English managers’ association attacks sack rate

Football’s attitude to sacking managers is “arrogant” and the statistics on dismissals south of the border are “embarrassing”, the League Managers’ Association has claimed.

Blackburn Rovers’ dismissal of Michael Appleton and the firing of Gary Smith by Stevenagethis week means that 33 managers in England have lost their jobs – a five-year high – since August. LMA chief executive Richard Bevan said that, taking coaching staff into account, the number was 103. Bevan explained: “That’s over 100 people, 100 managers, 100 families. I’m not sure where the arrogance of football comes from that we don’t have to behave as any other industry.

“It’s embarrassing for the game that all of those sackings are unfair dismissals. The volatility is undermining the profession. We need to work as a group – the Premier League, the Football League, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the LMA – to ensure that we have better training not only for managers, but also an understanding of how you run a football club.”

Four of the managerial changes have come in the Premier League, 17 in the Championship, 15 in League One and 11 in League Two. Of the total, 14 were resignations rather than dismissals.

Nottingham Forest have had four managers since July and Appleton is the third manager to leave Blackburn this season.

Asked about Blackburn, Bevan said: “Everything in business is about communication.

“Michael told me he had no conversation at all during his tenure since January with the Indian representative running the club. He’s got 20 players on the injury bench.

“What he needed was support, not a letter of sacking. To have five managers this season is nonsense.

“Blackburn need to look very hard into stability, they need to look at communication with the fans and they need to look very hard into how they can invest in personnel, look medium term.

“That’s the only way they’re going to climb up the table.”

Reading are currently without a manager, with Brian McDermott last week relieved of his duties at the Madejski Stadium helm after a run of four successive league defeats left the Royals in serious danger of an immediate return to the npower Championship.

It emerged yesterday that Reading have turned to Brighton’s Gus Poyet to fill the vacancy. Reading’s Russian owner Anton Zingarevich is believed to be in the country and, after links to former Swindon manager Paolo di Canio and ex-Southampton manager Nigel Adkins, the odds on Poyet replacing McDermott have shortened to as low as 1/10 with some bookmakers.

It is understood tentative talks have taken place regarding a move to Reading but that it is by no means a done deal, with Poyet’s Brighton side upwardly mobile. They are lying seventh in the Championship after a 3-0 derby defeat of Crystal Palace last weekend.