Poyet in frame for Leeds post

Events at Blackburn Rovers are all part of the flavour-of-the-month short-termism that afflicts British professional football

ONE OF Sam Allardyce's first moves was to take Leeds United's first-team coach Neil McDonald to Ewood Park with him.

Leeds manager Gary McAllister, probably feeling exposed after four consecutive defeats and with a trip to MK Dons today, said: "I'm not happy with the way it was done."

You can imagine McAllister is beginning to worry - as we speculated before the home defeat to Colchester last Saturday - and needs an interruption like this like a third-minute own goal.

MK Dons are eight points ahead of Leeds, who are now two places outside the play-off zone. Leeds chairman Ken Bates is at the match today, though has rubbished any possible symbolic reading of that.

But a book has been opened on Leeds's next manager. Gus Poyet is favourite.

What a game this is.

Managerial manoeuvres highlight the madness

"FOOTBALL'S MAD," said the voice down the telephone. The instinct is to concur with such statements as, even though this one came from a not insignificant players' agent this week, it was hardly revelatory.

We sort of know football's mad, increasingly so as the Blackburn Rovers-Paul Ince mini-saga played itself out, but the point the agent was making - and he was insistent - was that it's not just in the average boardroom where there appears to be a faculty missing.

The agent described how one of his players, having played well in his last two high-profile matches - "two matches!" he exclaimed - has suddenly gone on to around 13 Premier League managers' January lists.

Given the agent is set to benefit if his player moves, you would think he would encourage such an approach, but you could hear his head shaking down the line. Three weeks ago, he said, these managers must have thought differently. Now they're desperate for this particular player. "Madness".

It is all part of the flavour-of-the-month short-termism that afflicts British professional football, a characteristic that will be seen again today should Blackburn overcome Stoke City at Ewood Park.

If Sam Allardyce's arrival sparks a home win - Blackburn have not won for 12 league games - then Ince's dismissal will be deemed to be justified as well as Allardyce's appointment. For some that seems to be all it takes. One win, that's things settled, there'll be another along and we'll not need to revisit this for a while.

A personal opinion is Blackburn probably will win today against Stoke and they have a pretty good chance of repeating that on St Stephen's Day at Sunderland and that justification for Blackburn's December 16th action will grow daily.

But what about Blackburn's action on June 22nd? That was when they appointed Ince as successor to Mark Hughes. What logic, what knowledge, what conversations occurred then that made Blackburn move for a man of limited managerial experience? It took Rovers' board a mere 177 days to recognise their error but it is not only Ince's removal that reveals short-termism, it was his appointment.

Ince became a player-coach at Swindon Town on the last day of August two years ago. Less than two months later Ince became player-manager at Macclesfield, where he led a successful campaign against relegation. By season's end Macclesfield had survived and MK Dons came calling for Ince.

Ten months, three clubs. One year on and a fourth, Blackburn, and a move up to the Premier League.

This may not be like Bryan Robson being parachuted into Middlesbrough straight from playing or Roy Keane being given the Sunderland job without managerial experience but it is still a fast track to the top flight. (And both Robson and Keane entered a division below).

All three former Manchester United midfield leaders have now experienced managerial disappointment.

Where they were inundated with faith and love from United fans during their playing days, now they have tasted scepticism as well. That transition may come with a jolt rather than gradually and it must be disconcerting. But that is the way it is in this let's-interact media society. "John from High Street, Wherever" may not make decisions but he and the rest can create a frothy atmosphere in which decisions are made.

Yet while that helps explain the rapid nature of Ince's dismissal, it does not help explain his appointment. And Allardyce was available last summer.

Ince must feel betrayed, not just by his board but also by players who began leaking against him as early as August. But Ince must also learn. If, as has been said, one of his mistakes was to become too involved in training as a still-capable player, then next time he must think about that.

If, as has also been said, he was not at training enough, then that too has to be addressed. In this immature knee-jerk football society, Ince can have the laugh next time by maturing. It would be a poor reflection on football if Ince was simply discarded.

Another former Manchester United man he could talk to is Steve Bruce. Bruce's Wigan cuffed Blackburn 3-0 last week to end it for Ince and while Bruce has the benefit of a generous benefactor at Wigan, the 47-year-old is a more mature manager than the one who left Sheffield United early on, then was sacked by Huddersfield Town. Bruce seems less restless than he was, both personally and professionally, and though he would obviously retain the ambition to manage larger clubs than Wigan, the experiences Bruce has gone through - on a superficial reading - appear to make him less frantic about it than he was.

After Huddersfield Bruce could also have been discarded but fought back and fought on. A man called Allardyce was once sacked at Blackpool. In January he was sacked at Newcastle. He had been in the post for 21 league games.

It will be interesting to see if Allardyce has learned from Newcastle where he alienated players with his tactics and brusque personality. If not, then you might start to hear more Blackburn grumbles. Soon people would then say Ince was not given enough time. Football is mad enough for this to happen. The English professional game is 120 years old but it needs to grow up, calm down and take its time. Some chance.

Champions League draw suits Uefa

BUT WHAT a draw for the Champions League yesterday. Manchester United versus Inter Milan, Liverpool v Real Madrid, Chelsea v Juventus, Arsenal v Roma. Not casting any doubt on the draw - heaven forbid - but do you think there's anyone at Uefa who doesn't want English or Italian clubs dominating the semi-finals again?

At least they all avoided Barcelona, who are 4 to 1 favourites. And Villareal, who are 28 to 1.

Tempted?