Stuggling Hatters axe Newell
15 Mar 2007 - 15:53:46
Luton Town have sacked manager Mike Newell following a disastrous run of results which has left the Hatters fighting for their Championship future.
On Tuesday night the Kenilworth Road club lost 2-1 at home to Hull City and a fifth consecutive defeat left them second bottom of the table and two points adrift of safety.
The Hatters have won only one of their last 13 Championship matches and Newell has paid the price for the poor run with his job.
The former Blackburn Rovers striker had been in the Kenilworth Road hot-seat for three-and-a-half years and helped the club win promotion from League One in his second season at the helm.
Last season the former Hartlepool United chief was linked with vacant managerial positions at a host of Luton's Championship rivals including Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Derby County but opted to stay with the Hatters.
"Luton Town announce today that manager Mike Newell's contract has been terminated with immediate effect," read a club statement.
"There will be no further comment at present but there will be a statement in due course."
Newell's time at Luton had been littered with controversy and disagreements with the club's board.
After Tuesday's defeat by Hull City, he once again turned on the club's hierarchy, who have sanctioned the sales of key players Rowan Vine, Kevin Nicholls, Carlos Edwards and Steve Howard in recent times.
Newell fumed: "Where's the £9million gone?
"Give that to me and I'll get five experienced players in, I'll pay them fortunes and we'll get ourselves out of it.
"It takes three or four years to build a reputation as a decent manager and three months to lose that reputation. But if you take the four best players out of any team it will hurt them.
"Give me the money and I'll replace them, but I can't. The reason we're in this position is because we've sold our best players.
"Someone should investigate what's going on at this club."