News has just trickled in that Manchester City have sacked coach Stuart Pearce.

Manchester City's finish to the season has been a very forgettable one - they ended lowly fourteenth, just four points off the danger line following a string of poor results in the new year.

Pearce - who also took on the England under-21 job during the period - seems to have paid for it with his job.

Chief executive Alistair Mackintosh told City's official website: "The board of directors would like to thank Stuart for his hard work and service during his six years here at Manchester City and wish him well for the future."Pearce succeeded Kevin Keegan as City manager in March 2005 and ironically his reign began as it eneded - with a 2-1 defeat by Spurs. But then-caretaker Pearce guided the club to an unbeaten eight-natch finish o the 2004-05 season and was offered the job full-time.

However, City struggled this season, particularly in front of goal and especially at home, where they did not score in a Premiership match after New Year's Day.

The ongoing speculation about a possible takeover of the club, and the implications of that on the manager's position, also conspired against Pearce.

Furthermore, the dressing room appeared to split down ethnic lines, with an English and a foreign faction. It has been claimed that the recent training ground altercation between Joey Barton, since suspended by the club, and Dabo, was a consequence of this festering rift that Pearce was unable to heal.

People will inevitably make a connection between Pearce's sacking and the resignation earlier today of Paul Jewell from Wigan Athletic.

Jewell had been linked with Manchester City in recent weeks as Pearce came under mounting pressure.

Sam Allardyce is another whose name was linked with City, though the former Bolton Wanderers boss is the favourite to succeed Glenn Roeder at Newcastle United. Allardyce is reportedly holding further talks with chairman Freddy Shepherd about the St James' Park job.

Only yesterday, after City lost their final game of the season 2-1 at Tottenham, Pearce said he believed he was the right man to take the club forward - but insisted he would go on to prove himself at another club if he lost his job.

He said he was already focused on bringing new players, a striker in particular, into the club.

"It's football management, I don't sit and worry about my future," he said. "When there is talk of takeover situations, if that does happen new owners may want to bring their own men in.

"It's not overly concerning for me, I think I'm the right man to take the club forward.

"The club, whether it's me or another man, needs investment. We've invested less than any team over the last three years."

"Whether it is me or not is out of my hands. I hope it's me, I've done a reasonable job but I know our shortcomings and plan to address them this summer," he added.

"If it isn't me, I'll move on and manage elsewhere and prove myself elsewhere."
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Less than 24 hours after saving Wigan from relegation Paul Jewell has handed in his resignation.

Wigan beat the drop by beating Sheffield United on the last day of the season, but Jewell, who has peformed wonders at the JJB Stadium, has decided to go out on a high.

He will immediately be linked with the Manchester City job where Stuart Pearce is facing the axe once a takeover has been completed at Eastlands, but with recent managerial changes at Bolton and Newcastle the future is far from certain for one of the most talented young managers in the English game.

Jewell, who previously managed Bradford City, whom he took into the Premiership, and Sheffield Wednesday, took over the Latics in 2001 and helped them out of League One and then the Championship before taking the Premiership by storm last season.

Wigan impressively finished 10th in their first Premiership campaign and also reached the Carling Cup final, losing to Manchester United. However, the second season proved far more difficult and Wigan only narrowly avoided the drop with victory away to Sheffield United.
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Wigan Athletic have appointed Paul Jewell's assistant, Chris Hutchings, as their new manager following Jewell's resignation earlier today.

Jewell resigned within 24 hours of steering the Latics to Premiership safety at Bramall Lane.

Hutchings also took over from Jewell at Bradford City in similar circumstances in 2000, after Jewell had preserved the Bantams' Premiership status on the last day of the 1999-2000 campaign.

Jewell has been strongly linked with the Manchester City job that became vacant today when the City board lost patience with Stuart Pearce.

Liverpudlian Jewell resigned his role at the JJB Stadium the day after celebrating exuberantly with his chairman, Dave Whelan, as the 2-1 victory at Sheffield kept the Latics up at the expense of the Blades.

Hutchings, 49, joined Bradford City while Chris Kamara was manager at Valley Parade, and was assistant manager when Jewell helped keep them in the top flight seven years ago.

On that occasion, Jewell handed in his notice a few days after the great escape, though Bradford's then chairman Geoffrey Richmond originally refused to accept it.

Jewell, 42, went on to join Sheffield Wednesday. But he was sacked by the Owls after only eight months, and Hutchings was fired by Bradford just 137 days after being appointed, having won only one of 12 League games and with City second from bottom of the Premiership, from which they were relegated at the end of that season.

Hutchings brought in two controversial forwards - Italian Benito Carbone and ex-Liverpool striker Stan Collymore - but their lucrative contracts were eventually blamed by some City fans for the club's subsequent financial melt-down.

A message on the club's official website, www.wiganlatics.co.uk, confirmed Jewell's resignation, stating: "The club reluctantly confirm the gaffer has decided to step down as manager." Then a press conference later in the day presented Hutchings as Jewell's successor.
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