After almost three years in charge of Bristol City, the Championship club sacked manager Nigel Pearson on Monday. The Robins have lost five of their last seven games in the Championship. Pearson’s side sits 15th in the Championship table on 18 points after 14 games. It is nine points above the drop zone in the division.



Bristol hired Nigel Pearson in February 2021. He replaced Dean Holden, who started as a caretaker manager in 2019/20. At t the time Pearson took the reins at Bristol City, the club sat 15th in the table. Therefore, it is a fitting closure to his time with Bristol that the club is in 15th. In the three seasons Bristol finished with Nigel Pearson, he showed slight improvement. The club finished 19th, then 17th and 14th in the most recent campaign. That slight improvement was not enough for Bristol City.



Instead, the club said it was time for a change at Ashton Gate. Jon Lansdown, the club’s chairman, said a 2-0 defeat against Cardiff City was the last game for the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/leicester-city-sack-manager-nigel-pearson-20150630-CMS-143265.html">former Leicester City</a> and Watford manager. 



“This was a difficult decision to make as we recognise and appreciate how much Nigel has done for the club over the past two and a half years on and off the pitch,” Lansdown said on the <a href="https://www.bcfc.co.uk/city-men-news/nigel-pearson-leaves-bristol-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bristol City website</a>. 



Jason Euell, one of the first-team coaches on Pearson’s staff, is also out of the club. Curtis Fleming is taking over the management of the side on a caretaker basis.



<h2>Another Championship manager sacked</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/16053844/Nigel-Pearson-Bristol-City-1200x675-1200x675.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-465958" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div><figcaption>Results dried up for Nigel Pearson at Bristol City, where the club has lost five of its last seven games.</figcaption></figure>



Just 14 games into the season, Bristol City sacking Nigel Pearson is the sixth managerial change in the English second division this season. Some of the other managers to depart their clubs are Neil Warnock, John Eustace and Xisco Muñoz. Each of their clubs sits in the bottom half of the table except for Birmingham City, which parted ways with Eustace. It quickly <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/wayne-rooney-in-line-to-take-over-as-birmingham-city-manager-20231009-WST-461123.html">brought in Wayne Rooney</a> as his replacement.



Bristol City thanked Nigel Pearson for his efforts with Bristol City over the last several campaigns. 



“Nigel is highly respected by the staff and players and has been very supportive of the academy structure and our women’s team. We all wanted Nigel to achieve our ambition to be promoted but, with our recent results, feel that now is the time to make a change to give the club the best possible chance of success.”



<h2>Bristol City sacks Nigel Pearson to change club’s fortunes</h2>



Bristol City has been in a period of stasis for the last several years. It has hovered between 19th and eighth in the Championship for each of the last eight seasons, and it appears to be on the same path this campaign. The last time Bristol City was in the top division of English soccer was in 1979/80. Bristol City sees this move as a chance to increase those odds. It may not be this season, but Bristol City has eyes for promotion at some point in the near future.



PHOTOS: IMAGO

Bristol City sacks Nigel Pearson with Robins in 15th

After almost three years in charge of Bristol City, the Championship club sacked manager Nigel Pearson on Monday.

