Sackings Galore – Well It Is December

After last years sensational managerial departures in the month of December, eight managerial changes to be precise, you probably thought that this season wouldn’t get any worse than the last one. However it isn’t quite yet but there is still another day to go in the month of December, for last year’s tally of eight to be matched by the end of tomorrow night. All these sackings probably seem unfair at this time of the year; however it does go to show how these chairmen mean business in the busy December period.

Megson Sacked
After yesterday’s events at Deepdale, where manager Alan Irvine was relieved of his duties with Preston, people probably thought that there wouldn’t have been another sacking in the month of December at around 9.30pm last night. Struggling Bolton were leading opponents Hull City 2-0 at the Reebok Stadium thanks to goals from Ivan Klasnic and Kevin Davies, however as we all know the tide turned on them, as Stephen Hunt netted two goals past Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Bolton fans expressed their anger at the end of the game, as most Bolton fans booed the team off the pitch and chanting for Gary Megson to be sacked. After waking up this morning and switching on sky sports news, seeing that Megson has been sacked from Bolton with immediate affect was no surprise to me and probably most football fans across England.

It is never a nice sight to see a manager sacked from his club; however this move was definitely the right one on Bolton’s behalf. It doesn’t matter how hard Gary Megson tried, his tactics and his other aspects of management  just weren’t good enough for Bolton Wanderers. Now it’s to the question that most people like to ask, who is going to be the next manager on Bolton’s radar? Names already mentioned consist of Mark Hughes, Paul Jewell and Darren Ferguson two of which have had Premier League experience with former clubs.

Championship Casualties
This month has seen many managers sacked, most of which have come from the Coca Cola Championship, Paul Sturrock, Brian Laws, Jim Magilton, Brendan Rodgers and Alan Irvine. Sturrock was removed from his post at Plymouth; however he was put into a business support role at the club, after the club were struggling near the bottom of the Championship table. Brian Laws was sacked by Sheffield Wednesday after a poor run of results; his last game in charge was against Leicester, where the Owls were thrashed 3-0 by the Foxes. Wednesday fans were calling for Laws to be sacked, and on the Sunday he officially left his post at Hillsborough by mutual consent. Three days later another Championship manager left his post, this time Jim Magilton was sacked by QPR, however he wasn’t sacked because of his results, but he was sacked because he was involved in a confrontation with QPR player Akos Buszaky.

Brendan Rodgers was the next Championship casualty after a poor show as Reading boss ended on the 17th of December, the team were left languishing near the bottom of the league’s ladder, as the former Watford manager left his post from Reading by mutual consent. Like I mentioned above Alan Irvine is the latest managerial casualty the Championship has seen this month, on the other hand it was a shock to me that Irvine was relieved of his duties at Preston. Even though the club are not doing that well this season, it was a surprise that the board at Deepdale did decide to sack Alan Irvine.

I wonder who will be the next sacking in English football?