Frontrunners emerge for the roles of manager at Millwall and Bristol City

Frontrunners emerge for the roles of manager at Championship clubs Millwall and Bristol City according to reports on Tuesday night.

The duo are are both managerless with Gary Rowett leaving Millwall, while Nigel Pearson departs after his time in charge of Bristol City.

So who could be their replacements? We start with the Lions, with Nathan Jones said to be among leading contenders for the Millwall job with John Percy saying he has impressed the club during talks.

Nathan Jones is emerging as a strong contender for the job at Millwall after impressing in talks.

Other candidates are in the frame, with further interviews to take place this week.

(Via: @JPercyTelegraph)#Millwall pic.twitter.com/zzI53Q529g

— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) October 31, 2023

The 50 year old ready to return after being sacked by Southampton in February, with his stint there last just three months and 14 matches.

He achieved just one win in eight Premier League games, and before that, had two spells as Luton Town boss and managed Stoke City in between but had less than 12 months in that job before he was dismissed.

No decision has been made yet with other candidates but Jones is well thought of among Millwall’s hierarchy, as is England U20 head coach Joe Edwards, who the club want to talk with.

Jones’ potential new side have picked up two points from their past three Championship games since his departure and now sit 18th in the table.

Millwall also expressed an interest in Kevin Muscat, but Alan Nixon states he is happy at Yokohama F. Marinos and is not interested in becoming their new manager at this time.

John Eustace and Michael Beale were other names linked with the role at Millwall, but it has since been made clear that Millwall held ‘initial talks’ with 10 candidates last week, but Eustace wasn’t not one of them.

Millwall see Jones as a ‘good fit’ with Eustace now more likely to head to Bristol City and Kevin Muscat ‘unlikely at this stage’.

Eustace, along with Rowett and Nathan Jones was reported to be the Robins main candidates according to Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett and while the process is still open, club chairman Jon Lansdown does reveal they had some names in mind.

Eustace was sacked by Birmingham, despite leading them to 6th place in the Championship, before being replaced by Wayne Rooney, with his side now sitting 14th.

Pearson leaves City after a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday, after chairman Jon Lansdown said he had doubts over whether the ex-Leicester manager could deliver promotion, the aim for this season.

The loss left Bristol City sitting 15th in the Championship, but they are only five points away from the top six.

But according to journalist Darren Witcoop, Eustace is the leading candidate for the role, increasingly likely to become their new boss.

It appears increasingly likely that John Eustace will take over as Bristol City boss.

(Via: @DarrenOWitcoop)#BristolCity pic.twitter.com/DFd9o8RA7l

— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) October 31, 2023

Bristol City technical director Brian Tinnion states that the incoming new head coach at the Robins will need to conform to and enhance a specific style of play, speaking in a video issued by the club.

“We need to be us, we’re clear now in how we want to play, how we want to be – we’re a front foot team, we want to be aggressive, we want to play forward. We’ve got pace in the team and we want to utilise that. Defenders in this division find us hard to defend against when we’re playing well,” Tinnion said.

“We want to be a front foot team that attacks teams and I think that’s what the fans want to see as well, and that’s what we want to see as a football club. The next head coach who comes into this football club has got to develop this team into how we want to play as a football club.

“You’ll see a lot of young players coming through the academy into the team because they’re doing it for the 2-3 years before and the coach has got to develop the team into how we want as a football club. It’s going to stay that way, we’re going to be that way and we’re going to play that way and it’s going to be a long-term thing for the football club. So the coaches will have to come in, and do, and play exactly that way.”

Technical Director Brian Tinnion talks about summer recruitment, City’s playing style and what the club are looking for in a new Head Coach. pic.twitter.com/SJa60c3CRU

— Bristol City FC (@BristolCity) October 31, 2023

Meanwhile, Bristol City Supporters Club criticise the sacking Nigel Pearson sacking and sent a message to Steve Lansdown.

“The Supporters Club & Trust don’t usually comment on managerial changes as we don’t have enough knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes and because it is a subject that usually divides opinion like no other,” the statement read.

“However, on this occasion the SC&T board; and it seems the vast majority of the fanbase; are agreed that sacking Nigel Pearson appears to be an incredibly harsh decision, whether or not it was based (as the club statement and quote from Jon Lansdown suggest) purely on football results.

