Coventry defend firing Boothroyd after just nine months

Published 23:00 14/03/11 By Mike Walters

Coventry chairman Ray Ranson insisted Aidy Boothroyd’s sacking was NOT a knee-jerk reaction – despite giving him just nine months in the job.

As Huddersfield's Lee Clark emerged as early front-runner to replace him, Boothroyd became the Sky Blues' 10th managerial casualty in as many years. And Ranson resorted to the first refuge of trigger-happy directors - by claiming Boothroyd, 40, had lost the dressing room.

Chief scout Andy Thorn will pick the team for tonight’s Championship game at Burnley, with coach Steve Harrison as his No.2.

Ranson plans to leave the pair in charge for the rest of the season if they can conquer Turf Moor and win at Preston on Saturday,

Boothroyd, 40, will spend this summer climbing Kilimanjaro for the Marie Curie cancer charity wondering if Africa’s highest peak has more faces than the board at the Ricoh Arena.

Just a week ago, the former Watford and Colchester United boss was assuring friends his working relationship with Ranson was “tight as a drum”, in spite of Coventry’s slide down the table.

The Sky Blues are now 19th, just seven points off the drop zone, having been fifth at the start of December.

When Ranson swung the axe on an early-morning visit to the club’s Ryton training ground, Boothroyd was barely a quarter of the way through the three-year contract he was given after being headhunted to succeed Chris Coleman last summer.

Although Boothroyd’s high-tempo, direct style was no work of art, fans have reacted angrily to Coventry’s latest impulse sacking, which took the managerial toll into double figures since Gordon Strachan was axed in 2001.

Former Newcastle, Fulham and Sunderland midfielder Clark, who has mounted successive promotion bids from League One at Huddersfield, has 15 months of his contract left to run at the Galpharm.

While Boothroyd has left his severance terms in the hands of the increasingly formidable League Managers’ Association, former Manchester City defender Ranson last night said: “I think the results speak for themselves.

“Aidy has a certain style of play, and it is quite obvious that, after one win in 16 games, the players are not responding to that.

“Before the situation deteriorates any more, the board decided over the weekend we needed to make a change. Aidy was obviously disappointed, but he’s a big boy and a young man with a bright future ahead of him, and I’m sure he will bounce back from this.

“It gives me no pleasure to tell a manager after nine months his services are no longer required, but we are looking for three or four wins that we need to guarantee Championship football next year.

“People might say it’s a knee-jerk reaction after nine months, but this football club wants to get up to the next level and the last thing we need is to be fighting a relegation battle.

“As we stand, I am not over-concerned about going down, because there are 10 games to go. But it is well-documented that we are looking for new investment and we are speaking to a number of interested parties, so it is imperative that we stay in the Championship to attract that investment.”

Boothroyd was given little scope for transfer investment in his stopover at the Ricoh.

Ironically, one of his best punts in the market was the controversial signing of convicted sex-offender Marlon King.

Striker King was suspended for Saturday’s ninth home League defeat of the season – 1-0 against Hull – which proved the last straw.

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SENT FROM COVENTRY: TEN YEARS OF SKY BLUE SACKINGS

Gordon Strachan (1996-2001): Initially good but resigned early in 2001-02 season, after relegation from Premiership.

Roland Nilsson (2001-02): Early success saw him promoted from caretaker to permanent manager, but axed in April 2002.

Gary McAllister (2002-04): Fans’ favourite made limited progress before resigning for family reasons.

Eric Black (2004): Lasted four months and 20 games, bizarrely fired after 5-2 win at Gillingham.

Peter Reid (2004-05): In the hot-seat for eight months, went with City sitting 20th in the Championship.

Micky Adams (2005-07): Guided Sky Blues to eighth in first season, but was was sacked after shock FA Cup defeat to Bristol City.

Iain Dowie (2007-08): His 12 months in hot-seat left side perilously close to drop zone.