Managers for immediate sacking

Well, all right, it happens once in a while that a fine manager wanders off to Coca Cola Championship. There is no room in the Premiership for them all. Here’s an example. When the anemic Glen Roeder took Newcastle’s hot seat in February 2006, it had immediately hit me that he will not be able to do much to heal the Crows’ chronic disease. However, when Roeder appeared as the savior of Norwich City, about a year ago, his influence had an immediate impact with the fallen Canaries. Keeping his desperate team in the league was a huge success at the time, while this year, though not rolling great, he still has a lot of potential to make his team a huge surprise and get it to the play-offs. Just wait for the end, you will see…

No, we didn’t mean to name him as one of those terrible three. He is merely an example how there are simply some managers who are not cut out for big clubs, but who can do wonders with small ones. And it will always be like that.

Ian Dowie

One of such managers in most recent times, and our number one for a ‘kick in the asre’ in Coca Cola Championship, is Ian Dowie. People were wondering why would Flavio Briatore choose this boxer for the helm of the completely rebuilt, young and talented Queens Park Rangers. After a year of the reign of Formula 1 magnate, Flavio Briatore, this club has become a huge outfit on all planes except when it comes to its players and board staff. We are sure that Briatore will deal with that aspect in seasons to come, but for god’s sake, why Dovie? We remember this man as the character wearing a scrappy sweats jumping around Crystal Palace bench in the season 2005/06, while the frantic crowd and the excellent striker, Andy Johnson, were unsuccessfully attempting to keep Eagles in the Premier League. His Charlton crusade of only 15 games was utterly ineffective just enough to hammer his team to the foot of the Premier League, leaving him the man to be blamed for 2007 relegation. His episode in Coventry City in 2007/2008 also saw another failure leaving this famous club at the low 17th seat on the standings.

It is obvious that he is not the man for great achievements in QPR, that he is not able to adequately motivate young and quality players who have only one point in last five games.  Always crowded Loftus Road saw QPR losing to Derby 0-2 and drawing with Blackpool 1-1 in the last two rounds. Press are already making guesses about his potential successor naming experienced and serene Terry Venables as their first pick.

Simon Davey

Barnsley manager, Simon Davey, is number two on our list. This Welshman has been at the helm of this club for almost two years and that is his first managerial appointment. But, for god’s sake, year in and year out, this team is becoming a real foreign legion not able to make a notable success. Brazilians, Argentineans, Hungarians, Germans,… there is not a nation without its representative in this cute Yorkshire town. And their score is this:
-    Season 2006/07: tough fight, barely surviving the Championship.
-    Season 2007/08: tough fight, barely surviving the Championship, FA Cup semi-finals lost to Cardiff, eliminating Liverpool and Chelsea before that. We are all still wondering how they did that.
-    Season 2008/09: tough and unsuccessful fight for now, attempting to avoid relegation fight in Championship, with the sale of the skipper and the best player Brian Howard in the middle of the season.

We think that this covers it all, and it appeared that, with the arrival of Ian Hume from Leicester and Hugo Colace from Newells Old Boys, the Tykes have slightly bigger ambitions than relegation fight this season. They have quickly denied this, mostly thanks to Davey’s policy.

Alain Pardew

Third place in this list is occupied by the man who, unlike the two mentioned, had some success in  slightly bigger clubs. That is definitely Charlton Athletic manager, Alan Pardew. Man has successful years in Reading ( made them a stabile Premier League outfit) and  West Ham (promoted the team to Premier League and led them to FA Cup finals) behind him. Still, his third season in West Ham saw him being sacked due to a desperate results run. He then came to Charlton, failed to keep them in the Premiership although he did have a lot of chances and funds available.

Ever since that – nothing. Instead of promotion fight last season in Charlton, desperate 11th place with the very good team. This season, a slightly weaker team, hard and difficult games, currently 14th place, poor squad and alike atmosphere inside it followed by terrible results. Pardew publicly blames players after each defeat, experienced professionals hit him back with a thing that could be called a silent strike. He is also beginning to lose confidence of the board who didn’t stood up to him during the summer transfer campaign.

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