Stockport County set to confirm their new manager

Stockport County are set to confirm their new manager, and it’s already got a huge amount of talk among supporters across social media.

There was some shock for football fans when they discovered that he had been got rid of, yet the club have just have a great run in the FA Cup and they’re 4th in the National League table.

Now a report from The Athletic claims that Brighton Under-23s coach Simon Rusk is set to become the new manager of Stockport County.

Exclusive, Simon Rusk is poised to leave Brighton to become a No.1 at Stockport. #BHAFC https://t.co/sdfuBDzVXO

— Andy Naylor (@AndyNaylorBHAFC) January 24, 2021

Details claim that Simon Rusk is set to be named at Edgeley Park, which in turn will end a nine-year stay with Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion by becoming the National League side’s new boss, reports Andy Naylor.

Rusk had a playing career with the likes of Northwich Victoria, Boston United, York City and Crawley Town as a midfielder – starting in 1995 and ending in 2011.

For the last six years, he’s been an under-23s coach at Brighton and for three years before that was their under-18s coach.

Rusk now launches his managerial career at the age of 39 having already help develop the careers of several youngsters at the Seagulls with some in the first team or enduring a loan spell elsewhere.

The Athletic name those as Robert Sanchez, Ben White, Steven Alzate and Aaron Connolly, Jayson Molumby (Preston), Leo Ostigard and Viktor Gyokeres (Coventry) and Haydon Roberts (Rochdale).

As a player, Rusk has won the Conference (as it was named then) twice, once with Boston United in 2001/02 and again with Crawley Town in 2010/11.

As a coach of Brighton, he also guided his side to the Division 2 playoffs before winning it in the 2017/18 campaign.

After Jim Gannon left, he wrote via social media: “Best wishes to @1DaveCon (Dave Conlon), the staff, players and all at Stockport County FC for todays’s game and for the rest of the season. I know they are strong enough to go all the way this year. The great journey continues for them.

“Again a thank you to Al, Fitz, RP and GB for believing in me 5 years ago and trusting me to lead County again. There are too many good people to mention but I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together. We have come a long way and the club is now set for a bright future.

“Thanks from the bottom of my heart to all for the tremendous support I have received in recent days and throughout this brilliant five years. The depth of feelings has been overwhelming and I take great comfort from your kindness and generosity for me.”

Fans reacted with Stockport County set to confirm their new manager, see what they had to say…

@theboz_boz: Definitely a step up from our most successful manager ever. Let’s hope he can pick up the pieces from the absolute disaster he’s taken over from and keep us in the division.

@SeeingRED1: No wonder the under 23’s have been so poor of late……. .

@adamf2384: Premier League coaching staff to Conference Manager, taking baby steps in his career this fella

@chaz_spen15: Very good appointment if it happens in my opinion young manager who can bring players through

@casualco: So disappointed in my football club this week.

@ghostbiggie: Wont last long…and all I’ll ever hear is Remember Rusk?

@jakedeepee :Seems so risky. Maybe he has a more “cultured” way of playing the game, but does he know the what it takes in the NL?

@crowther1: @StockportCounty please no!!!

@LicholasNee: And ‘lo, the experiment begins.

@dave_philbin: I know we need to get behind him, but it massively feels like a step down from our most successful manager ever.

@TurnpenneyJohn: Looks like it’s true #stockportcounty @StockportCounty – What are we getting #BHAFC

@ryanadsett: Big news. Will be sad to see him go but also a great opportunity. Can’t blame him.

@CallumT55461235: Please don’t do this stott

@M_Traynor_: Will 100% be behind him and wish him all the best. But fuck, the very fact you have to Google his name to find out who he is doesn’t fill me with confidence.

@PatrickKnowles_: Simon Rusk’s blue n white army sang no one ever

@sam_jeffs: Hope gets the backing off club but most importantly, the fans. You may not agree with but not supporting him won’t do any good. He must doing something right if got 4/5 lads from the academy into the first team at Brighton #StockportCounty

@PatrickKnowles_: Simon Rusk’s blue n white army sang no one ever

@HampshireBHAFC: Simon Rusk leaving us is a huge blow but a good thing as it shows how highly regarded he is. Done a bloody great job with our young players for such a long time. But I wish him all the best at Stockport, will keep an eye out for their results for sure #BHAFC

@joeallsopp2: Let’s not write off Simon Rusk before he’s even managed the team.

Callum Taylor: Awful, no experience and only ever managed kids. Hope I’m proved wrong but first impression isn’t good

James Hulme: No experience of first team management added to the fact his remit will be to win the league in his first ever proper managers job.Massively underwhelming

Dave Rhodes: I’ll reserve judgement for a few games, before either praising or condemning him, but he seems to have a good grounding (including playing in both league and non-league) and appears to be highly regarded as a coach, so fingers crossed. Hopefully he will surprise us all in a positive way. Of course, if he proves too successful he’ll be off within a couple of years anyway, but that’s football at our level.

Andrew Coyle: Fantastic appointment. I think he will shock a lot of people.