League Managers' Association bemoans record number of managers sacked in English football

A record-breaking number of managers were sacked in the top four English divisions in the first half of the football season, according to the League Managers' Association (LMA). Some 29 bosses were dismissed between 1 June and 31 December 2015, which is the most ever at this stage of the season.

The Premier League witnessed the sackings of Brendan Rodgers, Tim Sherwood, Dick Advocaat and title-winning manager José Mourinho, while 10 Championship managers were also fired. "We must continue to shine a light on this issue," said LMA chief executive Richard Bevan, according to the BBC.

"With the hire-and-fire culture engrained within football, it's so difficult to survive for any meaningful length of time in order to learn your trade, learn from mistakes and experiences. Managers must cope with instant judgements and, often, success and failure are rarely that far apart."

Of those managers who have been sacked so far this campaign, they have held their positions for an average of only 1.58 years. What's more, eight of the 29 were first-time managers, suggesting it is increasingly difficult for young coaches to establish their reputations within the game. Bevan has called on club owners to consider all of the factors behind their team's supposed underachievement before deciding to dispense with a manager's services.

"Professional football is the ultimate results-driven business, with owners, boards and supporters' expectation levels going up and up year on year," he said. "Boards need to take a step back and look at their league position compared to resources, squad, stadium capacity, attendances, and compare themselves with other similar clubs."