LEAGUE Managers' Association vice-chairman Frank Clark is stunned by the number of managerial dismissals this season.

Ex-Dell chief Dave Jones was sacked as Wolves manager on Monday - following Saints' Paul Sturrock, Leicester's Micky Adams, and Newcastle's Sir Bobby Robson as another high-profile departures this campaign.

Clark is concerned at the lack of patience among club chairman - despite LMA attempts to encourage stability.

While Clark expected sackings this season, he did not think they would come so early.

"It seems it is happening more often and earlier in the season," he said.

"Just when we think the idea of stability is getting through it seems to have gone out of the window. They are getting knocked back like ninepins.

"They are not given the time. Time and patience are commodities in short supply, and we have had four managers go in the last few weeks. It strikes me as amazing.

"We have tried to educate them (chairmen and owners) about the long-term benefits of stability, but it seems it is not working."

Clark believes the competition to get into the Premiership, and then to excel in it, has increased the managerial casualties.

"There are a number of clubs in the (Coca-Cola) Championship who think they should be up there fighting for promotion, making chairmen anxious and nervous," Clark added.

Such is the difficulty of securing a job as a manager, LMA officials have started a scheme to get sacked bosses working again - even if it means taking a position outside football.

"There has never been a concept of the managerial merry-go-round - it's a myth," said Clark.

"For every 600 managers who lose their jobs only 150 are still in the game. It is not getting any easier.

"We are trying to start a retraining programme,because some of our members have been out of work for some time, and we are talking about retraining courses to get managers back in the game or working outside of the game."

Of Saints' last 11 permanent managers, only TWO are still employed as a full-time boss - Graeme Souness and Paul Sturrock.

Eight - Lawrie McMenemy, Chris Nicholl, Ian Branfoot, Alan Ball, Dave Merrington, Dave Jones, Glenn Hoddle and Gordon Strachan - are not with any club at all.

And Stuart Gray has only been placed in temporary charge of Wolves and must be considered unlikely to take over permanently - especially after they lost 3-1 at Sunderland last night.