Oxford United boss Liam Manning has dismissed rumours linking him to the vacant managerial position at Championship side Bristol City.
The 38-year-old emerged as a potential candidate last week when Bristol Live claimed that he was one of a number of names being considered as Nigel Pearson’s successor, who was sacked at the end of last month after a run of two wins in seven games.
Assistant manager Curtis Fleming has taken control on an interim basis and steadied the ship somewhat on Saturday with a 1-0 win over basement club Sheffield Wednesday. However, the Robins remain on the hunt for a permanent manager ahead of this weekend’s trip to Queens Park Rangers.
The likes of Frank Lampard, John Eustace and Gary Rowett are all thought to be amongst the frontrunners, although Manning’s excellent job at League One Oxford has also brought him to the table.
The U’s currently sit in second place in the third tier, three points behind leaders Portsmouth, and progressed to the FA Cup second round at the weekend with a comfortable 2-0 win over non-league Maidenhead United. City chairman Jon Lansdown is on the hunt for an ‘attack-minded’ coach and Manning’s style of football certainly fits that bill.
The former MK Dons boss was asked about the rumours following Saturday’s victory. Via Bristol Live, the young manager calmly dismissed the speculation, saying;
“I’ve not heard anything; that’s the biggest bit. I don’t want to detract from today. Today is about the team. I’ve heard no news, I’ve had nothing.”
In the meantime, Manning will prepare his Oxford side for tomorrow’s EFL Trophy game against Chelsea under-21s knowing a win will see them secure a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Writer’s View
Whilst Liam Manning is widely considered one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches within the lower leagues of English football, Bristol City are likely to opt for a manager with Championship experience. The bookies have the former West Ham United academy coach as the favourite, just ahead of Frank Lampard, and it will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming days.
Oxford will be desperate to keep hold of their gaffer though. They have set their sights on a place in the second tier themselves and will be hoping that the project at the Kassam Stadium is enough to convince Manning to stay put.
Head of Writing
