‘It’s time for a change’ – Hull, Championship rivals Bristol City, sack ex-Robin as manager

Former Bristol City midfielder Liam Rosenior has been sacked as Hull City manager after missing out on a Championship play-off place by three points.

Rosenior was relieved of his duties on Tuesday after being nominated for the Championship Manager of the Season award just last month, losing out to Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and signing a new three-year deal in December.

The Tigers were beaten 1-0 by Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season and stayed clear of sixth-placed Norwich City by virtue of seven goals and three points following two transfer windows of heavy investment by owner Acun Ilicali .

Hull spent more than £6m to bring Aaron Connolly and Jaden Philogene to the MKM Stadium, while significant fees and wages were invested in the loans of Liam Delap, Tyler Morton, Fabio Carvalho and Anass Zaroury.

Rosenior, who made 161 appearances for Hull as a player, has been in charge for the past 18 months under the ownership of Turkish tycoon Ilicali. He said: “However difficult the circumstance may be, I have to remove personal feelings from these moments and make sure the long-term vision of the club is at the center of my thinking,” he said.

“Since Liam’s arrival, we have enjoyed an open working relationship and progress has undoubtedly been made during his tenure. He will always be a part of this family and I thank him for all his work. However, it has become apparent that our visions for the future are not aligned and I feel now is the time to make a change.”

Rosenior came through the Robins Academy before making his debut in 2002 and was part of the 2003 Football League Trophy winning team at the Millennium Stadium. He left Ashton Gate later that year to join Fulham and went on to have a successful playing career with the Cottagers, Reading and Brighton & Hove Albion before retiring in 2018.

After working as an EFL pundit for Sky Sports, he stepped into the dugout with Brighton U23s before assisting Wayne Rooney at Derby County, a spell that helped him win the Hull job in November 2022.

The bookies have named Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom, Rangers assistant Alex Rae and former Sunderland and Stoke City manager Alex Neill ahead of Nigel Pearson, who was previously Tigers boss during 2010-2011, when Rosenior was a player, also among the early favourites.

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