The Sack Race

Half way through the season and the sackings have begun. The rumours have begun about who's going next and the bookies are making a fortune with people betting on it. Yes ladies and gentleman welcome to the sack race. Don't get me wrong there are clearly clubs where managers aren't doing what they are paid to do but lets be honest shouldn't other people take some of the blame as well?

It takes a lot to surprise me in football nowadays because I think Ive seen it all. The court cases, the players falling out of clubs drunk, the scandals with prostitutes, even sleeping with your teammates wife/girlfriend but some things still surprise me. The sacking of managers for no apparent reason. If you are in relegation trouble and you have had a shed load of money to spend and you screw it up, well sorry mate its your fault for bad buys and not getting it right. However there are two exceptions to this and I feel so sorry for them both.

Firstly Big Sam, lauded as a future England manager a few years ago, his sacking at Blackburn was ridiculous and there is no way Steve Kean didn't have anything to do with it. How that man can look himself in the mirror is beyond me. It goes some way to showing how badly the other managers think he has been treated when Steve Bruce comes out after beating Blackburn at the weekend and says 'That was for Big Sam'. The owners, who by the way obviously don't have a clue then release a press statement saying that they are going to buy Rolandinho. What? You having a laugh guys? AC Milan to Blackburn to play for a manager he has never heard of? Hold on my sides hurt. One word? Idiots. End of.

That leads me nicely onto that other idiot owner Mile Ashley. He treated Houghton like dirt. However if he was going to replace him with a 'Big Name' then perhaps I could understand it, slightly. So there we all are awaiting for the so called 'Big Name'  to be announced and its.........Alan Pardew on a 5 1/2 YEAR CONTRACT. This is the guy that has failed at West Ham, failed at Charlton and Southampton and you think he is going to push you onto bigger and better things. Hold on I haven't got a lot of ribs left after Blackburn. Once again? Idiot. End of.

There have been others as well, Burley at Crystal Palace, Ferguson at Preston to name a few and there will be more to come as well. Hodgson at Liverpool is apparently struggling, lets be honest Rafa didn't get them Champions League last year did he? He spent a load of money on average players and its a massive rebuilding job there before they can even consider getting into the top four again, and Houlier at Villa hasn't exactly covered himself with glory has he?. I'm all for changing a manager if it is clearly not working but I feel the expectations of fans and owners are a little unrealistic sometimes. Let me explain.

Just because you played in a higher League for a season doesn't mean you deserve to be there. You may have had an excellent run of results at the right time and with a little luck you got there. That doesn't mean you have reached your natural level, you may have over achieved. Managers need time to get things right, they cant all get it right first time and its unfair to expect them to. If your chairman gives them money and they screw up then its your right to have a go. If your players are not pulling their weight then feel free to have your say. However don't expect a miracle when there is no money to do so. You are in the position you are in because that is where you deserve to be. Its that simple really. Painful? perhaps but the truth hurts doesn't it?

Only a few teams can get promoted or win a league, and yes a few teams will be relegated as well. If your club spends money it doesn't have that is the fault of the owner, not the manager. Personally I would like people to start to get a little realistic and allow managers to build teams around home grown talent. The way the game is now that doesn't happen very often and it affects the game at all levels. Instant success is the order of the day. Except at one club I know. You may have heard of them? Dagenham and Redbridge. We don't spend money we don't have, we give young players a chance, and we have a legend of a manager who does what he does because he has been backed all the way. He also knows that we will support him whatever happens this season. He may frustrate us but no one and I mean no one can doubt the commitment and the belief that he has in our players. I guarantee as well that he will leave this club WHEN HE WANTS TO. So all you fans calling for his head or be moved to a director of football role, you don't know what you are talking about and you don't GET OUR CLUB. If we go down he stays. Its that simple. Have a look at some of the other clubs in the league and thank your lucky stars we aren't one of them. We\ are who we are and be proud of it, as the saying goes 'be careful what you wish for'.

Im porud of my club and the way its run. Can you honestly say that, that is what happens at your club?