Bristol City sacks Nigel Pearson with Robins in 15th - World Soccer Talk

<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/nigel-pearson.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-70091" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2013/04/nigel-pearson-547x316.webp" alt="nigel-pearson" width="547" height="316" sizes="(max-width: 547px) 100vw, 547px"></figure></div></a>
The Premier League in recent times has become the acid test for managers with the average tenure of a manager in England’s top-flight being just over one year according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2013/05/28/how-the-average-tenure-of-a-premier-league-manager-compares-to-other-leagues/">survey</a> conducted as recently as May 2013.
Another trend of recent years has been the lack of English managers in the Premier League with many clubs preferring to offer a foreign manager the job for various reasons. Manchester United’s recent managerial change typified the new trend with the twenty times champions of England appointing only their second non-British manager in <a href="worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/08/26/louis-van-gaals-selection-predicament-a-real-cause-for-concern/">Louis van Gaal</a>. The first was Frank O’Farrell from Ireland back in 1971.
However, there are still a number of English manager’s plying their trade in England’s top-flight with varying degrees of success at clubs with differing aspirations and budgets.
The newest English additions to the Premier League’s management table have come at Swansea City, Leicester City, Burnley and most recently Crystal Palace.
Garry Monk was instated as a caretaker manager of Swansea last season following the rather acrimonious, shock departure of Michael Laudrup and managed to steer the club away from relegation. Swansea, since their promotion to the Premier League in 2011, have never been a club to spend lavishly in the market, with the club spending sensible money on high quality players, all relatively early on in the window too.
This is why there is often little activity around the Liberty Stadium amidst the general madness of transfer deadline day and to a degree you have to applaud the club for that. On the flip side, Swansea were once again tipped to struggle with Monk having very little managerial experience. However, the Swans have started the season well and currently sit in fifth place with nine points from their first five gams.
An opening day victory over Manchester United set the tone, although the recent <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/09/13/chelsea-vs-swansea-city-player-ratings-battle-for-top-of-the-league-ends-4-2/">4-2 defeat to Chelsea</a> has shown the difficulties Swansea may face as other teams begin firing on all cylinders.
Nigel Pearson has taken his Leicester City side into the Premier League with the sole ambition of avoiding immediate relegation. The club have been tipped as the best placed of the three promoted teams to avoid the drop and the additions of Argentine duo Esteban Cambiasso and Leonardo Ulloa have gone a long way to reinforce that point of view.
Leicester have been organised thus far with the defensive line seemingly hard to breach, as Arsene Wenger will testify, whilst the forward line is shining, albeit a little over reliant on Ulloa at this stage.
The quality of Leicester’s squad depth will be tested as the season progresses but at this point, Pearson looks to have a good handle on his squad who believe in his methods.
The signings of Manchester United youngsters Tom Lawrence and Nick Powell, with the latter on loan, are both exciting and could provide short bursts of quality at a later date.
It has been a somewhat different story at Turf Moor where Sean Dyche has endured one of the more difficult starts to life in the Premier League.
Burnley sit in 17th place without a win to their name, after a difficult start to the season in which they have faced both Chelsea and Manchester United.
Dyche made no secret of the fact the club were working with restrictions in the transfer market and this is highlighted when you compare the strength of Burnley’s squad to their relegation rivals.
The first win could be crucial for Burnley, who did at times test the respective defenses of United and Chelsea, however, Dyche is experiencing the pressures of the top-flight rather more quickly than most.
For Neil Warnock, it is still very early in his tenure with the 65-year-old having had just two matches in charge since he took over from Tony Pulis. Warnock brings managerial experience although there are still question marks over whether his methods can work with the modern footballer.
With Palace facing a couple of the teams expected to be in and around the relegation battle in the next month, we will get a greater indication of how Warnock’s handling of the squad is going.

