Sack the Manager?

[blueheaven]

1 hour ago, crieffsaintandy said:

Totally I thought he was a yes man for Brown, big Tommy wore his heart on his sleeve and was clever with it, this guy has been given far more remit with signings and made a total erse of it costing the club big money.

Yep. Tommy asked repeatedly for a recruitment person to work with and was never given one. Callum got given one after just a year. Tommy asked for a bigger budget and was repeatedly left fighting for scraps. Callum's been given money to spend on transfer fees and has wasted it. When Tommy had us outside the Top 6, he was publicly criticised by the chairman for it (despite going on to finish in the Top 6 in that same season). Callum had us bottom of the league for months and staying up by the skin of our teeth and there hasn't been a peep about it from anyone in charge. No wonder Tommy had enough of it in the end. Where might we be now if he was still our manager and had been given the backing, support and budget that Callum has?

I said when Tommy left that I was worried the club might end up paying the price for not doing enough to keep our greatest ever manager happy, and I firmly believe that that is now what's happening.

 

1 hour ago, crieffsaintandy said:

The biggest fcuk up was playing full strength against United before the second leg against LASK with the potential money available and getting to group stages would have attracted other players to sign, but the bizarre decisions started then

Absolutely this. Of all of the crap decisions we've seen of late, this one was arguably the worst and may well have cost the club a fortune. A ridiculously poor managerial decision from Davidson - made even worse by the fact that we lost that United game anyway.

[pezza70]

They won’t sack him, any other club the fans would be out protesting, our clubs directors have their heads buried in the sand thinking the wee club who doesn’t have the right to expect top flight football is doing well

[rickardo]

I love Callum Davidson . Loved him as a player loved the fact he brought a unbelievable cup double to my team , but time is up .
 

Stand down now and keep some pride .

 

[SlickDT]

I think it's unfair to take all credit away from Davidson for what was our greatest ever season. No doubt it was Tommy's squad of players, but under Callum they found a way of winning games. At a incredibly hard time to be a rookie manager and with budgets being very tight due to covid, he managed to pull off signings such as Conway and Bryson, who did play their part in helping us to two national trophies and find a system that brought the best out of the likes of Rooney, Kane, Spoony, McCann and Kerr.

That said, it has become clear to me as the weeks have passed that Callum is not a manager and he simply won't turn this around. I thought we were doomed last season and couldn't believe our luck when Dundee appointed McGhee- no one is likely to save us this season.

I get absolutely no joy in wanting him to go. In fact, I would love for him to prove us all wrong. It just isn't going to happen. I don't like the name-calling and character bashing of a guy thats given so much to the club, but the longer people are served this rubbish, the angrier supporters are going to get.

Losing such a crop of successful players over a short period was always going to be hard- but the squad looks incredibly poor now. After last season I had hoped that the club would of been clear in their aims for the transfer market. For me it was very simple

1. Goalkeeper

2. Striker (possibly x 2)

3. Atleast two players that are able to play deep in midfield, break down play and keep possesion. This also allows Hallberg to play further forward.

We have done nothing to address any of the above issues. In fact we got rid of a young striker and give a new contract to a woeful keeper. I find that worrying.

I said at the time, that it would of been best for both parties if CD had left after the Inverness game. It was right to give him the chance to keep us up. His achievements the season before had earned it. Now he is simply tarnishing his achievements.

I do believe there is a base to work with here and with a few of the above additions made, some driftwood moved on and a system played that suits the players there is no reason we cant aim to get above the rest of the similair sized clubs in the league.... it's a decision Brown is going to habe to make fairly soon, if he wants to save the season.

[Mr T]

For those at the match today.. Did you hear any vocal challenges? were the team speaking to each other?

The answer is no which means there were no previous drill parctices..

There is a team there  ok they need coached

It's just that those that should be doing this are not...

sack the 3 imposters and get a manager in..

Also if your personel  don't suit 3 5 2 don't pick 3 5 2

 

 

[Havana Saint]

There's a distinctive lack of leadership on the pitch and from the dugout...as for the deafening silence from the Main Stand....that's off the scale.

[RandomGuy]

9 hours ago, R.B.B:- Adz said:

Bryson and Conway “key”… 

You are an idiot.  

Its true, Conway especially had a major part in our Betfred Cup run.

I think that season showed us Davidson is likely great at drilling a team to do something. Problem is thats his one trick and when the one thing hes drilling them to do doesnt work, hes completely stumped.

[Kilgour]

Weve had the friendlies,the bounce games,the normal pre season training and a trip to Spain for warm weather training and still the team look like they just met in the carpark.  First game in was embarassing and penalties not much better SO..

