Two's company...

"I'm happy here as assistant manager. I'm learning every day, gaining experience. I have no qualms about staying here but it's down to the chief executive, the chairman and of course the new manager. I'm happy here."

Wayne Allison, November 14, 2008, speaking to the Chester Chronicle.

"I wanted to bring people up to date with my situations, as I have now left Chester City. I felt it would be a difficult situation to remain at the club after the change of circumstances, although I must stress that Mark Wright had wanted me to stay on in a coaching capacity and didn't want me to leave."

Wayne Allison, November 16, writing on his blog at mysportsthoughts.com.

Seems to sum up another typical week at the Deva Stadium, really. News of the Chief's depature has come as a mild surprise, and it's sad he didn't stay long enough at the club to carve a name for himself as a potential manager.

But, with the incoming Mark Wright and Steve Bleasdale management team, it appeared to be a case of 'two's company, three's a crowd' and Allison seemed to be the unlucky third wheel.

It's also a shame we never got the chance to see the Chief lace up his football boots and appear for Chester City as a player either. But the best of luck to him for his future - his short tenure at the club didn't get to see much in the way of success on the pitch, but he was popular with the fans.

The continual revolving door seems not to be just limited to managers and assistants, either, with old names potentially making a comeback in the starting XI.

Of course, with numbers limited in the Chester City squad (ever-decreasing attendances resulting in an ever-tighter wage cap mean the squad cannot be too numerous), this could mean outcasts Paul Butler and Tony Dinning could be given another chance to feature.

Not wishing to be unkind, but both will have to produce better performances than the last times they were in a City shirt if they intend to prove themselves worthy of being regular starters.

The acid test for Wright now will be to see if he can ensure City grab a few points before January and, once the transfer window reopens that month, to see who should stay and who should go.

Wright blamed having to sell many key players in the January 2006 transfer window as the main reason for the club's subsequent slump down the table. This is his chance to avenge that, but with the wage cap rule in place, he'll have to do it with one arm tied behind his back...