RIGHT now Karl Robinson will be licking his wounds wondering how it all went wrong at MK Dons.
He tried everything to lift Dons out of their rut, even calling on SunSport columnist and old pal Ian Wright to help out his shot-shy strikers in what would be his final week.
But cheer up Robbo, you had a bloody good innings – and the stats prove it.
I have crunched the numbers (geek that I am) for managers in the three tiers below the Premier League and they make for staggering reading — even in the barmy current climate.
As of today, the average lifespan of an EFL manager stands at one year and 130 days.
In League One, where Robinson last managed, the figure is one year and 79 days, while in League Two it is a slightly better one year and 130.
But when it comes to the Championship, it is a bloodbath with the average incredibly less than a year — just 351 days. Trigger-happy owners who seem to have their fingers on the panic button from the moment they appoint a new manager is obviously key.
Twenty-five per cent of bosses being axed already this season proves that. Long-term reigns of the likes of Robinson, who lasted six years and five months, have skewed those figures — but those are dying out.
Bosses today are hostages to the minuscule attention span of modern society, where fans get bored easily and often want change for change’s sake. Just consider the top ten current longest-serving managers in professional football.
Four of them have been under intense pressure of late with supporters calling for new blood.
Fans have voted to ask Exeter City to renegotiate the contract of Paul Tisdale — who has bossed the Grecians for over a decade.
Mick McCarthy is enduring his toughest spell at Ipswich with Town supporters fed-up of the lack of goals and entertainment – despite the 57-year-old working miracles on a shoestring budget.
Yes, the football ain’t great right now but do not forget this is a man who took the Tractor Boys to the play-offs two years ago with his main outlay £100,000 on Freddie Sears – so surely he has some credit in the bank.
Keith Hill looked in trouble until Rochdale’s recent revival, while #WengerOut seems to trend on Twitter every time Arsenal have a hiccup.
When it come to management, the old adage of familiarity breeding contempt is as relevant as ever.
But at least Robbo can take comfort in knowing he has done more than enough to get another job — and probably one before Christmas.
Where Alan Stubbs and Paul Trollope go from here with their managerial reputations shot to pieces is anyone’s guess.
No wonder the likes of Wrighty and Robbie Savage do not fancy swapping their warm, comfy pundit’s chair for the perilous dugout where a week’s bad results can put you in football Siberia forever.
SCOTT HOGAN has scored more Championship goals than anyone else in 2016.
Unsurprisingly, the 15-goal forward is a wanted man. But any club looking to prise Jamie Vardy’s former Halifax team-mate from Brentford will have to pay top dollar.
The Bees want at least the £15million it took Aston Villa to buy Jonathan Kodjia from Bristol City in August.
LUTON boss Nathan Jones is fast gathering admirers.
The Welshman, 43, has impressed since leaving Brighton for Kenilworth Road in January, and has whipped the Hatters into one of the fittest sides in League Two.
His work has caught the attention of Huddersfield, who were eyeing Jones as a back-up plan when David Wagner was being linked to Villa.
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GOAL
LAWRIE WILSON fired home an acrobatic thunderbolt in Bolton’s 3-1 victory over Port Vale at the Macron.
The versatile star had an affectionate chant of, ‘He used to be s**** but now he’s all right’ at old club Charlton — and he was certainly on the money with this howitzer.
PLAYER
WE need to talk about Kevin van Veen of Scunthorpe after another terrific display.
It included a sublime bit of skill for his 43rd-minute strike to help the Iron stomp Swindon 4-1.
HORROR SHOW
NORWICH keeper Michael McGovern blundered for the opener in the 5-0 hammering at Brighton — and was partly to blame for two others.
Euro heroics with Northern Ireland seem long ago.
BLOOD CURDLING
BARNSLEY ace Sam Winnall looked like Terry Butcher — or a victim from a scary movie — as he was covered in blood after a nasty clash against Bristol City.
REF GAFFE
HOW referee James Linington did not send off Derby’s Ireland defender Richard Keogh for handling on the line in the 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday only he will ever know.
PERFORMANCE
FULHAM earned their biggest home win in four years to put high-flying Huddersfield to the sword in a hugely- impressive 5-0 rout.
The Cottagers are behind the play-off pack in 11th.
PROTEST
A SECTION of Blackburn fans turned up for the Wolves draw on 18 minutes and left on 75 — a reference to the year the club was formed — to vent their anger at hapless owners, the Venky’s.
BRAVE SOULS
PITY the 66 Crawley fans who made the 696-mile round trip to Carlisle — only to see their team go 3-0 down before half-time.
At least Town did grab a last-minute consolation.
FREAK COLLISION
REFEREE Kevin Johnson was carried off in a neck brace after colliding with Plymouth’s Jimmy Spencer.
His assistant took over duties and 17 minutes of injury time were played.
TALKING POINTS
JUST how long does Philippe Montanier have left at Forest after his eighth loss in 15 games?
The French boss seems to be on borrowed time.
And are Leyton Orient heading out of the EFL altogether — after coming close to the Championship only a few years ago? The struggling O’s are second bottom of League Two.
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