IT was always thought that October and January were the sacking months in football.

Managers whose teams had not started well had about 10 to 12 matches to prove themselves good enough to manage their clubs. Poor results for that period could be enough for them to be shown the door.

A mediocre half-season or worse could see managers come under pressure immediately after the FA Cup third round in early January. Clubs with automatic entry into that stage or those lower League clubs who had fought their way to the round when the big clubs come in, defeat then could often sound their death knell in footballing terms.

But that’s not the case any more. The pressure is so great these days to produce results that managers are barely given time to get the pre-season training period out of their system before clubs wield the axe.

Already we have had Kevin Bond lose his job after just four games and Keith Downing and Alan Buckley after six matches.

What surprises me is that directors will entrust the assembly of a squad of players for the season, allow a manager to pay transfer fees and accumulate a big wage bill and then promptly sack him in the first few weeks of the season.

If a manager lasts six matches into a new season then clearly the directors must have had serious doubts about his ability to manage in the close-season.

If that is the case then why allow him to spend the club's money on fees and wages in the first place?

I had the pleasure of addressing a group of young coaches and managers taking their 'pro licenses' on a couple of occasions.

One of the messages I try to get through to them is the need for clear terms of reference at their clubs.

They will never get a better opportunity at establishing this than at their job interviews.

The terms of reference should be clearly defined by the directors.

If they want promotion, will the club provide the manager with the finance to back their ambitions?

If staying solvent is a club priority and asking a manager to sell their better players then that is not going to produce a promotion winning team.

But will the manager have achieved what the directors want?

It is the clubs who want both - almost asking the impossible of the manager.

Some sackings are totally justified and the manager will accept that.

But after just six matches is not justified.

I am in the unique footballing position of being Chairman and Manager, the fear of getting the sack doesn't worry me too much. I will know when it is time to go. What concerns me is the personal pride of achievement. The feelings after a defeat have not reduced. In fact it has got much worse. Not only have points been lost, the follow on is how will it hit revenue and the ability to pay our bills.

The sack race has always been part of management and we live with that threat. But just a few matches into the season is making the job almost impossible.