The most pressing immediate concern at Maine Road is whether the club is taken over there have been rumours of a 30 per cent stake up for grabs and the need to reduce wages. However, City should beware; when they were last relegated from the Premiership in 1996 they sold Niall Quinn, Garry Flitcroft and Keith Curle with predictable consequences. A similar sale now might inflict lasting damage.Most City fans will applaud Royle's efforts. Had they not beaten Gillingham in the Second Division play-offs in 1999, they might not have recovered. He could have gone after demotion from the First Division in 1998 but was rewarded with a two-year contract.THE MAINE MENManchester City managers since 19721972-73 Malcolm Allison 1973 Johnny Hart 1973-74 Ron Saunders 1974-79 Tony Book 1979-80 Malcolm Allison 1980-83 John Bond 1983 John Benson 1983-86 Billy McNeill 1986-87 Jimmy Frizzell (continued as general manager) 1987-89 Mel Machin 1990 Howard Kendall 1990-93 Peter Reid 1993-95 Brian Horton 1995-96 Alan Ball 1996 Steve Coppell 1996 Phil Neal (caretaker) 1996-98 Frank Clark 1998-2001 Joe Royle. Joe Royle paid the price for relegation from the Premier League yesterday when he was sacked as manager of Manchester City. The disappointing performances of some his buys this season, allied to his failure to stop the disciplinary rot at Maine Road, sealed his fate.
Joe Royle paid the price for relegation from the Premier League yesterday when he was sacked as manager of Manchester City. The disappointing performances of some his buys this season, allied to his failure to stop the disciplinary rot at Maine Road, sealed his fate. "I must admit I came in this morning with the idea of making plans for next season, but I sensed immediately that it wasn't to be," Royle said yesterday "It all ended amicably I spoke to the chairman this morning. It was a three-minute meeting, I shook his hand and left."At the top of City's list of candidates to succeed Royle are David Moyes, who has taken Preston North End from the bottom of the Second Division to the First Division play-offs in three years, and Kevin Keegan, the former England coach. With Monday's promotion play-off against Bolton looming, Moyes has more immediate concerns.Royle, 52, picked up the tab for behind-the-scenes problems involving both players and staff. Last week, Royle made an impassioned plea to his squad about calling time on the drinking culture at the club and threatened to sell players he felt were socialising too much. His approach fell on deaf ears, however, and the next day one player turned up late for training and was "the worse for wear" according to his team-mates.Royle, none the less, picked the player for Saturday's home defeat to Chelsea and the City chairman, David Bernstein, refused yesterday to deny the part the drinkers had played in Royle's downfall. Stories of late-night drinking by staff on away trips had also begun to surface.Royle's assistant, Willie Donachie, criticised some of the players, but yesterday morning Bernstein ordered Royle to sack members of his staff Royle refused and was asked to resign.
He said "no" again and was dismissed, three years and three months after his arrival.City immediately began a clear-out of the backroom staff, with the chief scout, John Hurst, the goalkeeping coach, Alex Stepney, and the assistant physiotherapist, Roy Bailey, dismissed Donachie and the reserve-team coach, Asa Hartford, remain. Donachie was asked to stay by Bernstein, but feels he should go with Royle.The sacking constitutes a U-turn by Bernstein, who had talks with Royle only last Thursday. After that meeting the manager thought he was still in a job which he was, until news of the latest bout of indiscipline reached the board.Royle's signings were heavily criticised by Bernstein, who said: "We have signed seven or eight and they have under-performed It is a criticism of our set-up. We need to move forward to get back and then compete in the Premier League."The chairman was particularly unhappy about the quality of talent-spotting and said: "We have had questions about the adequacy of our scouting system. It needs to be more professional and detailed."Bernstein said Royle's position had been reviewed during the season, but he was anxious to let him get through the campaign after taking City up to the top flight."This has not been done lightly," Bernstein said. "This club has a history of knee-jerk reactions but this isn't one it is entirely the opposite."Which leaves City looking for a replacement. Keegan has been mentioned as a possible Director of Football and an approach could be made this week to see if the former England coach will come.