“Never before have we had a manager who has been so fundamentally instrumental in positively changing the mentality, the culture, and the togetherness of the whole football club across men’s and women’s football. And Nigel did this while operating under huge financial constraints. His intervention to ensure that the end-of-season awards dinner was inclusive of supporter-led awards was evidence of his unifying influence at our club. As was the cultural leadership Pearson embodied in relation to the recognition and respect for the women’s game.

“So, the sacking of Nigel Pearson begs many questions for us.

“What is the real reason? It is clearly not just about recent results. We’ve had worse runs. We have a huge number of injuries and are giving academy players debuts most weeks. Winning football matches in a very competitive Championship is difficult, even with a full squad.

“Are we clearing the decks for new investors to come in? A wholesale clear out of a CEO and manager might suggest that.

“Is Nigel Pearson too outspoken? He has been transparent about his feelings and just maybe this has finally broken an already strained relationship with the owners.”

This is how fans reacted as frontrunners emerge for the roles of manager at Millwall and Bristol City…

ON NATHAN JONES

@stokie_blokie: Going from Rowett to Jones. Definately didn’t work for Stoke 😬

@jamese9930: God if he’s regarded as a “good fit” I’d hate to see what they regard as a bad fit.

@drh1971: Muscat or Jones has always been my choices. Muscat with heart, Jones with head.

@ChaserBo: Just need Michael O’Neill after NJ, to complete the last 6 years of stoke city managers.

@g2mcc: Don’t do it Millwall!

@mattacollinseng: Good fit. Chest thumping, shouty, harder faster merchant for a chest thumping shouty club. Thank goodness he will not be anywhere near our club

@LTFC_Dave: Baffles me that Stoke and Southampton fans try and make out that Jones is a bad manager when they’ve arguably been even worse without him. He’d be a fantastic appointment, the only concern I’d have if I was a Millwall fan (and I thank god every day I’m not) is his loyalty

@Bow_tie_luke: Not opposed to this at all, everyone hates him, we pride ourselves on people hating us. Instil the tribe mentality we go the rest of the season unbeaten. Thank you for attending my Ted talk #Millwall

@ADeveji: Yes please. Was my second choice if we didn’t get muscat. No one like him, suits us well.

@JPMillwall2: May divide opinion here, but I’d be very happy with Jones. Far prefer him to Eustace/Beale. He’ll be spitting feathers on the sideline and get the crowd involved. Okay it’s not Pep football but he’s highly regarded and can work on small budgets

@MillwallDen1885: Please no no no no nooooo

@SouthamptonPage: We might be seeing Nathan Jones sooner than I thought 😬 #SaintsFC

@Dan_Wall06: Don’t get why people wouldn’t want him. Got Luton into top 6 on a worse budget then ours. Set them up for the success they have now & know he ain’t a typical normal manager but think his character with this club could combine well #Millwall

@SCFCShenton: Copying 2019 Stoke is certainly a bold way to run your football club

@SaintRob__: This is why it’s called the beautiful game. The script writers know exactly what they are doing.

ON JOHN EUSTACE

@BristolOli: Hopefully he has healing powers for all the injuries as well

@LufcZovic: Fair play Bristol, good business that

@Zigiclegend19: Good manager, good appointment, good luck to him.

@ronaallleeds: Good fit for both – hope he does well

@louie_bcfc: Bet they’ll finish above us

@SteveyLou: Birmingham fan. It would be a really good appointment. We had some great performances under him. Wish him every success.

@jonny1810: This is a backwards step surely @BristolCity. I guess he’s the ‘yes’ man the Lansdowne’s want. Certainly not an upgrade though #BristolCity

@ohdontcry: He’s going to have to win his first 20 games. Not an exciting appointment for me, however I don’t agree with the sacking of Nige!

@Mattciderarmy37: Excited by this, good reputation.

@liam_fowler: Nope not for me

@CBMullins83: All the best gaffer, lets hope this #BCFC show you more respect, Im sure there will cheers from all around St Andrews on your return. #KRO

@bcfc_oc: John Eustace Cider Army it is then 👀 Not sure what I think about this tbh but we need to back him regardless and hope for the best 🔴⚪️ #BristolCity

@georgehowe23: Would be my choice from the unflattering list of managers out there. Interestingly means Keith Downing will probably return as assistant manager as well.