Bangor City's manager, Craig Harrison, can't win.
Literally. It's four games on the trot now; three in the league and one in the cup. At least this time they salvaged a draw from a losing position so that's something.
But he can't win either because it's well-known that City have - by some distance - the biggest budget in the league. It's something he's had before; he was at the helm of the franchise for six seasons during which they won the league every time plus quite a few cups and the odd win in Europe.
The close-season signings seemed OK - a bunch of experienced, take-no-shit bruisers supplemented by some exciting young talent. Just what the doctor ordered, really. And there were a trio of wins to kick it all off. Easy.
But football isn't like that. Harrison left the franchise to take over at Hartlepool, close to his Gateshead hometown and not far from one of his clubs, Middlesborough. It was a tug-at-heartstrings type of job, and the newly-relegated Conference Premier League side were a different proposition. They had no money, were on a downward spiral and right up against it. Sure, it was a test of anyone's management, and he even won a Manager of the Month award in October, 2017. But with finances crumbling and supporter bail-outs needed, the job proved a step too far. Whether any other manager could have done better is debatable, and 10 wins from 36 isn't all that bad under the circumstances. He left in Feb 2017 and Pools were relegated to the National League at the end of that season.
Fans watching from afar, not least at Nantporth, had an 'I Told You So' moment: without the huge advantages several years on the spin of Europe gets you, without the full-time vs. part-time stuff, in a proper challenge - well. The facts are there for all to see.
So when it all went tits-up last season and Bangor failed the license, that team broke up. Managerless, too, City were staggering about with all the grace of a punch-drunk, drunkenly-punched retired bare knuckle fighter now reduced to arguing in the kebab shop at 2AM about salad.
Harrison was drafted in. On paper, the most successful manager in Welsh domestic football (yes, I know, I know) and with a 27-game unbeaten run from the start of one particular season, a world-record holder.
On paper, on paper, on paper.
So here they are, my former club, with a hugely expensive side paid for by... well, whatever... and nowhere near the world-beating winners they were set up to be. Harrison can't win unless he wins every game. As unlikely as that is, even if he had done so people would say what people always used to say about his achievements: it's all about the money, money, baby.
Can't help feeling sorry for the poor sod, really. His captain missed a penalty in the last 10 minutes which would have made some of this go away, at least for a week or so.
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