Sport 11-09-2001 Strachan Finally Pays The Price Of Relegation who: Coventry what: Appoint Roland Nilsson as temporary replacement for sacked Gordon Strachan where: COVENTRY when: Yesterday snippet: "Coventry`s continual selling of their star players finally caught up with Gordon Strachan," reports The Evening Standard, "as the Scot`s five-year spell as manager at Highfield Road ended." "Coventry said their manager had parted company by `mutual consent`," writes The Guardian`s Martin Thorpe, "though the feeling persists that he not so much jumped as was pushed." 44 year-old Strachan "went to Highfield Road in November 1996, saving them from relegation in the process," says The Star`s James Gill, "in what was a tense finale to the season following Ron Atkinson`s tenure with the Sky Blues." But despite 34 years playing top flight footy, they have "perennially been involved in the end of season relegation dog-fight, and last term proved a bridge too far". This season, they have lost three of their five games in the First Division. His temporary replacement is 37-year-old Coventry defender Roland Nilsson who will lead the side against Peterborough United in the Worthington Cup tonight. He hopes to "give it a few weeks", reports The Independent, and "if everything works out well it might suit me." [... more]

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