Craig Levein's stock in the game has recently taken an almighty tumble. His unusual tactical set-up in an important international match attracted peer and public ridicule, and yet he was a popular choice to be the Scotland manager. An improved performance against Spain has given him a temporary boost, but the debacle in the Czech Republic wasn't just a mistake, it was the gaffe of a novice.
Levein is articulate, intelligent, single-minded and determined, and yet his reputation has been dealt a severe blow. Perhaps it will recover, but his Czech aberration highlighted a problem that clubs and football associations face every time they select a new manager: it's almost a lottery trying to select the right man.
The manager is probably the most important figure at a club. If he's good, his club will likely advance, but if he's poor, it may struggle and falter, however acquiring a good manager is a difficult task in itself.
A good lawyer is a good lawyer; a good doctor is a good doctor and a good teacher is a good teacher, but the status of managers can change quickly according to the vagaries of the game and the whims of the moment.
There are no professional qualifications for managers to assure prospective employers of their worth, and coaching badges and certificates don't particulary impress club chairmen - or anyone else. I've yet to hear of someone failing an officially-sanctioned coaching course.
As fans, we give forthright opinions on who should be employed, as well as advice on who should be body-swerved, but we really don't know how effective a manager will be when he arrives at our door. The level of optimism that greeted the arrival of PLG was staggering, and yet this popular choice was destined to fail.
Sir Alex Ferguson has flourished in the job, but few imagined in his early managerial days that he would become a legend in the game. Ally McCoist will be the Rangers manager in less than twelve months and while some of us are optimistic about his prospects, many have concerns about his suitability, but the reality is that we have no clue as to how good or bad he will actually be.
Pundits in the game talk up "promising young managers" but this is often a sympathetic summation rather than an analytical assessment. John Hughes was one such example, and yet he recently parted company with his employer. He'll be hoping for an early opportunity to prove himself all over again.
People wonder why ex-players are prepared to take on management jobs, but the financial rewards are considerably better than in mundane occupations away from the sport, even if job security is largely absent. A few respectable seasons in the domestic game and a year or two at a decent-sized English club will keep the wolf from the door long after the curtain comes down on a career in football management.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves if football management is in the right hands. As supporters, we are a fickle bunch, but so too are chairmen and chief executives. We demonstrate an eagerness to get our man, and then want him removed when we discover that his prowess as a player is as good an indicator of management ability as a dishwasher being expected to succed, almost overnight, as a chef. When he leaves, by mutual agreement of course, the chairman then seeks out another ex-player to don the managerial blazer.
Then there's the "show us your medals" brigade of professional footballers which insists on having ex-pros in charge because only a former footballer is worthy of their respect. This limits candidates for management positions to a group of people who have probably had a limited education; who know little else other than the incestuous world of football; who may have been cosseted and protected from the real world, and who are inclined to employ friends as assistants rather than people who will be of real value to them.
Is it possible that our professional game would be better served if we opened up management positions to a wider, better-educated and enthusiastic public? Could it be that the "jobs for the boys" culture in football is holding the game back?
Maybe the near-closed shop mentality that is rife in the game needs to end. The time may have come to bring in new methods, a fresh approach - and some new blood.