Wakefield AFC ready to move on after Junior Roberti departure and aim to make quick appointment
Wakefield AFC have answered back at critics who have accused them of not backing manager Junior Roberti in his time as manager of the NCE League club.
Roberti stepped down after a disappointing performance and 2-1 loss to South Leeds on Saturday night, leaving some supporters unhappy with his departure.
But in a club statement the Falcons board of directors have made it clear that despite an inconsistent start to the 2024-25 season they gave Roberti their full backing.
They are looking to move on quickly, but did pay tribute to the manager who took over from Gabe Mozzini last season.
The statement said: “First of all we would like to thank Junior for his time at the club. He is a great individual and tried his best to move the club forward.
"We are happy to have provided him with the opportunity to start his managerial career in the UK and I’m sure he’s going to find success in the future.
"We want to address some misconceptions about the club before we talk about what comes next. Junior received full support from the board at all times. We never interfered with team selection or formation.
"Like in any other club on the planet, ownership approves players that will be signed and released. All players signed or released this season were requested or released by Junior.
"Sometimes Junior would ask for a specific player but sometimes, given he is a new manager and did not know players at this level, he would request a “fast CB”, “hardworking/experienced midfielder” and Blake and our team would try to find him what he wanted.
"Once options were presented management would approve the signing (or not) and board would approve the financials to make sure it fits our budget. So much so that last week, a few days before his resignation, Junior decided to sign two new players. We promptly agreed as we take full responsibility for his appointment and believe showing support to the person in charge in a time of crisis is essential for success.”
The board was critical of performance levels so far this season.
They said: “The results and performances this season have been below expectations. We do not show enough intensity, lack creativity, do not create enough chances and we’re being consistently outmatched and outrun by our opponents.
"We are a poor football team at the moment and by a significant margin compared to the team that finished fourth last season.
"It is worrisome as we don’t create nearly enough chances to win games, concede too many high quality chances and have insignificant press numbers.
"Having said that, we believe in this squad and are confident that under new leadership we can still push for the play-offs this season.”
The directors outlined what comes next for the club, adding: “We are starting the interview process today and have received more than a dozen applications so far. Our target is to have a new manager in place by next weekend.
"The new hire will be afforded the same unwavering support and freedom to work offered to our previous managers and we do believe that this is the most exciting job opportunity at this level of football.
"Yes, there is pressure as we’ve seen, but ultimately we have a good budget, good facilities, big fan base and incredible staff and volunteers. That’s a set-up that is attractive to a lot of managers as our applications show.
"Finally, we have been in touch with all the players, they feel the responsibility and pressure but are rallying together and looking forward to getting a win on Tuesday and turning this campaign around.”
Wakefield AFC are in action tonight at home to Swallownest.