Roger Moore scores: Last Manager Standing

So, twelve games in and five managers down. What madness is this?

First it was Bryan Robson, backed in the summer by his Chairman but jettisoned with his team just one point behind ours and sitting easily within striking distance of the automatic promotion places. Robson, remember is the man who guided West Brom to an unlikely survival two seasons ago and laid to rest the ‘bottom at Christmas' myth.

Then, Kevin Blackwell, the man who took Leeds to last season's play-offs explained his excellent relationship with Ken Bates. Exactly the type countless Chelsea managers had with him, no doubt. A few days later, he was looking for employment. And now Leeds are looking down the barrel, not for the first time in their history.

Next, Delia decided it was time for a new recipe at Norwich, despite also backing Nigel Worthington during the summer, and a full fifteen months after relegation.

At West Brom, Robson's hero status garnered him much favour with the fans. Not so Worthington. The man who managed Norwich to the promised-land, but was unable to keep them there (with precious little investment lest we forget) lost the faith of supporters, and his job soon after.

Gary Waddock relinquished his post at QPR to John Gregory, but at least has been retained in his previously successful role on the coaching staff.

But by far the most surprising, however, is the sacking of Paul Sturrock just a few days after signing a brand new four-year contract, and with the seeming full support of Sheffield Wednesday fans. Sheer lunacy. Wednesday is a club where some managers have failed to see out the journey from the gate to their office, such is the frequency with which they're replaced.

Then, there's poor old Steve Bruce. Who would be manager of Birmingham, a city with an inferiority complex bar none? Permanent whingers about failure to land the Millennium Dome, the Olympics or the National Football Stadium, brummies are the epitome of the modern expectation culture.

Like Manchester City fans of old, Blues fans lay claim to ‘big club' status, while refusing to accept that even small London clubs like Charlton and Fulham are now bigger players than Birmingham ever were. And so, they turn on Steve Bruce who must appease not just the fans' aspirations, but their ire at the loss of Pebble Mill as well.

The most erudite among them claim they're unimpressed with his style of play, even though, like Norwich, it resulted in the club's original promotion from the absolute doldrums. How quickly fans forget.

It seems that along with the mahogany table and leather chairs, the panic button is now standard issue in the football boardroom. Some Chairmen claim they only push it at the fans' insistence. Not so the maniacs at the Hawthorns or Hillsborough. In the latter's case, Sturrock was admired by most and another season re-building the fallen giant seemed the limit of fan ambition.

I think, that as with our own former Chairman, the managerial change can often be a smoke-screen to hide wider issues like failure to invest or lack of real strategy to take a club forward. Leeds seems a case in point. You could almost excuse the sacking of Blackwell if Leeds had another, proven manager waiting in the wings.

But if things were bad under Blackwell, they certainly haven't improved without him, because the rudderless team simply appears to be spiralling downwards.

Even when a new broom seems to inspire short-term improvements, all too often the old problems return after a brief honeymoon period when the new man takes over.

This is why, despite mixed results so far this season, I want our board to back George Burley by offering him a new, extended contract at the earliest opportunity.

Firstly, despite some protestations to the contrary, the most successful clubs are those with stable management and George, a relatively young manager, could be with us for years to come.

Second, the welter of available opportunities looks likely to keep growing as panic buttons continue to be pushed with alarming regularity and eventually, someone will come after George. He has a successful track record, after all.

He's been backed – not the dreaded vote of confidence – but seven million votes of confidence, and now is the time to start building the club around his approach. The last time we gave a manager the real freedom to re-build this club it culminated in the most successful period in our history. Why can't we repeat this cycle?

In 1974, when we were last relegated it was with a certain big club who couldn't believe their misfortune. Twenty five years later that club was collecting the Champions' League Trophy. People will say football finances have changed, and few clubs have as much finance as Manchester United.

But one thing has not changed. Managers make football clubs. And now is the time to let George Burley build the kind of club of which we can all be proud again.