Roy Hodgson, sacked. Sam Allardyce, sacked. Chris Hughton, sacked. It has been far from a happy New Year in the football leagues with an ever increasing tally of high profile managers removed from their jobs part way through the season. In the first week of 2011, P45s were handed to seven managers, three of whom left on the same day.

Some commentators have argued it has become customary for football chairmen to clear out the manager with the Christmas tree, just in time for the January transfers. For former Walsall manager Chris Hutchings, who has lost three jobs in nine years during the festive season, the argument must have a ring of truth.

But is it bad management or bad recruitment? The League Managers' Association has called for the 'off with their heads' mentality to end and a more scientific, business-like approach to the hiring of football managers to be introduced.

"I think there is a culture of acceptable sacking creeping in to football in the same way that  some big businesses are willing to take an expensive risk without looking to the longer term," said Doug Mackay, Managing Director of Collingwood Search and Selection Ltd.

"A successful appointment hinges on an understanding of the needs of the business and careful measuring to assess whether a person is well matched to the organisation's future plans. Short term appointments are short sighted."

When Manchester United appointed a young manager by the name of Alex Ferguson in 1986, the Board had a plan to bring glory to Old Trafford but they knew it wouldn't happen overnight. In fact, it took seven years for that first League title win after what Ferguson has since described as one of the darkest periods of his life, dogged by injury, defeat and poor performance.
 
When Roy Hodgson was ushered through the doors of Anfield in August there was a hunger for the kind of immediate success that had lately eluded his predecessor Rafa Benitez (also sacked by his new club Inter Milan after just six months). However Hodgson's suitability was being widely questioned after only a handful of games.

"It wasn't surprising. The problem may have been that Roy Hodgson wasn't properly assessed against what was really needed at Liverpool and the end result speaks for itself," said Doug.

"Short-term, panic recruitment is rife in the business world with Hiring Managers desperate to fill vacancies and maintain their headcount. All too often, companies fail to invest the time to really evaluate the vacancy and what, and who, will bring positive results to their business."

At Collingwood Search and Selection, headhunting experts say they are continually re-educating Blue Chip Corporations about the importance of knowing what their businesses need with many clients reaping the rewards of Collingwood's Executive Headhunting process.

"Headhunting is powerful and can bring positive impact and stability when you find the right person. A properly developed recruitment process may have prevented a crisis at Liverpool and other clubs in the same way that it does in the world of business," said Doug.