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Ian Holloway speaks for the first time on becoming new Swindon Town manager

Ian Holloway speaks for the first time on becoming new Swindon Town manager after the sacking of Mark Kennedy confirmed after 13 matches.

The Robins currently sit just above the League Two relegation zone, with Kennedy, who was appointed on a two-year contract on the 29th of May, only picking up two league wins this season and six losses.

It leaves them sitting 22nd in the table, three points above 23rd place Carlisle and four above bottom place Morecambe and Swindon play host to 11th place Gillingham this weekend.

CLUB STATEMENT:

Swindon Town Football Club have parted company with head coach Mark Kennedy.

Marcus Bignot, Steve Mildenhall and Gavin Gunning will continue in their current positions, with all three first-team coaches in place to oversee this weekend’s game against Gillingham.

Everyone at Swindon Town Football Club would like to express their appreciation to Mark for his commitment and hard work during his time with the Club and wish him all the best in the future.

Swindon Town Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Holloway as First Team Manager on a deal until the end of the 2024/25 season.

With over 600 appearances as a player and taking charge of almost 1,000 professional games over a 20+ year managerial career, Holloway will bring invaluable experience with him to SN1. During his time as a manager, he has secured promotions on three occasions, including promotion to the Premier League with Crystal Palace and Blackpool, as well as promotion with QPR in the Football League Second Division in 2003-04.

The former midfielder has also achieved promotion twice as a player, achieving promotion from the Football League Second Division with Wimbledon in 1985-86, before winning the Football League Third Division with Bristol Rovers in 2003-04, making his record a total of five promotions achieved as both a player and manager during his time working in professional football.

Following his arrival, Swindon Town’s new manager Ian Holloway said upon joining the club: “I’m delighted to be back working in football after a period out of the game as I wanted to get back into it if the right opportunity arose which, with this opportunity, I feel is the perfect fit for me.

“Conversations happened very quickly and both sides were very keen to get the deal done and of course, I was delighted to engage with a club like Swindon Town, a club of whom I know a lot about due to my location and knowledge of the local area.

“I want to be able to bring everyone together to deliver success and positivity on and off the pitch and I’m delighted to be at The Nigel Eady County Ground tomorrow to meet you all for the first time as Swindon Town Manager and I look forward to a successful time working together.”

Following the appointment, Head of Football Jamie Russell said, “We’re delighted that Ian Holloway has agreed to join us at Swindon Town Football Club.

“We are confident that Ian’s experience and leadership qualities which he has shown for many years across not just at Premier League level, but the top five divisions of professional football, will be a significant asset for Swindon Town Football Club.

“His passionate approach coupled with his location being more local to the South-West area along with most importantly, a desire to build a hardworking and entertaining side is a large part of what made us believe he would be the ideal fit for us.

“Additionally, Ian’s ability to help grow, develop and nurture not only our first-team players but also the dedicated coaching staff we have at Swindon Town was important to us.

“Alongside our current coaching set-up with Marcus Bignot, Steve Mildenhall and Gavin Gunning, there is a great opportunity for us to mix proven Premier League quality in Ian, with our dedicated and committed first-team staff who have achieved successes in their own right and are particularly keen to improve to deliver positive performances and results for Swindon Town going forward.

“We hope that this exciting blend of coaching experience will get the very best out of our talented squad as we look to our next game against Gillingham tomorrow afternoon.”

Holloway’s work will officially begin in his new role on Monday, but the 61-year-old will also be in attendance for tomorrow’s home game against Gillingham as we return to The Nigel Eady County Ground in our latest league fixture.

Analysis

From Andrew Hawes, BBC Radio Wiltshire’s Swindon Town commentator

Mark Kennedy becomes the latest Swindon manager to find himself ushered through the revolving door, be delighted at the potential of the club, only to head back out of it with considerable haste and maybe even a sense of relief.

Two wins in 13 league games is hardly a record for retention and Kennedy’s highly positive reviews of the team’s performances and individual players caused a swift and significantly fractured relationship with a fanbase that disagreed and is weary, regardless of which head coach is in the ejector seat.

It is impossible not to look upstairs at Swindon. The cycle of worsening results – academy apart – with the current ownership, chief executive and head of football in place is evident.

Kennedy had a strong relationship with statistics, and some of the underlying numbers do suggest Swindon are performing better than their league position suggests. It’s not pulling-up-trees figures, but they are league-status-saving.

Let’s see if the next manager can help things revert to the mean. The work of his recent predecessors suggest that will be some achievement in this environment.

Kennedy was appointed with the hope of a much higher finish that the 19th place posisition at the end of last season, which was Swindon’s lowest league position in 40 years.

Speaking in September, club owner Clem Morfuni said he intended to show “patience” with Kennedy, despite the poor start to the season.

