Dean Holden had been in charge at Bristol City for just over six months having previously been assistant to former boss Lee Johnson; Bristol City lost 2-0 at home to Reading on Tuesday to drop to 13th in the Championship table
Wednesday 17 February 2021 11:25, UK
Bristol City have sacked head coach Dean Holden following Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat to Reading in the Championship.
Tuesday's result made it six defeats in a row in all competitions for the Robins and Holden did not conduct post-match media duties after the game.
In a statement, Bristol City said: "Dean Holden has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
"Following a sixth successive defeat, the Bristol City board have decided that a change of head coach is necessary.
"Assistant head coaches Paul Simpson and Keith Downing will take charge of training until further notice.
"The club would like to thank Dean for his service to the club over the years and we wish him well for the future.
"There will be no further comment at this stage."
Last Saturday, Bristol City were thrashed 6-0 by Watford at Vicarage Road, as they failed to register a shot on target until the 82nd minute.
After the weekend's humiliation, Holden described it as "a horrible day for everyone connected", adding that "everybody is really on the floor".
Having started the season brightly, Holden's side fell away from the top six and currently sit seven points behind the play-off places.
Analysis by Sky Sports' Joe Tanner...
Questions were raised by some City supporters as early as last summer concerning the club's permanent appointment of Dean Holden at Ashton Gate.
His predecessor Lee Johnson was sacked in June 2020 following a poor run of results in the Championship as hopes of a play-off spot drifted away for another season.
There were calls for a new manager who had previous experience of guiding a club to the top flight. Chris Hughton held talks with the board over the vacant head coach position. Eddie Howe and Paul Cook were also linked with the post.
Six weeks passed with fans eagerly anticipating an announcement. Holden was given temporary charge with five games to spare in 2019/20 and helped the Robins to a 12th-placed finish, and after the conclusion of the campaign, he was formally named as the new City head coach.
At the start of 2020/21, Holden's tenure began promisingly with the Robins picking up maximum points from their first four league games. City hovered just below the play-offs for the first two months of the season.
However, if the season had begun on December 1, City would currently be in the bottom three. After that date, Holden's side lost 11 out of 15 league matches, and with the club now in the bottom half of the table, early top-six hopes have rapidly descended into relegation fears.
It was always going to be a challenge for Holden, taking his first steps into Championship management after demonstrating his credentials as a competent and passionate assistant coach at City, who had a good relationship with the squad.
Holden undoubtedly put an immense effort into trying to succeed as City boss but suffered from inexperience amid tough circumstances that blighted his six-month tenure.
A spate of long-term injuries to key players including Andreas Weimann, Jay Dasilva, Callum O'Dowda, Joe Williams, and Nathan Baker did not help his cause.
A Covid-19 outbreak within the squad meant the club's training ground was temporarily closed and their game at Brentford was postponed over the New Year due to the virus.
But spiritless recent performances, three shots on target in City's last three games and eight goals conceded in two dismal displays against Watford and Reading made Holden's position untenable.
