Another managerial casualty so early in the season

Another young British manager has lost his job after just five games of the new season. The official comment around Simon Davey leaving his post at Championship club Barnsley is that he has left by ‘mutual consent’. I think we all know what that means.

He has been the boss at Barnsley for two and a half years after taking over from Andy Ritchie back in November 2006. The club were in trouble when he took over and he led them to safety from relegation that season.

Stabilised

Davey stabilised the club but has failed to take them forward. They have had to battle against relegation each season since he took over and last season saw a last day victory at Plymouth needed to keep them in the Championship. After that game the Barnsley owner asked Simon Davey to make a ‘persuasive case’ for him to stay in charge.

Davey obviously managed to make that case and he brought five new players during the Summer. Andy Gray, Adam Hammill, David Preece and O’Neil Thompson, with Emil Hallfredsson arriving on loan. Indeed, Andy Gray put Barnsley ahead in what turned out to be Davey’s last game in charge against Reading yesterday. They were unable to hang on and Reading went on to win 3-1.

Frustrations

Barnsley fans had seen their team pick up just one point from their first five games and another probable season of struggle was too much for them. The supporters’ frustrations finally boiled over and there were demonstrations against Davey.

Straight after the game Davey said, “We are as disappointed as the fans. We don’t like losing. I am there with their frustration.”

Davey, aged thirty-nine, does have the great FA Cup run he took the club on in 2008 to look back on. His team beat Liverpool and Chelsea before losing to Cardiff in the semi-finals. He also has the fact that he has kept the side in the Championship when they have always been amongst the bookies favourites to go down.

Following the ‘mutual consent’ departure Barnsley issued the following standard statement,

“Barnsley would like to place on record its sincere thanks for all the hard work Simon has put in during his tenure as manager. We would like to wish him every success in the future.”

The club’s general manager said,

“We would like to thank Simon for his efforts, but unfortunately these decisions have to be made sometimes. We are in a results-based industry, and we have had a bad start to the season. This wasn’t something that we’d expected after today’s result. We need to take in what’s happened today over the weekend, and then take it from there.”

One point from five games isn’t good enough, Simon Davey will know that. Despite that, I am really disappointed that another young manager has been moved aside so early in a season and so early in a career. Two and a half years with little money at a club that are probably punching above their weight anyway is not long for someone to establish themselves.

The general manager is right to say that football is a results business but I think the results achieved by Davey have been pretty good overall. Nobody in football has any patience any more. It is a shame.