Melissa Phillips has been sacked as head coach of Brighton.Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/Reuters
Brighton have sacked head coach Melissa Phillips after 10 months in charge. The Seagulls sit 10th in the Women’s Super League, six points above bottom-placed Bristol City, and are in the quarter-finals of the League Cup and fifth round of the FA Cup.
The 36-year-old joined Brighton last April and helped the club avoid the drop above relegated Reading. Phillips’ exit is a shock, with the head coach having conducted the club’s pre-match press conference at 2.30pm, before their game against Manchester United on Sunday. The announcement she was leaving arrived at 6.45pm.
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Brighton’s technical director, David Weir, blamed investment not aligning with results for the decision to part ways with Phillips, who signed a two-year deal when she joined. He said: “This is not a decision which has been taken lightly, but we feel it is vital for the progress we want to see in the Women’s Super League. We have invested heavily in the women’s squad and infrastructure going into this season, and results and performances have not been at the level we had expected, given that investment.”
Brighton’s ambitions were made clear when they recruited defender Maria Thorisdóttir from Manchester United, forward Pauline Bremer from Wolfsburg and Vicky Losada from Roma in the summer. In January they added goalkeeper Melina Loeck from Swedish side Kristianstads and Gotham FC defender Taylor Smith on loan.
Phillips joined Brighton after four months as an assistant coach at Angel City in LA, after impressing with Championship side London City Lionesses.
Brighton women’s managing director, Zoe Johnson, added: “The immediate priority is upcoming WSL, Conti Cup and FA Cup matches against Manchester United this Sunday, and Aston Villa and Wolves the following week; while also beginning the search for a permanent head coach.”
