Bristol City chairman opens up on Liam Manning appointment; Reluctant Oxford Utd react to his exit
Manager Liam Manning
Bristol City have named Liam Manning as Nigel Pearson’s managerial successor.
Manning has signed a three-and-half-year contract until June 2027 at Ashton Gate after choosing to leave Oxford.
Chris Hogg has also left Oxford to become assistant head coach at the Robins.
“Liam is a great fit for the club and the style of play we want,” Bristol City chairman Jon Lansdown told the Championship club’s website.
“He has a very detailed approach to coaching, improving players and getting the best out of them as his record at MK Dons and Oxford United shows, while he has valuable experience within the (Manchester) City Group and in Belgium.
“As soon as we made the change, Liam was our first choice and we are grateful to Oxford United for the extremely-professional way they have approached the departure of someone who was doing a fantastic job for them.
“We are excited about the arrival of Liam and Chris and fulfilling the ambition we all have for the club with this talented and committed group of players.”
Manning, 38, only took over at Oxford in March after previous spells in charge of West Ham’s Under-23 side, Lommel in Belgium and MK Dons.
He said: “This is a terrific opportunity and one that I’m really looking forward to.
“If you look at the vision of the club and where they want to get to and how they want to get there, I think there is a really good fit and alignment with my journey and where I want to get to.
“We are custodians and you have to respect and understand the past and the culture of the area that you’ve moved and leave the club in a better state.”
Bristol City sacked Pearson on October 29 after the veteran boss spent two-and-a-half years there with the Robins 15th in the Championship.
Oxford, currently second in League One, have announced that Craig Short will take on the role of interim head coach and be supported by Chris Hackett.
U’s 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.”
