Swindon Town FC will have to find a new manager next season as they fight to return to the EFL League One. Luke Williams left the club despite being only 13 months into his 5-year contract. According to an official statement from the club, Williams left through mutual agreement.
It was a disappointing end to William’s time at Swindon after his 4-years of service. In 2013 he was appointed first team coach before becoming caretaker manager after Martin Ling resigned in December 2015. In March 2016 he was made the permanent head coach and kept Swindon in League One after a tough relegation battle.
Yet Swindon failed to improve and this season has been disappointing for The Robins with a total of only 11 wins. Swindon were relegated in their penultimate game after losing 2-1 to Scunthorpe at the County Ground. Their final game of the season was a 3-0 loss to Charlton Athletic.
Captain Nathan Thompson spoke of his disappointment on the official Swindon Town FC website. “It is extremely disappointing because there is a bunch of capable lads in that dressing room and when they look back and reflect on this season, they will be disappointed knowing that they haven’t achieved anything they set out to and being relegated this season is a result of poor performances and a lack of consistency.”
While Swindon have failed to perform on the pitch much of the attention surrounding the club this season has been focused off the pitch with the arrival of Tim Sherwood. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa manager was made director of football in November and his role has been both hands-on and hands-off at different points of the season. Sherwood made his presence felt in his second game as director when he came down from the stands in the second-half of Swindon’s first round FA Cup defeat to non-league side Eastleigh to sit in the dugout.
Towards the end of the season Sherwood was seen less and less as his position at the club was questioned.
In February he served a two-match ban for insulting a referee. When he arrived he was heralded as the man who was going to take Swindon from a team who survived relegation back to their 2015 season where they reached the play-off finals.
Popular football journalist Michael Linton, a keen follower of League One and columnist for Betfair Champions League even believed that Swindon would triumph despite the fact that their opponents Preston were favourites.
Unfortunately the team lost the Wembley final 4-0 and have been in free-fall ever since.
The search for a new manager continues with football league site The 72 predicting that former Leeds United boss Steve Evans is in the running.
Evans is currently at Mansfield Town who finished 12th in League Two this season. He has publicly announced that he believes he is “not a League Two manager” and asked the Mansfield Town Chairman John Radford for funds to build a promotion winning squad.
If his demands are not met then Swindon who will be favourites to challenge for promotion, could be a tempting offer.
Mansfield have since refused Swindon Town permission to speak to their manager, which now leaves Swindon needing to look elsewhere for a new manager.
