The only real certainty for any football manager is that they will end up getting the sack.

Neal Ardley is doing such a good job at AFC Wimbledon on the pitch and his links with the club’s past at such a pivotal time in their history – as we approach crunch time in their battle to return to Plough Lane – make that a hard situation to envisage.

It is hard to imagine anybody of the right age and calibre who would be a better fit for the club.

But who would have thought that Terry Brown would last little more than a year after guiding the club back to the Football League?

Being a club legend doesn’t make you immune either.

Kenny Dalglish ended up getting shunted out of Liverpool, Kevin Keegan got fired by Newcastle and Ally McCoist was this season effectively fired by Rangers.

Fans’ favourite or not, the bookies seemed pretty sure Stuart Pearce would be the next managerial casualty until Nottingham Forest won at Derby County on Saturday.

So, while Ardley this week revealed he had turned down an approach to manage Gillingham, that does not mean Wimbledon can afford to take the 42-year-old for granted.

Ardley’s comments that “this is my club – it’s not the right time to be leaving” are admirable and rare in the modern game.

He spoke of his shared vision with chairman Erik Samuelson and of wanting to be with Wimbledon for a long time.

It is good news if another club covets your manager. It is proof, if ever you needed it, of the excellent job Ardley is doing.

But suppose now the Dons embarked on a horrible losing run, it doesn’t take losing that many matches before the clamour grows for any manager to leave – the “pressure” Arsene Wenger found himself under earlier this season being the most ludicrous example.

Loyalty is a rare thing in football and Ardley has shown his in a very clear manner this week.

AFC Wimbledon are very fortunate to have him.