TRANMERE ROVERS have sacked manager Nigel Adkins after he declared he had no plans to go anywhere.
Rovers fell to a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley last night, leaving them winless since January 4 and third bottom in League Two.
Nigel Adkins has been sacked by Tranmere[/caption]
It came hours after he insisted he was not going to walk away[/caption]
Speaking after the game – a fifth defeat in seven – Adkins insisted he still believed they could get their season back on track and added he would never walk away from his hometown club.
He told reporters: “You’ve got to have belief and you’ve got to have hope, there are still games to play and you can’t throw the towel in yet.
“You’ve got to keep working and you’ve got to keep going. It was a very poor defeat tonight, we’ve got to change it and we’ve got to change it quick.
“It’s my hometown club and I’m never going to walk away at any point. I’m under contract to the football club and if the owner wants me to stay then I’ll do everything I can, that’s all I can do.
“I’ll continue to do that until asked differently.”
However, just two hours after the defeat to Accrington was confirmed a club announcement revealed Adkins had been axed by the club.
It read: “Tranmere Rovers can confirm that Nigel Adkins has today stepped down as manager, by mutual agreement.
“An announcement will be made about arrangements for his replacement in due course.”
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Adkins, 59, had been in charge of Tranmere since September 2023, having initially joined the club in May of that year as a technical director.
He stepped into an interim manager role following the sacking of Ian Dawes, which became permanent in November 2023.
He had played for Tranmere professionally between 1983 and 1986.
Chairman Mark Palios said: “Nigel is a hugely experienced manager with a long and distinguished career, who came back as Technical Director of his hometown club, where he had also been a player.
“He helped the club by acting as interim manager before taking the role as Manager when needed last season and improved results, stabilising the season.
“No-one can doubt his commitment, effort or passion for Tranmere Rovers but this season has been hampered by a litany of injuries to, and suspensions of, key players which have all contributed to the current league position.
“Compared to the optimism at the start of the season we both acknowledge our league position is disappointing and that football is a results business.
“As a consequence, we have sadly both come to the conclusion that a change of manager will give the team the best chance of making the most of the remaining 13 games.
“I don’t need to tell you that Nigel is a thoroughly decent man whose work ethic, commitment and professionalism through a very difficult period has been clear to see.
“He leaves with the club’s best wishes for the future.”
Englishman Adkins’ managerial highlights include winning League One with Scunthorpe United and, two years later, the League One play-offs.
He also earned promotion to the Premier League with Southampton by finishing as runner-up in the Championship.
Other managerial jobs for Adkins have included a player-manager role at Bangor City and time spent as manager of Reading, Sheffield United, Hull and Charlton.
