'Chairmen hit the panic button too soon'
Monday 13 October 2014 09:29, UK
MK Dons boss Karl Robinson and Notts County manager Shaun Derry are among the guests on Soccer Saturday this weekend – but I don’t know how they sleep at night.
Sometimes decisions about managers stagger me so much. The most astonishing one this season has come this week: Scunthorpe’s shameful decision to get rid of Russ Wilcox.
If you look at the League One table, for example, every manager from halfway down must be looking over their shoulders. It's no way to run a football club.
Obviously I’m an outsider and don’t see Scunthorpe play, while people will point to the fact that since January Wilcox has won nine out of 32.
But this was the man who had the record-breaking 28-match unbeaten run when he took over, got them promotion, played for them for six years, was assistant manager, caretaker manager and manager.
What did that buy him? Eleven games in a higher division.
The chairman Peter Swann came out and said, ‘now was the right time, we respect Russ a huge amount for what he did’.
No you don’t! You wouldn’t have sacked him if you respected him a huge amount.
It’s a chairman pushing the panic button. They’ve got huge injury problems and they’ve lost four in a row – all four by the odd goal. They’ve got Gillingham, Colchester and Port Vale to come in the next three games, all winnable games. What exactly do Scunthorpe expect? Where do they think they should be?
Scunthorpe is a smashing club to go to, you get a great atmosphere there and a really warm welcome but I just think they’ve got it wrong – or been premature, at least – in this case.
Unfortunately it’s a disease, particularly among lower league clubs. As soon as they lose a few games this knee-jerk reaction kicks in and the boy goes.
Not knowing Wilcox at all, from the outside looking in, he deserved more time. Ironically it was Notts County who beat them in midweek in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and Derry was asked afterwards about Scunthorpe. He said they’d clearly given everything for their manager. He could see it. Why can’t the club see it?
To sack somebody within the first part of the season is terribly difficult. It’s different when people walk away from jobs.
Our manager, Colin Cooper, decided last Saturday night to walk away from Hartlepool as he felt he did as much as he could. That’s a different scenario.
But if you look at the League One table, for example, every manager from halfway down must be looking over their shoulders, which is no way to run a football club.
I’d be in favour of a managerial transfer window. Maybe it shouldn’t coincide with the players’ transfer window but it could take place in December. It would be an interesting experiment to see whether it would work – and it would at least give managers a fraction more security.
This week’s pick is Carlisle for winning 3-0 at Hartlepool. Carlisle were bottom going into that match and it was only Keith Curle’s third game in charge but the score line was emphatic and it was their first win in 14 away league games. Previous to Curle’s appointment, Graham Kavanagh had some terrible injury problems and wasn’t given time to put things right. He may have been unlucky, but accepting he’s gone, I think Curle will be a good replacement and it will be interesting to see what happens there.
Response from Peter Swann, Chairman, Scunthorpe United Football Club
"I was very disappointed at the content of the so-called opinion of Jeff, re: the termination of Russ Wilcox, and would like to add the following in reply:
"He has particularly called the action we took as a club as "shameful" and stated that I actually am telling lies, when I said I respected what Russ had done.
"I can not accept these damaging comments and to say this is a disease particularly in lower league clubs is a sweeping statement with no facts.
"What does he think to Watford, Leeds, Huddersfield and several more I can think of, who have taken little time to sack their managers this season?
"We are passionate about our club and we have dealt with a very difficult situation as professionally and with as much dignity as we can. This is our business, within our club, and we should be given some respect. Jeff, you do not know me, or Russ, this club, or the fans, but you have decided to have a go without any substance, just conjecture, which can damage reputations of individuals and the club itself.
"I have no reason to explain to you what we have done or why we have done it and you have no right to use the terminology you have, in picking on Scunthorpe Utd.
"The football industry is fickle and harsh, not disrespectful and shameful, and we all know there is nothing quite like it. Perhaps articles on players and managers walking away with huge payoffs for being unsuccessful should be your next article, although it certainly is not the case here at Scunthorpe.
"I suggest you show a little more respect and research your facts a little more next time. I won't forget how you have treated us and I believe you owe us an apology."
Peter Swann
Chairman
The Iron
