Calderon Sacked After Bristol Rovers' Relegation

Bristol Rovers person sacked caput coach Inigo Calderon pursuing nan team's relegation from League One.

Burton's tie pinch Wigan connected Tuesday confirmed Rovers' return to League Two pursuing 2 seasons successful nan 3rd tier.

His past crippled successful complaint was a 4-1 conclusion by Blackpool connected Saturday.

Calderon was appointed connected Boxing Day but nan Gas only won six of his 26 matches successful charge.

The erstwhile Brighton & Hove Albion defender was appointed connected a two-and-a-half twelvemonth woody successful December pinch nan nine 19th successful nan array and 3 points supra nan driblet zone, but he grounded to steer them to safety.

The Bristol Rovers occupation was Calderon's first successful a first-team managerial domiciled pinch nan 43-year-old antecedently being head of Brighton's under-18s team.

In early March, back-to-back wins against Huddersfield and Bolton saw Rovers move 9 points clear of nan relegation zone, but a torrid tally of 8 defeats successful 9 games followed to driblet them into nan bottommost four.

Calderon took complete from Matt Taylor, who was sacked successful early December aft a twelvemonth successful nan job.

However nan aforesaid issues nether Taylor astatine nan commencement of nan run persisted nether Calderon, peculiarly scoring goals and distant form.

Rovers' tally of 44 goals scored is nan fourth-lowest successful nan section - 25 scored during Calderon's tenure - and nan manager's plight was not helped by nan nonaccomplishment of strikers Chris Martin and Promise Omochere to season-ending injuries successful early March.

The nine besides beryllium bottommost of nan array for distant results, having won only 3 times connected nan roadworthy - nether Calderon location was only 1 distant triumph successful 12 matches, pinch conscionable 4 goals scored.

Calderon had consistently been honorable successful his appraisal of nan broadside and past period said nan squad were playing for illustration "a League Two side".

"It's been difficult, we knew it was my first chance successful elder guidance and nan truth I americium not getting occurrence has been frustrating for me," Calderon said pursuing their conclusion by Reading.

"But astatine nan aforesaid clip I slumber good successful position of I deliberation I americium trying to do everything imaginable - you cannot ideate nan hours I effort to put successful to make this squad enactment successful this division. It still hasn't been capable truthful possibly I person to do better, 100% I person to do better."

Ed Hadwin, BBC Radio Bristol commentator

Inigo Calderon's short tenure arsenic Rovers' caput coach has been a difficult 1 for him. He was truthful excited to get nan chance of his first elder occupation successful shot guidance he spent Christmas distant from his family successful Spain to prepare.

And while location were decidedly immoderate games wherever he - and nan squad - showed immoderate existent committedness (back-to-back wins complete Huddersfield and Bolton successful a tally of 5 location wins successful 8 games) their atrocious decorativeness to nan play sealed his fate.

He surely made mistakes during that time, pinch immoderate of his substitutions leaving fans scratching their heads. But perchance nan biggest issues he's faced weren't of his making.

Rovers' owner, Hussain AlSaeed, told america this season's playing fund is nan largest successful nan club's history, and while plentifulness of nan players recruited successful nan summertime are undoubtedly talented, nan blend of a batch of youngsters and a fistful of very elder players wasn't right.

Then successful January, pinch each his elder strikers having had important wounded issues, they didn't motion an knowledgeable subordinate arsenic cover.

And pinch conscionable 5 goals scored successful their past 10 games, that determination astir apt costs Calderon his occupation and Rovers their spot successful League One.