He lasted eleven months in his last posting – an eternity as it happens in the mad, crazy world of Cologne who have enjoyed 26 managers in a smidgeon over 20 years.

Christophe Daum’s near three-year reign to mid- 2009 – his second spell – worthy of a gold watch.

Although the vultures weren’t in any way said to be starting to circle, or indeed evening sharpening their talons, they were perhaps beginning to squint their eyes just a touch in the direction of Wolverhampton. Before the win over Leicester, Wolves were, after all, in the bottom two.

Madness, of course, that four games into a season one should even be tapping out such words. But it’s ‘The Sack Race’. Coventry City lifted the honours with their dismissal of Andy Thorn, closely followed by Chesterfield’s John Sheridan.

Kenny Dalglish was the 37th boss to leave his post across the four leagues last season and the sixth in the top-flight following Villa’s Alex McLeish, Steve Bruce, Neil Warnock, Mick McCarthy and Andre Villas-Boas. Nigel Adkins is a firm favourite to become the first casualty this campaign, followed by Mark Hughes and Brendan Rodgers.

Harry Redknapp, McCarthy, Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez and Laurent Blanc are all waiting in the wings.

In the Championship Darren Ferguson and Paul Jewell have shot ahead of Owen Coyle and Nigel Pearson. As for Stale Solbakken? He is already talking about a ‘project’ rather than targets. A clear inference of a long-term plan rather short-term success. So is the Norwegian surprised by the lack of time a managers gets in England?