Big Bristol City, Rob Edwards update emerges as Robins search for Liam Manning replacement | OneFootball

The Robins seem to be acting quickly to sort out a new boss.

Former Luton Town manager Rob Edwards is reportedly close to joining Bristol City following the departure of Liam Manning.

It was confirmed late on Tuesday that Norwich City had brought Manning over from Ashton Gate to be the club's new boss, succeeding Johannes Hoff Thorup. In the statement announcing the departure of the 39-year-old, who led the Robins to the play-offs last season, the club's chairman, Jon Lansdown, said: "We are disappointed to lose Liam after such a successful campaign.

"I would like to place on record my thanks to Liam for his hard work and commitment over the past 18 months and the memories we have made together and wish him and his family all the best for the future.

"We are assessing all options as we look to replace Liam."

According to Ross Arnott, the second tier sides are still in talks over deals that would see Manning's assistants, Chris Hogg and James Krause, also move to Norfolk with the boss. City are reportedly unwilling to let them go for anything less than their release clauses. Norwich paid £800,000 in compensation to get Manning out of his contract with their league rivals, according to ITV.

Rob Edwards close to joining Bristol City

For a replacement, the Robins appear to be moving fast, as the Stroud Times have stated that Edwards is nearing a move to become City's next head honcho. He is reported to be first in line to replace Manning and return to management four months on from being sacked by Luton.

He took the Hatters up to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2023. Their valiant efforts against teams with grotesquely bigger budgets than them were commended, but once they dropped and then continued to drop down the Championship table, Town decided to part ways.

Before moving to Kenilworth Road, Edwards gained second tier experience with Watford. This followed his impressive first stint as an EFL boss with Forest Green Rovers, the club local to the Stroud Times, who he won League Two with in the 2021/22 campaign.

Bristol City would be smart to appoint Rob Edwards

The 42-year-old's recent history in the Championship suggests that this may not be the best move for the Robins to make. That's only really on surface level, though. Yes, he was sacked by a team that ended up getting relegated, but the squad he was working in wasn't invested in as well as it should have been, and we must not forget how applauded he was for getting Luton to the big time.

Even his 11-game spell with Watford wasn't all that bad; he just fell foul of an extremely trigger-happy owner. The Welshman has proved he can get a team to a level that is above its expected means. That is exactly what the job remit would be at Ashton Gate, making this a fairly natural fit to follow in Manning's footsteps.