Former Bristol City boss keen on Bristol Rovers job, reporter claims
Bristol Rovers are in the hunt for a new manager. The Gas are currently sat in 16th position in the League One table.
Cotterill, 59, cut ties with fellow third tier side Shrewsbury Town at the end of last season. He has since been weighing up his next move in the game.
In this update by Sunday Mirror reporter Witcoop on X (see below), he is ‘keen’ on the vacancy at the Memorial Ground. Recently departed Charlton Athletic boss Dean Holden is also believed to be in the frame.
Bristol Rovers have a big decision to make on who to bring in next after their decision to dismiss Barton.
Cotterill is a vastly experienced coach in the Football League and has overseen 886 games from the dugout. He joined his previous club Shrewsbury in November 2020 and spent three seasons with the Shrews, winning 33.57% of games at the helm.
The Cheltenham-born man has also managed the likes of Sligo Rovers, Cheltenham Town, Stoke City, Burnley, Notts County, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Birmingham City.
As for Holden, he will be weighing up his future after his exit from Charlton at the end of August.
The Mancunian, who has also been at Bristol City in the past, is also in the frame for Gillingham and Bradford City jobs in League Two, as reported by Alan Nixon on his Patreon page.
Holden lasted just six games into this campaign, winning only once, before he was replaced by Michael Appleton. He may feel he has a point to prove now and his name has emerged as a potential candidate for Bristol Rovers along with Cotterill as the Pirates consider their options.
That’s according to the Sunday Mirror’s Darren Witcoop, who also claims Dean Holden – another manager currently out of work – is in the mix and highly thought of at the Memorial Stadium.
Andy Mangan is currently in caretaker charge and will prepare the 16th-placed side for Saturday’s home game against Northampton.
A host of names have already been linked with the vacant role, with ex-Leeds assistant manager Cameron Toshack mentioned.
Meanwhile, former Cardiff and Gillingham boss Neil Harris – who has been linked with the top job at Fratton Park in the past – is among the early favourites, according to the bookies.
Cotterill and Holden’s names also appear high on the betting odds. And according to Whitcoop, there’s good reasons for that.
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They are currently sitting in 16th place and considering Barton has been a stable figure for the Gas during his time there, his departure does come as a slight surprise.
But recent results may have proved to be costly for the ex-Newcastle United man in the end, with the League One side losing against Oxford United and Burton Albion before drawing against Stevenage in their previous three league games.
Their club statement yesterday didn’t give much away in terms of why they sacked him, but it did reveal that Andy Mangan will be taking temporary charge of the team with Glenn Whelan, Danny Ventre and Anssi Jaakkola all supporting him.
Barton’s successor should have a good foundation to build on, considering the club aren’t in a major relegation battle at the moment – and we have the latest news on their managerial situation.
Rovers are interested in appointing former Leeds United coach Cameron Toshack, according to yesterday’s report from TEAMtalk.
Born in Wales, it’s perhaps no surprise that he was previously a coach at Swansea City, proving to be a success in the Swans’ academy before he moved to Pafos.
He did well out in Cyprus with Pafos too – and was Jesse Marcsh’s assistant at Leeds United. Spending much of his coaching his career as a coach rather than a manager, TEAMtalk believes he’s ready to take another top job and this is a boost for Rovers, who are interested in appointing him.
The 53-year-old will be hoping to be just as successful as his father John, who managed the likes of Real Madrid and Wales during his career.
Darren Witcoop believes Steve Cotterill is interested in taking the job at the Memorial Stadium.
Having enjoyed a reasonably successful spell at Shrewsbury Town, it’s a slight surprise that the 59-year-old isn’t in another job yet.
He could be a good appointment for many third-tier sides and, having previously managed Bristol City, he is reportedly prepared to take the top job at their arch-rivals.
The great thing about both Cotterill and Toshack is the fact they are free agents, so no compensation would be required if Rovers decide to appoint one of them.
Another ex-Bristol City boss may also be in the frame, with Witcoop believing Holden is highly thought of by Rovers.
Following the end of his time at Ashton Gate, he made the switch to Stoke City to support Michael O’Neill, but was relieved of his duties early on last term.
He took the top job at Charlton Athletic after that, but was dismissed earlier this season and replaced by Michael Appleton.
He may not have to wait too long to get back into management though, but he may be one of many candidates on the club’s shortlist at this point.
If he is on their list though, he may not have a huge amount of competition because Rovers are reportedly keen to make an appointment fairly quickly, which is understandable considering their busy schedule.
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