What went wrong for Jim Ervin at Ballymena?

Ballymena United are on the hunt for a new manager after they parted ways with Jim Ervin on Sunday.

The former Linfield, Ballymena and Carrick Rangers defender was relieved of his duties after two and a half years in charge following their recent run of poor form.

The Braidmen sit eighth in the table, having lost 3-1 to bottom side Glenavon in the league on Saturday, and were comprehensively knocked out of the County Antrim Shield 4-1 by Cliftonville on Tuesday.

As Ballymena begin the hunt for a new manager, BBC Sport NI looks at what went wrong for Ervin during his tenure as Sky Blues boss, and asks who may replace him in the job.

Consistently inconsistent Sky Blues

Inconsistent form has plagued Ballymena throughout Ervin's spell in charge.

In the 2023-24 season, Ervin's side won back-to-back league games just twice in a tough first campaign for the former defender as they finished 11th in the table and beat Institute in a promotion/relegation play-off to retain their top-flight status.

In the 2024-25 campaign, they lost their opening four league games but then went on a fine run as they won their next eight to rocket up the table.

They then fell to four successive losses to halt their momentum and a stuttering run before the split saw them miss out on the top six and eventually finish ninth.

Ballymena started the current campaign well, winning their first three before then losing their next three and their trademark inconsistency, as well as the form of those around them, have contributed to them dropping to eighth.

Under Ervin the Sky Blues lost considerably more league games (54) than they won (28).

Frustration has grown among a section of the Sky Blues' support since a high point of their 1-0 win over Linfield in September.

They failed to build on that victory over the champions as since that fixture, they have just two league wins on the board.

Hit and miss signings

After steering Ballymena through a tough period in his first season in charge on a limited budget, Ervin has since been substantially backed in subsequent transfer windows to rebuild a side that can challenge to break into the top six.

The likes of Josh Carson, Stephen O'Donnell, Aaron Jarvis, Ben Kennedy, Daniel Lafferty, Patrick McEleney, Daire O'Connor, David Toure, Matthew Clarke and Dylan McGeough are some of the headline signings in the past two seasons.

All came with considerable experience and while Carson, Kennedy and McEleney have showed glimpses of their quality, they have too often been sidelined with injury.

O'Connor has barely featured since joining in the summer and for all their significant spending, they have failed to acquire a consistently clinical frontman.

Forward Success Edogun has proved a handful for opposing defences but has been lacking a prolific strike partner up front.

Ervin lamented their lack of cutting edge in their first defeat of the season against Larne and like last season, an over-reliance on Kennedy may come back to bite them.

Despite having a large squad at his disposal, Ervin's words about those on the fringes were critical in his final interview to BBC Sport NI after defeat on Saturday: "We had 10 players unavailable, but you have a big squad, and we were looking players to stand up and be counted and they've haven't."

It will be interesting to see when a new manager is appointed, whether Ballymena will invest further in January or may look to offload some who have not contributed as hoped.

Lack of cup runs

Ballymena suffered back-to-back Irish Cup final defeats in David Jeffrey's final two campaigns in charge but have not come close to challenging in any of the three domestic cup competitions under Ervin since.

In his first season at the helm, they exited the League Cup at the second round to Coleraine on penalties following a mammoth shootout, were beaten by Linfield in the sixth round of the Irish Cup and were dumped out of the County Antrim Shield by Knockbreda.

Last season, the Braidmen were knocked out of the BetMcLean Cup and County Antrim Shield by Glentoran at the quarter-final and semi-final stages respectively and suffered a home Irish Cup fifth round defeat by Championship side Ards.

As mentioned, they are already out of this season's County Antrim Shield following a 4-1 home defeat by Cliftonville in the last four.

Ballymena's interim management team of current U20 manager Ciaran Caldwell, Patrick McEleney and Sean O'Neill will hope to guide them through a BetMcLean Cup quarter-final against Larne on Tuesday as they look to keep hopes alive of a first trophy since the 2016-17 League Cup success.

Who comes next?

Ballymena have put in place an interim management team for Tuesday night's home tie against Larne, but they will want to make a swift permanent appointment.

An obvious candidate is Oran Kearney, who is currently out of work and looking to return to a part-time club.

Kearney left Coleraine in May after spending a year as the club's sporting director.

Before that, he had two spells as Bannsiders boss, either side of a one-season stint as St Mirren manager in 2018-19.

Kearney won the Irish Cup in 2018 and the League Cup two years later, as well as registering three runner-up finishes in the Irish Premiership.

As a popular former Ballymena player, Kearney has retained many admirers on Warden Street despite his long-time association with the Sky Blues' derby rivals.

Kearney's brother-in-law Dean Shiels could be another option, given his previous experience working in the league and current availability.

Shiels has been out of work since leaving Coleraine in May before the club's European play-off.

After initially joining as a first team coach, Shiels was promoted to manager of the Bannsiders in the summer of 2024 and led the club to fifth in the league during his sole season in charge.

The 40-year-old also managed Dungannon Swifts in the Premiership for more than two years, helping them stay in the division with a promotion/relegation play-off win in June 2023.

He balanced that with being assistant to his father Kenny, when he was in charge of the Northern Ireland Women's team.

Former Cliftonville and Glenavon boss Paddy McLaughlin and ex-Carrick Rangers and current Newry City manager Stuart King, another former Ballymena player, could also come into the mix.

Caldwell may also prove his credentials during his interim spell in charge.

After retiring, the former Cliftonville winger took charge of amateur league side Crumlin United and also served as assistant manager to Barry Gray at Newry City.