Salford City have decided to part company with manager Neil Wood following yesterday’s 5-1 defeat against Tranmere Rovers, the club have announced.
The Ammies have been in a terrible run of form as of late, with their last victory coming in October when they put three past Doncaster Rovers without reply. Eight winless games have followed, leaving the club languishing in 21st in League Two, just five points above the drop zone.
It’s a far cry from last season when Wood guided Salford to the play-offs in his first season in charge after taking over in May 2022 following his departure from Manchester United. However, they exited at the semi final stage on penalties against current league leaders Stockport County.
The aim this season was to go one better and achieve promotion to League One for the first time in their history, but their campaign has failed to ignite. Wood was on the verge of the chop in September after losing five successive matches, although he recovered to win the next three.
This proved to be a flash in the pan though, and the Greater Manchester-based side have won once since.
Salford are famously owned by Project 92 Ltd, which includes former Manchester United stars Gary Neville, Phil Neville, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. Their ambition has always been to take the club as far up the football pyramid as possible, but they now run the risk of ending their five-year stay in the Football League.
As a result, the following statement was issued this morning:
“Salford City Football Club announce the departure of Head Coach Neil Wood.
“The Club would like to thank Neil for his hard work over the last 18 months, including leading the Club to our highest-ever finish in Sky Bet League Two last season, and we wish him well in his future role within football.
“The process of appointing a new Manager will commence immediately, with Assistant Coach Simon Wiles preparing the team for Friday’s game against Grimsby Town.”
Friday’s game against Grimsby could prove to be a real six-pointer, with just one point and two places separating the two teams. A win for Salford would see them move above the Lincolnshire club.
Writer’s View
Salford are a club with lofty ambitions and they have made several managerial changes over the last few years as a result. There was a feeling that Neil Wood would be the man to lead them into League One, especially after achieving the club’s highest ever finish last season.
This season will now be about stabilising before launching a promotion push next season. However, the Project 92 group will not have given up on their aim just yet, with just 13 points between them and the final play-off spot.
Head of Writing
