Salford City appoint third manager of the season with deal agreed

Salford City appoint their third manager of the season with a deal agreed for Derby County under 23s coach Gary Bowyer, it’s revealed.

That’s according to the ever reliable Football Insider, coming less than 24 hours after the exit of Richie Wellens was confirmed, despite it being nine days since they won the EFL Trophy at Wembley.

The 40-year-old’s last game in charge of the Ammies was Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Cheltenham Town and he ultimately paid the price for the club’s poor league form.

Wellens was only appointed back in November 2020, following spells at Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town. Gary Neville and co thought he would be the man to emulate that type of success, however then chose to get rid around five months after he was appointed.

Salford City have won just one of their last eight league games, and are currently 9th in the League Two table and eight points off the playoffs with 11 games left to play.

A source at Moor Lane has told Football Insider that the terms of the deal have been agreed and Bowyer, 49, is set to be appointed in the coming days.

FI SOURCES!👀

– Derby County coach Gary Bowyer has agreed to be the new Salford City manager.🤝

– https://t.co/uiK7XHidgI#DCFC #WeAreSalford pic.twitter.com/HPv7nbAoB5

— Football Insider (@footyinsider247) March 23, 2021

He resigned as Blackpool manager last year and had been in charge of the Tangerines in June 2016 after the club’s relegation to League Two.

In March 2017, he was hit by boiled sweets thrown by Newport County fans during his side’s win at Rodney Parade.

In May 2017, Bowyer took Blackpool back up to League One in his first season in charge, his side beat Exeter City in the League Two Playoff Final.

He then resigned on the 6th of August 2018 after the first game of the season.

In February 2019 he was linked with the job at Bradford City before he replaced David Hopkin as Bantams boss on the 4th of March 2019, signing a contract until the end of the season.

In April 2019 he signed a contract with Bradford City until 2021. He was nominated for the League Two Manager of the Month award for October 2019, but later said he was not a ‘fan’ of such awards. He was sacked on 3 February 2020 after 11 months into his spell at club due to his poor form and backlash from fans online.

At the time, they sat 8th in the League Two table, five points behind the Northampton who were in the playoffs having played a game more. Stuart McCall took over and they finished 9th and four points behind Cobblers who maintained a playoff place.

The longest he’s spent at one club came at Blackburn Rovers, where he won 44 of his 127 games in charge, giving him a points-per-game average of 1.39.

Now the Manchester-born currently works with Derby’s Under-23s as a professional development phase coach, and has done since September 2020.

MANAGERIAL RECORD:

Blackburn Rovers (caretaker) – 27 December 2012 until 11 January 2013 – 4 games, 3 wins, 1 draw, 0 defeats, 75.0 win %
Blackburn Rovers (caretaker) – 19 March 2013 until 24 May 2013 – 9 games, 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats, 33.3 win %
Blackburn Rovers – 24 May 2013 until 10 November 2015 – 118 games, 41 wins, 43 draws, 34 defeats, 34.7 win %
Blackpool – 1 June 2016 until 6 August 2018 – 115 games, 42 wins, 40 draws, 33 defeats, 36.5 win %
Bradford City – 4 March 2019 until 3 February 2020 – 48 games, 14 wins, 15 draws, 19 defeats, 29.2 win %
Total – 294 games, 103 wins, 102 draws, 89 defeats, 35.0 win %

Meanwhile, former footballer and Gary Neville’s Sky Sports colleague Jamie Carragher has well and truly trolled the Manchester United legend for the sacking decision.

The former Liverpool man quoted retweeted a 2018 tweet by Neville with nine laughing face emojis.

Gary called for managers to be given two to three years to be able to build a team and also claimed in the tweet that a rule change was required to moderate sackings of managers mid season in their first year at a club.

 

 

 

 

 

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Fans reacted as Salford City appoint their third manager of the season with a deal agreed by Gary Bowyer…

@ab1d03: Very ambitious appointment that 🤣

@bwfc_joe: There we go. Enjoy midtable

@GeorgePBishop8: Swindon went from Wellens to Sheridan. Salford have gone from Wellens to Gary Bowyer….. what has this game come to.

@DanAuton2590: Negotiating with someone else while Wellens was still in charge? I mean you wouldn’t get a proper deal for an experienced manager hashed out that quickly, these guys know no boundaries, hypocritical pondlife.

@DcfcHub: Looks as though Gary Bowyer will become the new Salford boss then. He’s been doing incredible things for our academy and it’s a shame to see him go. Fans are divided on him, but he’s a major coup for Salford in my eyes #dcfc #SalfordCity

@slot_car_pete: The Salford job is quickly turning into a poisoned challis, the owners want instant success and seem to think their club is too big for league two, whats even funnier is one of the owners recently spoke out against sacking managers too quickly.

@edward_w97: Salford aren’t seriously replacing Richie Wellens with Gary Bowyer…

@DHT_MrP: Bowyer got Blackpool promoted in absolute chaos and got Blackburn into the play offs in the same circumstances. Bradford were hardly flying when they changed him. A solid, safe pair of hands with experience of the division. A good appointment for me.

@AJBeeca: I watched Bowyers playing style at Bradford. Very negative and conservative. Nice man but surely Wellens is the up and coming style of manager. Bowyer doesnt seem to have the charisma needed. Strange appt for me. Bowyer would be better staying Derby u23s. Safe job.

@BradfordJM99·: Very surprised at that, from watching Gary Bowyer at Bradford don’t see what Salford think he will do better than Wellens. By end of his spell the away ends were very toxic towards Bowyer

@Bwfc_ben0707: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@seanbaker87: That was quick

@mattselliott: Just until mid April when he’ll be sacked for failing to pick up maximum points

@CBLG7: Give him 3 months then

@BeerMunstar : Signs a 3 month contract

@SelkirkIan: @SalfordCityFC for this week, right?

@kevsel: Take a sleeping bag

@Maccn5: @GNev2 just chucks managers at a wall hoping one sticks 🤦🏻‍♂️

@BenfieldTim: For 6 months until he’s fired!

@DeanMcMackin: Who does he want for next week though

@Richy_Rich1996: They sack wellens for bowyer 😂😂 do me a favour 😂😂

@sj__robbo: Can’t see this ending well

@RMcCarthy98: How are they replacing wellens with him 🥴😂

@kojo_boakye_jnr: what is Gary Neville smoking

@George141414: I’m sure he’ll give it a right good go

@JoePavett00: For 48 hours.

@SteGeorgeP: Bizarre club @SalfordCityFC, fucking really bizarre.

@DerbyRetweets: Gary Bowyer off to Salford. Could we see some of the young lads off for some experience?

@TGFish7: Sacked in 2 months.

@MoremonJ: You’d think players who played under Fergie would give these managers more time.

@mrjacktanner: Step down from Wellens and completely different style