Taxi For Davidson

[Linky]

Ok, here's my view on Davidson.

He had an amazing first season, everything just slotted into place. A mixture of the right players coming good at the right time, Covid restrictions meaning that bigger teams had less of an advantage over us, and other teams around us being quite poor. Davidson had his tactics, and the players we had slotted into that vision perfectly.

You finish an incredible season and it's always going to be hard to match that. Players have nothing to go for, they've achieved everything they could possibly achieve at the club (how could it get better?), so it's a good time to leave. We don't capitalise in pre-season (presumably because we're waiting to see how much money might be available from Europe) and so, we're dumped out of Europe. Morale plummets. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we weren't a huge gap away from actually making it.

2 key players leave. Another 3 make it clear they want to see out their contract & go (or wanted to go anyway, but offers were rejected). This starts to effect the togetherness of the squad. What could the future be if 5 keys players have left/are leaving at the end of the season. Morale falls further.

Davidson thinks that his model is so successful, you could basically bring in anyone and it will work. Ok, we might not do as well as last season, but we'd get a top 6 place. So the idea is to bring in young players from England on loan (+ Macpherson), sign them at the end of the season, sell them on for a profit after a few years. In a way, not a bad idea. Throw in a few more experienced players, who know the league (Ambrose & Crawford) & a wildcard to replace Melamed (Vertainen), and it looks an ok team on paper.

It all falls apart: injuries to key players, fallouts with others, a tug-of-war on signing policies leading to some players not being played just for the sake of it. The loan players brought it are ok back-ups, but not first team material. Nor are the older 2. Results don't go our way. Suddenly, the younger players, rather than growing in confidence in a clear system with those around them, look completely out of their depth. They aren't developing, but going backwards under the pressure.

Morale drops further, the magic of last season has been lost. Davidson only had one system, if the system doesn't work, he doesn't know what to do. He panics, and starts blaming certain players (those he didn't want to sign), and only playing those he did want to sign. Morale drops further. He asks for money in January, and is given it. He's indecisive though, so we miss out on some key signings. Others are blocked by the Chairman as too expensive and not good enough. He gets a number of players in, but again: some are his, some were signed against his will. We have another situation where he only plays those he 'trusts' and others are shut out. Davidson - never the best with money - blows a whole load on getting lots of players in, not really caring for the long-term future of the club. The hope is, if there are enough new players, at least SOME of them will be good enough. He thinks, the players are the problem, not me - my system worked perfectly last season.

In the same way that he doesn't really know how it went so right last season, he doesn't know how it's going so wrong this season. He thinks if he keeps playing the same way, it'll come good eventually. It did last season, so why not now? More players start looking towards the exit, they stop trusting one another or the management team. MacLean was brought in my Davidson, so certainly isn't going to question him. Gordon was made captain by Davidson, so isn't going to question him. Perhaps one or two older players do, which is why we don't see them for a long time. It just gets worse and worse, players fearful of making mistakes, the favourites know they'll get a game no matter what, those rejected know there's no point trying as he's not going to let them start a game anyway...

[Cagey]

5 hours ago, Linky said:

Ok, here's my view on Davidson.

He had an amazing first season, everything just slotted into place. A mixture of the right players coming good at the right time, Covid restrictions meaning that bigger teams had less of an advantage over us, and other teams around us being quite poor. Davidson had his tactics, and the players we had slotted into that vision perfectly.

You finish an incredible season and it's always going to be hard to match that. Players have nothing to go for, they've achieved everything they could possibly achieve at the club (how could it get better?), so it's a good time to leave. We don't capitalise in pre-season (presumably because we're waiting to see how much money might be available from Europe) and so, we're dumped out of Europe. Morale plummets. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we weren't a huge gap away from actually making it.

2 key players leave. Another 3 make it clear they want to see out their contract & go (or wanted to go anyway, but offers were rejected). This starts to effect the togetherness of the squad. What could the future be if 5 keys players have left/are leaving at the end of the season. Morale falls further.

Davidson thinks that his model is so successful, you could basically bring in anyone and it will work. Ok, we might not do as well as last season, but we'd get a top 6 place. So the idea is to bring in young players from England on loan (+ Macpherson), sign them at the end of the season, sell them on for a profit after a few years. In a way, not a bad idea. Throw in a few more experienced players, who know the league (Ambrose & Crawford) & a wildcard to replace Melamed (Vertainen), and it looks an ok team on paper.

It all falls apart: injuries to key players, fallouts with others, a tug-of-war on signing policies leading to some players not being played just for the sake of it. The loan players brought it are ok back-ups, but not first team material. Nor are the older 2. Results don't go our way. Suddenly, the younger players, rather than growing in confidence in a clear system with those around them, look completely out of their depth. They aren't developing, but going backwards under the pressure.

