A CALCULATED gamble? Or just plain bonkers?

Fulham's decision to sack Chris Coleman last week sent shockwaves through the football world.

Whether he deserved to go, based on recent results, is not the issue; it was the timing of the decision that completely baffled me.

Where is the sense in sacking your manager now, with five games of the season left and your Premiership future still firmly in the balance?

If the Fulham board had concerns about Coleman's ability to do the job then they should have got rid him of him sooner, giving his replacement enough time to spark a revival.

Instead, Lawrie Sanchez is now expected to work a minor miracle, which is going to be difficult because he hasn't got time to stamp his full authority on the job.

Lawrie cut his managerial teeth at one of my old clubs, Wycombe Wanderers, and although I never got to know him personally, people have told me he did a terrific job on a small budget.

He strikes me as the type of guy who's able to get the best out of average players - just look at his record with Northern Ireland, who currently sit proudly on top of their qualifying group for the European Championships.

Now he must attempt to instil a similar belief in Fulham, otherwise the Cottagers could find themselves playing Championship football next season.

Expect Fulham, then, to be fired up tomorrow, but if Rovers apply themselves in the same way that they did against Watford and Chelsea, I fully expect them to win.

Some sides would have struggled to pick themselves up after what happened at Old Trafford last Sunday, but not Rovers who had too much power for Watford.

I was particularly delighted to see Benni McCarthy on the scoresheet, too, because that took his tally to 20 goals for the season, which is a phenomenal achievement in his first season in English football.

Let's hope he's saved a few more for the run-in!