Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries' Howe: Bosses need time and patience
Cherries boss Eddie Howe believes a lack of patience from chairmen up and down the country is oiling the managerial merry-go-round.
His comments come just days after Ian McParland became the 10th casualty of the season when he parted company with Cherries’ League Two rivals Notts County.
McParland became the fifth bottom-tier manager in fewer than six weeks to lose his job when he was axed by the ambitious Magpies on Monday.
His exit followed hot on the heels of Peter Jackson (Lincoln), Stuart Gray (Northampton), Colin Todd (Darlington) and Gudjon Thordarson (Crewe) leaving clubs in the basement division.
Their respective departures, coupled with seven others, have propelled Howe to 55th in the list of longest-serving managers in the country – after just 269 days in the Dean Court hot-seat.
Since Howe, 31, became the youngest boss in the country after taking over in mid-January, no fewer than 31 managerial posts have been vacated, with all but four coming in the Football League.
“The relationship between manager and chairman is key,” said Howe, who has recorded 20 wins in 33 league games since taking charge of Cherries.
“Time certainly seems to be a scare commodity in management these days yet time is probably what managers need more than most.
“As a manager, you need your chairman’s support more during the difficult periods than you do when things are going well. However, the trend seems to be to sack rather than back and it’s a shame in my opinion.
“It seems to be more prevalent in our league as well. The pitfalls of relegation from League Two can have major ramifications for clubs so chairmen lose patience much quicker.”
Co-incidentally, Howe will pit his wits against the third longest-serving manager in the country when Cherries face John Coleman’s Accrington on Saturday.
Coleman, who has been in charge of the Lancashire outfit for more than 10 years, is behind Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger in the hall of fame.
Howe added: “He has done a tremendous job at Accrington and the fruits of his labours are there for all to see. He has enjoyed outstanding success by bringing the club through from the Northern League.
“In my opinion, longevity is vital for a manager and what Sean O’Driscoll achieved here is testament to that. If you are given time, you can learn an awful lot about yourself. It’s only when you come out the other side, you can reflect on that time.”
