Liam Manning: Bristol City appoint Oxford United boss as head coach
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After a career in non-league football Liam Manning became an academy coach at West Ham and New York City before joining Belgian side Lommel as manager in 2020
Bristol City have appointed Oxford United boss Liam Manning as head coach.
The 38-year-old succeeds Nigel Pearson, who was sacked last month with the club 15th in the Championship after a run of five losses in his last seven games.
Manning leaves Oxford second in League One and three points behind leaders Portsmouth after 15 matches, having spent just eight months in charge of the club.
He has previously managed Milton Keynes Dons and Belgian side Lommel.
"This is a terrific opportunity and one that I'm really looking forward to," Manning, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at Ashton Gate, told the Bristol City website., external
"If you look at the vision of the club and where they want to get to and how they want to get there I think there is really good fit and alignment with my journey and where I want to get to."
Manning 'a great fit' for Robins
Manning, who will be assisted at the Robins by his number two at Oxford, Chris Hogg, has impressed since succeeding Karl Robinson as U's boss - the club were 18th in League One and three points off the relegation places when he took over in March.
He kept Oxford up last season thanks to two wins in their final three matches, before masterminding an excellent start of this season which has seen the U's lose just two league games since the opening day of the season.
"Liam is a great fit for the club and the style of play we want", Bristol City Chairman Jon Lansdown said.
"He has a very detailed approach to coaching, improving players and getting the best out of them as his record at MK Dons and Oxford United shows.
"As soon as we made the change Liam was our first choice and we are grateful to Oxford United for the extremely professional way they have approached the departure of someone who was doing a fantastic job for them."
U's begin managerial search
Oxford chairman Grant Ferguson said the U's had "reluctantly" given Manning permission to speak to Bristol City, adding that the club did "everything it could to keep him".
Chief executive Tim Williams added: "I am hugely disappointed. However, we have already begun the process of securing the best possible candidate to replace Liam.
"This is a fantastic club with great training facilities and an exciting future - I have no doubt we will have huge interest in the role."
First-team coach Craig Short will take on the role of interim head coach for Oxford, and will be assisted by academy coach Chris Hackett.
After taking over from Russell Martin at MK Dons in August 2021, Manning led the club to a third-placed finish in League One, before being knocked out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage by Wycombe Wanderers.
He lost his job in December last year after a run of one win in his final 11 league games left the club second-from-bottom.
Manning a 'summertime fling' - analysis
BBC Radio Oxford's Oxford United commentator, Jerome Sale
A week ago, Oxford United had won at Lincoln and were back to within three points of the League One lead and all seemed well on and off the field.
Seven days later and the league position hasn't changed, but there is turmoil. The fact that Liam Manning has jumped ship just 241 days into his tenure as head coach leaves supporters sore - and judging by Oxford's statement - plenty inside the club too.
But Manning's short time was transformative. He's taken them from a struggling relegation-threatened team to one that look serious promotion contenders.
United are absolutely correct that the field of potential replacements will be deeper for a top two side than a bottom six one.
Though the needs and immediate ambitions are different this time, they would do well to stick to the same processes that so successfully led to Manning's appointment. I say that even though it turned out to be little more than an intense summertime fling rather than a long-term relationship.