“We can’t just keep chopping and changing, it doesn’t work – we’ve done that and it doesn’t get us anywhere,” Morfuni told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

Holloway becomes the club’s sixth permanent manager since Morfuni took over the club in July 2021, following the likes of Kennedy, Ben Garner, Scott Lindsey, Jody Morris and Michael Flynn.

Gavin Gunning and Steve Mildenhall also took interim charge during that time.

There is also unrest with fans surrounding Morfuni’s ownership with the Trust STFC saying they had lost “confidence and trust” in May, and earlier this month added that the club needed to address the lack of “experienced football leadership” at the County Ground.

MARK KENNEDY’S LAST INTERVIEW

He said, per Swindon Advertiser, after defeat to Salford: “I think in the first half we were poor, they dominated us physically and deserved their lead at half time, even though there was a real moment in the goal that we can be better at.

“We had a conversation at halftime around some really simplistic things and we answered that in the second half and had good moments but unfortunately we found a way to lose the game.

“Our decision-making this season just leaves me scratching my head a little bit and the games we have lost, with the exception of Walsall, I don’t feel that anybody has come and beat us.

“In the games we have lost, when I look at Darren [Moore] at Port Vale, Grant [McCann] on Saturday, and Karl [Robinson] tonight and think about what they would think the following day us and what they did to beat us, I keep coming up with the same answer – ‘We were really lucky there, they didn’t half help us.’

“That is something we have to change quickly.”

On why he felt the team had not been able to pick up more points despite his being pleased with the squad which had been assembled: “It is black and white, we are handing teams wins, Carlisle was two set pieces, Port Vale the first goal was a set piece, and the second goal tonight you need to clear your lines but we try and take someone on in our own box.

“That is really tough for me to take as a head coach, Notts County is slightly different as it was two outstanding pieces of magic from David McGoldrick and Walsall is the one where you have to take it on the chin as we were particularly poor.

“In all the other games we lost, every manager will wake up and think they got away with one.

“That is difficult for me to handle as a head coach but it is real and it is alive.”

He said speculation about his job “does not worry him”, insisted that he felt that his job remained safe and that he had the backing of the board, felt he had “built a good culture in the dressing room”, wanted to continue to serve as head coach, felt at times “players were letting each other down on the pitch” but did also say performances had showed his squad’s potential, although results were not forthcoming, report Swindon Advertiser.

Here’s how fans reacted as Ian Holloway speaks for the first time on becoming new Swindon Town manager, replacing Mark Kennedy…

@DanieI98: How has he managed to get a job in football, never mind in the football league, is beyond me. Absolute joke.

@mason_george21: I don’t want to be negative here but appointing a bloke who’s been out of a job for 4 years and his last job ended up with a relegation out of the FL absolutely reeks for me

@JoeOx94: As if today couldn’t get any better, Scum all going on a National League tour 😂😂😂 #oufc

@DN35GTFC: So sorry for you all. Get him out as soon as you can. He’s a wrong un.

@chrisjwellsy: Passion at last! Give this man a chance 👏🏻 the amount of ‘fans’ already hammering him is pathetic!

@DaddyDannyDill: Feel sorry for him especially given his family circumstances in the summer but he lost the fan base after Barrow away by stating he was pleased with the patience shown by the team when facing a stand In keeper

@NatJaneM: Honestly, I’m impressed that we even had an immediate replacement lined up… Interested to see how this appointment will play out #STFC

@lpmoffatt: What a match made in hell. Two absolute skidmarks combine.

@luongodinho: Wow, under normal circumstances I would say no… but considering how crazy things have become maybe this is fitting? #stfc

@nandielsen: Can’t believe he’s blagged another job. Complete crook. You’re down, sorry

@RichHarrris: Right decision, but this happens very frequently. Ever get the feeling you’re not very good at this owning a football club lark?

@roblockyear90: This club. Is absolutely fuckin mental

@Flowergirl0404: Back to square 1, it’s not rocket science guys but we don’t seem to move any further then square 1, it’s not hard to work out is it?

@collinso41: This is why I didn’t renew, called this at the end of last season. Said the manager will be gone before Christmas, but they out done me and went for Halloween instead 😂 Same thing over and over and over. Gets old fast. #STFC

@ShaneEdginton: At last, one of the worst appointments in the club’s history!!

@GlennRichards8: Russell should be gone too!!!

@harding_leon: That’s one relegation place sorted then.

@KernowKollector: Seemed like a good bloke, stood by his players and always had their back. Outside looking in, man management looked good. Tactically, not good enough. Lacked any bite! Need an established appointment to save what little is left of the season already. Doubt it happens. #stfc

@STFCBEN12: Not his fault, EVERYONE fails under Clem

@RichardSTFC94: Nice guy but sadly football isn’t for him! This team should be doing better but slow/boring and clueless tactics, not surprised where we are! Wishing him the best

@diddlydav: Relegation inevitable

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