When you hear about a manager parting company with a club, he has usually either been sacked or has resigned, but there are actually lots of different ways you can leave.
Over the years I spent working at every level of the game in England, from the bottom to the top, I have witnessed and been involved in many break-ups.
Some are smooth but others are far more fractious and don't happen face-to-face. I've witnessed managers being sacked over the phone or by text, or hearing they are losing their job by word of mouth.
One of the most soul-destroying times for a manager is when speculation is rife regarding not only your imminent sacking, but also about who is going to replace you.
During my career, I've known certain individuals who actually put their names forward for jobs before a manager is even sacked. Some go to the club involved through agents, some directly to the owners themselves.
Many managers are sounded out before eventually being appointed and another policy which has become popular with clubs is to drop names out to the press about possible replacements, to see the supporters' reactions to the names in the frame.
For the manager who is still in place, and whose stress levels are through the roof, it is devastating...
