STRACHAN IN AS ATKINSON STEPS ASIDE

Gordon Strachan today took over from Ron Atkinson as manager of Coventry and then paid tribute to the influence of one of football's most flamboyant characters.

Atkinson stepped down as manager of the struggling Premiership outfit allowing Strachan, who had been his No 2, to take over the reins at Highfield Road.

Atkinson, who was appointed as Coventry boss in February 1995, now becomes the club's director of football an arrangement that had originally been planned for the end of the season.

Strachan, who played under Atkinson at Manchester United, said that `Big Ron' as he is known was the ``most misunderstood man in football.''

He said the `Flash Harry' image of Atkinson, as portrayed in the media, hid the real person who had a deep passion and knowledge of the game.

Strachan, who has been assistant to Atkinson at Highfield Road for the past 21 months, said: ``Ron has been a one-off the last of the great character managers who can run a club on their personality and their knowledge.

``I've told everyone at Coventry that they have had a bonus by playing under him because the likes of Ron Atkinson will not be seen again.

``Even the injured players came out to watch when he did a training session. They want to watch him work, listen to what he says to players and see the way he sets the place alight.

``But he has always been a manager who attracts strong opinions and there are no half measures. People either like him or they cannot stand him.

``That division runs through all levels of the game fans, press, fellow managers and players.

``He has a deep passion for the game when all people can sometimes see are the flash suits and the jewellery and the larger-than-life presence of Ron Atkinson.''

Coventry chairman Bryan Richardson denied reports that Atkinson, whose side have made a disastrous start to the season, had been sacked or had jumped before he was pushed.

``He was not sacked at all,'' said Richardson speaking on the Radio Four Today programme. ``He came and approached me at the end of last week to discuss the idea of Gordon taking over the running of the team. All we've done is bring forward exactly what we said before.

``It was his original idea that when Gordon came to us that there was this absolute and firm plan it's in Gordon's contract and it was in Ron's contract that Gordon would take over. As I say, all we have done is bring it forward at his request.''

News of the management turnaround came just hours after Coventry's 1-1 draw at Everton their sixth draw in a row.

Despite spending millions of pounds on players with the calibre of Noel Whelan, John Salako and Gary McAllister, Atkinson, has seen his side stuck near the foot of the table.

Just two wins in 15 matches this season and only one win in the Premiership has left Coventry third-from-bottom in the table and already four points adrift of the safety zone.

Richardson insisted there was still a role for Atkinson, adding: ``There are certain specific things which we are talking out. We just have to fine-tune that now in the light of the exact circumstances as they are now.''

The much-travelled Atkinson arrived at Coventry three months after being sacked by Aston Villa, having led them to a Coca-Cola Cup triumph against Manchester United in 1994.

Atkinson, at 57 the oldest manager in the Premiership, began his league management career at Cambridge in 1974 and has also managed West Brom, Manchester United with whom he won the FA Cup twice Atletico Madrid and Sheffield Wednesday.

He guided Wednesday to Littlewoods Cup glory they beat Manchester United in the 1991 final.

``Certainly he liked his teams to follow his own flamboyant approach to life, wanted the kind of football that if he was a spectator who had paid to get into a game, would have left him feeling entertained,'' said Strachan.

``His teams have always been entertaining and attractive and you can't argue against his philosophy because down the years he's had a lot of success.

``Yet there is far more to him than the `Flash Harry' tag and he is the most misunderstood man in football. The `Flash Harry' thing is given him by people who simply don't know him or those who haven't taken time to get to know him properly.

``When you talk to Ron away from the public gaze, all he wants to do is talk about football. That is what makes `Big Ron' happy and it is then that he is at his most relaxed and entertaining.''

Strachan added: ``Ron was also the type of manager who would try to coax better performances from his players, but if that didn't work he could still be ruthless.

``If a player didn't respond to his kind of man management and not doing the business for himself and the team then he would be sold. He would be out of the door instantly if he didn't respond.''

Atkinson this morning refused to speak to reporters outside his house when asked about his new role.

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