Brian Barry-Murphy: Rochdale boss leaves club following relegation from League One

Brian Barry-Murphy won 34 of his 109 games in charge of Rochdale

Rochdale have allowed manager Brian Barry-Murphy to leave the club at his request, following their relegation to League Two.

The former Dale midfielder, 42, was appointed in 2019 after initially taking over on a caretaker basis.

Barry-Murphy twice guided them to safety in League One but last season saw them fail to avoid the drop.

Lee Riley and Jim McNulty will now take temporary charge of the club until a successor is found.

A club statement said that Barry-Murphy was released from his contract after the board was approached by his representative.

"We would like to place on record our thanks to Brian for his service to the club over the last 11 years, in his roles as player, coach and manager," the club said.

"We wish him every success in the future."

His departure comes two days after chief executive David Bottomley also left Rochdale by mutual consent and two-and-a-half years in the role.

Barry-Murphy took over as Dale boss after Keith Hill was sacked towards the end of the 2018-19 season, winning six of the final 11 games to keep them in League One with a 16th-place finish.

The following season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and Rochdale preserved their third-tier status when the regular season was decided on a points-per-game basis.

The 2020-21 campaign did not go well, however, with the Irishman defending his position midway through a season to forget which ended with them being relegated after six seasons in League One.

Analysis

BBC Radio Manchester's Mike Minay

On the week that players return to pre-season training, arrivals are probably more expected than departures.

A new board is being assembled at Rochdale, with a new chairman in place and former CEO David Bottomley leaving the board.

At the end of last season, following relegation, Barry-Murphy made soundings that he wanted more from those upstairs, seeking assurances and reassurances ahead of the upcoming campaign.

That said, Barry-Murphy's approach received praise from those outside the club for trying to play football 'the right way'.

He was able to bring in loans from Premier League clubs and once saved the club from relegation, before narrowly going down last season. It might not be long before he's in the running for another job.