Next St Mirren Manager

[Edinbuddie]

No it was McFarlane but Lexy wanted away and Sinclair was decent at Dundee

Miller got rid within 1 week as Sinclair didn't want to be at Love St

McFarlane bought Clarke and Wilson through and gave MacAvennie his chance

I heard a story from a good source at the time, that Sinclair had just bought a pub and had an agreement with McFarlane that he wouldn't have to play midweek matches. Miller came in and got shot of him straight away.

[Kendo]

Are you expecting us to unearth a Gareth Bale? Mcginn and Mclean will both command transfer fees unless they go at the end of their contracts.

To be fair to him he expects us to find players like Saint Johnstone, Dundee Utd and Hamilton have. They've made a bit of money from them.

[div]

I had quite a long chat with Thommo a couple of weeks back, and the subject of the u-20s came up.

Thommo said that in his opinion David Longwell was a superb coach and that his knowledge of the game was superb. Reckoned he would to on to make a great manager in his own right at some point.

I would say the lack of a playing career is pretty irrelevant. Mourinho only played in the third tier in Portugal for a couple of seasons as a player and he isn't a bad manager.

Not saying Longwell is the long term permanent answer but I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that him and Teale might do really well.

As an aside another couple of names to throw into the hat would be Billy McKinley, and ex Saint Tommy Wilson.

[Rabinho]

I had quite a long chat with Thommo a couple of weeks back, and the subject of the u-20s came up.

Thommo said that in his opinion David Longwell was a superb coach and that his knowledge of the game was superb. Reckoned he would to on to make a great manager in his own right at some point.

I would say the lack of a playing career is pretty irrelevant. Mourinho only played in the third tier in Portugal for a couple of seasons as a player and he isn't a bad manager.

Not saying Longwell is the long term permanent answer but I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that him and Teale might do really well.

As an aside another couple of names to throw into the hat would be Billy McKinley, and ex Saint Tommy Wilson.

I listened to Billy McKinlay the other week on Sportsound and he came across really well, highly respected coach down south and was sounding quite positive about managing in Scotland as the Well job had just come up.

He's gone to Sociedad as Moyes' assistant since.

[Wilbur]

Our next long-term manager must be someone with a strong personality, someone imposing that the players will listen to. The worst appointment we could have would be some lovely guy with all the right coaching badges and the roar of a squirrel. For instance big Starky is a nice bloke with the appropriate coaching credentials but I can't envisage him as the motivational type.

We have many good players in the squad and maybe all those guys need is a good kick up the backside. But we also have more than our share of dead wood, guys that give their best whenever they are selected but they will never be good enough for St Mirren. Last summer's signings, especially Caldwell and Ball, have offered little and the longer we persevere with guys like them the quicker we will secure our relegation. Bring in someone ruthless to put them (and us) out of our misery.

[Stu]

Jamie Fullarton's name mentioned in The Sun today. Think he was on the coaching staff at Bolton until Lennon pitched up there.

[Magic Monkey]

It still sticks in my throat that he was probably the first player we had to properly stitch us up on a Bosman, when Bosmans were a new thing.

Was it not the case that he went on a free because he went to France; if he'd gone anywhere in Britain there would have been a fee involved? It was at a time when we really, really f**king needed it, too.

Not that I can hold a grudge or anything...

[pozbaird]

I had quite a long chat with Thommo a couple of weeks back, and the subject of the u-20s came up.

Thommo said that in his opinion David Longwell was a superb coach and that his knowledge of the game was superb. Reckoned he would to on to make a great manager in his own right at some point.

I would say the lack of a playing career is pretty irrelevant. Mourinho only played in the third tier in Portugal for a couple of seasons as a player and he isn't a bad manager.

Not saying Longwell is the long term permanent answer but I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that him and Teale might do really well.

As an aside another couple of names to throw into the hat would be Billy McKinley, and ex Saint Tommy Wilson.

...and if Teale and Longwell DO do really well, give them the gig. Doing really well, in my book anyway, would be to scrape a third-bottom finish this season and rescue it.

More than that though, conduct themselves well in interviews, attempt to re-engage the support, show us an organised, motivated team, employ better tactics and substitutions....

Too early to expect them to do much in the January transfer window, or to mastermind a complete strategy for the club, or whatever.

Just get us organised, motivated, and playing with pride again.

Edited December 10, 2014 by pozbaird

[bigjerseybuddie]

Will be very interesting to see Teales first line up this weekend. TCs signings have taken a battering since they arrived but could it be that he didnt know how to get the best out of them? Listening to SG interview, he was very magnanimous towards TC emphasising his coaching skills with the youngsters. It may be that he just can't manage the big boys. Were now in a nothing to lose position as we were pretty much heading for relegation or at best a play off place. Teale should be setting out to have a right go at C****c as most folk predict a humiliation anyway. Why not set our stall out early doors to go down fighting?

