Jones: Cardiff players to blame for relegation

Cardiff's drop into the second tier of English football was confirmed on Saturday after they suffered a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United.

The Welsh outfit's first season in the Premier League has been a story of unrest, with the sacking of manager Malky Mackay and regular protests against Vincent Tan's ownership overshadowing the club's sloppy form.

Jones feels the finger should be pointed at the players, though, telling BBC Radio: "You (have) got to remember that the arguments shouldn't affect the players going onto the pitch.

"I think that can be an excuse sometimes for players.

"They're still training, they're still focused. In all honesty, things like that shouldn't have an effect on the playing side, because they are away from it.

"The internal battles that do go in the boardroom are in the boardroom. They're not out on the football pitch and they're certainly not out on the training ground.

"It should have little impact, to be honest."

Cardiff appointed former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager in January, but he battled to make an impact in his first managerial stint in British football.

And Jones feels that struggling clubs should look to the likes of Stoke City, Crystal Palace and Hull City, who appointed experienced British coaches and have enjoyed good seasons.

"Sometimes chairmen think that its best to bring in foreign coaches from afar and they have this knowledge," he added.

"But in all honesty, unless your managing (in) the top echelon of the Premiership and you have the money to go out and get the best players, then the rest, no (it is not a good idea to appoint foreign coaches).

"I think with Tony (Pulis at Crystal Palace) and Mark (Hughes at Stoke) and you look at Stevie Bruce (at Hull City) and people like that…they have done a fantastic job.

"They know the division, they know the league, they know the players, they know what it takes. They've all been through the good times as well as the bad times.

"You bring in someone who hasn't got that knowledge, and they don't know the players and they don't know who to go and look for.

"And it does impact on that side of the football club."