Tony Mowbray: Coventry City manager resigns after 18 months in charge

City's only win under Tony Mowbray this season was over West Ham's Under-21s in the EFL Trophy

Coventry City manager Tony Mowbray has resigned after 18 months in charge of the struggling League One club.

Having failed to win in 10 league matches so far this season, the Sky Blues are three points adrift at the bottom of the table.

"The table doesn't lie," Mowbray, 52, told BBC Sport, following Wednesday's 2-2 home draw with AFC Wimbledon, which proved his final game in charge.

"It's embarrassing to go 10 games without a win. I'm an honourable guy."

A statement on City's club website revealed that Mowbray's long-time number two Mark Venus, the club's technical director, will "take responsibility of first-team duties with immediate effect", starting at Port Vale on Saturday.

The statement also thanked Mowbray for "all his energy and dedication over the past 18 months".

First team coach Jamie Clapham has also left, to be replaced by former Birmingham City defender Nicky Eaden, who was previously the Sky Blues Under-23s coach.

Mowbray, who had City at the top of the table just 10 months ago, told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: "I won't be a burden to this club. I know this club needs every penny.

"I see some shoots of hope. The players work extremely hard, but it's a man's game," added the Yorkshireman. "They're babies in a man's league.

"I probably let them down by not getting in the big 6ft 4in centre-half we were after, who could have been a man and help us keep clean sheets.

"We knew what the budget was but we didn't get our targets. You can't build a club off loans. They have to invest in footballers they can keep and build on.

"It's important that this group of players get support. I have not seen a team better than us this season but, if you can't put them in and you can't keep them out, you're going to struggle.

"If they stick together, with the support of people, they can. The club needs to grasp the opportunity of keeping their young players."

Mowbray's reign at the Ricoh Arena

Ex-Hibernian, West Bromwich Albion, Celtic and Middlesbrough boss Mowbray has been in charge of City since succeeding Steven Pressley in March 2015.

Mowbray kept City up on the final day of the 2014-15 season, then actually took them top of League One for a fortnight in November 2015.

That was fuelled by the goals of on-loan duo Adam Armstrong, from Newcastle, and Norwich City's Jacob Murphy. But both stopped scoring and City then fell away out of promotion contention to 13th, before rallying to finish eighth.

After another frustrating summer in the transfer market, against the backdrop of continued protests from fans against the club's owners, Otium, City have struggled, scoring just six goals from six draws in 10 games to sit bottom.

Since Coventry's relegation from the Premiership under Gordon Strachan in 2001, the Sky Blues have had 13 managers.

Mowbray was the eighth since owners Sisu (now registered as Otium) took over nine years ago, of which only Chris Coleman has taken charge of more than 100 matches.