Analysing The New Brigade Of English Premier League Managers

Analysing The New Brigade Of English Premier League Managers - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_848" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2010/07/NigelPearsonNew8.jpg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-848" loading="lazy" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-848" src="/files/2010/07/NigelPearsonNew8-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150"></figure></div></a>No longer a fox, but now a tiger...</div>
Not too long ago, <a href="http://www.championshiptalk.com/congratulationscommiserations-youll-be-playing-in-the-championship-next-season/828">I wrote a blog </a>regarding the six new teams that would be playing in the Championship next season via relegation and promotion. One of these teams is Hull City, a side that has had an adventurous past decade or so. My belief was that Hull wouldn’t be promoted straight back to the Premiership next season and I based this prediction on the heavy amount of debt they had accumulated when playing in the Premier League and their eagerness to move a lot of high earning players on. But two days ago, Hull managed to hire one of the top managers in the country today and all of a sudden, Hull really do have a good chance of showing bouncebackabillity and this appointment shows their ambition to establish themselves as a big hitter in England.
The man <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11714_6237391,00.html">they have appointed of course is Nigel Pearson</a>, who lead Leicester City to promotion from league one and a surprising play-off place last season in the Championship (in a sense of you don’t usually see promoted League One sides have that good a first season). The Foxes may be cursing their luck, as due to the fact Pearson has never had a chance to challenge in the top flight (despite two very brief stint as Newcastle United caretaker manager) he remains one of England’s best kept secrets and is a manager I’ve often thought is destined for greatness. Pearson himself (and I’m sure many Leicester fans) was <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/8777129.stm">surprised that he was given the chance to join Hull</a>, as Milan Mandaric can often be stubborn and outspoken in his approach of issues. He is no stranger to tight budgets, and his record with previous clubs suggests that his main strength is creating unity in a club and he has a unique ability to instill confidence in any player.
The fact is, anyone who is familiar with Pearson will have a fondness towards him. He was appointed manager of a struggling Southampton side more than half way through the season on a rolling contract and managed to keep them in the Championship despite the many problems the club faced. Southampton conducted a poll asking the fans who they thought should be manager of the club for the next season, and more than 90% of the vote went to Pearson. Instead, Southampton appointed a Dutch manager no one had heard of and they were relegated next season. He then helped Leicester return to the Championship at the first time of asking and even managed to win League One with the side. Then came a dream first season back in the Championship, but Cardiff City ended their play off hopes on penalties.
What makes Pearson the perfect man for the job is that he is in a situation that he is all too familiar with. He’s managed Carlisle, Southampton and Leicester and what all these clubs had in common was that when he took charge, there was a sense of trouble in the squad and low morale. Carlisle and Southampton were fighting a relegation battle and Leicester had just been relegated, and Pearson managed to do the best job he could at each one of these clubs. When I look at Hull at the moment, I see quite a few players that are probably wanting out of the club, footballers who went there for the money – mercenaries. Pearson won’t have a massive transfer budget and he won’t be signing Premiership quality players, but instead he will be able to bring in the right players for the job, and can give Hull a real chance of going back to the Premier League. In truth, it’s one of those situations where there is no better man for the job.
It is a massive blow for Leicester and I was wondering how Pearson would manage in his second season with the Foxes, but they are now resigned to looking for a new manager to lead the club in the Championship. Paulo Sousa appears to be the overwhelming favourite and I believe that it would be a good appointment for the club, although whether he will want to leave Swansea where he is liked and established is another thing. The best for for Leicester is that they don’t have to rush the appointment and can take their time, they are a well organised team with fantastic support and are an important part in English football history. I’ve always had a soft spot for them!
As for Hull, I’m not going to exactly flip flop and say that now they will get promoted thanks to the appointment of Pearson, but I believe it is a very wise choice and in truth, promotion is now a possibility for the Tigers. This is a big season for the Yorkshire outfit and they could really do with promotion in order to ease their financial woes somewhat.

