Slaven’s a decent man who doesn’t deserve this treatment

Anyone remember those old westerns when the guy was chased out of town and then hunted by a posee determined to either shoot him or hang him?

That was my first thought after reading a terrific piece by Paul Walker on www.kumb.com who made his sympathies for the manager very clear.

Now, I don’t agree with every word Paul – a mate and long-term journalistic colleague has written – but his central point that a very decent human being should never be treated in such a way over such an extended period is spot on.

Let me ask you: Were you to be threatened publicly with the sack, told you are useless and effed and blinded on social network at every turn how would you respond?

Probably in like manner – I know I have and may I say regretted it deeply given that those who behave in such a way simply aren’t worth it.

Slaven cannot react at all apart from delivering some sort of pre-match fodder for the reporters only to then find himself accused of talking too much.

Paul makes many salient points in his piece at  http://kumb.com/article.php?id=4032 where centrally he says that no human being should be treated this way. He’s right.

Slav is being hung out to dry by the club. I won’t argue against his departure should it happen and when it does I can’t imagine he’ll do anything but breathe a huge sigh of relief and move on with his life.

But he’s gonna carry plenty of scars in a situation where there’s no end in sight. As Paul says: “Essentially he’s not being kept on for two more games but until a suitable replacement is found.”

Let’s be honest if that is the case Slav is unable to do anything about it other than to resign and lose out on his compensation.

Whether you believe of his managerial abilities are poor or that he deserves the sack or not is immaterial.

What we should all be able to agree on surely is that no person in the world deserves to put in such a situation.

His interview after Saturday’s defeat was that of a man worn down by regular sniping and threats to his job week in week out.

I believe it’s time for him to go but he deserves better than this and the club need to ensure he can do so in a decent and dignified manner which befits him.