Jake Buxton departs the Pirelli Stadium with Burton Albion bottom of League One; the Brewers have won just once in their last 19 games
Tuesday 29 December 2020 23:41, UK
Burton Albion have confirmed that manager Jake Buxton has departed the club.
The Brewers parted company with Buxton following their 4-3 home defeat to Wigan at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday.
Goals from John-Joe O'Toole, John Brayford and Kane Hemmings were cancelled out by a Kyle Joseph hat-trick and a winner from Wigan's Will Keane.
"Burton Albion Football Club has parted company with manager Jake Buxton after the 4-3 home defeat to Wigan. The club will now be looking for a new manager," a club statement read.
Chairman Ben Robinson said: "I am extremely disappointed as everyone at the club was rooting for Jake and wanted him to succeed in his first opportunity as a manager. Sadly, it has not worked out.
"At the end of the day results matter and following the 5-1 defeat at Lincoln, after 20 games we have only won two matches and were getting deeper and deeper into relegation trouble. That was compounded by losing to Wigan, the team just above us and conceding four more goals.
"Therefore, I felt the time was right to get someone else in and see if they can change the team's fortunes and give us a better opportunity to avoid relegation.
"Nobody could have worked harder than Jake. He has put in a lot of long hours and huge amount of effort and we are really sorry that hasn't paid off in terms of results.
"What we can say is that the playing budget was very similar to last season as we wanted to give Jake every chance of succeeding with the team."
Burton are without a victory since November 24 and are six points adrift from safety at the bottom of League One, they have won once in their last 19 matches.
Buxton, who enjoyed two spells for Burton as a defender during his playing career, was appointed as player-manager in May following the resignation of long-serving manager Nigel Clough, and guided the club to a 12th-placed finish in the third tier last season.
Buxton added: "We haven't won enough games all season. I have been given a fair crack in terms of the length of time I have had but tonight was a game we needed to win.
"I have done everything in my power during my time in the job in what has been these difficult Covid times. I have been honoured to be associated with this football club for a long period of time, to have captained the team, to have played in front of the supporters and to have managed the club.
"I have an appetite to continue in management and I believe I will succeed but it's a sad night tonight as nobody wanted it to end like this. Ultimately that's football."