How Appointing Pearson Changes Hull's Fortunes

How Appointing Pearson Changes Hull's Fortunes - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_733" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-733" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-733" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2010/01/50-pounds-fan.jpg" alt="It&apos;s that time again!" width="250" height="245"></figure></div>It&apos;s that time again!</div>
I remember when the January transfer window first came to football. Forgive me if I can’t remember the exact year but I remember FIFA decided that it was a good idea to help all the small clubs hold onto their top players for larger parts of a season. Nobody could have predicted the level of insanity and inflated pricing that it would have brought, but now January is a special time for football fans; almost like Christmas in the footballing world. Especially the last two days where we see all the panic buys, prompting many of us to ask why managers didn’t use the previous 30 days available to them – but that would be silly wouldn’t it? Just about every team in the Championship could arguably do with strengthening in the first month of the year and it will be interesting to see who is welcomed to the league and who we will be saying goodbye to:
Barnsley:
Mark Robbins has done a fine job so far but his biggest desire will most likely be a striker and Billy Sharp has been one of the names thrown around. Sheffield United may well want return him from his loan at Doncaster so they can cash in, but expect Yorkshire rivals to try all they can told hold onto their top player this season. Barnsley have agreed to extend the loan deals of Stoke players Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson so Robbins will be delighted that have those players as options. As far as departures, no major players have been rumoured to be leaving the club so watch this space.
Blackpool:
How much ambition does the Blackpool board have? Playoff contenders Blackpool have surprised many this season but they still have a lot of work to do. They’ve already supposedly failed to sign <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11728_5836645,00.html">Roman Torres</a> and there’s been and Holloway has admitted that players will only be coming in if they have the right character. No offers have come in for their players yet, but few would be surprised if some clubs tested the Seasider’s resolve on in form midfielder Charlie Adam; a player who has been a joy to watch all season.
Bristol City:
Not to look too much into anyones personal life but does anyone else think there was a heated Christmas affair at the Johnson household? Lee Johnson, son of Robbins manager Gary Johnson, has left the club for the injury struck Derby, on an original one-month loan deal; guess it wasn’t a Merry Christmas for all of us. The club is currently in a defensive crisis, so City fans should expect Christian Ribeiro to return to the club from his loan spell at Stockport. Targets have been discussed this week, but Johnson will no doubt be disappointed to learn that he must <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_city/8439342.stm">fund himself</a> this month by selling players first.
Cardiff City:
Peter Ridsdale will become the most unpopular chairman in the country for a second time if he is lying about the club’s potential administration possibility, but Cardiff do need to strengthen their team if they want to keep up with those around them. Fabian Delph is thought to be high on Dave Jones’ list, as a midfielder appears to be the priority for this month. Villa don’t seem keen on loaning out young star Delph but there is no doubt that Cardiff will enquire and if they can bag the player in on loan it could allow another player to come in at the same time as Jones has been promisd £3 million to spend. Bristol Rovers star Chris Lines has also been touted, a player who’s contract is up at the end of the season; the right bid may be too good to turn down as Rovers will not want to risk losing him for nothing. An unusually quiet window in terms of rumours for Joe Ledley may be explained by new kid on the block Adam Matthews, who is courting interest from big teams such as Manchester United and Arsenal. Let’s see if the Bluebirds can hold on.
Coventry City:
It’s common practice for English clubs to raid the Irish leagues these days, and Coventry have moved quickly to snap up Gary Deegan. Richard Woods and Chris Hussey have made their loan moves permanent, business Chris Coleman is delighted with and their is a move in the pipe line for league one stand out Carl Baker who has impressed many this season. It certainly appears as if Coleman is doing all he can to fight off the relegation threat to the club and we may even expect more new arrivals at the Ricoh arena. Coleman will not be happy however to hear that Sunderland have an eye on goalkeeper Kieran Westwood and the club must do everything in their power to keep one of the leagues top goalkeepers.
Crystal Palace:
