ALEXANDER WARY OF PITFALLS

AS Jack Ross was being handed his P45 by Hibernian yesterday, along the M8 Graham Alexander was receiving the Glen’s Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month award for November. While Easter Road chief executive Ben Kensell cited ‘a prolonged run of poor results in the league’ for relieving Ross of his duties, Motherwell chief Alan Burrows was, in stark contrast, waxing lyrical about his manager. ‘Huge congratulations to Graham on the trophy, the third time he’s won it in the last five awards,’ Burrows wrote on Twitter. ‘He also becomes the first non-Old Firm manager to win three in the same calendar year since the awards began 21 years ago.’ Yet despite his star currently shining bright, Alexander refuses to cast his gaze any further forward than Sunday’s match at Celtic Park. ‘The long-term goal is to win the next game. That’s the reality,’ he said. ‘My short-term goal is getting to my office without falling over!’

The reason for this guarded approach? The fact that being flavour of the month does not protect you for long in an often brutal business. Just ask Ross, who only 18 days before his sacking was celebrating in front of jubilant Hibs fans at Hampden after beating Rangers 3-1 to reach the Premier Sports Cup final. Or ask Alexander himself. He led Salford City into the English Football League only to be sacked in October 2020 after five unbeaten games in League Two. It was a decision Salford co-owner and ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville later described as a mistake. ‘What has happened with Jack, I have been the victim of it myself,’ said Alexander. ‘It is how the business is — and I hate calling it a business as it is a sport, but it’s become that way. ‘As managers we are well aware of the pitfalls. But it still doesn’t make it any easier or fairer. You just have to roll with the punches.’