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Build-up to the big one
By James Beattie Southampton striker and BBC Sport Online columnist

Peter Reid this week became the unfortunate winner - or should that be loser - of the Premiership sack race.

Sunderland became the first Premiership team to give their manager the heave-ho on Monday, although the first sacking was a little later this season than in past years.

It was about this time last year that we went through a similar experience when Stuart Gray was sacked and Gordon Strachan was appointed.

It goes without saying that it's a traumatic experience for the manager himself when he is fired.

Peter Reid (right) and assistant Adrian Heath
Reid and assistant Adrian Heath were sacked
But the sacking of a manager affects players in different ways.

Those who were in the team and playing will be sorry to see him go, even though they may have been instrumental in getting him the sack.

It's normally poor results that get managers the sack, so perhaps those in the team regularly will feel a little guilty and bear some of the responsibility.

Those players who weren't in the team and were perhaps frozen out might well be glad to see the back of him!

I'm sure there are Sunderland players who are going through those exact emotions this week.

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Some of them will be genuinely sorry at Peter Reid's dismissal. Others will be pleased and see it as their chance to get back in the team.

Because it's always the way that when a manager is sacked, another takes his place.

The transition can be a bit smoother if the new manager is an internal appointment.

When Stuart Gray took over following Glenn Hoddle's departure to Tottenham it wasn't too difficult for us players to adjust to.

Stuart had been first-team coach and we all knew him, the way he operated and what he wanted from us.

When a new man comes in from outside it has an electrifying effect on players

James Beattie

But when Gordon replaced him, it was a different story.

When a new man comes in from outside it has an electrifying effect on players, who know that everyone starts with a clean slate.

Those players who weren't in the team under the old manager will take heart from the fact they have a chance to impress the new man.

There is a fear among the players in the team that the new man may not fancy them, so they also step things up, both in training and on the pitch.

The net result is that the new manager is a lucky man in having a bunch of players who are fired up and keen to impress him. The same group of players whose performances produced the results that got the last man fired!

It's no small surprise that results show a dramatic improvement on the appointment of a new manager.


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