CITY boss Glenn Roeder has spoken publically about the current situations at two of his former clubs this morning on Radio 5 Live - and the growing trend to have sporting or football directors as a 'wedge' between Boards and managers. 

Speaking to Nicky Campbell on Radio 5 live's breakfast show the Norwich manager was asked for his opinion on the surprise resignation of Alan Curbishley from West Ham.

"It's a real shame that a manager of the quality of Alan Curbishley, and undoubtedly he has proven himself to be a quality manager, feels he has to leave the club because he doesn't have any more trust in the board or the owners of the club or these sport directors, technical directors, executive directors, call them what you want," he said. 

A number of Premiership clubs have now adopted the role of sporting directors, a position found in many clubs throughout Europe. And Glenn said it is a role English football and English managers are not used to. 

"There are so many foreign owners now of Premiership clubs, and they are used to having a wedge if you want, someone between them and the football manager," said the City boss. 

"Foreign countries are used to it and are comfortable with it. English coaches are very suspicious of it and don't like it. We saw the disaster at Tottenham many years ago when they were the front-runners of trying this when they tried to have David Pleat as the football director with Glenn Hoddle. It caused many many problems. Tottenham continued to try that which is a European thing but then they did it with European coaches and started with Frank Arnesen as the sporting director with Martin Jol and it worked well."

Roeder, both a player and then a manager on Tyneside was asked for his opinion on the current situation at Newcastle and he explained there was one set of people he felt most sorry for in the whole event - the long-suffering supporters.

"The club is a tragedy. It goes from one disaster to another disaster. There's no stability at the club and i don't think there has been a lot of stability there for a long time. They go from one manager to another and the people who suffer the most are the most important people up there, the supporters. Because when people talk about Newcastle United being a great club it's only great for one reason, because it has great supporters," said the former Magpie boss. 

"You can't talk about it as a great club because of what it has won because it hasn't won a domestic trophy since the year I was born in 1955 yet 52,000 still go and watch the team, it's an incredible place, but a tragedy."

"Newcastle is not an impossible job. I remember Graeme Souness who I think a lot of saying that it's the toughest job in football and I know where Graeme was coming from at the time. But if they choose a manager and stick by him and allow him to manage the club, recruit the players and give him the amount of money you are going to have to give a manager up there to get the thing started, then it would be in my opinion probably one of the greatest clubs in the country to manage. It's a fantastic place to live and a fantastic place to be amongst true football supporters. "

"I think first of all what is happening up there as far as Kevin is concerned, no other manager would ever have the support from supporters like he has had. Partly that's because of what he brought to the club when he was there as a player. I was fortunate enough to play with him in the second season he was there, he is a great guy to be around and the fans have truly taken to him in a way that they haven't taken to any other person I would say. The Newcastle owners now find themselves in a very difficult situation that i don't know how they will get themselves out of".

Asked to comment on the suggestion from Everton owner Bill Kenwright that the Toffees need a billionaire, Roeder told Campbell: "I agree with him. Obviously Bill Kenwright is a very wealthy man but he can't compete with what has happened at Manchester City. I mean who can? They have taken that to a whole other level and I'm glad that at this particular time they have a British manager in Mark Hughes and I so hope Mark is very successful there so that they stick with him and other foreign owners can see that British managers and coaches can do a great job if they're given a chance to."