MANAGEMENT in football has many problems, not just on the field but away from it - sometimes, it's alright for players to just get changed and go.

Managers will have to go and deal with, first of all, directors and leadership in the board room, and then journalists asking what's gone wrong and how you feel.

It affects family life, more nowadays than ever, and all managers need a good support network and that comes particularly from their wives or partners.

This has been made very clear to me in the last week or two with some very sad news in the footballing world.

Sir Alex Ferguson has lost his wife Cathy, who has died at 84. They had been married for nearly 60 years, had three children and 12 grandchildren.

Managers need their backing more than most men in the game, but similar to all men coming home from work at the end of a long day.

It was the second bit of sad news in the last month as another footballing legend had also lost his partner. Dave Merrington lost loving wife, Pauline.

Dave, who is a hero here on the south coast, didn't have as long a management career as Sir Alex but Pauline had it all to handle just as well.

Sir Alex used to ring me regularly and if I rang him back, it was always Cathy who picked the phone up first - I think it was her decision on who would be allowed to speak to her husband!

We are so sorry for both legends and the news they have received and we are sure that their supporters will feel the same.

Both men have proved, over the years, how much they loved the game and dedicated so much of their time to it.

That wouldn't have happened if it had not been for the support of their lovely wives. God bless them both.

Getting back to football, I noticed that Wayne Rooney has come back to management in the UK with Birmingham City this week.

The Blues are sixth in the Championship but, for some reason, have sacked their previous manager - John Eustace.

At this stage of the season, that doesn't sit right with me. If it was the bottom six I would understand. They are in the playoffs and could not ask for much more!

When Rooney finished playing in 2021, and having then managed Derby County, I was surprised when he went to take over at Washington DC.

Like most people, I had wondered what happened to Wayne Rooney, who had an excellent playing career but was yet to take off as a manager.

Birmingham will be the biggest challenge he has had so far, in my opinion, but I am sure that all of the experiences he has had here and abroad will have done him some good.

The fact that Birmingham are owned by Americans, with the likes of former NFL player Tom Brady as investors, shows they have been watching him in their home country.

It will be something that all of the Championship division will be looking at, to see how different he may be compared to the last time we saw him playing and managing here.

Youngsters who remember him as an England legend and wanted to speak to him after games more than most will be equally interested in how he reacts to the job now.

Our Southampton eyes will be on him as Blues will be visiting Saints at St Mary's in two weeks, and they will be hoping to challenge Saints to get promoted at the end of the season.

By the time he comes down to St Mary's, he will have had two games already and we will be closer to deciding if he has been the right choice.