On the pitch, Cardiff City's maiden season in the Premier League has been good so far. The team has been impressive in their bid to survive the drop, playing with resilience and toughness.
Signings Steven Caulker and Gary Medel have been influential in making the Bluebirds hard to beat, and winning the first ever Welsh Premier League derby was a major boost.
However, behind the scenes there has been turmoil. Owner Vincent Tan's public fallout with manager Malky Mackay escalated with reports of an ultimatum stipulating that the Scot resign or else be sacked.
Though Tan called a truce and promised to hold talks with Mackay, the Welsh club's 3-0 home defeat against Southampton nevertheless led to the ex-Watford manager being dismissed.
August
Cardiff City's first top-flight game since 1962 ended in a 2-0 defeat against West Ham United, the Bluebirds failing to register a single shot on goal.
However, just a week later, the Welsh side registered one of the first major upsets of the season by defeating Manchester City 3-2 in the Welsh capital.
© Getty Images
The month continued well for Cardiff, progressing to the third round of the Capital One Cup by defeating Accrington Stanley 2-0 and claiming a point in a goalless draw against Everton.
September
The Bluebirds claimed four more points in September, as they began the month by battling to a 1-1 draw against fellow new boys Hull City.
A difficult game against Andre Villas Boas's Tottenham Hotspur was decided by a stoppage-time winner by Paulinho, ensuring the North London side came away with the spoils.
© Getty Images
Another late goal by another London side then sent Cardiff crashing out of the Capital One Cup, as Ricardo Vaz Te's 88th-minute header led to his side winning 3-2.
However, the month ended on a happy note when Fulham were beaten 2-1 at Craven Cottage – this time it was Cardiff's turn to score a late winner, courtesy of a 25-yard strike by Jordon Mutch.
October
Cardiff were defeated 2-1 in front of their own fans by a Loic Remy-inspired Newcastle United before the international break.
The Bluebirds then suffered the heaviest defeat of their season as Chelsea fought back from a goal down to win 4-1, Eden Hazard scoring twice.
Their month ended with a goalless draw against Norwich City.
November
Cardiff claimed local bragging rights as well as three much-needed points by defeating Swansea City in the league's first ever Welsh derby. Steven Caulker's header on the hour sealed the 1-0 win.
© Getty Images
Aston Villa then defeated the Bluebirds with two second-half goals to claim a 2-0 win at Villa Park.
Another good result against a Manchester team followed as Kim Bo-Kyung's late header against Manchester United meant the Bluebirds fans would see their team draw 2-2 against the league champions.
This was followed up by a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal away at the Emirates Stadium.
December
A busy month kicked off with a goalless draw away to Stoke City, before losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace. Ex-Bluebird Cameron Jerome opened the scoring at Selhurst Park before Marouane Chamakh sealed the victory.
This was followed up by a 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion, Peter Whittingham's 65th-minute header condemning the Baggies to a fourth defeat in a row and leading to Steve Clarke's dismissal.
Cardiff would encounter backroom issues of their own, as Vincent Tan made it clear that the club wouldn't spend "a penny more" this season, as well as the reporting of the ultimatum over Malky Mackay's future.
© Getty Images
On the pitch, Cardiff's visit of Anfield yielded no points, the Reds winning 2-0 thanks to two Luis Suarez goals, with Mackay stating after the game that '100% he wouldn't be resigning'.
However, the Scot was to be sacked the day after his team's Boxing Day 3-0 defeat at the hands of a Jay Rodriguez-inspired Southampton, prompting criticism from fans.
Assistant boss David Kerslake was put in temporary charge for the game against Sunderland, which saw the Bluebirds relinquish a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 in their final game of 2013.
Giuseppe Labellarte
