Cotterill linked again

It's something we are getting used to, and it has all accelerated somewhat since early this year when Leicester parted company with Craig Levein and asked for permission to speak to our manager. That request was turned down by Barry Kilby, as Leicester approached any number of clubs regarding the vacancy, speaking to Luton's Mike Newell and causing Ian Holloway no end of problems at Queens Park Rangers.

Then there was Charlton, and following Iain Dowie's move there it was no surprise to see Steve linked with the Crystal Palace job. Derby apparently wanted him, but when the man from Pride Park was seen on his street he was actually looking for his neighbour, the little man with the rotweiler.

It seemed as if we might have a bit of rest from it all until Glenn Hoddle got the calling to walk out on Wolves. We were told at one point that he was at Molineux having talks when in fact he was out of the country on a family holiday. Probably there was no surprise to see Stoke look elsewhere without his name being mentioned but now it is West Brom, and there are certain to be more.

It's something new for Burnley fans, it is not often we've had a manager linked with other jobs like this, and it is now more than 49 years since a Burnley manager left his job to take up a manager's job at another club, that was when Alan Brown went to Sunderland.

But it won't stop, when the next suitable job becomes free, Steve Cotterill will be linked with that one as well. It's annoying, disruptive and causes unnecessary speculation, although it does bring about some debate.