Premiership crowds are down by something like six per cent according to facts and figures recently out.

Too much TV coverage and the cost of following top football teams are among the various reasons given.

But the most disturbing aspect is that people think the quality of the Premiership has dropped in general, with only three teams capable of winning the title.

Worst of all is the hint that a lot of the enjoyment, and particularly the humour, supporters used to experience as part of the match-day ritual is vanishing.

So serious are clubs taking the game of survival nowadays that it has transferred itself to the terraces.

I must admit I didn't watch all of this week's Carling Cup quarter-final between Manchester United and Arsenal. But, basically, it was a game between two reserve sides.

Everyone knew it would be yet still Old Trafford was filled to capacity, with more than 67,000 spectators.

But the atmosphere apparently was more of bitterness than friendship or respect for each other.

In the small bits of the game that I did see, I was amazed at the tension and often the nastiness that some of the young players showed.

We had the ritual crowding of the referee and opponents whenever there was a flare-up and I must say, even though I respect both managers and am also on friendly terms with them, I have to lay a huge proportion of the blame at their doors.

There is no doubt that, as far as what happens on the pitch is concerned, the managers set the scene before the players leave the dressing-room and in the days of training leading up to the fixtures. Directors and chairman cannot be blamed for any of this.

Recently John Barnwell, the chief executive of the League Managers Association, had to circularise all members because of the general concern.

This is what he said.

"Gentlemen, as an association we have very little or no legal power. Our ability to influence the present and future of the game depends to a large extent on our image and the public respect for that image. Everything we say and do is in the public domain these days and clearly this influences people's perception and respect.

"Like our power to influence, our strength is also totally dependent on our collective effort and we are not collective if we seem to be divided by isolated public examples of disharmony and disunity.

"Managers making public disparaging statements about other members, their teams or their clubs do not set the right example. It is against our code of conduct and does nothing to strengthen or maintain our efforts to remain a credible voice in the game."

I agree with John's concerns. The so-called mind games which have started between our high-profile managers in the last couple of years were quite amusing at first, but recently some of the comments have become more personal and bitter with managers quick to point the finger at any opposition player who might have been booked or in their opinion should have been booked.

The game has got to be given back to the referee, in particular for the 90 minutes he's in charge.

Managers such as Brian Clough and myself would warn players against dissent once the first whistle had gone. No one can change a decision and, while accepting it is more about finances, the public, while wanting teams to win things, still deserve an afternoon of enjoyment watching attempts to play good football to talk about with their mates afterwards rather than some of the nastier incidents we are seeing more of.

The new manager at Tottenham, Martin Jol, after only a couple of games in charge, has had a go at John Gregory and Iain Dowie for comments they made acting as TV pundits.

Fair enough if he had agreed that everyone has an opinion, but his words were very personal and out of order.

We also have Mr Mourhino at Chelsea. Not content with pulling away at the top and getting into the semi-finals of the League Cup, he has started to make snide comments.

While we consider Arsene Wenger at the forefront of dropping pearls of wisdom, does this mean it is a foreign thing? I hope it's not something which has been brought in from abroad because the tendency nowadays is for chairmen to be looking more around Europe for their managers and coaches than here at home.

Whatever the reason, let's hope our senior managers listen to the words of John Barnwell and show an example so we can get back to what football is all about - enjoyable to play, manage and watch.