Newry City boss Darren Mullen to step away from management but stay involved in the club following relegation to the third tier

Having dropped from the Sports Direct Premiership last season, many had tipped Newry to be in the mix for promotion this campaign.

However, they started the season poorly and never pulled themselves out of their slump, winning just seven of their 37 matches to this point.

Manager Barry Gray parted ways with the club, and former boss Mullen came back to steer the ship, but ultimately City didn’t do enough to keep their heads above water.

“I said it last week, we're not bottom of the table by bad luck or refereeing decisions, we just haven't been good enough. We haven't and I have no problem taking the rap for that as manager,” Mullen told the club's social media channel.

“I suppose there are three stages to this. First of all it's just taking your medicine, we deserve every bit of criticism coming our way. For me as manager, I have no problem with that, I pick the team, I bring players in, so I take full responsibility for that. Just on that today, you see the fans' reaction, any other club you're getting pelted off and getting grief, but our fans didn't.

“Then we're on to a review of the season - just not good enough. I'll step away, that was always the plan, I was never going to be in place next season. I didn't want to be, I didn't want to come back, but at the same time people say, 'are you glad?' I am glad to have come back.

“I am, because even though today I'm back involved in it and I'll be involved in some capacity moving forward so there'll be a review of the season to make sure it doesn't happen again.

“Then the last stage and most importantly is fixing this, and that process has started because I wanted to make sure whatever happened, we had a plan in place. So, we'll put plans in place for appointing a new manager and making sure what happens here doesn't happen again because to go from the Premiership down to the Premier Intermediate League in two years, it's not acceptable.

“It shouldn't happen and I'm not trying to blame anyone else on that as a club and as a manager, we need to look at how this happened and make sure it never happens again. It needs to be solid, it needs to be a plan in place to make sure that we're successful both on and off the pitch.”

Newry’s relegation came as a result of an accumulation of factors, but Mullen conceded that ultimately there just wasn’t enough quality in the team.

“I suppose the recruitment hasn't been good enough and that's obvious.

“Even today I can't fault the players for their effort but it just hasn't been good enough, the quality just hasn't been there. We need a better squad and whoever comes in now starting from the Premier League Intermediate, maybe it's better for them because they can build a new team because this is what it needs.

“It does need a rebuild, someone coming in with fresh energy, new ideas and then making sure that as a club we give them every chance to succeed on the pitch.

“It was never my intention to stay on, but the thing is that I will stay involved in the club in some capacity to make sure that the mistakes that have made before don't happen again.”

Mullen also says that the fans 'deserve better' than what the team produced this season, but he promised that the team will bounce back.

“They don't need me to tell them to stick with us, I know they will,” he said.

“Even today, if I had got a bit of grief today coming off, I would have no qualms with that whatsoever. I would have taken every bit of grief that comes my way but they're a good, honest bunch. They know and they can see what the problems have been. We need to start putting a smile back on their face.

“We haven't done that this year. They deserve better than what they're getting at the minute and if I can help that in any way as part of the turnaround or whatever you want to call it, moving forward, then so be it and that has to be the case. Put a smile back on their faces.

“There'll be a period now where I suppose it's doom and gloom, which it is because relegation is an awful thing to go through. In the grand scheme of things, it's not. There are more important things in life than football but in terms of this context, it's a tough one to deal with but we have to turn the narrative pretty quick.

“We have to take our medicine, review it and then turn around pretty quick. Get a new manager in place, start building a new team, helping to build a team that's going to go and win the Premier League Intermediate next year because that has to be the case. It has to be.

“It's not a nice situation to be in but that will change. I can promise you now, that will change. Just give us a bit of time to fix things, put new things in place and then we'll be back bigger and better.”