What constitutes a ‘safe job’ in football management? Actually, there isn’t one. Mauricio Pochettino was the 22nd sacking this season of a club manager (across all the 4 divisions). The first was Sol Campbell, ironically, given rumours, by very optimistic Arsenal fans, that Poch my cross ‘the divide’ and assist their blighted, beleaguered… buggered club. Sol was sacked by Macclesfield Town in September. Not sure how bad a manager you need to be to achieve that. Let that be a warning to Poch!!! Not sure why.

But with Arsenal’s loss last night in what should have been a fairly routine home match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Unai Emery (happy, Jonathan!!!) has had his status altered from ‘dead man walking’ to ‘gone in all but the physical action of leaving’. The match was played in front on a huge crowd (Mr & Mrs Hopeful of Stirling Way, N14 and their son, Nigel) because the weather was awful and most Arsenal fans are ashamed to be seen in kit traveling by tube on a Thursday. But it was also a ‘protest’. And in that they are right. Their team are shit. Much like ours was until God arrived in the form of the modest and special Portuguese saviour.

Before you start feeling sorry for the ‘poor managers’, do remember that they have cast iron contracts and when they leave they take all their contracted earnings with them. Morinho alone must have made 50 million quid on sackings alone. He arrives, he wins things, he crumbles, he gets sacked, he goes to the bank with a big smile.

Everton desperately need a new manager, Watford are in dire straights and there are many in precarious positions. And its not about winning matches. Not totally. The manager is at risk when the players stop playing. They can still win the odd match, as Spurs did, but the spark goes, the passion leaves. They no longer give a shit about ‘the shirt’ which three weeks prior they were kissing as if it was Jesus himself.

But its not about Jesus. This is football. It’s much more important than anything religion can offer. And the managers are the ones who keep it ticking along, keep their ducks in a row and try as they can to maintain cohesion and camaraderie in a group of arrogant, ignorant divas who mistake having fourteen different Range Rovers with having intelligence.

I should feel for Emery. But instead find myself smirking in a way that makes me ashamed. I hope Unai stays all season, if not longer.

I am a bad person.

Happy Friday

A xxxx