To paraphrase T. S. Eliot.....

(As the Oakwell "Barnsley World" crumbles)

This is the way the world ends (Mark Roberts - gone)
This is the way the world ends (Patrick Cryne - very sadly, gone)
This is the way the world ends (Paul Heckingbottom - inevitably, going)

...Not with a bang, but a whimper.

I'm not suggesting that Oakwell will soon turn into The Wasteland but it's incredible how quickly a situation can change. Doesn't seem five minutes since commentators were saying how remarkable it was for a club to be owned, managed and captained by men of Barnsley.

 

Feels more Proustian to me. Remberance of things Past.

 

This is the future! Or something.

 

The Wasteland was one of my set books for A level English many years ago and I can't help recalling it in connection with earth-shattering events when they happen.

I'm exaggerating, of course - this isn't that dramatic. It's a shame to see well-liked players or coaches leave, but what can you do? Money and ambition always win in the end. Sometimes it's just the right time, and this is Paul's time to go. We should just thank him for the roller coaster ride and wish him good luck in the future, but only from the day AFTER he leaves Elland Road. In other words, he should try to enjoy the next couple of months, then look elsewhere.

 

It says something when a club like Leeds is seen not only to manage a club with decent potential, but as a 'free hit' by managers.