[bluto]

that list of players you've just given us are sitting in the relegation spot of a league without rangers, hearts or hibs.

You're not helping your "argument" with that.

The only salient point in that sentence is that St Mirren ARE still sitting in the league that hearts and Hibs weren't good enough to stay in, especially as Hearts ignominious failure was prompted by them being punished for cheating.

Rangers no longer exist because they were even bigger cheats, whilst their new tribute act has been struggling in the league below even though it's running on empty with overpaid nonentities, funded on a month by month basis by an English sports goods capitalist who is not infected by Rangersitis. All their assets have been filched by Spivs, all the money that goes into the cess-pit is being removed by outsiders.

Saints and their youngsters are still in the league and have not been caught out as cheating to do so.

For me, that's quite good, though the sooner the club climbs from the present temporary unfortunate position, the happier I'll be.

It's in the nature of sport (non-cheating sport) for there to be winners and losers. You'd do well to remember that and realise that St Mirren for all their frailties and foibles are currently worthy members of the highest division in the land. It is still the same club it has always been, has not been punished for systematic cheating and is being run by Buddies with its best interests at heart...

Though, as in all walks of life, there have been wee stumbles along the way.

[Stu]

It still sticks in my throat that he was probably the first player we had to properly stitch us up on a Bosman, when Bosmans were a new thing.

Was it not the case that he went on a free because he went to France; if he'd gone anywhere in Britain there would have been a fee involved? It was at a time when we really, really f**king needed it, too.

Not that I can hold a grudge or anything...

That was my immediate thought - but like you (and the Murphys) I'm not bitter...

[JM1]

Dunno if anyone's mentioned this already but the following post is from an Alloa fan on P&B.

His league record at Alloa isn't much better than that, 6 wins in 29 matches (and two of those against last year's rank rotten Morton team). If St.Mirren were to appoint him I think it would be almost entirely on the back of us beating Rangers last week. That was a tremendous achievement and the strong performances in the other games against them and against Hibs and Hearts have been Barry's best days with Alloa. That has made up for the team under performing against sides at a similar level to us, resulting in us almost landing in the relegation play-offs last season despite being miles clear of them when Hartley left and only being a point above them at the moment.

I would be sorry to lose him because the upheaval wouldn't be good for the club but overall I'm still not entirely sure just how good a manager he is. He certainly hasn't done enough IMO to justify a move back to the top flight. If anybody had asked me this time last year was it worth their Premier League club taking a punt on Hartley I'd have said they'd be mad not to. I couldn't say that about Barry Smith - at the moment anyway. Ian Murray is the outstanding part-time candidate if that's the criteria St.Mirren are looking at.

ETA: His last 11 games have a record of P 11 W 1 D 3 L 7. That's TC-esque!

Edited December 10, 2014 by JM1

[pozbaird]

Dunno if anyone's mentioned this already but the following post is from an Alloa fan on P&B.

The flipside though is that if a manager at a club like Alloa had a record of played 29 and won 29 - he wouldn't be at Alloa, he would likely already be in the dugout at Fir Park, or some English mob like Hartlepool, or suchlike who could offer him a nice wage compared to Scotland.

It's like strikers. OK, Callum Ball isn't working out too well at the moment, but pre-season, while overweight, he did enough in those games to suggest that when fit, he would do fine in the company we operate amongst - Ross C, Partick, Accies, Killie....

If Ball had scored 30 for someone last season, again, we wouldn't have a sniff. Any appointment for St Mirren will be a risk - but we ain't going to get someone, either in the dugout or up front in the team who has such a fantastic unblemished record that the big boys will be sniffing for their services.

Edited December 10, 2014 by pozbaird

[billymehmet1]

I gave already highlighted that Barry smiths record isn't good And only getting mentioned due to beating rangers last week

Get billy Davies in stands no crap and will get every ounce out if each player teale as assistant billy signed teKe for derby

[aldo_j]

I gave already highlighted that Barry smiths record isn't good And only getting mentioned due to beating rangers last week

Get billy Davies in stands no crap and will get every ounce out if each player teale as assistant billy signed teKe for derby

I agree about Smith. His record is not great at Alloa and is only being mentioned as he is local and they beat Rangers.

Wouldn't be the right appointment.

