The Championship is many things, but forgiving it is not. The average tenure of a manager has dropped significantly over the last decade and Championship clubs are more ruthless than most. Every job carries an element of risk, but taking on a role midway through the season comes with added jeopardy.
That didn't deter Liam Manning though, when Bristol City came calling last November. The 38-year-old is regarded as one of the EFL's most progressive young coaches, and has played an expansive brand of football throughout his fledgling coaching career. Others in the Championship last year - such as Joe Edwards and Ian Foster - were stung by the reality of inheriting a squad, warts and all, months into the season.
For both, it proved terminal. Manning was more fortunate after guiding City to mid-table respectability - but he is under no illusions about what could have been. "I think some teams in the Championship ended up having three or four managers last year, so it's obviously a very difficult industry to come in and get your ideas across straight away.
It's not easy [coming in mid-season]," Manning tells Mirror Football . "I think when you analyse it, the word philosophy gets bandied around a bit these days but the average tenure of a football league manager these days is down to around 35-40 games. That's potentially just one transfer window.
" He continues: "Last season was the highest [league finish] for the club in quite a while and it's now about bettering that. "Last year,.