Barely a year after he arrived Jason Dodd is leaving.
It would be true to say that most Saints fans wish Jason Dodd well as he leaves St Mary's for the second time in three years, the truth is though that whilst many have fond memories of him as a player in a career that spanned 15 years in the first team, it was a case of wrong time for his return as first team coach.
When he arrived from Eastleigh last summer he had only six months experience as a manager for the Stoneham Lane club, and whilst he had steered them to a respectable mid table position, the fact was that this hardly gave him the experience to suddenly become first team coach.
In truth he should have been working with the academy and learning his trade and being blunt as George Burley appeared to lose the plot and then finally left he was found wanting as he took over the first team reigns alongside John Gorman who also joins him in departing.
I think most Saints fans would have liked to have seen him retained in some capacity, but the problem is that having been in a position of power, it would be hard for him to step down, it was wrong to appoint him a sfirst team coach, just as much as it is wrong to see him go again, unfortunately though two wrongs dont make a right and cuts have to be made.
Why he was appointed last year is a mystery, yes George Burley needed a right hand man, but he needed someone with experience and not a rookie, unfortunately someone decided that Dodd being a resepected ex player might rally the fans, disapointed in a series of departures from St Mary's.
That proved completey the wrong call and Jason finds himself back in the non league wilderness, although with Saints on his CV it might make it easier for him to find a coaching job in the lower leagues.
Had he not been appointed last year and things might have been different, another year at Eastleigh would have given him that much more experience and in Saints coaching reshuffle he might well have been a good choice to bring into the academy coaching structure and at the right price for Saints, if that had happened then maybe Dodd would have been on a career path at the club and worked his way up as he learnt his trade, who is to say that he wouldnt have been manager in his own right one day.
However thats all conjecture, his career with Saints looks to be ended, whether the door at St Mary's is slammed shut in the future who knows, but events of the last year have definately stalled it.