LAST Thursday, Steve Cotterill was sacked as Bristol City manager after just over two years in the hot seat.

In his only full season in charge of the club last year, he led City to their first league title in sixty years and coupled it with a JP Trophy win at Wembley in front of over forty thousand fans from Bristol.

But like most sports, football can be cruel. From double-winner last season to double-trouble this. He left City in the Championship relegation zone having won just four matches from 28 this term.

In any season and under any circumstances, that is simply not good enough.

We still don’t know the full story behind City’s lack of recruitment of players over the summer but undoubtedly the squad was way too short on numbers going into the campaign.

Cotterill cut a dejected figure several times in post-match interviews and gradually it has become clear that there was a breakdown in the relationship between him and the board.

His stubbornness, perhaps borne out of loyalty to last season’s players, to not change the formation or personnel ultimately cost him his job.

Cotterill’s assistant John Pemberton and Under-21s manager Wade Elliott have been put in temporary charge and started with a shock 1-0 victory over top of the table Middlesbrough on Saturday.

City scored a dramatic last minute winner through youngster Wes Burns for a fully-deserved win.

City couldn’t repeat the trick on Tuesday night when West Bromwich Albion were the visitors to Ashton Gate in the FA Cup third round replay.

City’s new management duo rested a few key players including Kodjia and Smith and the result was inevitable as we lost 1-0.

Again, the team battled hard but we could not match the Premier League team’s quality on the night.

I’m sure Pemberton and Elliott will be fielding a full strength team at Leeds United on Saturday in another vital Championship clash (3pm). Buoyed by our win over Boro, City fans will be hopeful of another three points.