When it comes to the manager's job, clubs are rarely in doubt whether they should, as Ron Atkinson would say, stick or twist. But would it make sense to hold their nerve when things go wrong? Paul Giess gives his opinion on his club Walsall

Twenty-four hours after a struggling Walsall side tamely lay down and died in a local derby at neighbouring West Bromwich on January 20, the club’s owner Jeff Bonser was forced into “the most difficult decision I have ever had to make”. Supporters were left to digest the most difficult news many had ever had to hear as news of Ray Graydon’s dismissal filtered through the local radio and newspapers.

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When it comes to the manager's job, clubs are rarely in doubt whether they should, as Ron Atkinson would say, stick or twist. But would it make sense to hold their nerve when things go wrong? Neil Turton gives his opinion on Barnsley

April 26, 1997 – Barnsley were Premier League, in the Promised Land. And Danny Wilson had taken us there. Five years on seems like a lifetime. We are more or less back where we began, flirting with relegation from the First Division, only with a smartly developed stadium, a wage bill which has trebled for the experience and perhaps a bit of an inflated sense of ourselves. And we have had five managers in as many years.

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When it comes to the manager's job, clubs are rarely in doubt whether they should, as Ron Atkinson would say, stick or twist. But would it make sense to hold their nerve when things go wrong? Joe Boyle has gives his opinion on his club Sunderland

Peter Reid’s Sunderland career is in the balance. That’s if you believe internet polls: a recent one had just over 50 per cent of the 5,000 votes demanding Reid’s head. Questioned about the poll, Reid was unruffled. Criticism came with the territory, he said, and people should not forget the degree of success he had brought the club. Internet-savvy he probably isn’t, but there’s noth­ing wrong with his sense of history.

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In the latest of our series on local rivalries, David Harrison attempts to convince the sceptics that Watford v Luton is as bitter and passionate as they come

Yeah, OK. It’s not exactly The Old Firm, but believe me, it all gets pretty agitated around these parts. It’s a rivalry with no name, which frustrates the hell out of the headline-besotted press. To such a degree that they tried dubbing it, pathetically, “The M1 Derby”.  Just like Arsenal v Leeds then.

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In the first month of 2002 the turnover of managers has shown no sign of slowing down. Andy Lyons meets Bruce Rioch, whose former clubs Derby and Aston Villa have both contributed to the upheaval this year, and he explains his philosophy and reflects on the growing pressure for quick results

When you first go into a club as a manager, do you generally have an idea of how long it will take to do what you think needs to be done?
One of the first things you talk about at a job interview is the length of the contract. Usually it’s two or three years. It’s rarely a five-year deal. If someone offers you two years and it’s a club in the south and you live in the north you might think twice about having to uproot. I’d like to say to a chairman: “What’s your ambition? Let’s look at what you want to achieve.” It might just be staying in Division One or the Premiership. You don't often go in and get the chance to build a club the way you’d want to.

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