Bristol City have narrowed their managerial candidates down to two, including Bournemouth assistant manager Tommy Elphick.
Bristol City identify final manager candidate
The Robins are looking for a new manager after Roy Hodgson’s short spell ended, and several names threaten to dominate the headlines.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes is also among the names linked with the job, despite having just lost the Scottish Premiership in the most dramatic of ways. Yeah, it’s going to be quite a task to pull him away from his unfinished business at Tynecastle.
Bristol City name former Oxford United star as possible replacement for Hodgson
Robbins is targeting “great” managers.
Instead, the search was narrowed down to two other names. One of them is Michael Skbara of Lincoln City and the other is Elphick.
According to Mike McGrath of the Telegraph, Bristol are currently considering a move for Elphick following his stellar spell over the past four years as Andoni Iraola’s assistant manager at Bournemouth.
The 38-year-old was shortlisted alongside Skbala, but the stakes are much higher given the fact that he is stepping into his first-ever managerial job.
But the former defender can gain from experience on the pitch what he cannot from experience in the dugout. Importantly, Elphick won promotion to the Premier League as a player and knows exactly what is needed. The same cannot be said for Skubala.
Robins still has plenty of time to make a decision. The big question is whether now is the right time to bet on inexperience. Elphick has certainly helped Bournemouth transform from relegation candidates to European qualification, but it remains to be seen whether that is enough.
Why Bristol should bet on Elphick
As teams have discovered recently, there is no hiding in the Championship, but that won’t stop Bristol from taking risks. The Robins ultimately settled in mid-table this season, but they don’t have to settle for another mediocre season when August rolls around.
At just 38 years old, Elphick has quietly played a key role at Brummouth, learning from one of the Premier League’s most impressive managers. Now it’s time to take that teaching into the dugout.
It is worth noting that before turning to Marco Rose, Bournemouth were considering Elphick themselves as a replacement for Iraola. That sums up the great job he did for the Cherries. McGrath then revealed how the former Hull defender is “highly rated” for his vitality.
Time will tell whether Elphick is ready for his first managerial job, but it’s a good sign that he’s been mentioned as a candidate to be Bristol’s manager so far.
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