Brian Kidd returns to City

According to the official site, Brian Kidd has taken up the role of Technical Development Manager with the Blues Academy.

This appears to be part of an ongoing overhaul of the Academy that has already seen Jim Cassell move to Abu Dhabi and Andy Welsh take over at Platt Lane. Kidd is understood to get on well with Hughes and he will be charged with helping to bring the young players through to the first team. Steve Wigley had a similar role, when he joined the club a few years ago, before going on to become Stuart Pearce’s assistant.

Having recently turned 60, Kidd will be bringing experience, rather than youthful enthusiasm to a role that will see him head up the in-service training of staff alongside the coaching of youngsters. Kidd is known as a strong family man, who has always sought to work close to his Manchester home. This was cited by Paul Hart as the reason he didn’t take up the offer to remain at Portsmouth. Over the Summer he was linked with a position assisting Tony Pulis at Stoke, and last week with the vacant manager’s job at Barnsley.

Kidd has been lauded as one of the best coaches around ever since his days in charge of the youth team at Old Trafford. He went on to become Fergie’s assistant and the rest is history at Old Trafford. He nearly left to become City’s manager before finally embarking on an ill fated stint managing Blackburn. Since then he popped up at Leeds, Sheffield United and Portsmouth, as well as being Sven’s assistant in the England setup.

As a player, he started out by winning the European Cup with United, but is more fondly remembered by City fans for a stint with us between 1976 and 1979. This was a decent City side, managed by Tony Book, that managed to finish as League runners up behind Liverpool in 1977.

Brian Marwood:

“Brian has vast experience at both Club and International level and will help maintain the excellent development programme we have in place at the Academy.

“As a top class coach he was much in demand when it became clear he wasn’t going to stay at Portsmouth and we are delighted that Brian has chosen to come and work with us. I know he scored nearly 50 goals in his playing days at Maine Road and is greatly admired and respected amongst our fans.”

Andy Welsh:

“I have worked with Brian before and he is both an innovative and forward thinking coach who is amongst the best around. The players and the coaches here are looking forward greatly to working with him. Brian will be a huge asset to us.”

It’s an interesting appointment that once again illustrates the top-to-bottom changes going on at City. Kidd possesses an outstanding cv and it will be fascinating to see what impact he can have.