Swan: Why I had to sack Greene (16.09.05)

Magpies chairman says now was the time to dump Den

MAGPIES chairman Jon Swan wielded the managerial axe for the second time in nine months when he gave Dennis Greene the chop on Monday evening.
However, although never an enjoyable part of the job, Swan is convinced it is the correct decision at the correct time.
He said: “The general feeling was that we had not won a match this season, and did not look like winning one.
“The decision had to be made now. The experience we had from last season was that we left the new manager too little time to turn things around.
“Despite an up-turn in results, we were still relegated.
“I’m not prepared to make the same mistake twice.”
He added: “If we had left the decision until November we could have been adrift by then and struggled to get a manager.”
Swan was full of praise for Greene’s work ethic, but thought a change of emphasis was required.
Asked whether Greene’s love-hate relationship with the York Road fans finally told against him, Swan was non-committal, but did say: “The pressure to sack Dennis now was less than it was in May when we had been relegated.”
Greene’s replacement, former Magpies assistant boss Carl Taylor, will not, initially at least, have the same mixed reaction from the paying punters.
Swan said of his new manager: “I’m really happy we have Carl, the timing was perfect.
“Carl was between jobs, and after Monday evening we needed a new manager.
“What I can say is that we did not offer Carl the job before we had the meeting with Dennis on Monday.
“I contacted Carl after the meeting.”
Swan is now looking for a period of stability, similar to that brought to the club by Alan Devonshire with whom Taylor worked.
Swan said: “Carl has a great rapport with the club and the fans. We need a united club and he is a popular guy. He has a proven record at York Road.
“Working alongside Alan (Devonshire) he helped bring in many players, and I’m sure he’ll do the same again.”
Swan acknowledged that there will be a period of re-shuffling as the manager brings in some new, and maybe some familiar, faces into the line-up.
He said: “Player turnover is inevitable, but once he gets the players he wants, I know Carl will do well.”