As expected, Oxford United head coach Liam Manning has departed the club and joined Championship outfit, Bristol City.
The 38-year-old, who joined the U’s in March following Karl Robinson’s sacking, kept the relegation-threatened club in League One with two wins and five draws from the final ten games.
This season, he had overseen ten wins from 15, leaving the club second in the division, just three points behind league leaders Portsmouth. He also picked up League One Manager of the Month, in doing so becoming the first Oxford manager to win the award since Ramon Diaz in 2005.
His assistant, Chris Hogg, has also joined the Robins, with the duo penning deals at Ashton Gate until the summer of 2027.
Speaking to the club’s official website, chairman Grant Ferguson said: “We reluctantly gave Bristol City permission to speak with Liam after he indicated he wanted to discuss their vacant managerial position with them.
“The club did everything it could to keep him here, but we move on and the project continues. Our focus now is to quickly appoint Liam’s successor and support Craig as interim Head Coach.”
Tim Williams, Oxford United’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “I am hugely disappointed to be losing Liam and Chris at this stage of the season, particularly given the support they had been given.
“However, we have already begun the process of securing the best possible candidate to replace Liam. This is a fantastic club with great training facilities and an exciting future – I have no doubt we will have huge interest in the role.”
