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20th January 2024
12:10pm GMT
Troy Deeney has defended his failed six-game spell as Forest Green Rovers boss and said that "hard words needed to be spoken".
Deeney was sacked by the club's owner Dale Vince on Thursday to bring an end to his short-lived first spell as a manager.
The former Watford forward joined the club at the start of the season before becoming player-manager however he failed to win any of the games and leaves them bottom of League Two.
He was also given a four-match suspension after being sent off in a 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town in which Deeney used "abusive language" towards referee Scott Simpson.
Writing in his column for The Sun, the 35-year-old chose to defend his poor record and the way he handled the team, insisting they needed a tough-love approach.
"When you're taking over a club in the middle of a season and it is rock bottom of the league you can't take your time and go easy," he said.
"Hard words needed to be spoken and I felt that we were about to turn a corner with results.
"Was I the problem? Or is it the club that is about to appoint its ninth manager in less than three years?
"I was expected to turn around the fortunes of a failing club in less than a month. 'I hadn't even received my first payslip as a manager when they told me they were getting rid of me."
While he had no problems with the tough love, the Birmingham-born man admitted his public criticism was a "mistake" but confirmed his intentions to return to management in the future.
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