At 2.30pm on Thursday, Melissa Phillips was in a press conference discussing Brighton’s upcoming game against Manchester United. At 6.45pm it was announced that she had been sacked by the club after close to 10 months in charge. At 12.30pm the following day, the interim manager, Mikey Harris, was presented to the press. It was a whirlwind 22 hours on the south coast and Phillips’ exit had caused widespread shock.
“This is not a decision which has been taken lightly, but we feel is vital for the progress we want to see in the Women’s Super League,” said the Brighton technical director, David Weir, in the club’s statement. “We have invested heavily in the women’s squad and infrastructure going into this season, and results and performances have not been at the level we had expected, given that investment.”
