Despite being plagued by the malaise of an irrational thought process, football management does seem to sit extremely comfortably with John Aldridge.
A striker of incalculable worth during a career which was strewn with meritorious achievement, Aldridge has proved himself to be an admirable leader at Tranmere Rovers, a club where the loosening of purse strings means only that there is the potential to get in an extra pint of gold top.
You, perhaps, would not have guessed so on Saturday, but the truth is that times are hard down Prenton Park way. Aldridge has been required to master the familiar art of flogging off his better players to appease the club's bankers while the shadow cast by Everton and Liverpool seems to widen and darken with every passing season.
Late last week Aldridge agreed the terms of a new, 21/2-year contract, a deal which was struck only eight weeks after he was seriously toying with the idea of resignation.
"Things were not going at all well and I had to decide what was going to be best for the club; whether my going would be a positive or a negative thing," he said. " I always had faith, though . . . in my team and in myself. I honestly believed that given a few breaks we would turn things around." And turn things around he has: just ask West Ham manager Harry Redknapp.
Tranmere thoroughly deserved to win what was a curiously chanceless game, if only because they seemed to be interested in moving into the next round. This is an accusation no one could have levelled at the visitors.
Entertaining and eminently watchable though they may be, West Ham do not travel well and this was yet another of those damnable days in the frozen north-west, blustery and devilishly unwelcoming.
It is debatable whether the FA Cup has ever witnessed a more spineless, less competent performance from a Premiership side. West Ham were utterly wretched and should be ashamed of themselves.
Only once, after Nick Henry's ferocious volley from just outside the area had nudged Tranmere in front after 21 minutes, did West Ham land a shot on target, and even then Frank Lampard was guilty of the most atrocious profligacy in steering it into the body of unprotected goalkeeper Joe Murphy from spitting distance.
"The best team won and is into the next round, there can be no doubts, no arguments, about that," said Redknapp. "One or two of my players do rely solely on skill but today that just wasn't enough, I'm afraid. For the first time this season I've had a real go at them in the dressing-room; it had to be done."
Presumably the skilful players to which Redknapp was referring were Paolo di Canio and Trevor Sinclair, the strike-force of sorts who spent the entire afternoon stepping enthusiastically into an offside trap which was so rudimentary it should have been breached a dozen or more times.
West Ham's problems were deep-rooted: their distribution from the back through what was a pedestrian midfield was so desperately poor that Tranmere were never really required to work hard for possession.
As for Redknapp, he has to find a way to revitalise his team for Wednesday's visit of Aston Villa in the same competition.
TRANMERE ROVERS: Murphy, Morgan, Challinor, Hazell, Roberts, Parkinson, Henry, Mahon, Jones, Kelly (Taylor 87), Allison. Subs Not Used: Achterberg, Black, Koumas, Frail. Goal: Henry.
WEST HAM UTD: Hislop, Lomas, Potts (Kitson 46), Ruddock, Ferdinand, Minto, Cole, Lampard, Foe, Sinclair, Di Canio (Wanchope 74). Subs Not Used: Forrest, Keller, Byrne. Booked: Sinclair.
Referee: DJ Gallagher (Banbury).
