Next Fleetwood Town Manager Odds: 10 candidates to replace Scott Brown
After overseeing a safe 15th-placed finish in his first full season in management, Scott Brown was dismissed six games into the 2023/24 campaign with his side having just a solitary point to their name.
Here are 10 contenders to replace the Celtic legend in the next Fleetwood Town manager odds…
1. Karl Robinson
It’s easy to forget, in a footballing era riddled with recency bias, that Karl Robinson has been broadly successful as a manager at this level.
The Liverpudlian led MK Dons through a positive half-decade culminating in promotion in 2014/15, and guided Oxford to three successive promotion challenges, including two narrow Play-Off defeats.
In fact, in 10 of Robinson’s 13 seasons in management, he’s delivered highly competitive results, and when MK Dons were relegated in 2015/16, one of the exceptions, it was because they lost key loanees from the previous campaign, they spent very little, an issue compounded by the sad loss of much loved Chief Scout Andy King in May that year.
2. Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill’s abrasive man-management style may hold him back from returning to the upper echelons of the EFL, but he could well establish himself as a League One survival expert.
The Cheltenham-born boss took charge of Shrewsbury in a tight spot in 2020/21, and immediately steered them to a seven-game unbeaten run under his guidance, they beat some top sides like Hull, Blackpool, and Sunderland, and were established safely in midtable throughout the remainder of his tenure.
At a time when Fleetwood are crying out for stability, that sort of reliability must hold an appeal.
3. Michael Appleton
Without quite as big a budget as they had when they first came into League One in 2014, Fleetwood have eased towards a more developmental model in recent years.
If they want to continue to nurture assets, Michael Appleton is a great option: he’s nurtured the likes of Brennan Johnson, Kemar Roofe and many, many other talents at the start of their careers.
Plus, there’s a geographical advantage as Appleton left Lincoln last year, by mutual consent, partly because he wanted to be closer to his Manchester home, and while Fleetwood isn’t exactly round the corner, it’s certainly closer, in the north-west and might work out for both parties.
Appleton’s experience means he might be able to have half an eye on the operational side of the club, which could be helpful at a time of uncertainty.
He’s not one to engage the fans much, however.
4. Danny Cowley
Fairly or otherwise, the Cowley brothers’ stock is not as high as it was in 2019, when they’d just won two titles in three seasons with Lincoln City, as well as an EFL Trophy, and made FA Cup history along the way.
This blog has previously made arguments as to why they’ve been closer to success in the last four years than given credit for, and been unlucky in a couple of cases.
Nonetheless, they are where they are and it may suit the Cowley brothers to take their next job at a club where the fanbase is smaller, expectations are more measured, and things don’t get magnified to the nth degree – a chance for them to rebuild some confidence away from the limelight.
The duo are meticulously detail-driven in their work, and at the same time incredibly passionate in a way that resonates with fans.
5. Phil Parkinson (Altrincham)
Phil Parkinson has enjoyed roaring success in non-league.
Firstly, he took Nantwich to the FA Trophy Semi-Finals in 2015/16 as well as an eighth-placed finish in the Northern Premier League with a whopping 94 goals; a great achievement in a league that featured big spenders like Salford and Blyth Spartans, as well as phoenix club Darlington 1883, who won the title that year.
Secondly, he inspired Altrincham to two promotions in three seasons, before steering them to safe 17th-placed National League finishes, either side of 14th spot in 2021/22, being the most prolific team in the bottom half in the latter two cases.
Having overseen Alty’s transition to full-time football, Parkinson likes attractive, possession-football with a young, attacking side that’s fun to watch, and was Notts County’s first choice before they turned to the now legendary Luke Williams.
Could he be a gamble worth taking for Fleetwood?
6. Brian Barry-Murphy
If Fleetwood want a process-driven coach to build a project with, Brian Barry-Murphy is the one.
The talented Irishman managed to save Rochdale from the drop in League One from a difficult situation in 2018/19, then kept them up comfortably the following season, before the exodus of key players saw the shortage of funds catch up with them –even then, they took it right to the penultimate game, scoring more goals that season than promoted Blackpool.
We might be seen to be giving cheap praise for commending the nature of a relegation, but when one sees the off-field problems that mounted at Spotland, which were such that they went down again within two seasons after BBM left, it puts his work into a different context.
Plus, the progressive coach has since worked at Man City EDS with great success, nurturing the likes of Liam Delap, Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer.
7. David Artell
David Artell is overdue another opportunity in the EFL, after a largely positive six-year stint as Crewe boss.
The Yorkshireman’s main strengths are his ability to nurture individuals, understand the contrasting motivational needs of different players, foster a clear style of play, and hit short-term targets whilst building a team for the long-term – he did all those things, and delivered great results five seasons out of six.
Artell proved when he first came in at Crewe that he knows how to steady the ship and shore up a defence sufficiently to get some results on the board early doors, which is exactly what Fleetwood need now, but he can also be part of a bigger plan for the club to develop assets and grow within this league.
8. Darrell Clarke
Out of the 12 seasons Darrell Clarke has started as a manager, he’s won promotion five times: two with Salisbury and Bristol Rovers, one with Port Vale.
A 42% hit rate is rather impressive, when considering that in four of those 12 campaigns, promotion was neither expected, nor realistic, so you could even argue it’s 63%.
If Fleetwood were to go down this season, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have a promotion specialist in the dugout, though that certainly wouldn’t be on Clarke’s mind.
The Mansfield-born boss is an intuitive, instinctive character with the adaptability to change games that aren’t going his side’s way by smelling what’s happening, and making decisive alterations.
Like at Port Vale, people of Fleetwood may see something of themselves in Darrell Clarke, and when there’s a connection between fans and manager, special things can happen.
9. Dean Holden
Dean Holden is keen to get straight back on the saddle after a disappointing dismissal from Charlton.
The Mancunian delivered respectable top 10 form with the Addicks last season, but may have been the victim of the change of ownership, if SE7 Partners wanted their own person in the dugout, after a poor start to 2023-24.
The Londoners were short in numerous areas, though, due to injuries and insufficient recruitment, yet Holden paid the price after four defeats in five, with four academy graduates starting his final game.
Holden’s belief is in creating a positive environment which empowers players and staff to flourish, and perform at their best every day: he’ll feel he can bring that to Highbury, and galvanize the club at a time of uncertainty.
10. Mike Williamson
Mike Williamson inspired Gateshead to the National League North title in 2021/22, as Macaulay Langstaff and Cedwyn Scott hit 52 league goals between them that season in a team that scored 99.
The Heed play great, front-foot football under the former Newcastle centre-back, managing a safe, midtable finish last year, scoring an impressive 67 goals despite the losses of Langstaff and Scott to Notts County.
Williamson is still only 39, and will feel he has the potential to further his career successfully in the EFL, bringing his fresh, expert knowledge of the non-league scene to the Fylde Coast.
Subscribe now for the latest previews, exclusive tips supported by stats, and top offers sent directly to your inbox.