Bristol City considering move for EFL boss to succeed Nigel Pearson | OneFootball

Bristol City are interested in Oxford United’s Liam Manning as they continue their search for Nigel Pearson’s replacement.

Who is Liam Manning?

The 38-year-old is considered one of the brightest coaches in the Football League after his fine work with the U’s this season, as they currently sit second in the League One table.

Prior to that, Manning had worked with MK Dons, where he had a mixed time. After guiding the side to the play-offs, where they just missed out on automatic promotion, he would endure a disastrous second campaign, which saw him sacked by December. However, he would rightly point out that some key men left that summer.

Nevertheless, Manning’s work with Oxford has restored his reputation, and he also has previous experience with Lommel in Belgium and with the West Ham U23 side.

He is known for producing possession based teams that look to play on the front foot.

Bristol City interested in Liam Manning

And, Bristol Live has revealed that Manning is on the radar of the Robins, as they look to bring in Pearson’s replacement.

But, the update does state that nothing is advanced, with the Oxford chief someone the club could pursue, although there is an acknowledgement that it will be difficult given how well he is doing at the moment in the third tier.

Plus, they also explain that the search for the new boss is continuing with other candidates in the frame, with the Bristol City board looking at both managers in the EFL and across Europe.

Would this be a good appointment for Bristol City?

This would certainly be a brave decision, as Manning is yet to manage at Championship level, so it would be a step-up for him.

But, you can understand why the club feel he could be a good fit. Pearson helped create a young squad over the past few years, and there’s a lot of exciting talent coming through at Ashton Gate.

Therefore, bringing in a young, forward-thinking coach makes sense, as it could be exactly what these players need to fulfil their potential.

Manning would also suit the type of football the club want to play, and if he did arrive it would certainly show the club are looking to build a long-term project - which is the right thing to do.

So, there are several positives to this if it happens, but it’s worth noting that it’s going to be a very difficult deal to get done as Oxford will surely look to resist any approach. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee Manning would want to leave, given he is on course to take Oxford to the Championship.

What next for Bristol City?

Curtis Fleming has been leading the Bristol City team ahead of the weekend fixture at home to Sheffield Wednesday, and he will be in the dugout for the game.

The players obviously know Fleming, so it will bring continuity for the group as they wait to see who the next boss will be.

It remains to be seen whether a new head coach is in place for the trip to QPR on November 11.