Morale drops further, the magic of last season has been lost. Davidson only had one system, if the system doesn't work, he doesn't know what to do. He panics, and starts blaming certain players (those he didn't want to sign), and only playing those he did want to sign. Morale drops further. He asks for money in January, and is given it. He's indecisive though, so we miss out on some key signings. Others are blocked by the Chairman as too expensive and not good enough. He gets a number of players in, but again: some are his, some were signed against his will. We have another situation where he only plays those he 'trusts' and others are shut out. Davidson - never the best with money - blows a whole load on getting lots of players in, not really caring for the long-term future of the club. The hope is, if there are enough new players, at least SOME of them will be good enough. He thinks, the players are the problem, not me - my system worked perfectly last season.

In the same way that he doesn't really know how it went so right last season, he doesn't know how it's going so wrong this season. He thinks if he keeps playing the same way, it'll come good eventually. It did last season, so why not now? More players start looking towards the exit, they stop trusting one another or the management team. MacLean was brought in my Davidson, so certainly isn't going to question him. Gordon was made captain by Davidson, so isn't going to question him. Perhaps one or two older players do, which is why we don't see them for a long time. It just gets worse and worse, players fearful of making mistakes, the favourites know they'll get a game no matter what, those rejected know there's no point trying as he's not going to let them start a game anyway...

A fair summation and suspect not a million miles away.

[Cagey]

We seem to have 3 similar threads.

Notice that Callum seems to be more relaxed in Saints TV interviews than those with MSM . He seems more nervous and breathless. Doesn't instill confidence.

Edited May 3, 2022 by Cagey

[johndb]

On 9/26/2020 at 3:58 PM, Templar Saint said:

When was the last time, if there ever was, when an ex Saints player made a successful manager of the club?

May be an expensive error Mr Brown.

 

So are you saying we need another Hibee? Ormond was the best,  Maybe Pat Stanton is free. Tommy Wright's one man and what does Paul Sturrock do now? !

[Broggy Man]

Get him gone I will paybthevtaxi

[Shibbydoo]

Callum Davidson - the only manager who would be upset if his team won a game 5-0

[Shaggy Jenkins]

Go and never darken our door again

[saint-johns-toun]

8 minutes ago, Broggy Man said:

Get him gone I will paybthevtaxi

**** the taxi, make him walk thru perth town so we can throw things at him, bloody hopeless 2nd half tactics

[Saline Saint]

Whether we go down or stay up think it’s time he was on his way

[Cagey]

Please Callum , do the honourable thing and resign.

[Graeme S]

A guy who, seemingly, has coaching badges and is qualified to coach a team. 

In any other profession, there'd be an investigation and checking of references. 

In other professions, there'd be an investigation for Fraud. 

 

Don't let the door hit you on the way out Calum - all you're doing now is destroying the legacy of last season.

[Shaggy Jenkins]

Players won't do what he asks, your the ****ing manager.....manage that

Mind you there is probably good reason they don't do what they are being told to do 

 

[rik2304]

Get 

 

Rid

[cristo]

1 hour ago, rik2304 said:

Get 

 

Rid

And get Dodds in, a manager that can see what's going wrong and make the necessary changes to both formation and personnel 

[RandomGuy]

5 hours ago, cristo said:

And get Dodds in, a manager that can see what's going wrong and make the necessary changes to both formation and personnel 

Probably says it all that Billy ****ing Dodds, with half a bench, filled with half fit players and kids, can improve his team by using the bench while we consistently see Davidson have a full bench of proven senior players destroy us when making subs. 

You could count on one hand the amount of times he's changed the game for the better with his subs.

[sixties saintee]

9 hours ago, Graeme S said:

A guy who, seemingly, has coaching badges and is qualified to coach a team. 

In any other profession, there'd be an investigation and checking of references. 

In other professions, there'd be an investigation for Fraud. 

 

Don't let the door hit you on the way out Calum - all you're doing now is destroying the legacy of last season.

How did he get any where near the Scotland squad

[pezza70]

11 hours ago, Shibbydoo said:

Callum Davidson - the only manager who would be upset if his team won a game 5-0

We couldn’t score 5 in a month of Sunday’s  

[rik2304]

There's been a lot of lows this season but that last night was the lowest for me.

The whole tie could've been won with some actual ambition. Instead it's thrown away by negativity. 

That was an absolute disgrace.

It's advantage Caley now and I make them favourites. 

This has been entirely self-inflicted should we be relegated.

[Strawman]

I ve been firmly in the Callum out camp since Kelty but having been there last night, the way we became a total shambles in a game we should have had won, the way the players lost their heads in the last few mins, is this all down to Callum ?

I ve had a season ticket since Muirton days, first season ticket was last year at Muirton, go to a fair amount of away games as well and I have never felt so in the dark about what is going on at my club. There are guys there or have just left ( Grieve and Boyd ) who I have no idea what they do or even what they look like.

