THERE are some things Jim Jefferies misses about life in football management.

Weeks like this, though, permit him to rest easy in the belief that he is better where he is.

His former player, Allan Johnston, left his former club Kilmarnock this morning following a jaw-dropping press conference staged just 24 hours earlier.

Johnston was so upset over Robbie Muirhead being sold behind his back to Dundee United in the dying moments of the transfer window that he stated to the media, prior to telling anyone at the club, that he would be leaving in the summer. His directors quickly decided it was better for him to be ushered from the manager's office a little earlier than that.

Kenny McDowall, the caretaker at Rangers, has also had his issues with authority. He claims he has been ordered by the board to pick five players on loan from Newcastle United in his starting line-up when they are fit. The board deny this. McDowall adds that the first he knew about their arrival was when he saw news of its happening flash along the ticker on Sky Sports News.

Jefferies, enjoying a rest from the game that has consumed his life following his own quicker-than-expected departure from Dunfermline Athletic in December, insists all managers must accept that interference from above is unavoidable in the modern era. This is a fellow who survived working for that dastardly puppetmaster, Vladimir Romanov, at Hearts, after all.

What he dislikes, though, is the sight of two men being shown a lack of respect. Owners and directors have a right to shape club policy, but it is entirely wrong for the manager to be frozen out of the decision-making process altogether.

"Allan has said he didn't know until that particular deal had been done and I have to say that the manager really should be told when the board take a decision to sign or sell a player," said the 64-year-old.

"Allan has got pride. It would have hurt him that this went on without him knowing.

"I think he might have accepted it if the reasons were put in front of him.

"I am not saying Allan would have been happy with that, but I am sure he wouldn't have been as angry as he was when he found out the transfer had happened five minutes after the deadline.

"It is a matter of showing the manager a bit of respect.

"Kenny, for example, has said he first heard about the loan moves to Rangers on television and I don't think that is right either. Surely it does not take much to pull him after training and explain it.

"Kenny also said he was instructed to play these guys and the board is denying it, but that is just what goes on. I wouldn't have thought he would come out and say that if it wasn't true because he has always struck me as an honest guy.

"That is just how the game goes nowadays, though. Very few managers are left to get on with it themselves. You see it a lot in England, in particular.

"You just have to deal with it. I would say most clubs in Europe tend to work that way. Someone is paid to take charge of the team and the owner of the club or the people put in charge by him deal with transfer issues.

"The only thing is that a manager's job security depends on results, but he can find himself being in a position where someone else is deciding who should play."

Jefferies had his own particular taste of it at Tynecastle. Romanov was well into double figures in terms of managers by the time his empire crumbled around his ears. Jefferies, in retrospect, did well to last 18 months.

"Mr Romanov was all right to work with, but he wanted his say," said Jefferies.

"He just had to go through a few managers. It didn't bother him, though, because that is what he was used to and he probably did it at other clubs he had.

"I was probably luckier than most because he got to me a little bit late. It is just the way football is now."

Jefferies, however, would not dissuade anyone from attempting to forge a career in the dug-out and hopes Gary Locke, removed from Hearts in controversial fashion prior to the start of this season, can prove himself worthy of a longer-term arrangement after stepping into Johnston's shoes at Rugby Park on an interim basis.

"Gary had to go with kids during his time at Hearts and didn't have a chance to bring in many players," said Jefferies. "Over the last 10 or 12 games of that season, it was clear the team had improved greatly.

"It was nice for Allan to come out after he had announced his decision to leave and say that he felt Gary deserved a chance. I have every confidence in him."