Surely there would be an improvement in game two, but apparently not, Im no Pep Guardiola but surely penalty practice should have been high on the agenda...goalie saved NIL and our takers managed TWO . Callum and his staff MUST be under severe scrutiny.  Unless we improve greatly and quickly then its difficult to see this ending in a good way.    Lets score a few keep some clean sheets and get the final pieces in the squad done immediately.

 

[chips]

Like others I have no pleasure in wanting CD punted but his time really is up now, should have been last season but given the benefit of the doubt. There were cheers for him when we won the play off but that doesn't take away the fact he was majorly to blame for us even being in that position, thankfully Dfc made that horrendous management choice which gave us the chance of staying up. 

However we sugar coat it his scattergun signings and hoping to unearth some gems have really had a negative effect on the team, tieing up sub standard players on long contracts which will hurt us more in the long-term (exact happened to Dfc too) Whoever is running Saints now (above CD) have remained very silent but its clear they've backed him to allow so many signings over last two seasons, I've actually lost count but to sign players of a good age then look to punt them out on loan shows summat broken. CDs reasons for doing this also come across as bizarre, he's very vocal in stating about signing players ready to hit the ground running then looks to off load them to get them up to standard etc.

I've read elsewhere of some claim that CDs hands are tied and he's doing his best with what he has, how is this so ? Surely he has an input on signings, players leaving/sold on might be different but he builds the team so must have a say. He's failed so far to rectify our weakest positions on the pitch an example being he's known for months Zander was going but has failed to address this issue at this stage of the season. I'd like to know how his hands are tied though he trains them,selects the team to play, picks positions, formation and tactics. Only he can make changes during a match as he's pitch side, so added to his own input of who to sign I certainly don't believe there is anyone holding him back on any of these decisions.

Who we'd get in I don't have a fecking clue, but a fresh look/approach is needed throughout management and coaching. Someone to really identify players strongest positions rather than getting scattered around the pitch, working out our best formation based around these players, not trying to throw in a system/tactics that actually weakens what we already have on the park. If CD was to go would a new manager even have any budget left or even have time to look for players before shut off, that's the risk but I don't think overall we have a horrendous batch of players (okay maybe a couple) they just aren't getting utilised properly. 

Fair dos we have numerous players injured, some of them actually played last season and we were still gash, coming back from their injuries MIGHT be like new signings but I'm not convinced it'll be like that under CD. Returning under new management might be what they and Saints really need. 

 

[Saintdunc]

I agree with everything that is being said here and it pains me to say that, if action is not taken rapidly, the fall from grace will not stop at The Championship and we will soon be competing against the also rans in Scottish Football, if we even exist. All the work done by Brown senior undone.

[chips]

And before anyone quotes Dfc made a horrendous management choice it could happen to us too, Magoo was/is a terrible manager at the best of times but what he took on there was a terrible squad. I just don't think we have a REALLY bad bunch of players, I'm sure there's some here who are quite decent but are constricted under CD

[sixties saintee]

1 minute ago, Saintdunc said:

I agree with everything that is being said here and it pains me to say that, if action is not taken rapidly, the fall from grace will not stop at The Championship and we will soon be competing against the also rans in Scottish Football, if we even exist. All the work done by Brown senior undone.

Very true Saintdunc

[sixties saintee]

We need  demonstration at next home game against Davidson. Walk fae the Tulloch , go in late, pack the main stand have a go at Davidson and Brown.

[Cookster363]

12 hours ago, Ritspeed said:

Not aware of references to Tommy Wright on here on this subject.Would he go back?

Why would we take bk a manager that left to go bigger ! And failed epically at killie ! We need somebody who isn't going to bend over for the broons ! Bet he's probably the cheapest manager in Scotland!  

 

In my opinion and manager that swags about in shorts and a training top , ain't a manager.  

 

If replaced he would just be another mediocre manager now doubt from Ireland cause that's the only direction we look apparently, saints have always admitted there a stepping stone club . So wheres the ambition to succeed.  There main goal every season is just pure survival.  

 

# bring back simao 

[Cookster363]

Are saints still taking kick off then volleying it up the left wing and losing possession 6 seconds into a game ?? 

 

Love that tactic pfffft

[ex-montrosesaintee]

1 hour ago, Cookster363 said:

Are saints still taking kick off then volleying it up the left wing and losing possession 6 seconds into a game ?? 

 

Love that tactic pfffft

Its the element of surprise that makes it so effective.

