Holloway to lead on Swindon January transfers

Swindon Town's head of football left the struggling League Two club this week

Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway will lead on transfers during the January window the club's chief executive Anthony Hall has said.

The club's head of football Jamie Russell left earlier this week after just over three years in the role.

Holloway has only been in his post at the club since 28 October and has yet to oversee a win.

"Ian Holloway, we'll be using his contacts where we are looking at the players we need to bring in," Hall told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"Ian's only been in post over three weeks, ordinarily a manager would have 10 weeks pre-season-ish to get a team ready and understand the players.

"There has to be some consideration towards that, patience - I know it's a very hard word to say at the moment considering the position that we're in but we do need patience.

"Stick with Ian, stick with the club and we'll get through this difficult period."

Swindon already appear in a battle for English Football League safety this season and are 22nd in the table, only hovering above the bottom two on points difference.

They lost to Morecambe, a place below them in the table, last Saturday - their eighth defeat in 17 league games this season.

Swindon endured their lowest league finish in 40 years last season, when they finished 19th in League Two, yet Holloway has yet been able to provide any uplift to results this campaign.

He is the sixth permanent manager since owner Clem Morfuni took over at the County Ground in July 2021.

Hall said the club "do not accept" where they are in the table but that they are not going to rush into appointing a replacement for Russell.

"As a football club myself and Clem will look at that, we'll sit down with Ian, we'll sit down with the guys in the football department and we'll come to that decision but we're not going to rush anything," Hall said.

"We'll take our time and we'll make sure it will be the right appointment for the football club."

There is growing unrest at Swindon with a Swindon supporters' group confirming this week they plan a series of "peaceful" protests against Morfuni's ownership.

Thespiritof69 group said it "will not rest" until Morfuni sells.

However Hall said while they "acknowledge" the group they will "carry on".