Will any money be spent? No. Palace have <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11706_5818892,00.html">struggled to find the green stuff </a>this season and a team that was already quite inexperienced may get even more so by the end of the window. Palace are even in danger of losing their manager Neil Warnock as he eyes up the chance to manage league counterparts Sheffield Wednesday. You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard the name Victor Moses linked with just about every club above Palace in the country and Palace have certainly shown they aren’t going to be pushed over despite their monetary problems as they’ve set an asking price of £5 million. Expect more stories about players going out this month as opposed to players coming in.
Derby County:
Derby need new faces fast. They’ve been hit so badly with injuries that Nigel Clough has struggled to get a consistent team together that understands how they play. An ambitious side that would be appealing to any player really, a striker is top of their list. Michael Symes, James Vaughan and Fredrik Stoor are all on Clough’s radar as the Rams look to get someone quality up front. Danny Buijs of Ado Den Haag was keen on a move to the club but this may have fallen through due to his clubs reluctance to loan him out. Recently fit again Kris Commons is attracting interest from the Premiership, Wolves have their eye on the talented midfielder.
Doncaster Rovers:
There’s not much coming out of Donny at the moment. Billy Sharp has recently won PFA player of the month and the Keepmoat outfit will be hoping that Sheffield United don’t exercise their option to recall the front man. A rumoured move for Daniel Cousin seems unlikely, especially considering that QPR are in advanced talks with the player. Martin Woods has been making some eye catching performances this season and the club will be trying to fend off the likes of Cardiff and Middlesbrough this month so they can hold onto him.
Ipswich Town:
Roy Keane has already spent quite a lot of money as manager of Ipswich and results on the pitch have not reflected this. Giovanni Dos Santos is wanted by the tractor boys once again and may well be one of a few signings coming in this month unless players move out. Tamas Priskin has been a flop since his £1.7m move and may well be heading towards the exit door this month and could well pave the way for Derby striker Rob Hulse.
Leicester City:
If Nigel Pearson had plans at the start season for this transfer window then he may well want to throw them out of the window and reassess. City are another admirer of Chris Lines and will be part of a bidding war for him. A bizarre move for Edgar Davids may materialise as well, chairman Milan Mandaric has spoken of his admiration of the former Dutch international recently; paying his wages may be another issue though (maybe he has another with all that tax dodging he’s been up to). Top scorer Matt Fryatt has been watched by Wigan recently and Pearson will not fancy losing him.
Middlesbrough:
Kris Boyd would be a huge capture for the troubled North East side and Boro are certainly <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8442623.stm">considering that avenue</a> due to Rangers current financial difficulties. Signs would suggest that Strachan is keen to utilise his knowledge of the Scottish leagues, as his former players Gary Caldwell and Scott McDonald have both been suggested as Boro arrivals. In any case expect many arrivals for the short-handed side as Didier Digard prepares to depart the Riverside.
Newcastle United:
Chris Hughton has got money available to him and Jermaine Beckford seems more and more likely to join the Geordies after <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/8444552.stm">recently handing in another transfer request</a>. A defender is also a desire for the Toon, but don’t expect Matthew Killgallon to move to the North East, the defender has now committed to Sheffield United until the end of the season. Former Ballon D’or nominee (that’s right) Geremi made a little unannounced detour on his way to Angola to meet up with potential new club Ankaragucu. Although they haven’t actually agreed anything with Newcastle the Turkish side still decided to throw the confetti and a party for the player; talk about confidence!
Nottingham Forrest:
Could anyone really play their way into this in form side? Forrest fans will be hoping that Billy Davies can make some signings as to maintain their promotion push and former England international Nicky Shorey is their first priority. It’s been highly reported for a while that the club has an interest in Tottenham’s Gareth Bale but this may be quite unlikely as it is unknown what Harry Redknapp wants to do with the player. Swindon’s Charlie Austin could be a more likely transfer although this is a light rumour as of now. There has been little interest from any clubs so far in Forrest players.
Peterborough United:
Another non-league player comes in (surprise Posh fans!) Josh Simpson. Aldershot’s Marvin Morgan has been attracting interest, although this may seem unlikely now the club has captured Reuben Reid from West Brom. Izale McLeod is the subject of interest from the Posh, but they face interest from Scottish Premier League side Hearts. The traditional round of Joe Lewis leaving rumours have begun already, particularly after Barry Fry told Harry Redknapp he had first option on the player – Redknapp later telling everyone. Good one Barry.
Plymouth Argyle:
So far for Plymouth its been more a case of who’s leaving this month. However, the green army could be tempted to bring back out of favour Hull player Peter Halmosi. It is a bit unknown who new boss Paul Mariner is after, as the club have seen defenders Kirsztan Timar and Marcel Seip both leave already and Steven MacLean is more than likely on his way out too. Tough times on the south coast.
Preston North End:
<a href="http://www.championshiptalk.com/can-darren-ferguson-take-preston-to-the-premiership/720">Darren Ferguson</a> returns to the Championship almost instantly and has taken the reigns at the famous outfit of Preston North End. If you’ve read Daniel Cragg’s post on this site then I don’t need to tell you that there isn’t a lot of money for Preston, but changes need to be made. Neil Collins has joined on a permanent deal already but due to Ferguson’s arrival being so recent its hard to tell who he wants to bring in at this time. Sorry Preston fans!
Queens Park Rangers:
Signings galore for the London outfit? You wouldn’t be wrong. The team has already apparently agreed a deal for Daniel Cousin who will join up after the African Cup Of Nations and the club also has apparently made an enquiry about the well-travelled Amdy Faye. Markus Jonsson of AIK in Sweden is also hoping for a move to England and QPR may well be his outlet to fulfil that ambition. Adel Taarabt may return to Tottenham unfortunately for QPR, but the player has his heart set on staying with Rangers.
Reading:
Gunnar Thorvaldsson has become another member of the ever-growing Icelandic contingent at Reading but apart from that there are few players being linked with the club due to their lack of a manager. Reading have managed to hold onto Simon Church after he signed a new deal with the club and they also harbour an ambition that Gylfi Sigurdsson can continue his impressive displays with Reading as opposed to someone else.
Scunthorpe United:
Craig Dawson of Rochdale is a player Nigel Adkins would dearly love at his disposal, but Rochdale seem adamant he is going nowhere. Scunthorpe seem to see Rochdale as somewhat of a market stall this January if you believe their interest in striker Chris O’Grady. Michael Raynes seems a very likely arrival for the Irons, the Stockport defenders contract is up in the summer and his club are likely to want to make some sort of profit on him. George Friend has been recalled by Wolves, meaning the Irons only have one left back at the club, so that position is likely to be Adkins priority.
Sheffield United:
Due to Matthew Killgallons apparent commitment to the club, Kevin Blackwell is unlikely to have the money he thought he would this window. Richard Creswell has come in from Stoke already but former loanee Greg Halford will not be returning to the club as he wants to battle for his place at Wolves. As mentioned above, Marcel Seip has joined on loan for the rest of the season and it may not be the end of the dealings for a heavily injury struck squad.
Sheffield Wednesday:
The club is looking to the future, as <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11703_5837382,00.html">ten Australian players</a> are currently on trial with the club. Tom Soares has extended his loan deal but the most prominent potential transfer for Wednesday at the moment is their managerial position. As mentioned above, Neil Warnock is interested in the job and is the bookies favourite to get the job.
Swansea City:
Could Paulo Sousa, the manager, leave Swansea this January? Burnley have an eye on the talented Portuguese gaffer but the Swans want to hold on. Lee Trundle has extended his loan deal at the club, much to the fans delight and the club may be in the market for another striker to solve their goal shyness. Kevin Phillips, Vincent Pericard and Tamas Priskin have all been linked with the club, so watch this space. The club will also be doing everything they can to hold onto Andrea Orlandi as a few scouts have been watching him over the past few weeks.
Watford:
Your guess is as good as mine? Probably nothing will be happening this month as Malky Mackay wants to keep all his players, particularly Scott Roach and the threat of administration means there will be few arrivals for the hornets.
West Bromwich Albion:
Ishmael Miller is almost back from injury and will feel like a new signing upon his return and it remains to be seen whether or not the club can meet Crystal Palace’s valuation of Victor Moses. Gabriel Tamas has joined on loan from Auxerre and brings a wealth of experience with him. Marcus Haber may also be on his way in, while Robert Koren is expected to be shipped out of the Hawthorns as the Albion have a wealth of depth at their disposal.

