The Sack Race

Do we live in an age where we sack managers too quickly?

There is no magic formula for instant success for our teams. I realise that perhaps managers sometimes aren’t the right fit for the club or they don’t get on with the team or backroom staff, but the current cancel culture isn’t right in my view. Unfortunately, that’s the way the game is going.

The shortest managerial tenure in Scottish football history was Peter Cormack, who lasted just 10 days at Cowdenbeath in 2000, with his appointment being terminated before he could manage a single game!

Then there is Livingston, who appointed Kenny Miller as player-manager in June 2018 and he only got seven weeks in the job, apparently because he didn’t want to give up playing and the club wanted him to concentrate on management.

Dunfermline sacked Michael Tidser after exactly two months in the role, during which he managed only two league wins in eight games.

More recently, Raith Rovers have sacked manager Barry Robson after four defeats from their past six Scottish Championship games.

Russell Martin is the shortest-serving permanent manager in the history of Rangers, lasting just 123 days in charge before being sacked in October this year.

There are lots more, at every level of the game.  The fact is, only a few managers are successful in winning trophies each season. That doesn’t mean all the others are necessarily poor, especially relative to the resources they have available.  If Cove Rangers had Celtic’s resources, they wouldn’t be second bottom in League One now and Paul Hartley would be regarded as a genius (he maybe is after they beat St Johnstone in the Cup last weekend!).

On the other side of the coin, the longest-serving manager in Scottish football is Craig Gilbert, who has been in charge of East of Scotland League side Thornton Hibs for 16 seasons and counting.

Jim McLean managed Dundee United for almost 22 years, from 1971 to 1993.

For the national team, the late, great Craig Brown managed for 70 international matches, the most of any Scotland manager until Steve Clarke overtook that record recently and now may break the 100 barrier if he stays on after the World Cup..

Such managerial longevity is rare today.  Teams are changing their managers as fans want and seemingly expect instant success.  Perhaps that’s why there is no consistency on the park at some clubs?  Players aren’t daft and read the papers and the internet and speculation about their immediate boss must affect the team on a match day when they are preparing for games.

Subject, of course, to the requirements of employment law, I believe new managers should be given a probationary period of three months at least.  When things aren’t working out initially, regular assessment and support can help.  And if the fans get restless, remember a certain Manchester United manager who had three trophyless years and was on the brink of dismissal before turning it around.  His name?  I don’t have to tell you, surely…

Michael McEwan, SFU Ops Team