[blueheaven]

11 hours ago, SlickDT said:

I think it's unfair to take all credit away from Davidson for what was our greatest ever season. No doubt it was Tommy's squad of players, but under Callum they found a way of winning games. At a incredibly hard time to be a rookie manager and with budgets being very tight due to covid, he managed to pull off signings such as Conway and Bryson, who did play their part in helping us to two national trophies and find a system that brought the best out of the likes of Rooney, Kane, Spoony, McCann and Kerr.

Agree with this. I always felt it was wrong of people to try to claim Sandy Clark deserved no credit for our successful 1998/99 season, and I feel the same way now about Davidson. Clearly, Davidson played a huge part in us finishing 5th and winning two cups, and I'll always be grateful to him for that. We had some poor results in the first half of that season (and our inability to score goals was evident even then), but there was a point where things just seemed to click and at times (particularly around the time of the Rangers quarter-final) we looked close to unbeatable. Davidson's system suited the squad Tommy had built and I think his positive attitude gave the whole place a freshness and a lift.

It's everything that's happened since we were knocked out of Europe that is the problem. He's shown an inability to identify replacements to key players, and since his system stopped working he hasn't been able to find a new way of playing. We seem to get worse with every new signing he makes and it's unthinkable to be saying this but last season's squad was significantly stronger than what we have now. Perhaps most damaging of all is his inability or refusal to change things during matches. We'll struggle along for 60-70 minutes and he'll do nothing; meanwhile the opposition manager will make proactive changes and it results in us suddenly chasing games. It happened repeatedly last season and I saw signs of the same thing happening against Annan.

This is not going to get better.

[Northern saint]

From the malaise evident with the lack of endeavour from most of the players, to me it is obvious Davidson and the coaching staff have lost the dressing room.  How can any player have any confidence in them when one mistake, like trying a forward pass which fails sends them to the bench, at best?  Eetu and now Max.  One assumes the players know how to play in round holes but so often we see they can't play in square holes.  

Most new signings who actually got onto the pitch appeared to have something.  Within weeks they had nothing to offer.  Bad coaching, bad decisions.  

I'll be at Elgin on Tuesday night as it's a few miles from where I stay.  Elgin have been streaky for the last couple of seasons.  I hope to see something which will ignite the season.  At least until the penalties.  

[Cookster363]

58 minutes ago, montrosesaintee said:

Its the element of surprise that makes it so effective.

They have been doing it for 20+ years haha can we not just string 5 passes together and build . 

 

I mean call me crazy but possession helps doesn't it 

[Pat McGroin]

2 hours ago, Cookster363 said:

Why would we take bk a manager that left to go bigger ! And failed epically at killie ! We need somebody who isn't going to bend over for the broons ! Bet he's probably the cheapest manager in Scotland!  

 

In my opinion and manager that swags about in shorts and a training top , ain't a manager.  

 

If replaced he would just be another mediocre manager now doubt from Ireland cause that's the only direction we look apparently, saints have always admitted there a stepping stone club . So wheres the ambition to succeed.  There main goal every season is just pure survival.  

 

# bring back simao 

Every club in this league is a selling club. Including the ugly sisters. 

[dunblanemike]

2 hours ago, Cookster363 said:

Are saints still taking kick off then volleying it up the left wing and losing possession 6 seconds into a game ?? 

 

Love that tactic pfffft

We often mix it up by hoofing to the right wing, particularly when Rooney was playing (who would then give a thumbs up to the hoofer once ball has sailed over his head).

[Cookster363]

1 minute ago, Pat McGroin said:

Every club in this league is a selling club. Including the ugly sisters. 

You can't sell ( allow to leave ) the complete spine of ur squad and replace them with nobody's or has beens . That parish is the worst gk I have ever seen at saints . And gk is where they have always been solid .

[Cookster363]

1 minute ago, dunblanemike said:

We often mix it up by hoofing to the right wing, particularly when Rooney was playing (who would then give a thumbs up to the hoofer once ball has sailed over his head).

Twenty foot over his heed gets a thumbs up haha now defend for 89 minutes 

[pezza70]

5 minutes ago, Pat McGroin said:

Every club in this league is a selling club. Including the ugly sisters. 

Very true but right now in our squad what clubs would come in for them with decent dosh via a transfer?

[Pat McGroin]

4 minutes ago, pezza70 said:

Very true but right now in our squad what clubs would come in for them with decent dosh via a transfer?

I think you could look at the double as a gift and a curse. It brought a lot of media attention and likely a lot more interest in our players than we otherwise would have had. 
 

I don’t think we would have had the exodus we’ve experienced if we’d finished runner up in both cups but the players are rightly taking advantage of that success. 
 

The clubs lack of ability to maximise income from their assets is another topic entirely.