Gloucester Live reports that Michael Flynn, a former manager of Newport County, Walsall, and Swindon Town, will take over as the new manager of Cheltenham Town, a League Two team that was just demoted.
The previous few days have seen reports surface that the 43-year-old is being considered to take over as manager of Cheltenham Town once Darrell Clarke leaves to join Barnsley at the conclusion of the season. Gary Johnson, the father of Lee Johnson, was recently appointed Director of Football. According to a statement released upon his appointment, “His first task is to help the board identify and recruit a new first team manager following the departure of Darrell Clarke to Barnsley yesterday afternoon,” Johnson was given the responsibility of replacing the outgoing manager.
Michael Flynn, who has been without a job since Swindon Town decided to fire him in January, was found and appointed in just four days by the new manager.
What was the fate of Michael Flynn’s season?
Perhaps Flynn was treated unfairly since he had to take on the unenviable task of revitalising a struggling team while battling constraints and drama behind the scenes with a roster of players who weren’t his first pick. Despite all of this, he led the team to an excellent league unbeaten streak to begin the season before a sharp decline in performance occurred during the second half of his leadership.
How did Cheltenham Town return to the League Two?
Cheltenham is a club that has always been able to perform above their means. Despite having few resources, they managed to fight against some much larger clubs and survive in the third division through astute hiring and administration. But among other things, the loss of star player Alfie May made for a challenging season that prevented them from making it through another, even with Darrell Clarke’s best efforts. As they aim to compete in League Two, which is arguably far more competitive, they will be looking to rebuild and strengthen.
