Owners of soccer clubs and baseball teams – whether Abramovich at Chelsea or John W Henry of the Fenway Sports Group – are not noted for their patience. It is now not only about success but more exactly about the impact of a mediocre season on the bottom line.

There is a certain irony in that Terry Francona, the Cleveland Indians Manager, dumped his former team the Boston Red Sox out of the post-season play offs. The Red Sox parted company with Terry Francona in 2011 after two mediocre seasons. Winning two World Series was not enough to extend his tenure as Red Sox Manager.

My loyalties were divided. I have been a big fan of both the Red Sox and the Indians for twenty five years. My coast-to-coast baseball trip this Summer took me to Cleveland for the very first time – a once blue collar city that still has so much to be proud of.

My trip ended at Fenway Park on 6 July. I got to see David Ortiz (Big Papi) bat in what is his last season before retirement. Commiserations to the Red Sox and their fans.

Best wishes to the Indians and Terry Francona as they go on to play the Blue Jays and then hopefully on further to take the World Series.

Being a die hard Chelsea fan I am used to seeing managers come and go at an alarming rate. By my reckoning there have been some 15 managers in the last twenty years. As with baseball winning trophies is no guarantee of longevity. But there does come a time when team performance dips to such an extent that the axe has to be wielded even if at is at the expense of a trophy winning manager.

Roberto Di Matteo remains one of my favourite Chelsea players and managers – the only manager to lead Chelsea to victory in the European Champions League. Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri and DiMatteo deserved so much better from the club.

Why do successful managers suddenly lose the plot?  And how do unsuccessful managers go about turning things around. It is not solely about having the money to buy the best available talent. It is about winning and retaining the hearts and minds of your players as well as retaining the confidence of the owners. NS