Wigan manager Chris Hutchings has become the latest managerial casualty of the new season.
Many Latics fans have been left slightly shocked by recent events at the JJB Stadium, not so much because of the departure of Chris Hutchings, but by the announcement of his replacement – Birmingham boss Steve Bruce.
Hutchings released by Wigan
Chris Hutchings has become the latest manager to fall foul of the curse of the Premiership relegation zone.
Following in the footsteps of Tottenham’s Martin Jol and Bolton’s Sammy Lee, Hutchings has been shown the door at the JJB Stadium and made to walk the now well trodden path to the coach’s unemployment line. Whilst Jol was relieved of his position for perceived under performance at a big club, the similarities between Hutchings’ and Lee’s situations, and those of their previous employers, are striking.
Up until this season, whilst Lee had been second in charge at The Reebok Stadium to then manager Sam Allardyce, Hutchings had been Wigan’s assistant coach under Paul Jewell. When Jewell resigned at the end of the last campaign, Hutchings was offered his job and, just like Lee, was handed a small Premiership side to keep up with an even smaller budget.
Hutchings’ reign had begun with Wigan achieving vital wins over Middlesbrough and Sunderland and respectable draws against West Ham and Fulham. Just as Bolton struggled after losing target man Kevin Davies to injury, however, so The Latics did when Emile Heskey was sidelined. The subsequent run of poor results saw the team slip into the bottom three and resulted in the board making the decision to give a new manager, who they felt could save the situation, as much time as possible to do so.
Bruce Swaps Jobs
In a surprise to some, that new manager turned out to be Birmingham boss Steve Bruce.
Despite Bruce guiding The Blues back to the Premiership this season, being given a substantial transfer fund to spend over the summer and keeping the team out of the relegation places, rumours concerning the security of the former Manchester United captain’s job had been circulating for some time.
In his more than five years at the helm at St Andrews, Bruce had forged a strong relationship with Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan which seemed to have created a position for him that was more protected than that of many other managers. This shield was removed recently though when Gold and Sullivan agreed to sell the club to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung.
With Yeung apparently unwilling to provide Bruce with any guarantees concerning his future, even until the end of this season, Wigan saw their opportunity and, after a compensation payment of around £3m was settled on, Bruce was allowed to leave.
With new managers now installed at both teams, the comparisons between Bolton and Wigan are sure to continue. Supports of the two sides will be waiting nervously to see how their respective new coaches perform with squads assembled only recently by others, how much money there will be to spend in the January transfer window and, most importantly, whether the appointments turn out to be successful.
