The longest sack race we’ve seen in a long time
Well, I doubt many would have assumed it would have taken this long. But the first Premier League manager has finally fallen. However ridiculous the decision for Portsmouth to sack Paul Hart was, its taken until the 24th November for the sack race to finally spark into action.
It’s not for the want of trying either – Rafa Benitez’s position may only still be in place because the turmoil on the pitch at Anfield is nothing compared to whats going on off it. Phil Brown is clinging on to the Hull job on a seemingly game-by-game basis, and Gary Megson has as many supporters now as he did when he first joined at the Reebok stadium.
Is this a sign of the times though, are clubs finally learning that sacking your manager mid-season rarely helps? By this time last season we’d seen 4 managerial changes already (Ramos, Redknapp, Curbishley, Keegan), and Roy Keane followed not long after. Of the teams who changed their manager last season – Portsmouth, Blackburn and West Ham are likely to be in a relegation scrap, and Newcastle are in the Championship.
Moving on to the quite ridiculous sacking of Paul Hart. OK, maybe he wasn’t likely to be “the man” long term, but like the situation at Anfield, its hard to truly measure the results of a manager while there’s so much turmoil going on behind the scenes. Even if Hart was preparing a side for the championship – and who could blame him? – it was that kind of sensible thinking that was needed on the dangerously uneasy Fratton park ship.
What do Portsmouth hope to achieve? At the moment they are locked in a transfer embargo, and even if they come out of it come January – who do they realistically expect to sign. How many people – serenely sailing along – look at a boat with its nose sticking up out of the water and think – that’s a vessel I want to be on?
And for once, there doesn’t seem to be any other candidates for the sack race. Megson is doing OK, Benitez will never be sacked for many reasons, and Roberto Martinez has just received the backing of his chairman after their 9-1 mauling at the weekend.
The waters seem calm – long may it continue!
Bob Bamber
