'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Bengaluru FC sent shockwaves throughout Indian football when they announced the mutual parting of ways with head coach Simon Grayson on 9 December (Saturday). Assistant coach Neil McDonald has also been asked to depart the club.
Grayson won the Durand Cup with the Blues in 2022-23 and led them to the final of the Indian Super League last season, which they lost in penalties to Mohun Bagan.
The Englishman was also responsible for leading Bengaluru to the final of the Super Cup last season, which they lost 2-1 to Odisha FC. Grayson joined the club ahead of the 2022-23 season but has now been asked to leave. The club announced that former India player Renedy Singh will take charge of the team for the forthcoming games as an interim head coach.
As expected, Twitter erupted with reactions from fans of Bengaluru FC as well as other clubs to this announcement made by the Blues. One fan tweeted:
"BFC fans are hard to please. However, the 3-5-2 was one of the best things to see last year. Its never a goodbye and hope you success for the future."
We have curated some of the ones wishing Grayson the best here:
The pressure was always on Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson, perhaps the most decorated manager in the Indian Super League over the last two seasons owing to the three finals to which he led Bengaluru FC, was feeling the pressure this time around.
The Blues failed to sign able replacements for Sandesh Jhingan, Roy Krishna, and Pablo Perez, whom they let go in the summer transfer window. This meant that there were unfilled voids in crucial areas of the pitch.
The final nail in the coffin came when Bengaluru were thrashed 0-4 by Mumbai City at home in the Indian Super League on Friday (8 December). Parth Jindal of JSW Sports, who owns the club, went as far as to say that changes were coming in a tweet soon after the game.
It remains to be seen who they appoint as the permanent head coach in the long run. They are now ranked in the ninth position of the league table with a mere seven points to their name. They have won just one game in this campaign, losing and drawing four matches each.
