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Archive for the ‘Managers’ Category

Ian McParland has been sacked as manager of Notts County.

After nearly two tumultuous years in charge at Meadow Lane the Scot had often remarked that nothing surprised him in football. However, his dismissal this morning was sadly all too predictable.

McParland has paid the price for the grand ambitions of owners Munto Finance and was relieved of his post after County’s disappointing 2-2 draw to Torquay United yesterday, with the club in fifth place in Coca-Cola League Two and only four points off the summit.

Rumours have swirled around Meadow Lane this weekend that Sven-Goran Eriksson, their director of football, was due to leave but instead McParland has been punished with his job following a difficult start to the campaign. Yesterday, Eriksson gave short shrift to reports that he has become frustrated with the uncertainty over the ownership at Meadow Lane. He was less decisive when questioned on reports from Sweden which claimed the former Manchester City manager could be approached to take over the national team after their disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign.

Swansea City

Despite former Spurs assistmant manager Gus Poyet appearing to have emerged as the front runner for the vacant manager’s role at Swansea City, the Swans have surprised everyone by offering the position to Paulo Sousa.

The former Portugal international has been out of work since being sacked by Queens Park Rangers back in April.

“He will provide Swansea City with a fantastic chance to continue developing and growing over the next few years,” said chairman Huw Jenkins.

Sousa has verbally accepted a three-year-deal.

Keegan back at Southampton?

Speculation is mounting over Kevin Keegan making a sensational return to Southampton.

He first came to Southampton in July 1980 when Lawrie McMenemy lured him back to English football for £400,000 following three years in Germany with SV Hamburg.

Keegan spent two years with the Saints, scoring 37 goals in 68 league games.

During that time, Southampton finished sixth and seventh in successive seasons in the English top flight before Keegan left in August 1982 to join Newcastle United.

BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore told Radio 5 Live: “We’ve seen photos this morning taken on a mobile seemingly showing Kevin Keegan with Matt Le Tissier and former chairman Leon Crouch, although none with the three of them together.

Le Tissier is expected to become Chairman of Southampton if the impending takeover of the club by the Pinnacle Group is successful.

Coyle extends contract at Burnley

Burnley manager Owen Coyle has signed a new contract which will keep him at Turf Moor until 2013.

The Scot guided the Lancashire Club into the Premier League through the play-offs, but had been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Celtic.

Premiership trophySome things in life are inevitable; Politicians will never win popularity contests. You will always have a soft spot for your first love. Police officers will look more and more like 15-year-olds the older you get and football managers will be sacked.

The demand for instant success ensures most managers will be sacked several times, with only two or three of them escaping the experience.

Under the microscope

Premiership managers live in the spotlight almost 24/7 these days. Some take pressure in their stride whilst others constantly feel the strain.

Runners and riders

We take a look at which Premiership managers are safe and those who could be looking for work before the end of the 2009/10 season?

Tranmere have sacked manager Ronnie Moore following the club’s failure to reach the League One play-offs.

56-year-old Moore joined Rovers as boss in June 2006 but attendances at Prenton Park have crumbled by over 19% during the last three years.

He previously had two spells as a player with the club between 1971 and 1989, and was player-coach and then assistant manager under John King.

Play-off agony

Tranmere were within minutes of reaching the play-offs when they led 1-0 at Scunthorpe United on the final day of the season.

But the Iron scored an 88th-minute equaliser to clinch sixth place for Scunthorpe at the expense of Moore’s side instead.

Ian Davies

Queens Park Rangers are due to get the builders in to Loftus Road over the next few days.

Appointed yesterday, Jim Magilton is the latest in the ridiculously long line of managers at the club during the last 3 years, and it makes complete sense for Rangers to have a revolving door fitted. If Magilton can’t get them off to a flying start in the Championship (a very tough league this time round) he’s likely to be spinning back through it and onto the street very quickly.

Fifth Manager

The former Ipswich Town boss, sacked at the end of last season to make way for Roy Keane, is the fifth permanent manager appointed since the arrival of Flavio Briatore as owner in 2007. I’ve lost count how many temporary managers they’ve had during that same period. Briatore’s hire’em fire’em policy has seen his managers have an average run of 14 games in charge. It’s laughable.

I wonder what it’s like to have a limitless amount of cash to play with?

Manchester City’s Mark Hughes has that luxury. Unfortunately for him, he also has the expectation and responsibilty that goes with it.

The Welshman has already opened his cheque book with the signing of Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry earlier this week, and City are being linked with signing anybody and everybody. Lucas Neill from West Ham? Do me a favour. Carlos Tevez? That could be a brilliant signing and the City fans would just love to taunt United fans about that.

I can’t help thinking that despite all of this cash City will continue to struggle when it comes to attracting World-class talent to Eastlands. The signing of Robinho illustrated their intent, but the Brazilian already appears to be unsettled and there isn’t a long queue of international superstars knocking on Hughes’ door.

Thankfully, Sunderland haven’t appointed Mr Forsyth as their new manager, though some would argue he’d be a better choice than many who have been in charge of team affairs on Wearside over the last few years. No, I’m talking about Steve Bruce.

Niall Quinn may well have made a shrewd appointment there. He’s resisted the temptation to recruit a European coach and opted to go with someone who has seen and done it at the bottom end of the Premiership. Let’s face it, Brucey will have just one target in 2009/10. Keep Sunderland in the Premiership and earn himself a Brucey bonus!

To many the idea of launching a new football website during the first week of June is absurd. Afterall, the curtain came down on the domestic season on Saturday and the whole “football scene” is pretty dead during June, with most managers and players sunning themselves in Florida, Spain or Portugal.

To me, it’s the ideal time. Time to reflect on the last campaign and time to look forward to the next one. Time to get everything ready for Football Thing to become a website worth following during 2009/10 and beyond.

So welcome aboard. Stick with us and enjoy the ride.

Ian Davies