Ian Baraclough 'deeply saddened' to have left Scunthorpe United
FORMER Scunthorpe United boss Ian Baraclough has been left 'deeply saddened' by his sacking this week.
The 40-year-old, who was axed following Tuesday night's 3-0 defeat to Preston, admitted the loss of key players last summer made his task of securing Championship survival all the more difficult.
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Former Iron boss Ian Baraclough
"It is a great wrench for me to be leaving Scunthorpe United, a club which has played such a significant part in my life over the last seven years as a player, coach and manager," Baraclough said today in a statement released through the League Managers' Association.
"This season has proved very demanding, given that the club sold a number of key players during the close season and it was always going to be difficult to improve on the 20th place finish of last season.
"Losing Gary Hooper, the club’s top scorer in the past two seasons, Paul Hayes and Marcus Williams, as well as other key players including Martyn Woolford, Matt Sparrow and Grant McCann, made the task of holding our own in a competitive Championship increasingly hard.
"However, with recent key victories over Nottingham Forest, Swansea City and Sheffield United combined with great performances in those matches, the coaching staff and I were confident that we could stay up.
"I am deeply saddened to be leaving and that Kevin Pressman and Steve Parkin are going with me.
"I have many very happy memories of my time at Scunthorpe and I wish everyone connected with the club all the best for the future."
7 Comments
by COSTAS, CYPRUS
Friday, March 18 2011, 8:04AM
“Great player for the iron........ management not for him........ sorry bara but you just had to go........dont think we have enough to stay up seeing the last 9 games we have left, so i guess the type of manager we will get will be someone less profile hoping to do well for us in league 1 next season.....HOPE I'M WRONG... up the iron”
by Kez, Scunny
Thursday, March 17 2011, 4:55PM
“Nobody mentioned that Adkins turned down will Hoskins on a free then?
I think he was the ready made replacement for Hooper, P Doff?”
by ExPat Iron, Sunny Somerset
Thursday, March 17 2011, 4:25PM
“When you look at that list of players who left us this season .... without any quality replacements & much better support from the board even Alex Ferguson wouldn't have been able to keep our bunch of also-rans up !
What's the point of having a board if it's not prepared to invest in players & not just see them as something to be bought & sold for profit.”
by Old George, Britannia corner
Thursday, March 17 2011, 3:34PM
“I hope he joins Southampton as a coach, his natural role.
We will always lose vital players but the board are to blame for not backing Bara or Adkins, in replacing them.
If you are reading this Baraclough, all the best and remember that this same board/Wagstaffe also sacked Richard Money who then had 20 successful years in GLOBAL football.
No idea Wharton - not even a 'plan b'.
Up the United Iron!”
by alan, scunny
Thursday, March 17 2011, 3:22PM
“its ok to sack the manager but hes only there to shout instructions to the players its the players that want the butts kicked and its there responsabilty to make sure we stay up in this championship league if they cant perform get rid and get new ones if we have the money to get new players”
by Eddie Murphy, Beverley Hills
Thursday, March 17 2011, 2:40PM
“Can't argue with much of that. Sad end to his association with us. I'd prefer to remember Bara the player rather than Bara the manager.”
by P.Doff, Letdownsville
Thursday, March 17 2011, 2:38PM
“A few things to say about Bara being sacked:
1. Not the right man for the job in the first place, great player, spot on guy and excellent coach but no more than that.
2. The board has let the whole team down by not retaining key players in the summer and not adequately replacing Hooper. May well be Adkins who brought in who he did but he wasn't given enough to get what was needed. Wharton hoping for another £175,000 Hooper type.
3. Parkin seemed to be the catalyst of our demise. Our game changed and the lads heads went down after he started here. Too many "dressing room" injuries.
4. He never wanted the job in the first place, Wharton refused to let Southampton talk to him as he wanted him here. We need to go out this time and to someone new and unconnected to the club.
Sad about him having to go, not in the slightest bothered about the other two but his demise started bringing Parkin in.”