Swindon Town closing in on appointment of ex-Chelsea and Derby County coach | OneFootball

Icon: Football League World

Football League World

·25 January 2023

Swindon Town closing in on appointment of ex-Chelsea and Derby County coach

Article image:Swindon Town closing in on appointment of ex-Chelsea and Derby County coach

Former Chelsea and Derby County coach Jody Morris is close to being appointed as the new manager of League Two side Swindon Town, according to the Swindon Advertiser.

The Real EFL first reported that Morris was the leading contender for the role after revealing his interest in filling the vacancy, with the club willing to “break the bank” to land their first-choice target.


OneFootball Videos


Now, the Swindon Advertiser report that a deal to bring the 44-year-old to the County Ground has almost been agreed and negotiations over Morris’ assistant are the only stumbling block delaying confirmation.

The Robins have been on the hunt for a new head coach following the departure of Scott Lindsey to Crawley Town earlier this month and a number of names have supposedly been under consideration, including Steve Morison, Chris Hughton, Ian Foster, Marc Bircham, and David Artell.

Former Crewe Alexandra boss Artell was thought to be favourite for the role but is now out of the running following the latest developments, as per The Real EFL.

Gavin Gunning and Steve Mildenhall have been in temporary charge at the club in recent weeks, securing a 5-0 victory over Grimsby Town last Saturday, with subsequent games falling victim to the weather.

It would be Morris’ first managerial role after spells working as assistant to Frank Lampard at Derby County and Chelsea, while he has also had a coaching stint with the academy at Stamford Bridge.

He will inherit a Swindon side very much in promotion contention, with the club currently sitting sixth in the League Two table, one point clear of eighth-placed Barrow and just five points behind third-placed Northampton Town.

Morris could take charge for the first time in Saturday’s home clash against Gillingham.

Quiz: Are these 20 Swindon Town facts real or fake?

1 of 20

Article image:Swindon Town closing in on appointment of ex-Chelsea and Derby County coach

The club was formed in 1879

Real Fake

The verdict

This would be an intriguing appointment for Swindon.

Morris is a highly-rated coach with a growing reputation after his stints working with Lampard, while he has also been credited as being influential in the development of a number of young players at Chelsea.

It is undoubtedly a risk to appoint someone with no previous managerial experience, but handing opportunities to up-and-coming coaches is an increasingly common trend which has proved to be successful at higher levels and it is something of a coup for the Robins to attract Morris to the fourth tier.

With the Robins currently sitting in the play-off places, it feels like an excellent opportunity for Morris to secure a potential promotion in his first job.

View publisher imprint