Huddersfield Town have confirmed that Neil Warnock will leave his role as manager following tomorrow’s Championship clash against Stoke City, according to a club statement.
Rumours of an impending exit surfaced on Saturday after the Terriers recorded a 2-0 win over Rotherham United, with Warnock saying in the aftermath of the game that any discussions surrounding his future could wait until a press conference scheduled for 1pm this afternoon. The news has now been confirmed and the 74-year-old will end his second stint in charge at the John Smith’s Stadium tomorrow night.
A statement by the club read;
“We can confirm that, following extended discussions, Neil Warnock will depart his role as Manager of Huddersfield Town later this week.
“The news was announced in tandem by Chief Executive Jake Edwards and Warnock at a press conference at the Millers Oils High Performance Complex on Monday afternoon.
“Neil will take charge of the Terriers for the 132nd and final time when we host Stoke City at the John Smith’s Stadium on Wednesday evening.”
Warnock returned to management with Huddersfield earlier this year when relegation to League One looked a formality, but the veteran produced a masterful turnaround to win six of their remaining nine fixtures and earn an eventual 18th-placed finish.
There were rumours over the summer that he would step down from the role, but these eventually proved unfounded and he remained in West Yorkshire. After a four game winless run at the beginning of the campaign, Huddersfield have now won their last two fixtures against West Bromwich Albion and Rotherham to move up to 17th.
Speaking upon the announcement, chief executive Jake Edwards said;
“I must start this statement by, on behalf of everyone at the football club, expressing my huge gratitude to Neil and his assistant, Ronnie Jepson, for the incredible job they have done at the club over the last six months.
“Keeping this club in the Sky Bet Championship, given the position the team was in when they arrived in February, was nothing short of amazing, and built upon their already lasting legacies at this club as a management team and, in Ronnie’s case, as a player too. They are both, undeniably, Huddersfield Town legends, and have cemented their positions in this club’s history.
“Our owner, Kevin Nagle, and I were so grateful when Neil and Ronnie agreed to stay at the club for the new season. All parties were clear that this was not a long-term appointment, but that it gave us important stability on the football side whilst the change of ownership was completed, and the new regime established itself at the club.
“At this point, we now feel we are ready to make a longer-term managerial appointment. I’ve had detailed discussions with Neil and, alongside Ronnie, Carl Serrant and Ian Bennett, he’s agreed to step aside to allow us to do this.
“Again, I cannot thank Neil and Ronnie enough for everything they have done for this club. I know they want to leave on a high with a result against Stoke City in midweek, and I’m sure they will get the send-off they deserve from the players and supporters.”
Writer’s View
This afternoon’s news will come as no surprise to anybody, although things have moved swiftly following Warnock’s post-match statement on Saturday. The fiery manager produced miracles last season to stave off relegation and prove that he still has the quality needed to manage at the top level. However, he clearly feels that now is the right time to step down and rumours claim that this is down to a disagreement over transfer activities.
Work has already begun on a successor, and Chris Wilder and Scott Parker were amongst the names linked in the summer whilst Warnock’s future was in the air.
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