Football Former Rovers and City man Pulis’ time as Owls boss is cut short
SHEFFIELD Wednesday have sacked manager Tony Pulis just 45 days after his appointment.
The Championship strugglers made the announcement late on Monday night, with chairman Dejphon Chansiri indicating issues on and off the pitch were behind the decision.
The former Bristol Rovers player and Bristol City manager’s dismissal came two days after a 1-1 draw at Blackburn in his 10th game in charge.
Chansiri said in a statement on the club website: “The performances and results have not been of the level expected since Tony Pulis was appointed. There are also other issues which have had a bearing on this decision.
“On the pitch, seven points from a possible 30 is not acceptable. It is vital we maintain our Championship status and I feel I must make a change now with over half of the season remaining to give us the best possible chance of doing so.”
Wednesday said first-team coach Neil Thompson would take charge of the team until a permanent replacement was found, starting with last night’s game against Middlesbrough - incidentally another club Pulis has managed in the past.
Pulis was only appointed on November 13 following the departure of Garry Monk, but he won just one match, a 1-0 victory at home to Coventry on December 19.
Wednesday lie second bottom of the table on 13 points, three points from safety.
The Newport-born former defender had two spells as a player with Bristol Rovers between 1975 and 1981 and again between 1982 and 1984, making around 130 appearances. After his playing career, which also included time with his hometown club Newport County in 1984 to 1986 and two spells with AFC Bournemouth, he went into management. The former Stoke and West Brom manager was also once in charge at Ashton Gate, in 1999-2000, an appointment that was not without its controversy due to his time at Rovers.