Football League Daily – Managerial merry-go-round in the Npower Championship
The managerial merry-go-round has begun apace over the last seven days as teams in the Npower Championship begin their preparations for the 2011/12 season.
Dave Jones has already lost his job at Cardiff City following a third successive failure to gain promotion to the Premier League, a disappointment compounded by the success of their South Wales rivals Swansea City becoming the first side from the Principality to reach the top flight.
Last Sunday saw Nottingham Forest, losing play-off semi-finalists for the last two seasons, dispense with the services of their manager Billy Davies. The former Preston North End and Derby County boss’ reign at the City Ground had been a turbulent one, with constant arguments with his board over transfer policy. After defeat in the play-offs to Swansea, speculation was rife over Davies’s future, his sacking widely expected.
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What was not expected was the rapid appointment of his successor; Forest offering former England manager Steve McClaren a return to English club football. McClaren, out of work since his sacking by Bundesliga side VFL Wolfsburg in January, had been linked with the Aston Villa job but it is understood that his application for that post was rejected.
The Villa job looks set to be offered to Alex McLeish, after his resignation from Birmingham City this week. The former Rangers and Scotland boss gave the board his notice by e-mail, citing board interference which made his position untenable, an allegation strongly refuted by the Blues, who are understood to be reporting their Midlands rivals to the Premier League for an illegal approach to McLeish.
Cardiff, who started the ball rolling in the managerial merry-go-round, have been linked to two candidates for their vacant managerial position in the last 24 hours. The most surprising name linked to the job was former England striker, Alan Shearer. The Match of the Day pundit held talks with the Bluebirds board, but these were unsuccessful. Shearer, who had a spell as caretaker manager at Newcastle United at the end of the 2008/09 season, failing to keep the Magpies in the Premier League, said in a statement: “I can confirm that I was one of the candidates that the club spoke to about the vacant position” before adding: “Unfortunately, those talks were unsuccessful on this occasion.”
Cardiff moved swiftly to their next candidate, Watford’s Malky Mackay, but the Hornets have refused the Bluebirds permission to speak to their manager. The club’s owner, Laurence Bassini, said: “I rejected the approach and hope our fans understand that I now need to consult Graham Taylor and the board of directors” according to the BBC Sport website.
One club who have a new manager is West Ham United, and Sam Allardyce has moved quickly to strengthen his squad, with a move for Newcastle United skipper Kevin Nolan close to completion. Allardyce has signed Nolan twice before, at Bolton and Newcastle, and the move will be a huge coup as he attempts to remodel the Hammers squad to mount a promotion challenge next season.
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