How many mangers are there in the Championship? Surely we are going to run out of people to sack in a minute. The latest, Paul Simpson of Preston. Or not, as the case may be. He was a nice bloke, but then so was Graham Taylor. Preston’s chairman Derek ‘I love away wins’ Shaw, certainly liked him, on a personal rather than results level.
“It is with a heavy heart that this sort of decision is made but the board and I felt that a change was necessary to try to halt the recent slide in results and performance. Modern football is a cut-throat industry and is results-based. Without an away win in the league this season and with three away league wins in the whole of 2007 we felt we had to act now.”
It’s all about away wins these days, Simpson should know that. Home wins are just soooooo passe.
But what can you do? Pick up your pay-off, dust yourself off and have a word with 5Live about lack of funds.
“Results dictated it – that’s the top and bottom of it.
“It’s been a good experience and I’ve learnt a hell of a lot – good and bad.
“It’s a very, very tough league. There are some big clubs, some wealthy clubs and even those that are not wealthy are finding money from somewhere.
“Preston don’t have the funds available to throw two and three million at signing a player.
“As much as the board may say they have backed me all the way, I’ve probably spent about a million and a half since I came in and we’ve had to sell players left right and centre.”
Selling players left, right and Nugent is probably actually what cost you Paul, but you don’t need us to tell you that.
The big question now, who is next for the chop in the Championship?