Three appointments.....

Three managerial appointments this week in the Championship that should make us reflect for a moment.

First, Kit Symons. Symons is 43 and he has spent eleven years as an assistant manager at Palace and more recently Fulham, both clubs he played for. Kit looked incredibly smug last week when being interviewed after sweeping us aside. He looked like a man who knew he had cracked it and sure enough, after pursuing a host of other options, "the panel" Fulham appointed (ideas above their station) to select the new man finally conceded and gave the nod that Symons might be a lower risk than another big name manager. He has the players to compete this season but they were same players who lost seven of the first eight under Magath. They also took Fulham down and you have to wonder if the honeymoon period might be short. I can't see Fulham sacking another manager this season but unless he makes a good fist of things, he will do well to start there next season.

Secondly, someone has been brave enough to take over the poisoned challace at Birmingham City. The man in question is none other than Gary Rowett who guested for us briefly back in our Premiership pomp but whose career ended prematurely whilst at the Valley due to injury. He went on to play and manage Burton Albion, which I suspect will be a better grounding than second-fiddle at Palace and Fulham. Trouble is, I think Birmingham's troubles are far more fundamental than picking and motivating a starting eleven. Can't see Gary there come August.

Finally, ha-ha-ha, the joke that Lee Clark would jump at the worst managerial job in football having been shown the door at St. Andrews, has actually come to pass. Clark had four years at Huddersfield where he needed a long time to prove he couldn't deliver and in two years at Birmingham he did the same, although I suppose his CV says "2014, saved Birmingham from relegation," although it won't say "flukely by the skin-of-my-teeth." All I can say is that this looks like Clark's last throw of the dice and I am betting he won't make the end of this season.

So, whatever your opinion on Duchatelet's network model, let's be grateful that we have a manager who looks relatively comfortable in his role and performing at an acceptable level. I will gladly settle for another ten months stability.