This will divide supporter opinion but I believe it was the first step needed to affect the real change we have to see. Sandgaard dithered over Bowyer and left it too late with Adkins last year. Jackson's bounce earned him the job until the end of the season but the last few months have been painful to watch. Unable to get two performances in-a-row and stuck with a 3-5-2 formation that everyone else could see wasn't helping us win games. Bottom-line for me was that he couldn't motivate these players from one week to the next and his comments after Saturday's game set alarm bells ringing. There will be voices saying he 'wasn't given enough time' but he has been here for years was assistant to Bowyer and Adkins.
I am pleased Sandgaard has acted so swiftly and am surprised at the same time that he has been bold enough to do it. I thought he would maintain the status quo with Jackson who was clearly angling for more modest player change going forward. The new manager will be another risk but one worth taking in my mind given the anticipated squad rebuilding. I have been having nightmares of watching the same football in October, with the same formation and a side with the same core of players getting the same results. This club has to be competing for promotion next season or it will suffer a major downgrade next season in terms of the supporter base and our diminishing profile in London (if we haven't already).
Sandgaard now needs to back his decision by supporting the new manager in the transfer market. We need to be much closer to what champions Wigan did in the transfer market last Summer. If he does that and we don't make it, at least we can say he tried everything.
