BEING A GAFFER IN THE SPL IS A LIFE OF SHEER HELL

THE SPL is hardly acting as a great advert for those hoping to get involved in the crazy world of football management.

At Hearts, head coach Valdas Ivanauskas is on sick leave after being pushed to the brink by the insane pressure at Tynecastle.

On Tayside, Dundee United are getting the knives out for Craig Brewster.

And just three months into the new season Dunfermline have already made a quick change of leadership after Jim Leishman decided to step down from the hot seat.

It's a fierce and brutal business.

And it will soon be the turn of John Hughes or Gus MacPherson to take the flak if Falkirk and St Mirren slip further down the table.

Maurice Malpas has already felt the knives in his back from fans at Fir Park but has slowly got his team back to winning ways.

Everyone calls for patience but in the cut-throat world of the SPL it's about survival.

Drop out of the top flight and it's a financial disaster. The idea of re-grouping and getting back at the first attempt is unthinkable.

That's why the best chance of survival in management is having a strong relationship with your chairman or owner.

Take Hibs for example. They haven't won anything since 1991 and although they reached the CIS Cup Final under Bobby Williamson the fans didn't like his style.

Under Tony Mowbray they still didn't win anything but the supporters loved his football philosophy and turned up in their droves. Crucially, Rod Petrie got that appointment spot on and he's under pressure to find a suitable replacement now Mogga has left for West Brom.

The Edinburgh club should be looking for a man with similar qualities - someone who can work primarily with young players and has an eye for developing talent.

Even after selling Garry O'Connor to Lokomotiv Moscow and seeing Derek Riordan and Gary Caldwell join Celtic, Hibs still play great stuff.

With the players at his disposal the new gaffer could compete for third spot and a place in Europe.

But a word of caution. Mowbray's successor will know that - short of winning a trophy - the supporters will turn against him as soon as the entertainment value slips.

He won't be given time in a transitional period and that's when the chairman has to be strong.

However, it's something you don't see much of in the game.

On the other side of the city Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov couldn't possibly employ a successful manager. Anyone who gets more media attention than him simply wouldn't last.

Romanov craves the spotlight. When his team enjoy success he will be there singing and dancing in the directors' box and having his picture taken with the side.

Following Scottish Cup success last season he made sure he was the one photographed parading down Princes Street with the trophy.

Romanov is the type of guy who will do anything to deflect attention away from what he actually told the fans when he took over.

Redeveloping Tynecastle, buying quality players and employing a world class manager? What happened?

The harsh reality is Hearts aren't as good as last season and the players have finally realised Romanov's meddling is damaging the club.

Friday's statement by skipper Steven Pressley summed up the unrest.

He claimed the players haven't received the backing of those running the club and that morale was at a new low in the dressing-room. But they're powerless to alter the ways of the man in charge. Too much of a protest and Romanov will have them axed.

Despite the massive investment in wages Hearts will do well to finish third given their huge problems behind the scenes.

At Tannadice, chairman Eddie Thompson thought he'd finally found a saviour in Brewster.

But I still believe the man who scored the winning goal in the 1994 Scottish Cup final is a far better player than he is a manager.

Brew has shown some naivety by making defeatist post-match comments, something Thompson finds unacceptable, and losing 5-1 to Falkirk yesterday looks the final straw.

Given the resources at Tannadice, United should be challenging for Europe not battling the drop.

Success for Dunfermline? If there's a good investment in youth the Pars are more than capable of holding their own in the top flight.

At Pittodrie, my guess is the relationship between Willie Miller and Jimmy Calderwood is strong.

Losing to amateurs Queen's Park in the CIS Cup was a horrible result but Miller showed faith in his manager by ensuring he got a new contract.

Aberdeen, like United, will always be compared to their achievements in the 1980s. But these days competing for a place in Europe is realistic.

To get there a manager needs strong people who believe in him.

Taken from the Sunday Mail