SHERI’S LOOKING FOR AN INSTANT IMPACT
FLEETWOOD needed a survival specialist and chairman Andy Pilley is convinced John Sheridan is just the man to firefight at Highbury.
A dismal run of seven losses in eight League One games to begin 2018 had seen Fleetwood drop to 20th in the table ahead of the weekend. They were out of the bottom four only on goal difference.
That cost Uwe Rosler his job, with last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Doncaster proving to be the final straw, but the club have acted quickly to bring in Sheridan as head coach until the end of the season.
The 53-year-old has managed more than 550 games at Oldham, Chesterfield, Plymouth, Newport and Notts County – winning relegation battles with the Pilgrims in 2012-13 and the Latics in 2015-16.
And that is what persuaded Pilley that Sheridan was the perfect man for the job, rather than gambling on a younger or unproven coach.
“John is exactly the sort of character we need at Fleetwood Town in the current situation,” said Pilley.
“He has a proven track record of having an instant impact with clubs and we are confident that will be the case here.
“We have found ourselves in a difficult position and it was important we appointed someone quickly to address this.”
For his part, Sheridan isn’t afraid to be the bad guy with his players as he looks to haul the Cod Army out of danger.
“I’m aware we need to hit the ground running, get some tough love into the players, as we are in the position we are in for a reason,” he said.
“In the last two or three seasons the team have performed really well, but my main purpose is to keep Fleetwood in this division.
“There’s pressure but enough quality in the dressing room to get us out of the position we are in.”