Reading FC: Jaap Stam explains why changing managers all the time does not bring success

Three more managers in the division have lost their jobs in the past seven days after Norwich City axed Alex Neil, Steve McClaren left Derby County and Warren Joyce parted company with Wigan Athletic just four months into the role.

To put that into context, since the Championship's longest-serving manager Mick McCarthy took up his post at Ipswich Town four years and 135 days ago, a staggering 88 different bosses have been sacked in the division.

Norwich City have parted company with Alex Neil.

In fact, only three current Championship managers have completed a full season at their club.

The trio are Preston's Simon Grayson, Brighton's Chris Hughton and Carlos Carvalhal at Sheffield Wednesday, the side Royals face tomorrow night in a play-off six-pointer at Hillsborough (7.45pm ko).

But Stam believes such brutal treatment of managers rarely brings success.

He stated: “You can change things but is it always good? You sack managers and certain clubs have already done it twice this season.

“But did they get results by sacking a manager and bringing in a new one? I don't think so.

“It's something that happens over here and you have to deal with it. But if you want to build a team and you want to get somewhere, sacking the manager is not the way to do it.

“Yes, you may get a reaction for a couple of games because players want to prove themselves to the new manager.

“But it is not always the right solution.”

Ipswich Town's Mick McCarthy is the longest-serving manager in the Championship and eighth longest in the top four divisions.

Reading are not immune from pulling the trigger themselves after axing Nigel Adkins (December 2013), Steve Clarke (December 2015) and former promotion-winning boss Brian McDermott (May 2016) in the two-and-a-half years before appointing Stam in June 2016.

The 44-year-old ex-Manchester United defender has been at the helm for a mere 276 days, but is already the 50th longest-serving boss out of all 92 Premier League and Football League club.

And the Dutchman believes managers in this country get far less time to make they mark than those working abroad.

“I think it's worse in England, but I don't know why,” he argued. “Managers do get sacked in other leagues but not as quickly as in the Championship.

“Managers always get another job and sometimes it's good for them to get the sack because they get a better job next time.

“It's a merry-go-round and it happens. You even see managers get the sack, then get a chance somewhere else, then get sacked again and then find another team after that.

“Clubs do that without giving somebody else a chance.”

Former promotion-winning Reading boss Brian McDermott lasted just six months in the job during his second spell with the club.

Stam added: “Clubs often think if they get an experienced manager in they will do well, but that's never a guarantee either.

“That's how it goes in the Championship and you can't do anything about it, you just have to get on with your job and try and get results.

“If you don't, you know what might be coming.”

He continued: “The funny thing when a manager is sacked it's news for like an hour, then you just look to the next one.

“If a manager loses three or four games in a row people start talking about the sack. It's not the easiest job to be fair.

“Everyone has their say on what you need to do at a club, but it's very difficult to have an honest opinion unless you know the club or work for the club.

“But that's also part of football and it keeps it interesting.”

Stam, though, also stressed: “It's very important for a club to have consistency if you want to achieve something.

“You need people in their roles to build something. It's the same with the team, if you keep selling players you need to start from scratch all the time and you are never going to get anywhere.”