We get virtually no news from the club at all, players who don’t play for months who I have no idea if injured or just out of favour. 
 

if the chairman isn’t going to make a statement of any kind because he s given that role over, surely that new person needs to ? 
 

What I really don’t understand is the boards lack of action on the money that’s been spent, Callum’s been the best backed manager by them in last 20 years and it appears he s just wasted the money, they ve allowed players to be bought who he s never used. I can’t get my head around this, I read people saying they aren’t his players, he didn’t want them, that seems even more bizarre, why on earth would a football team buy players the manager doesn’t want, that makes no sense.

I would really like someone to explain the shit show that appears to have gone on but just like Callum will probably still be here next year regardless, I doubt I ll ever know what’s gone on.

[SaintJet]

12 minutes ago, Strawman said:

I ve been firmly in the Callum out camp since Kelty but having been there last night, the way we became a total shambles in a game we should have had won, the way the players lost their heads in the last few mins, is this all down to Callum ?

I ve had a season ticket since Muirton days, first season ticket was last year at Muirton, go to a fair amount of away games as well and I have never felt so in the dark about what is going on at my club. There are guys there or have just left ( Grieve and Boyd ) who I have no idea what they do or even what they look like.

We get virtually no news from the club at all, players who don’t play for months who I have no idea if injured or just out of favour. 
 

if the chairman isn’t going to make a statement of any kind because he s given that role over, surely that new person needs to ? 
 

What I really don’t understand is the boards lack of action on the money that’s been spent, Callum’s been the best backed manager by them in last 20 years and it appears he s just wasted the money, they ve allowed players to be bought who he s never used. I can’t get my head around this, I read people saying they aren’t his players, he didn’t want them, that seems even more bizarre, why on earth would a football team buy players the manager doesn’t want, that makes no sense.

I would really like someone to explain the shit show that appears to have gone on but just like Callum will probably still be here next year regardless, I doubt I ll ever know what’s gone on.

This is what it has come to! Great post and exactly how many of us are feeling

Wait until Monday at 10pm

CD will need an escort out of mcD

id fire him right now and make a statement 

[Shibbydoo]

1 hour ago, pezza70 said:

We couldn’t score 5 in a month of Sunday’s  

We could have last night if we'd tried

[blueheaven]

Someone (sorry, can't remember who it was) said on here a few weeks back that the fans might actually be keeping Davidson in a job because they've supported the team so well this season and there's been so little sign of unrest, and I have to say I'm coming round to agreeing with that.

The support this season has been sensational but surely that has to be close to breaking point now. Last night it felt like there was a real "last straw" atmosphere when the equaliser went in, and I do wonder if what we actually need at this stage is for the fans to start vocally showing the board how they feel.

This isn't a criticism of the support, by the way. I actually feel really proud of the way the crowd has continued to support the team through a horrendous season, particularly the FCU section who keep coming to these games in numbers and generating the sort of atmosphere that McDiarmid Park has generally always lacked. I don't think any other club in the Premiership would still have this kind of support at this stage of such a crap season. But are we making it too easy for the board to carry on plodding along with Davidson in charge?

[Shaggy Jenkins]

All bloody season we have not put together two 45mins. Mostly it had been a good first half that sees us in the game or leading. 

Naively at the start I put this down to fatigue and fitness, then nerves. It I think has finally dawned on me! It's neither! it is the manager trying to settle in, pulling the team back to settle for the draw or try and protect a slim lead.

Last night the team smelt blood and wanted to put the tie beyond ICT, totally at odds with what the manager then wanted to do. He then blames them for not following instructions. No wonder they can see what it will lead to and that just puts a nervousness through the lot of them. It feels like they may like the manager and want to do well bit they certainly don't trust him.

[SlickDT]

2 hours ago, blueheaven said:

Someone (sorry, can't remember who it was) said on here a few weeks back that the fans might actually be keeping Davidson in a job because they've supported the team so well this season and there's been so little sign of unrest, and I have to say I'm coming round to agreeing with that.

The support this season has been sensational but surely that has to be close to breaking point now. Last night it felt like there was a real "last straw" atmosphere when the equaliser went in, and I do wonder if what we actually need at this stage is for the fans to start vocally showing the board how they feel.

This isn't a criticism of the support, by the way. I actually feel really proud of the way the crowd has continued to support the team through a horrendous season, particularly the FCU section who keep coming to these games in numbers and generating the sort of atmosphere that McDiarmid Park has generally always lacked. I don't think any other club in the Premiership would still have this kind of support at this stage of such a crap season. But are we making it too easy for the board to carry on plodding along with Davidson in charge?

The good thing about that point is neither the manager or players can lay any blame on the fans.

Apart from Kelty (where I thought some fans took it too far), the fans have backed these boys time and time again. There has been almost zero backlash after poor results.

The support has certainly stepped up to the plate, unfortunately the manager hasn't.

[Broggy Man]

The two goals saved him I think