WE are just over half-way through October and the number of clubs and managers parting company shows no signs of abating.

This week, Peter Shreeves was the latest casualty, resigning as manager of Sheffield Wednesday.

But in the last few weeks, even days, we have seen the likes of Peter Taylor and Jim Smith in the Premiership, Shreeves, Trevor Francis and Gordon Strachan in Division One, Jocky Scott and Brian Flynn in Division Two and my Third Division counterparts Tommy Taylor, John Hollins, Gil Prescott, David Webb, Noel Blake and Paul Bracewell all part company with their respective clubs.

It is an amazing and alarming number, especially when you consider 12 months ago people were talking about the need and desire for stability in football clubs.

Why there has been such a high turnover of managers is difficult to call.

It is often said at the time the decision to go is by 'mutual consent', sometimes a manager has decided he has had enough and resigns or he is simply sacked but it is very difficult to know the truth.

Personally, I always think if clubs are going to change a manager the best time is during the summer. He then has chance to bed any new players in and is not playing catch-up.

But certainly at the higher level, there are so many outside influences that can dictate matters or have an affect on a club's decision.

They are no longer just football teams but PLCs and there is so much expectation.

At the end of the day, it is all about trying to improve the players that you have got as well as get the right results and that is not as easy as people think.

As I have stated earlier, it is not always the case that managers are sacked. Sometimes they have decided they have had enough and cannot do any more.

Linked to that of course is the issue of stress which, given what has happened to Liverpool's Gerard Houllier, is very much in the news at the moment.

At this stage, it is not clear whether Houllier's condition is a direct result of stress. It maybe a family condition.

But the League Managers' Association are so concerned about the issue of stress that they hope to set up a specialised clinic.

Ten managers have already been on a pilot scheme, operated by the Wellness Centre in Stockport, to monitor their lifestyle and health. The results will be very interesting.

Certainly, the intensity of management is much greater now.

As I suggested earlier, there are so many new outside influences in the game compared to even just ten years ago.

Everyone wants to win and the higher you go the greater the rewards.

But it is still a basic game and in each season only a certain number of teams can be successful.

But with regards to the issue of stress and football managers, I think a lot of it is self-inflicted and it all comes down to how you manage yourself.

If you are running around and trying to do everything then you will make yourself ill.

I am often asked how I relax and switch off from football. The truth is I do not get away from the game.

Sometimes, I might go for a game of golf but there is a time and place and at the moment I do not think it is appropriate.

At the moment we are certainly going through a bad patch and 'that was the week that was' is an apt phrase to describe the last week when everything came in threes.

We lost 3-2 at home to Exeter, the youth team lost 3-0 to Hartlepool, the reserves lost 3-1 to Scunthorpe and then the first team lost 3-0 at Hartlepool. It was a week to forget.

We can analyse what the problem is - mistakes, young players, injuries etc - but sometimes there is not much point trying to be too analytical.

We are aware of the problems but as Peter Reid said earlier this week sometimes teams just go through these sort of spells.

It is not enjoyable but we will dig in and work through it.