Roberto Di Matteo sacked - poor decision, poor timing.

Robert Di Matteo today has been sent to water the flower beds as he was placed on gardening leave by West Bromich Albion this morning, a decision which came out of the blue, and a decision I don't agree with.

Manchester City beating the baggies 3-0 has put an end to the management of Di Matteo. In which he helped the club bounce back from the departure of Tony Mowbry, winning promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt. In his first season as a Premier League manager he was named manager of the month for September, noteable results include a 3-2 victory against Arsenal and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

A 13th defeat in 18 games has sealed his fate. A punishment for trying to play football the 'proper way'. The next 4 games are all winnable. Home to West Ham and a black country derby with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and away days to Stoke and Birmingham. Di Matteo was also put forward as a potential candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea. Now he is deemed surplus to requirements at the Hawthorns. West Brom have not been in the Relegation zone since August.

The timing is all off too. With the transfer window closed now until the summer, if a managerial change was in the chairman's mind he would of done it in January giving the new manager an opportunity to strengthen a team in bad form.

LMA Chief Executive Richard Bevan was critical of the decision to sack Di Matteo:

"Roberto represents yet another victim of the 'hire and fire' mentality that pervades in our game," 

"The club has big games ahead, against Wolves and West Ham, and you have to question the decision to sack the manager. It is in exactly situations like these that we all want to see clubs back the individuals they have employed rather than see the sack as a quick fix.

 "In West Brom's case that means showing support and loyalty to the manager that brought the club automatic promotion back to the Premier League last season, at the first time of asking, and was the league's manager of the month only four months ago.

"Anyone who knows Roberto well will know he is an intelligent, committed and talented football man who has proved himself as both a player and a manager. Without a doubt he has the ability to turn around recent results and maintain West Brom's position outside of the bottom three."

I hope Di Matteo lands a top job soon, his philosophy of the game is one to be admired, and with a good playing squad, Roberto could be a top manager.