Accrington Stanley produced a shock on Sunday with the announcement that manager John Coleman had been relieved of his duties. The decision came following a heavy defeat to promotion-chasing Wrexham.
Coleman was in his second stint in charge of Stanley and had been back with the club since September 2014, which made him the longest-serving manager in the EFL up until his departure.
In his first stint in charge, he achieved promotion three times as they eventually stabilised in League Two. This time round, he took the club up to League One where they remained until the end of last season when they were relegated. They currently sit 16th in the fourth tier.
He was let go after the North West club’s third loss in a row, and it seems the defeat to the Welsh side on Saturday is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The club have announced that John Doolan will be in interim charge, beginning with Saturday’s home game against 15th-placed Bradford City. Doolan has been a member of the coaching team at Accrington since 2017.
Here we take a look at who could possibly be in the frame for the vacant role:
John Doolan
Unsurprisingly, Doolan is the favourite for the position at the time of writing. He was confirmed as the interim manager for at the very least the Bradford game this weekend.
The 55-year-old was the captain of the promotion winning 1999/2000 team as Stanley were promoted from the Unibond First Division.
Having been a first team coach at Wigan Athletic during their Premier League days, he will certainly have the players respect and having been at the club since 2017, the direction wouldn’t have to change too much either.
David Dunn
44-year-old Dunn has been out of work since leaving fellow League Two side Barrow in 2020. He was, however, a first team coach at League One side Port Vale earlier this season under ex-boss Andy Crosby prior to his departure in February.
The majority of his appearances during his playing days came for Blackburn Rovers, so he is no stranger to the area, could another stint in League Two tempt him back into management?
Derek Adams
Ex-Morecambe and Ross County man Adams is no stranger to teams in the North-West after managing the Shrimps on two different occasions.
During his first stint in charge, he led the Shrimps to League One for the first time in the club’s history, beating Newport County at Wembley Stadium. The Scot returned home to manage Ross County at the start of this season after they met his release clause. He resigned in February following a 5-0 thrashing from Motherwell. He won just four games in the league.
A return to England looks likely at some point in the future, and Accrington could be just the challenge he is looking for.
Gary Bowyer
Ex-Salford City boss Bowyer has plenty of experience of this division, having managed the Ammies, Bradford City and Blackpool. The latter of whom he got promoted in 2017.
The 52-year-old has also managed SPL side Dundee until he departed in May 2023. This would be a shrewd appointment that could well turn Accrington’s form around given his experience of League Two.
With a 34% win rate he could be just what Stanley are looking for, to turn the tide.
Michael Flynn
Including Flynn as a bit of a wildcard. His experience of League Two is vast, having managed Newport County, Walsall and Swindon Town.
It’s a very left field suggestion, but after Garry Monk was appointed manager of League One side Cambridge United yesterday, the unexpected is to be expected.
The 43-year-old left Swindon in January following a run of 10 defeats from 15 matches. Could a stint at Stanley offer him more stability than his previous club?
There is a north-based bias here and of the five names mentioned, Doolan or Adams could be the standout picks for Accrington. The pair have plenty of experience of third and fourth tier football as both managers and coaches. A lot will depend though on whether the board wish to change direction under the likes of Adams, or offer a degree of stability with Doolan
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