THE omens look good for Paul Cox as some of his recent brushes with Barrow AFC have proved to be a profitable business for the man from Nottingham.

Between March 2012 and May 2013, Cox’s Mansfield Town side spanked the Bluebirds 7-0, 8-1 and 4-0.

Following the Stags’ 8-1 hammering of Barrow in February 2013, Mansfield chairman John Radford gave his Aston Martin car – which was worth up to £80,000 – to Cox.

Although he shouldn’t be expecting such lavish treats from Barrow’s ambitious owner Paul Casson, who was asked what gift Cox could receive should he achieve such an eye-catching result.

“A free trip to Furness Abbey!” chuckled Casson.

From a distance, Cox comes across as a straight-talking and no-nonsense East Midlander who is sure to be business-like in his approach.

Casson’s task was to ideally find an available manager who has a proven track record of achieving some level of success at National League level or higher.

After all, he was not willing to wait around while Darren Edmondson got a firmer grip of matters above his more familiar Conference North habitat.

Casson’s task was not easy, assuming he had ruled out the possibility of poaching an in-work boss.

Timing is everything and Barrow indirectly benefited from Torquay’s recent off-field problems with Cox putting himself back on to the market in September by ending his three-month spell in charge at Plainmoor.

And Barrow have scooped a guy who learnt his trade at Eastwood Town, where he achieved two promotions, while his three-and-a-half year spell at Mansfield saw him lead the Stags back into the Football League in 2013.

A respectable 11th-placed League Two finish followed in 2013/14.

Not a lot should be read into the manager’s short spell with Torquay – who said that they could not pay Cox for a period of time – but the fact he was willing to take the gamble on moving to the Devon outfit highlights his hunger to succeed.

At 43, he’s still a young manager, and he should be even more determined to succeed at a club like Barrow, who will give him the environment to thrive once more. A lot is made about styles of football or the question of ‘style versus results’ – just ask Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, whose side’s brand of football has come under heavy scrutiny despite the Red Devils flying high in the Premier League.

Some fans were certainly not enamoured by Edmondson’s style of football at times as it was perceived to be too direct at times. Although at times players no doubt went off-script and lumped it forward under pressure rather than sticking to whatever philosophy was espoused.

One journalistic colleague indicated to this reporter that Cox’s style of football isn’t the most pleasing on the eye, but that he can get results – and there’s the rub.

Cox can’t be judged until he has had sufficient time to enforce his own style, and the players and attributes he has at his disposal – at least in the short term – will surely mould his strategy.

A good manager must be able to adapt his tactics to his players’ strengths and vice-versa. Having watched Mansfield’s aforementioned 8-1 and 4-0 demolition jobs on Barrow I recollect powerful, athletic and exciting sides destroying a Bluebirds outfit that admittedly went on to be relegated in 2012/13.

For me, winning football is good football and if Cox can emulate the success he achieved at Fieldmill then few will complain.