Bristol City have announced the appointment of Liam Manning as their new head coach, following the departure of Nigel Pearson last month. Manning, who was in charge of Oxford United for eight months, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship club until June 2027. He will be joined by his assistant Chris Hogg, who also left Oxford to move to Ashton Gate.
A rising star in coaching
Manning, 38, is regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in English football, having worked at various levels of the game. He started his coaching career at West Ham United, where he spent seven years as an academy coach and worked with the likes of Declan Rice, Reece Oxford, and Grady Diangana. He then moved to New York City FC, another club owned by the City Football Group, where he was the director of coaching for the youth teams.
In 2020, he was appointed as the manager of Lommel, a Belgian second-division club also owned by the City Football Group. He led them to a sixth-place finish in his first season, before leaving to join Milton Keynes Dons in August 2021. He guided MK Dons to a third-place finish in League One and a play-off semi-final, where they lost to Wycombe Wanderers. He was sacked in December 2021 after a poor run of form that left them second-from-bottom in the league.
A remarkable turnaround at Oxford
Manning took over at Oxford United in March 2022, replacing Karl Robinson who was sacked after an eight-game winless run. Oxford were 18th in League One and three points above the relegation zone when Manning arrived. He managed to steer them clear of the drop, winning two of their last three games of the season.
He then transformed Oxford into one of the best teams in the division, leading them to second place in the table after 15 games. Oxford has lost only two league games since the opening day of the season, scoring 34 goals and conceding 16. They are three points behind leaders Portsmouth and have a game in hand. Manning has also overseen the development of several young players, such as Matty Taylor, Cameron Brannagan, and Sam Winnall.
A new challenge at Bristol City
Manning will face a different challenge at Bristol City, who are currently 15th in the Championship and 11 points off the play-off places. The club parted ways with Pearson last month, after a run of five defeats in seven games. Pearson had been in charge since February 2021 but failed to improve the club’s fortunes after a disappointing 2020-21 season.
Manning said he was excited to join Bristol City and share their vision for the future. He said he wanted to create a style of play that would suit the club and the players, and also connect with the fans and the community. He said he was impressed by the talent and potential of the squad and looked forward to working with them.
Bristol City chairman Jon Lansdown said Manning was a great fit for the club and the style of play they wanted. He praised Manning’s detailed approach to coaching and improving players, and his experience in different environments. He also thanked Oxford United for their professionalism in handling the departure of Manning and Hogg.
Manning will take charge of his first game as Bristol City’s head coach on Saturday when they host Blackburn Rovers at Ashton Gate.
