Leicester City Women sack Jonathan Morgan after winless start to debut WSL campaign
Leicester City Women have sacked manager Jonathan Morgan after the club’s winless start to their debut top-flight campaign.
Morgan led Leicester to promotion to the Women’s Super League by winning the Championship title last term, but has overseen eight defeats from eight WSL matches so far.
He had been in charge since the 2014/15 season and signed a new contract in July this year, after last season’s campaign which was undoubtedly the greatest in Leicester’s women’s football history, including a 12-game winning run and reaching the semi-finals of the Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup.
Morgan was named as the Women’s Championship LMA Manager of the Year last term, but life in the top flight has not been easy.
His side have scored three times in their eight top-flight games so far, conceding 19 goals to see them bottom of the 12-team table, one point from safety.
Morgan's assistant manager Michael Makoni and first-team coach Holly Morgan, his sister and the team's former captain, will also be leaving the club.
A Leicester statement said: "All three have played an important role in the development of LCFC Women, particularly since the club turned professional following its acquisition by King Power in August 2020.
"The football club would like to place on record its thanks to Jonathan for everything he has helped the club to achieve during his time as manager, which included promotion to the WSL.
"Retention of its WSL status is central to the club’s vision for the long-term development of women’s football in the city. The Club feels a change in leadership is now necessary to give the team the best possible chance of achieving this in the remaining months of the season."
Morgan added: "This club has been part of mine and my family’s life for 12 years from when my sister Holly joined as a young player. To have taken Leicester from the Midlands Division 1 to a WSL club gives me nothing but pride.
"This season has been disappointing, with injuries contributing to a difficult start, but we haven’t achieved the results we had hoped for. I wish the club, the staff and the players my very best."
Former England and Leicester forward and the club's head of women’s football development, Emile Heskey, will oversee first-team training while the club recruits Morgan's successor.
Leicester's closest relegation rivals, Birmingham City, also changed manager in recent days, sacking Scott Booth on November 18 before bringing in their former men’s team midfielder Darren Carter as interim head coach. Carter will be supported by former Birmingham and Aston Villa manager Marcus Bignot.
The bottom two sides will meet in a huge-looking WSL game on December 19, the last match for both teams before the division’s Christmas break.
Before then, Leicester will face league-leaders Arsenal away from home in the WSL, as well as League Cup fixtures against Manchester United and Manchester City.
