Simon Grayson: Fleetwood Town manager leaves after eight-game winless run

Fleetwood Town boss Simon Grayson has left the club with immediate effect after Tuesday's defeat by Oxford United left them 22nd in the League One table.

The Cod Army are on an eight-game run without a win and the loss to the U's was their fifth in six league games.

The 51-year-old's assistant David Dunn will also leave the club.

"Everyone at the club would like to place on record their thanks to Simon and David for their hard work and professionalism," a statement said.

Former player and current under-23s coach Stephen Crainey will take charge of the club on a temporary basis while they look for a replacement.

Grayson was appointed by Fleetwood in January to succeed Joey Barton, who left the club after almost three years in charge.

It was the former Leeds and Preston boss' first job since his sacking by Blackpool in February 2020.

Having initially joined until the end of the 2020-21 season, with the club 14th in the table, Grayson signed a new "long-term" deal in March and steered them to a mid-table finish.

However, the club have struggled this season, losing their first four games of the campaign before their current torrid run began in mid-October.

Their most recent victory came against fellow strugglers Crewe on 16 October and they travel to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday in their next League One fixture.

Grayson's side beset by 'frustrating inconsistency'

Analysis - BBC Radio Lancashire's Philip Gittins

With four League One promotions on his CV, many saw the appointment of Simon Grayson into the managerial hotseat at Fleetwood Town as a safe and logical one, as the club embarked on a different approach following the Joey Barton era.

But having initially steered the club away from the potential 'stormy waters' of a fight for survival, the tide began to turn, albeit limited by the restrictive terms of a transfer embargo. Grayson's forays into the market failed to deliver and the club's fortunes began to plummet.

Beset by injuries to key personnel and frustrating inconsistency, the Cod Army have slipped into the drop zone with a slide that the Highbury hierarchy clearly do not feel Grayson is now able to arrest.