Newport County boss Graham Coughlan admits he is flattered by links to the vacant managerial position at Cheltenham Town, but admitted he is happy at Rodney Parade.
The Robins are on the hunt for a new manager after parting company with Wade Elliott this week. The League One side are rooted to the foot of the table after eight games and are still on the hunt for their first goal of the season, let alone their first win.
Club legend Steve Cotterill was the Gloucestershire side’s first choice to take the reins, but the 59-year-old opted against a fairytale return after the club made contact with him yesterday.
This made Coughlan the favourite to land the role and he was asked about the links this afternoon whilst speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s League Two clash with Bradford City, saying;
“I am really happy here.
“I have a wonderful group of boys to work with day in and day out, not many managers can say that and I have a tremendous fan base.
“Between me and the management team, the players and supporters, we are all in a good place.”
Continuing, the 48-year-old said he remained focused on tomorrow’s game, although didn’t appear to shut down the links completely;
“I don’t know much about it and would rather concentrate on Bradford. We have 24 hours to prepare for a big game and that is where my focus is.
“You have to be honest, the speculation is nice because the job that we are doing is good.
“It’s a very easy link to make, I can see all that and understand it, but I don’t particularly like it when my name is bandied about.
“I am a private person and like my business to be kept quiet, I like to fly under the radar.
“But maybe it’s a pat on the back for me and my coaching staff for the job that we are doing here and have done at previous clubs.”
Cheltenham take on Stevenage at Whaddon Road tomorrow with Kevin Russell serving as caretaker manager. The story is sure to develop further in the coming days, and it will be interesting to see if Coughlan remains in the running.
Writer’s View
Graham Coughlan was clearly flattered by the links to Cheltenham, but stopped short of ruling himself out of the race. He’s done a good job at Newport and it’s natural that clubs struggling in the league above would be paying attention to his antics. Although he is happy at the Welsh side, he could be tempted by a chance to manage at a higher level.
Cheltenham will be keen to secure their next manager quickly before they start to be cut adrift at the bottom of the table. They are already four points from safety, although Reading and Wigan Athletic are both in false positions having had points deducted, which makes the situation look healthier than it perhaps is.
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