91Èȱ¬

Swindon Town chairman Lee Power has defended the sacking of manager Mark Cooper, saying change was needed.

Cooper lost his job after Saturday's 2-0 defeat Millwall, which was their seventh defeat in 10 league games.

Power, who has taken temporary charge of the team, is talking to several candidates and hopes to name a replacement within two weeks.

"The biggest disappointment is we spent two years building a brand and we have no identity and no structure," he said.

The Robins, without a win since 5 September, are 20th in the League One table and above the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Cooper had been in charge since August 2013, guiding the club to the play-offs last season when they lost 4-0 to Preston in the final.

"Telling him on Saturday was difficult but he will get another job somewhere else, he is a football man," Power told 91Èȱ¬ Wiltshire.

"The specific way we play is the lifeblood of the club and keeping that identity is so important."

Power also defended his decision to take charge of the first-team and confirmed he will help coach Luke Williams pick the team.

"I know people will see the chairman taking over and think 'what is going on down there?', but I played for 12 years in every division there is England and up in Scotland," he said.

"If I wasn't the owner, or the chairman, no-one would say anything. It's an unusual situation as I am the only former player who owns a football club."

Power played down links with names on various shortlists, saying they would be beyond his budget, but hopes the process of finding a new manager will not take too long.

"This isn't my day job, I do not even live in the country," he said. "As soon as the right person comes along and I would like to think that would be in the next two-three games max.

"You see some names of people who have been linked who were earning £40,000 a week and you think they'd be lucky to earn £40 a week at this level. They are not going to drop down and we could not afford them if they did."