Curbishley: I will know if it's time to leave

14 April 2012

Alan Curbishley was in his office quietly mulling over a list of management statistics revealing the perilous nature of his chosen profession.

According to the League Managers Association, in the past nine seasons 433 managers have been dismissed. "Of those only 24 are still working as managers at football clubs," said Curbishley. "That's just 5 per cent."

We must assume, then, that the manager of Charlton Athletic is one of the chosen few. In terms of current managerial longevity, his 12 years at Charlton rank behind only Dario Gradi's 20 years at Crewe and Sir Alex Ferguson's 17 years with Manchester United.

"I don't think you'll see managers staying at clubs for as long as that in the future," he said.

"The nature of the game has changed. The demand is for quick success. You don't see a manager getting more than three years in one job if there's no silverware on the sideboard."

Curbishley's reign is an integral part of the Charlton success story in recent years. They are like the corner shop that has successfully fought off the threat from the big conglomerates.

In this modern age of boom and bust in Premiership football, Charlton, happily nestling once again in their own private valley in SE7, are a shining example of sound housekeeping. For example, they haven't had to make a player sale of any significance since collecting £4.3million from Leeds for Danny Mills more than four years ago.

"We run our club properly," said Curbishley with justifiable pride.

"In the last seven years we've won promotion twice and had five seasons in the Premiership. Gates have gone up from 12,000 to 27,000.

"We didn't have to sell Scott Parker or anyone else in the summer. He's now in the England squad. That's a bonus for us because it means we're getting some recognition at last.

"I'm left to run the football side and I don't get too much interference.

We've got a nice training ground and I get a lot of personal satisfaction from helping players improve and develop.

"The club's in the black but I still can't pay the wages the other clubs pay or spend big money on buying players. So, if I have six or seven injured I really have a problem."

Problems or not, the once elegant midfield craftsman for West Ham, Aston Villa and Birmingham has steered Charlton to fourth place in the Premiership. It's not the sort of quirk you sometimes witness in the first few weeks of the season. With a third of their games played, Charlton are fourth on merit. What does it mean? "Realistically, it means we've a good chance of finishing in the top 10," Curbishley said.

Top 10? What about the title? "No chance!" he laughed. "Just threatening the top six would be an achievement for us. The way it's shaping, you have the top three and I think they'll be joined by Liverpool and Newcastle.

"Then you've got a handful of clubs who think they should be next - clubs like Spurs, Aston Villa, Leeds if you like and then perhaps Everton, Manchester City or Southampton.

"They're the clubs with the best support and they appear on TV most. They have the financial foundation to progress. A club like ours, with one of the lowest attendance figures in the Premiership, is roughly where we should be."

Curbishley's realism is to be applauded but I suspect, after all these years of polite, uncomplaining acceptance, he would actually like a taste of life at football's top table. He's 46 and has a blue-chip reputation.

It puzzles me that he can't attract an offer from one of the big Premiership clubs.

Tottenham are the latest to be linked with him. Could he be tempted or has he settled for life in his own private comfort zone?

"There are always rumours when a job is available but I have to be offered something before I can consider it."

My own feeling is that he's taken Charlton Athletic as far as he can. "That may be the case but I honestly don't know," he said. "Perhaps the day will come when I'll be tempted to leave. I'll be driving into work one day and won't fancy it.

"I'll know when that day arrives. If it coincides with a good offer I'll have to make a decision. In the meantime I'm still an up-and-coming manager. I've been an up-and-coming manager years!"

Leicester City v Charlton, Walkers Stadium, tomorrow, 3pm

Curbishley: I will know if it's time to leave

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