Sandgaard looking for manager Number 5

After a weekend of denials, Ben Garner was sacked by Thomas Sandgaard today. Not in person, of course, Sandgaard had scuttled back the US after Friday's home defeat to Cheltenham Town. He doesn't do face-to-face. The coward leaves it to one of his staff when isn't here to risk being confronted.

In just over two years we are looking for manager number five  - circa 6 months on average. Half-a-season each. Lee Bowyer jumped ship but Sandgaard appointed Nigel Adkins, Johnnie Jackson and then Ben Garner and sacked them all in quick succession. Not to dissimilar to all his bigger back room appointments, who have all been sacked too. The only common denominator in the ongoing shit-show is Thomas Sandgaard himself.

The backlash will be strong as the vast majority of the clubs supporters know what the problem is at the club and it's not Ben Garner. It's Sandgaard's lack of ambition and decision to stop spending money at the club. His son's continuing role as interfering data manager isn't helping relations either. He is going to feel the heat at the Brighton game.

There has to be a takeover underway as Sandgaard is only going to lose more money the longer he is here because he has no hope of making the club sustainable and he must know that. Certainly not by fielding weaker and weaker squads and flirting with League Two. That in itself questions why he would pay Garner off at this time? I can only assume it's his decision to shell-out now rather than leave it to a new owner. From memory Garner only had a 12 deal and I believe he was on modest League One money. The club is on it's arse at the moment and Sandgaard is taking huge stick. This looks like a desperate attempt to deflect the fire and blame Garner for poor squad he has and lack of depth. He may be reasoning that a new manager bounce (ha ha ha) might get some absentee fans back and help cut the cost of sacking Garner.

If there is no takeover come January, we really are in hot water because I can't see him strengthening the side. The best I can see is a loan or two, possibly funding by moving one or two out on loan. Bonne coming back after the September farce would be the icing on the cake of zero ambition.

Typical too that Sandgaard fires first before thinking about a replacement. Talk of appointing a caretaker manager but that didn't work with Johnnie Jackson and the appointment of ben Garner was a right mess with an on-off, will-he-or-won't-he saga for a few weeks. Sandgaard may have been able to shut Garner up with his pay-off and accompanying NDA but there was no smoke without fire and I suspect the playing budget was a large factor in Garner's hesitancy. He finally spoke out about that a week or so ago but it was too little too late having gone along with Sandgaard's hype about the new recruits and supposedly playing a new style of attacking football. All very much a case of the Emperor's New Clothes.

Kenny Jackett has been out-of-work awhile now. He is experienced and knows this division. He was at Friday's game and I am sure it wasn't because he was lured by the scintillating prospect of watching us play Cheltenham Town. He might be affordable and less risk than going with someone even cheaper who no-one has heard of....but will Sandgaard pay  the going rate in the current climate?