Flying Scotsman?

There are some fairly 'soft' rumours in the media about the possibility of Curbs taking the Rangers job in the event that Alex McLeish is given the boot. The mere fact that McLeish is still in the job surely makes the mere discussion virtually pointless, but I can't help thinking Curbs may be more tempted than some fellow Addicks suspect.

Curbs has one of the safest jobs in football - it is hard to envisage any near-term scenario whereby he would get sacked, relegation included (even successive relegations). He is well-paid and has a phenomenal relationship with the board and fans (though even Charlton fans have been shown to be fickle, myself included). However there must be a ongoing sense that he may have taken the club as far as he can (which to be fair is further than most of us ever dreamed possible). One can take a look at the League table and rightly say that European qualification (even Champions League) is a realistic prospect, but the Everton experience may have made him realise how quickly that euphoria can disappear. Moreover the UEFA Cup increasingly comes over like a slightly more prestigious version of the infamous Anglo-Italian Cup, and the crowds aren't much bigger either.

The Scottish League is of course a joke. Hearts are at least making some inroads into the Rangers/Celtic domination, but their treatment of George Burley and subsequent appointment of Graham Rix suggests it will be short-lived. Only four League games matter, and they're played in an atmosphere of religious hatred. However, it's human nature to want to be loved - if he made a success of things, won the title and maybe led them to some reasonable performances in the Champions League, he would get more personal admiration than any success at Charlton (so long as he stayed away from the Catholic areas). It's like a 'free option' (to coin a financial term) - if he fails, his long-term success at Charlton will ensure he won't spend long out of the game - if he succeeds, then the financial and personal rewards are potentially enormous. Just look at Martin O'Neill who is being tipped for the England job.

I'd always thought that from a career standpoint, Curbs may have become a victim of his own success. By turning Charlton from a basket-case into a top ten club, he has essentially narrowed down to just a handful the number of clubs to which he might consider a move. Unfortunately for him, he is still considered an old-fashioned 'English-style' manager, when the fashion at the biggest clubs is for Continental managers in sharp suits and sexy accents. Hence with the exception of perhaps the jobs at Newcastle, Liverpool or Spurs, there aren't any jobs in England that he is likely to get offered or would take.

Do I expect him to go? No. Would I want him to go? Of course not. But we shouldn't discount the possibility of him becoming tempted.