Huddersfield Town close in on quick managerial appointment after clearing decks
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN are believed to be closing in on the appointment of Liam Manning after clearing out all but one of Lee Grant's coaching staff on Monday.
Grant was sacked on Saturday after 36 games in charge of the League One club, and on Monday assistants Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, Paul McShane and Jonathan Robinson followed him. Goalkeeping coach Chris Elliott was retained.
The Terriers – Grant included – were very vocal about their automatic promotion ambitions this season, and have therefore acted quickly in turning to 40-year-old Manning.
Huddersfield host third-placed Bradford City on Saturday and the transfer window is still open until February 2.
They are in League One's final play-off spot but a number of teams could overtake them by winning games in hand.
Owner/chairman Kevin Nagle's concerns went beyond results, though, with a style of football fans were never won over to another factor in Grant's dismissal.
Manning is two years younger than Grant, but having retired from playing at 25 has much more extensive coaching and especially management experience.
He began his path in academy football with former club Ipswich Town, West Ham United and New York City, and took his first senior role with Belgian First Division B club Lommel SK, like New York, owned by Manchester City.
Although Manning's most recent job, at Championship Norwich City, ended with the sack after three wins in his 17 games, he got it on the back of considerable pedigree in the Football League, if not the play-offs.
Manning left Lommel for Milton Keynes Dons in 2021, and took them to third in League One in his first season, only to lose to Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off semi-finals.
He was sacked the following December with MK in the relegation zone, but 29 games at Oxford United furthered his reputation. The Us were 19th in League One when he took over in March 2023, third when he left for Bristol City in November.
After a mid-tabe finish in 2023-24, he guided the Robins to the Championship play-offs in his first full season, only to be blown away by Sheffield United in the semi-finals. He left for Norwich in the summer.