Stability is the Key
Stability is a word that is often over used in football circles but it would appear not for Managers.
Paul Sturrock leaving Southend this week is the forty first Manager to leave his post, that is out of ninety two clubs!
Not exactly job security; shows what a good job Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have done!
Of course some Managers just aren't up to the job and the Chairman and board are left with no choice.
Then you have Managers wanting to better themselves and they leave of their own accord of which they can't be blamed.
But what about the sackings that it would appear are done for no reason?
I can think of a few instances where Managers are fired and it seems for nothing.
Birmingham Manager Lee Clark was formerly in charge at Huddersfield Town where he took them on an unbeaten run of over forty games. A club record I might add. Some three or four games after they lost the record the former Newcastle midfielder was shown the door. Now no matter what you say, Lee Clark wasn't fired for football reasons!
Football is the loser.
The job Brian McDermott did at Reading was superb. Let's face it he took an average side and got them promoted to the top table of football. He did it with hardly spending a penny.
Only in November the Reading owner said of his Manager, "Brian is here for the long term and we are lucky to have him,"
Thirty three days after picking up the Manager of the Month award he picked up his P.45.
Football is the loser.
Southampton have had a fairytale in the last couple of seasons. Back to back promotions and just like Reading they got to the promised land. Nigel Atkins had done such a great job and yet was rewarded with the sack.
Football is the loser.
Finally one that has baffled the best of us; you take your team and become European Champions. Your name is written down is football history!
Just a few short months later Roberto di Matteo was shown the door at Chelsea. They were third in the Premier League table and still in the Champions League albeit only by a thread. The man that made history wasn't given a chance.
Football is the loser.
Now at the start of this article I used the word stability and surely that must start with the man put in charge of the team!
We all know that a football Manager's job is a risky one but sacking them for no good reason or even a silly reason is just stupid. Football is the loser.
At the end of the day it’s the football fans that get a kick in the balls.