September
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Strachan's name was mentioned in the press over the weekend but there is no official confirmation that City have spoken to him. The Sunday papers quote sources close to Sam Hammam say informal talks have taken place while todays local paper say that sources at Ninian Park claim Strachan is not on the list of possibilities.

Sam it would appear wants a highly experienced man to come in and help Cork. Someone to work alongside Cork and help him to become a top manager.

The problem I see is that no one of the character of Gordon Strachan is going to come to a division 2 team to be assistant to a first year manager.

Gordon Strachan is linked to the vacant Scotland job and could be first choice for Birmingham City if Trevor Francis loses his job.

Think about it from Strachan's view point. Manage Scotland? Manage Birmingham City? Be an assistant in the second division?

I think option 3 would be ruled out immediately.

If Sam wants an experienced mentor for Cork then it has to be someone without any more managerial aspirations. A Jim Smith figure, a Don Howe figure someone who's been there and done it.

I feel that if a younger ambitious man were to be brought in it would be the begining of the end of Alan Cork as City No.1.

Rumours heard from friends in Leicester suggest that Dave Bassett reckoned it would have taken him two weeks from his starting at City to oust Cork for the managers job if he had not gone to Leicester. How true that is I don't know.

While we are a club on the up, current league blip considered, we are still second division and to pull a big name to come and coach is a tough job, then to tell him he will be assistant to a man in his first full season of management would make it nigh on impossibble unless the chance of being the manager was clearly a strong possibility.

No disprespect to anyone but I'm trying to face facts.

We are now 17th in the table, one win in 7 games. This time last season we changed manager and went on to get promoted. What will happen this time?

Personally I feel Cork would be better suited to the No.2 role. We have big money players and talented individuals. I think we need a more experienced manager to get the best out of them.