Bristol City have confirmed Liam Manning as head coach on a contract until June 2027, with the Championship club pursuing a new approach following the sacking of Nigel Pearson.
Manning, whose CV includes a spell at Belgian club Lommel, owned by the City Football Group that controls Manchester City, represents an interesting appointment and a clear change in model. His first game as manager is at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
The 38-year-old has impressed at Oxford United, leading them to second place in League One this season after battling relegation when he took over in March. He previously led MK Dons to the League One playoffs in 2021-22.
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Manning, who started coaching at Ipswich at the age of 21 and became West Ham’s under-23s head coach, has been identified by the Bristol City hierarchy as an outstanding candidate to introduce a club-wide attacking style of play in the academy and first team.
Bristol City sit 11th in League Two after Pearson’s former assistant Curtis Fleming led the team to victory over bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday. Fleming left the team on Tuesday and Manning was joined by his former Oxford assistant Chris Hogg.
Bristol City chairman Jon Lansdown recently suggested the club should be in the playoffs this season. “Liam is a great fit for the club and the style of play we want,” he said. “He has a very detailed approach when it comes to coaching players, improving them and getting the best out of them.”
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Manning said: “This is a great opportunity that I’m really looking forward to. When you look at the vision of the club and where they want to go and how they want to get there, I think they fit really well with my journey and where I want to go.”
