It sounds mercenary and it smacks of rats leaving the sinking ship. But get real, when everyone is bailing out, you don't want to be the last man standing.

It sounds mercenary and it smacks of rats leaving the sinking ship, ... But get real, when everyone is bailing out, you don't want to be the last man standing.

Rats desert a sinking ship.

It is cheering to see that the rats are still around - the ship is not sinking

And you know what happens when a ship gets too many rats on board? It sinks. That's what.

I wondered if a ship had ever really sunk that way.

After taking temporary charge last season he took us from looking down at the fringes of another relegation scrap, to within a kick of getting into Europe.