to be sacked."
The departure of Mackay, who guided Cardiff to promotion last season, looked imminent after the defeat at Anfield.
But Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman released a statement on Sunday that said he would remain in charge for the "foreseeable future".
Dalman is trying to repair the fractured relationship between manager and owner.
Tan and Mackay are expected to meet soon for talks, although Mackay admitted the meeting might not take place until the end of the week.
"I wanted that meeting to be today, but that was declined," he said. "If not today, then tomorrow, but that was also declined."
Mackay admitted he was not sure if there would be a reconciliation.
"I don't know if we can talk," he said. "Mehmet has been trying to do this for three months, as have I.
"There are certain areas that have to be addressed that were in the email. I will find out when I go to the meeting.
"At that point, I will take stock of where I am."
Tan is understood to be unhappy at an apparent overspend on players and that appears to be partly the reason for the Malaysian businessman's removal of Iain Moody as head of recruitment in October.
Moody was replaced by Alisher Apsalyamov, a 23-year-old Kazakh with no previous experience in the role, who has since left the Welsh club over an issue concerning his work visa.
Tan also reacted when Mackay said he hoped to strengthen further in the January transfer window, sparking last week's email demand, but Mackay praised Dalman for trying to calm the situation.
"Mehmet is a good man and a sensible man but he's not the man who makes the decisions," Mackay added.
"Ultimately he will not make the decision. That still has to be addressed.
"There is no more pressure on me now. The team are working so hard and have come up with reasonable performances and good results.
"I'm proud to be the manager here and I think I should be the manager.
"I will keep doing what I'm doing and if someone wants to do something different that's up to them."
Cardiff currently sit 15th in the table, four points above the relegation zone, and face Southampton at home on Boxing Day before welcoming bottom of the table Sunderland to Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.
