GORDON STRACHAN has attacked the 'blame culture' which he says has come to engulf football and place huge extra strain on managers.

West Ham boss Glenn Roeder collapsed on Monday following his side's match against Middlesbrough after suffering a minor stroke, while other high-profile managers, such as Graeme Souness, Gerard Houllier, Joe Kinnear and Barry Fry, have all previously suffered heart problems.

Although Strachan stresses he is currently enjoying life at St Mary's, he has already endured the highs and lows during almost seven years in management at Coventry and Saints.

He said: "You cannot imagine how a manager feels unless you have been a manager, you can't even try and imagine it.

"The only good side for me is coaching players, the football side - making players better."

Strachan has admitted that when things are going badly as a manager, it can be hard to sleep with the 24/7 pressure of trying to find the right balance in a team.

"It does affect you, like everything in life," he said. "The more stressful it becomes, then it's harder to get a good night's sleep."

Strachan is renowned for his passionate approach to the game and animated touch-line presence, but also his attention to keeping fit and healthy.

Despite the plight of Roeder, he doubts the culture of attacking managers will change.

He said: "I hear it all the time from reporters and on Sky Sports News saying that what has happened brings the game into perspective. I think it's just words - the media don't change a bit.

"They still go for the manager, they still criticise him, I think it's just words, I don't think they change a bit. They still have their phone-ins, Sky attack people and then people come in and attack them.

"It will be the same next week, someone else will have dog's abuse - the lot.

"There will be phone-ins, should he go? should he stay? 'he's useless', says one ex-player.

"We just carry on the same way and there's a blame culture in football - you have to blame somebody because it seems good fun.

"But it's not good fun if you are at the end of it, that's for sure.

He added: "People say put it into perspective, but we forget about it half-an-hour later and we are onto the next 'silly' manager."

Saints today face Charlton at The Valley and Strachan paid tribute to Alan Curbishley's men.

He said: "They will play the same no matter what, whether they are winning or losing so you know what you are going to get with Charlton.

"They are honest, well organised and we know if we don't play well we will get beat.

"We have got great respect for them the coaching staff and the players and we like to think that we are in the same honest group as them."