Micky Mellon has today been sacked as Tranmere Rovers manager following a prolonged poor run of results.
After narrowly missing out on a play-off place last season, there were hopes the Whites would again be challenging at the top end of the League Two table and vying for promotion. That has not transpired, with the club currently sat 14th in the league and 11 points adrift of the top seven.
Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by Newport County proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Mellon, who appeared increasingly dejected when delivering post-match press conferences in recent weeks.
Since returning for his second spell in charge of Rovers ahead of the 2021/22 season, the Scot gradually lost the faith of some supporters due to continued poor away form and style of play perceived as negative. Tranmere scored the fewest goals of any top ten half side (53) last season and have again struggled on this front this campaign.
Back-to-back wins over Stevenage and Crawley last month offered hope of a late surge up the division, though such hopes were dashed after a home draw with Hartlepool and subsequent losses to Gillingham and Newport.
Mellon declared he had ‘unfinished business’ at Tranmere after being re-appointed in May 2021, having been at the helm in 2019/20 when the club were relegated from League One on a points-per-game basis, but his mission to bring further success to Rovers has now been cut short.
The atmosphere inside Prenton Park had turned sour by the time the full-time whistle had sounded on Saturday afternoon, with chants of 'We want Micky out' being heard, though supporters will undoubtedly retain fond memories of Mellon’s first spell in charge between 2016 and 2020. During this period, the 51-year-old led Tranmere to consecutive promotions and built up a strong relationship with the Super White Army during the club’s journey from the National League to League One.
Commenting on the decision to relieve Mellon of his duties, Rovers chairman Mark Palios said: “From both a personal and a club perspective this hasn’t been an easy decision. Micky has a special place in the hearts of Tranmere fans thanks to the back-to-back promotions in 2018 and 2019.
“Since he returned to the Club in 2021 after a year in Scotland, we haven’t managed to achieve the success we both wanted and I reluctantly came to the conclusion that a change was needed as we start recruitment preparations for next season. I would like to thank Micky for his contribution and efforts in both managerial stints at the Club.”
Assistant manager Ian Dawes will now take caretaker responsibility of the side, aided by Andy Parkinson, while the club searches for a full-time replacement ‘in preparation for the new season’.
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