January Transfer Window: What Will Happen?

January Transfer Window: What Will Happen? - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_647" style="width: 217px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-647" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-647" src="/files/2009/10/3756622801-soccer-barclays-premier-league-middlesbrough-v-portsmouth-riverside-stadium-207x300.jpg" alt="Southgate: Shown The Door" width="207" height="300"></figure></div>Southgate: Shown The Door</div>
After winning 2-0 on Tuesday night, Gareth Southgate was relieved of his duties as manager hours after the game. Despite being quite a popular player for the club, Southgate could never quite get the same level of support in his time as manager; despite a number of hardships being put on him such as the sale of top striker Yakubu. It may come as a slightly surprise that the Boro board decided to sack Southgate moments after a win rather than Saturday where the club, at the time, suffered it’s 3rd straight home defeat at the hands of a Watford side currently struggling for form. It is most likely that Gibson and the Middlesbrough board had only fully committed to a change in leadership on the Monday.
An outsider to the championship may wonder how a manager who’s team sits 4th in the 2nd tier table can be sacked but <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11680_5642338,00.html">Steve Gibson’s proclamation Wednesday afternoon</a> certainly suggests that it has been building up for some time; and anyone who follows the club can relate to that. One of the most notable things in Gibson’s decision may well be the constant dip in attendance. Even though the club has been relegated and would expect smaller crowds, Boro’s home form has been woeful and left a lot of fans questioning the point in turning up to
You could feel some sympathy however for Southgate. Steve McLaren was a tough act the follow after all of his success. McLaren’s bid to gain success for the club cost the team, and despite selling a number of key players to balance the books on Southgate’s arrival, the club still suffered<a href="http://www.football.co.uk/middlesbrough/southgate_reveals_boro_debt_278124.shtml"> heavily from debt</a>. Southgate, even recently in the championship, has been forced to field a number of players who have came through the clubs academy. Despite Boro having one of the strongest youth teams in the country, it was hardly surprising that they were relegated from the Premiership.
It can’t be denied however that Southgate had no resources. He could be accused of putting all his eggs into one basket when signing Alfonso Alves for what is believed to be almost £13 million. Alves turned out to be a poor piece of business, lacking the finishing touch that the likes of Yakubu and Viduka had brought before him and was largely lethargic in his Boro days. Many questioned the price tag before he had even signed. Alves abandoned ship just before the close of the summer 2009 transfer window; his lacklustre attitude may be better suited to the sweltering heat of the Middle East. He could happily retire early with the amount of money I imagine he is making out there.
After the clubs relegation, they opened the Championship campaign with a 0-0 home draw to Sheffield United and were booed off the pitch by the supporters. Many people criticized the fans for this, but it wasn’t just about the result; fans had already lost confidence in Southgate and a 0-0 draw all but justified this. Southgate never appeared to have a charismatic edge as a manager and sometimes seemed too accepting in defeat. Many within the game saw him as a bit of a push over and someone who could easily cave in.
I myself consider Steve Gibson one of the best Chairmen in the country, a patient man who doesn’t hit the panic button at the first time of asking. He is one of a dying breed in world football; an owner who was brought up in the local environment supporting his club. Boro fans will always have a gratitude of debt towards the man, as Gibson is one of the men that saved the club from Liquidation when they almost folded towards the end of the 20th century. His decision to let Southgate go was the correct call and I believe it has come at the right time. Gibson wants the club to bounce straight back the Premiership at the first time of asking, most likely to help the club balance the finances once again. He gave Southgate every possible opportunity, something most managers don’t get. The club is sitting in a great league position and the right appointment can help give the club an initial boost and help the club realise it’s ambition of promotion at the first time of asking.
The only problem is who will take the job? The objective is clearly to get the club promoted this season as another season in the Championship may result in the club needing to make more cut backs. Gordon Strachan’s name has once again been churned out by the bookies as a favourite – an ideal candidate for the club, but is Boro an ideal opportunity for Strachan? If any manager is tasked with getting promotion they are going to want resources to do so and Boro lack a lot of funding. Their young squad lacks experience and any high profile name manager will want to bring in tried and tested players. If it is to be Strachan then Gibson and the board would have to take a massive gamble, put whatever they’ve got left into the club and pray that he can get the job done.
<a href="http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,16478_5642286,00.html">Milan Mandaric has ruled out the fantastic Nigel Pearson</a>, but you can never say never in football. I’m a big fan of Pearson and I’m not surprised that the Leicester chairman is so keen to keep hold of him. Kevin Keegan is the bookies 2nd favourite to take the job (maybe becoming a Toon heretic?) as well as Alan Curbishley being up there. However, these are two managers who would demand they’d be given resources; particularly after their most previous employers relieved them of purchasing duties.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Gibson takes his time with this appointment, as mentioned before he is a man with a lot of patience and likes to be 100% sure before his makes a big decision. Middlesbrough’s situation makes their next managerial appointment a difficult one to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being an intriguing appointment. One of the best things about Steve Gibson as a chairman is that he has the right mix of being a fan and an owner, so whoever he and the board decide on is most likely to be someone the fans can put faith in.

The Inevitable Axe Of Gareth Southgate Confirmed: What Now For Middlesbrough F.C?

The Inevitable Axe Of Gareth Southgate Confirmed: What Now For Middlesbrough F.C? - World Soccer Talk

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