When is the right time to fire the manager?

Paolo Di Canio only lasted a handful of games this season before being fired by Sunderland.

There's no doubt he's a egomaniac, nutcase, passionate, crazy Italian, but surely the owners of Sunderland knew that when they hired him. He was able to save them from the drop last year and was given free range, and a massive budget to sign new players. He then imposed his strange, unpredictable, overwhelming style of management.

He called out players for being lazy, unfit, unable to speak English, eating too much junk food, drinking too much soda. Di Canio called out his players for their poor performances, abusing individuals and embarrassing the team and club. But we all knew he would.

So why was he fired? The players weren't happy? I'm sure the fans haven't been happy for a long time, but they don't get to fire the manager or sack the players. They don't get to change things or demand better.

Being bottom of the league in September won't get you relegated. Sure, the form is not good and the players haven't gelled yet. But a new manager now has to deal with that, and will surely request his own players at even more expense once the January window opens.

Maybe managers should get a window, the same way there is for transfers. I'm not saying Paolo did a good job, but he didn't really get to do the job at all. Fans deserve better. Chopping and changing can work, but there has to be some consistency. A quarter of the season minimum? 20 games? The owners have the right to change all they want, but I'd like to know how many times it works - because getting a quick fix guy isn't the solution if you fire him as soon as he loses a couple of games.

Poyet causing a stink at Brighton?

Bizarre sacking of Brighton manager

Maybe the 45 year-old Uruguayan was caught short

I was deep in conversation with my west coast Geezer Necksy last night when he informed me of perhaps the most bizarre sacking of a football manager I can recall.

I have to admit that the research and google searches were not easy to type and the browsing history had to be deleted a few times before I was comfortable.

Gus Poyet was sacked by Brighton & Hove Albion back in June, along with his assistant manager and first team coach. He also found out about it live while working as a pundit for the BBC during Spain vs Nigeria in the Confederations Cup.

He said at the time ‘It’s a great story for the BBC. I’m probably the first for this to happen to on live TV.’

Although his departure was initially linked to the ex-Chelsea and Tottenham player’s desire to move on and coach a bigger club, rumors are now surfacing that Poyet did, or asked one of his staff, to take a dump on the away team’s dressing room floor. During the alleged incident (not literally during Poyet squatting there), Brighton lost to Crystal Palace in the Championship playoffs, missed out on the Premier League and Poyet and his staff never returned to Brighton, with a smear placed on his record (sorry).

I have no idea if these rumors are true, and what would motivate a grown man to lay a cable on the floor. It's not like Ian Holloway (the Palace manager) would have been intimidated - he's batsh*t crazy anyway. 

Sh*t happens, but here’s the question – does it get worse than dropping anchor in the other team’s changing room, then getting fired live on TV as a consequence? I’m sure it does, but would love to hear those stories - i just wouldn't want to search the internet for them.