Accrington Stanley Boss Makes Squad Admission With Relegation Looming

Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman has admitted to the Lancashire Telegraph that planning for the new season is already underway, with the anticipation the club will be playing their football in League Two. 

Relegation to the fourth division of English Football will be confirmed for Coleman’s side on Sunday if they fail to beat Oxford United. Even that, the club needs a massive swing in goal difference, as well as hoping results go their way to give Stanley any chance of surviving the drop.

Who is John Coleman?

John Coleman has been at the helm of Accrington Stanley since September 2014 and has overseen one of the club’s most successful periods in their history.

Managing a total of 467 games at the Wham Stadium, under the 60-year-olds management, the club have been on an upward trajectory over the years, with Stanley going on to win the League Two title in the 17/18 season, claiming a total of 93 points as they were promoted to League One.

Under Coleman’s management in League One, Accrington have enjoyed successful 14th, 17th, 11th and 12th place finishes respectively as they become a staple in the third division of English football, with the club surviving the four seasons in League One comfortably with no real sign of dropping back into League Two.

A miserable season

However, Accrington Stanley have had a season to forget in League One this campaign, with relegation to the fourth division all but confirmed ahead of their final game of the season away at Oxford United, with relegation for Stanley bringing the club’s five-season stay in League One to an end.

In the 45 games John Coleman’s side has played in League One this season, the club have only won ten of them and have been on the end of 24 defeats in this campaign.

The club have also conceded 76 goals in the league, with only already-relegated Forest Green Rovers and Burton Albion conceding more this season than John Coleman’s side.

What’s been said?

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph ahead of their final League One match of the season, Accrington boss Coleman has explained that plans ahead of next season are already underway.

Along with that, with the club’s relegation from League One looming large, Coleman has also admitted that mistakes have been made, even though he does not take sole responsibility for all of them.

“The plans have already started for next season, it’s not going to be easy but it generally isn’t here,” said Coleman.

“We have used the biggest budget we have had this season but I haven’t used it at all wisely so I have to take the big rap for it. Some of it was my own doing, some of it wasn’t.

“The truth is I tried to sign players and I couldn’t sign them. Maybe we have to look at altering our wage structure next year, keeping it within the parameters but altering what we do.

“I ended up having too many players that weren’t consistently good enough, you can see in flashes and you can see why we have signed them, but in the main they haven’t been good enough.

“I have to hold my hand up and say I got it wrong. Me getting it wrong, combined with a horrendous run of injuries, a 50/50 bad disciplinary record and unfortunate disciplinary record, and we haven’t been able to do what we normally do and find a way.”

Coleman also added that he wants to bring in more established players to the club over the summer and has explained that he could look to utilise the youth system at the club as he looks to shape his squad going into next season.

He added: “I have got to work hard to try and learn from my mistakes, try and get more established players in, the punts I take have got to be more educated than what they were this year.

“I will have to rely on youth and we have some good players coming through the youth system and that’s what I have to do rather than signing players who, deep in the back of the mind, I think they are not ready and they won’t play for us so why sign them in the first place? That’s all down to me and I take full responsibility for that and I am more determined than ever to go forward in a positive manner.”

Writers View

I think looking at it as an outsider, Coleman knows exactly where the mistakes have come from this season in terms of recruitment, setting up the team on a Saturday and trusting his squad of players to go out and perform.

Unfortunately for him, the league table doesn’t lie and that is why relegation back to League Two looks highly likely after a campaign in which Accrington have just not been good enough. As well as that, it’s probably a good thing that preparation for next season has already started to rectify the wrongs, something that Coleman is desperate to do.

If there is one man that can lead Accrington Stanley into next season with the chance of potentially fighting to regain their place in League One in the future, that man is John Coleman.

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