Salford City, the club co-owned by a host of former Manchester United players, could be set for more managerial upheaval. The Ammies just missed out on the League Two play-offs last season for the third year in succession since their promotion into the EFL in 2019.
Manager Gary Bowyer signed a two-year contract last May but there is a chance that the arrangement could be ended prematurely. A report in the Athletic claims Salford's hierarchy are considering the possibility of getting rid of Bowyer and replacing him with ex-Lincoln chief Michael Appleton.
Speaking after missing out on a place in the top-seven, Bowyer said: "It's disappointing 100 per cent, and the lads are absolutely gutted because they gave everything like they have done again today. They're a great set of lads to work with and we've got to come back stronger now."
Salford have posted finishes of 11th, 8th and 10th in their three campaigns so far and Gary Neville and co may now be willing to roll the dice yet again in pursuit of promotion into the third tier.
If they were to wield the axe it would mean a fourth different man at the helm in less than two years. Graham Alexander, the man who delivered promotion from the National League, was sacked in October 2020 whilst his successor Richie Wellens lasted barely four months and was given his P45 just a week after helping win the EFL Trophy.
Neville has previously admitted he regrets letting Alexander go: "Last season, Graham Alexander should never have left this club. He should never have left, I should never have made that decision that I made. It goes against everything that I believe in and that's what owning a football club does to you, it takes you to that place where you do things that you don't believe you ever would do."
Prior to the end of the season Neville also defended Salford's spending policy in the wake of criticism. It was revealed in April that the club's parent company, Project 92 Limited, lost more than £4.7m last year - equating to an average of £91,000 per week.
Speaking to Sky Sports Neville said: "We've invested enormous amounts of money in the last seven or eight years. But it's all myself, David, Ryan, Paul, Nicky, Phil and Peter (Lim, Singaporean business magnate). Peter owns 50 per cent, we own 50 per cent. We've put lots of money in ourselves. We've chosen to do that. I'm not against owner funding. We put it in at the start of the season. The club is obviously robust in that sense.
"We only spend the money that we have. It is a lot of money to lose but we've come up from step eight and had to spend millions and millions of pounds on this stadium. And we knew that was going to happen at the very beginning. We do one day long for sustainability at the club.
"But we're trying to build a fanbase in a city that's not had a Football League club ever. It's new to us."
