THE PLIGHT of Sven Cronk, who this week left his role with Newport, shows the challenges of being a head coach in the Principality Premiership.

It has undoubtedly been a shocker of a campaign for the Black and Ambers, who prop up the table with just three wins from 16 games.

Unlike Swansea last season, they will be saved the ignominy of relegation because Bargoed are running away with the Championship and do not have the required criteria for promotion.

But not even a journey to the quarter-finals of the Swalec Cup, which take place later this month, has prevented 2014/15 from being a painful one for Newport fans, officials, coaches and players.

Cronk has been the target for much of the frustration in the comments sections beneath Argus stories and on website forums and social media.

Hopefully time will be a healer and ensure that the former front row forward is remembered as the club stalwart that he is – 183 appearances and a decade on the management team.

One imagines that the ex-prop doesn't share too much in common with Arsene Wenger but on reflection perhaps Cronk and Newport should have gone their separate ways a season or two ago; the Frenchman's legacy with the Gunners is being a touch tainted by recent frustrations and it's similar for Cronk.

His Black and Ambers provided some real highs before their recent slide, beating Aviva Premiership-bound Exeter, Leinster and the Cornish Pirates in the British and Irish Cup and finishing second and third in the table.

Cronk has made mistakes – what coach hasn't? – but in recent years he cut a frustrated figure at the way that his role had changed.

He had a settled side at the start of his tenure with quality players like Andrew Coombs and Mike Poole that went on to play regional rugby but this season has been leaving training on Thursday with plenty of question marks next to numbers on his teamsheet.

That is a problem that many coaches face in the madcap Premiership, hence Llanelli's embarrassing 91-7 defeat to Carmarthen Quins live on television.

Cronk's successor will have one of the league's bigger budgets at their disposal but making sure their squad can cope with disappointments when it comes to Dragons assistance and age-grade and sevens absentees is vital. That's easier said than done but at least they know what they are signing up for.