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St Mirren's New Manager Is Tommy Craig


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Tommy Craig never was manager at Hibs.

He was caretaker manager for 4 games after Collins resigned-my wife had just returned as comms manager the same week.

Edit-thought it was longer!!

Edited by Leith Buddie
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If true the it's hardly an exciting appointment but may well be a shrewd one and it certainly follows our "tradition" of appointing from lower leagues or within.

As for TC's experience? How much did McNamara have before Utd appointed him? What about Archibald, Locke, Johnston and Wright?

It seems to be the way of late so maybe we shouldn't be surprised. If, as mentioned on here TC has a good relationship with the players and is a good solid coach with contacts then these are all positives. We'll also likely be getting him cheap meaning more money available for the playing side.

That wouldn't have been the case with some of the, quite frankly absurd, names bandied about in the last 24 hours.

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Tommy Craig is 63 and probably just looking to coast through the next couple of years before retiring. We will give him a 2 year contract and he'll be sitting in the dugout with his pipe and slippers with not a care in the world about what happens. It's his no2 who will end up with all the pressure, most likely to be the cheap option of David Longwell!

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Whilst this might not be the most imaginative and exciting appointment on the face of it, there is some common sense around it.

The players apparently rate Tommy Craig very highly, he is well liked by all accounts. That said, it makes it seem more likely to me that the chances of (the ones we want to keep) maybe increased by him staying put.

The continuity from the boards perspective is probably a good thing. They know Tommy, he knows them, they don't need to go through the mill of starting again. Given that they might not be there for much longer you can see why that might be attractive.

Tommy Craig has good contacts. It's through him that we got the Newcastle kids and lest we forget those lads did not bad for us in the cup winning season.

Tommy will surely either be assisted by someone else or will be head coach in a Director of Football type setup similar to the one Hearts have. John Collins would be the obvious choice as DoF. Again well respected, good contacts and also successful as a manager when he was at Hibs.

Time will tell if that is the case, or maybe someone like Thommo or Teale as assistant might be the plan. Time will tell.

As far as I am personally concerned I'd give anyone a fair crack of the whip. It's silly to throw the toys out the pram just because the appointment is not a "sexy" one.

It's a results driven business at the end of the day !

I know that you're saying "time will tell", Div but I'm not sure if that's code for "I've been given a nod"!?

Why would we need a Director of Football? It always seems to me like someone getting paid a decent wage for doing not very much other than having contacts in the game and having no real responsibility if things go wrong.

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Okay, so if true, this would rank as a staggeringly uninspired appointment.

However, that is not to say that it is necessarily a bad appointment. I would have significant reservations as to why the appoinmtent was made when Tommy Craig was very much Danny's right hand man for 3 years, yet the BoD have seen fit to show the latter the door. You have to wonder what that would be all about.

Hey ho, no point in wringing our hands over it. As others have said, we support Saints, and must look for them to do well in every circumstance, so refusing to support the man at the helm on prinicple would be completely counter-productive, and just plain daft.

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Can't say I'm pleased with this.

Obviously he'll get my backing and I really hope I'm wrong, but I am disappointed at this appointment.

As much as i hope im wrong, i can see us looking for a new manager come October time

Ill buy my season ticket as normal and back the man as i have with Danny, Gus and all those before. I just cant help but question the logic in giving the man the job at 63 when hes not succeeded as manager anywhere else

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As much as i hope im wrong, i can see us looking for a new manager come October time

Ill buy my season ticket as normal and back the man as i have with Danny, Gus and all those before. I just cant help but question the logic in giving the man the job at 63 when hes not succeeded as manager anywhere else

When did logic come into it.

Think pounds and pence.

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I know that you're saying "time will tell", Div but I'm not sure if that's code for "I've been given a nod"!?

Why would we need a Director of Football? It always seems to me like someone getting paid a decent wage for doing not very much other than having contacts in the game and having no real responsibility if things go wrong.

Just speculating mate. Tommy as manager doesn't really feel right to me. First team coach yes. Manager, hmm..........

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We've obviously just heard about the Hearts developments, with the appointment of Avril as their Director of Football, but is anyone with a broader knowledge of the game than me (so, that would be just about anyone) in a position to point to other clubs where a similar arrangement is in place, and how this works?

Edited by Drew
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Well, it would certainly surprise me. There is only one Scottish Premiership vacancy, with no other top tier vacancies expected to become available. Within reason, we have the pick of the available / interested candidates. Supply and demand if you will, lack of the former, an excess of the latter. I'd say as a club we hold the cards, for once. In short, a wonderful opportunity.


My own preference would be John Collins as manager, Thomo as assistant. If money was available I could see TC fulfilling a DOF role (as others have suggested), perhaps even in a part-time capacity.

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As much as i hope im wrong, i can see us looking for a new manager come October time

Ill buy my season ticket as normal and back the man as i have with Danny, Gus and all those before. I just cant help but question the logic in giving the man the job at 63 when hes not succeeded as manager anywhere else

Whatever happens we wont be looking for a new manager in October unless the one we are about to appoint walks. If we had the kind of board that sacked managers in October, Lennon wouldn't have made it past then in his first season, or this season for that matter.

The new guy will get plenty of time and will certainly get my backing.

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I still can't bring myself to believe he'll get the nod.

Short term, cheap option until the club is punted?

Young lads like him, is he getting the nod to continue bring young guys through?

Can't believe we're going down this route.

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When you change manager, there is an opportunity to inject an element of freshness into the playing side of the club's business. Appointing from within limits that potential.

While I was ambivalent as to whether Danny should stay right up to the BoD's announcement yesterday, now that he has gone, there is scope to introduce something new, and to shake things up a bit. To be honest, I think we all accept that this wouldn't be a bad thing, and you have to assume the board feel the same given their decision.

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