[beyond our ken]

I think it's fair to assume that Teale and Longwell will be given 2-3 games to see what happens. Although we are in a right old mess there really isn't a need to panic just yet. If getting the right man means waiting a couple of weeks it will be worth it in the long run. Most important that we have the position filled by the end of the year so the new man gets the whole of January to try and work some shuffling of the squad.

If Teale and Longwell get a couple of results then who knows but for me personally I think we need to get away from this cycle of promoting from within, as I reckon it's holding us back. A new manager with good contacts and an abilty to wheel and deal is a must as is an ability to bring on and nurture young players coming through from the Academy.

A completely new and fresh approach is what we need. The squad isn't actually that bad, it's just unbalanced in my opinion. We need a dominant centre half, same as we have done for about 5 seasons and we could do with a good striker. The latter is going to be the harder of the voids to fill as good strikers aren't gnerally available on a free transfer in January !

it's hardly a cycle, one permanent and one temporary appointment don't represent a pattern

[stlucifer]

it's hardly a cycle, one permanent and one temporary appointment don't represent a pattern

I think we have done the internal step up more often than twice. Hendry-Coughlin-MacPherson immediately before DL. for a start.

[El Gingero]

In defence of Barry Smith & Alloa.....Success is staying in the Championship. Part Time Team in a Division with only 1 other PT team.

I've no allegiance either way but we did ok with our last Alloa Manager we appointed. Well for a little while.

[porks]

Whilst I wouldn't go as far as saying Longwell out people should drop this idea that he has done a great job. We are getting more players through to first team now but this should be the minimum requirement for his role. No one has been good enough to generate a decent return.

If you look at us as a business, the youth setup must be running at a loss every year. Where else would this be seen as good? Of course the blame does not all lie with him but Longwell is head of youth development.

[Kemp]

No idea why Barry Smith is being spoken about, he had Dundee sitting 12th and was fired! Not a great pedigree.

I agree that Billy Davies, although is record is a bit hit and miss, might be the type of guy we need to prepare the team for a relegation battle.

[Oldfellow]

Our next long-term manager must be someone with a strong personality, someone imposing that the players will listen to. The worst appointment we could have would be some lovely guy with all the right coaching badges and the roar of a squirrel. For instance big Starky is a nice bloke with the appropriate coaching credentials but I can't envisage him as the motivational type.

We have many good players in the squad and maybe all those guys need is a good kick up the backside. But we also have more than our share of dead wood, guys that give their best whenever they are selected but they will never be good enough for St Mirren. Last summer's signings, especially Caldwell and Ball, have offered little and the longer we persevere with guys like them the quicker we will secure our relegation. Bring in someone ruthless to put them (and us) out of our misery.

Agreed ( although Callum Ball will come good). We need a manager not a coach . He must not come from within the club or have played for the club. We need a fresh face not just as manager but at all levels of this stagnant club . I would love to see Stepen Thompson as manager one day , but not yet .

[Kemp]

Agreed ( although Callum Ball will come good). We need a manager not a coach . He must not come from within the club or have played for the club. We need a fresh face not just as manager but at all levels of this stagnant club . I would love to see Stepen Thompson as manager one day , but not yet .

Aside from being overweight Ball can't shoot! And that's a real problem for a striker.

I would imagine showing him and Marwood the door may be the first order of business for our new boss.

[El Gingero]

Kemp - do you have a clue?

Dundee were thrust into the SPL with a 1st Division squad a week before the start of the season.

And there was also a takeover during this spell where the new guys wanted their own man.

Look at the circumstances first.

[Seaside Nipper]

Agreed ( although Callum Ball will come good). We need a manager not a coach . He must not come from within the club or have played for the club. We need a fresh face not just as manager but at all levels of this stagnant club . I would love to see Stepen Thompson as manager one day , but not yet .

I agree about Thompson.............I think after the transfer of club ownership and some planning stability is in place, Thompson would in due course be the natural manager.

Right now, it's an established , motivational and respected type that is needed...........that will imo prove more challenging for the board that any of us think.

I don't envy SG and the BoD right now, but it was their actions that painted them into the present horrible wee corner.

[JM1]

While I understand that Alloa are a part-time team and success for them is staying in the division, Ian Murray has over the last season and a half outperformed against Smith with a similarly sized part-time club, in the same division with (I'd imagine) a similarly sized budget.

Murray would be my choice (as he was in the summer after DL left). However, I don't expect us to be paying any compensation, so it'll likely be an unemployed manager, Teale or Thommo (I'd be inclined to go with Thommo out of those as none of the unemployed guys sound appealing (Calderwood, Stark, Butcher? Fucking hell). However, we can see how Teale gets on for the time being).

Edited December 10, 2014 by JM1