Our inglorious bastard of a leader, Craig Fowler, goes through the football related questions you’ve sent us over the past week. There were a number of questions concerning SPFL managers. So we took those ones out and lumped them all together into this one Mailbag blog. There will be another edition later this week.
John Hughes? #TogetherNess – Scotty MacKenzie (@scottycaddy)
Vague.
If you’re judging his reign in charge of Inverness so far you can only call it a complete disaster unparalleled with any other job in the Scottish Premiership this season – and only bettered/worsened by Allan Moore/Kenny Shiels, Willie Aitchison and Gardiner Speirs in all of league football. What I initially liked about the appointment has been proven to be completely false: that Hughes wouldn’t have the arrogance to assume that he could turn an already overachieving Inverness into a better side. That he would continue the good work laid down by Butcher and maybe even try to discover some methods that the players didn’t appreciate, bin such approaches and make an already harmonic dressing room united even further. What he’s done instead has thrown out the old mantra and replaced it with his version. Even without getting into the debate of whose approach is more effective, making players fit into a style they’re not used to and one which some of them will never be able to adapt for is a nonsense strategy. Any chance of Inverness finishing in Europe for the first time in their history is all but gone and Hughes has to shoulder that blame.
The only thing I can say to stand up for Yogi – and this is taking Devil’s Advocate to the extreme – is to suggest that long term this could be better for Inverness. Bare with me now because even I think I’m nuts for suggesting this, but if Hughes can turn Inverness into a poor man’s/Scottish/mini Barcelona then it could help the club continue to overachieve by remaining in the top six during his reign. Think about it. Butcher’s success was built on picking up obscure talents from the English lower leagues (and Ireland) and giving them a chance to prove themselves as dependable first team players. The success rate wasn’t very high but they were able to bring a number of them in on very low wages, making it a low risk/high reward strategy. They were able to do this through the keen eye of Steve Marsella. When Butcher left the Highlands his trusted goalkeeping coach/head scout went with him, robbing Inverness of their ability to keep this production line going when they would inevitably lose current players either this summer or next. Even if Hughes did carry on the work and did a good job initially, it would be very tough for him to make a success of himself over the whole course of his tenure. Inverness would gradually slide down the table as he tried in vain to replicate the blueprint of his predecessor despite not having the necessary tools. By ripping it all up and starting again by trying to teach them a new way of playing, he’s at least giving them the opportunity to overachieve in another way. Because if he pulls this off then Inverness will certainly have a playing style unique to Scottish football. It could be some short term hurt for long term gain.
No?… Nah, I didn’t buy it either.
Which club from the bottom six has been best managed this season? – John A Maxwell (@john_a_maxwell)
Initially I thought “this sounds like a straightforward easy question” and then I began to think about it. Slowly my jaw started to drop until I finally muttered “oh shit” when I realised the severity of the task: Pat Fenlon, Terry Butcher, Allan Johnston, Derek Adams, Danny Lennon, Alan Archibald and Gary Locke. You want me to pick a best? Out of THEM?!
Right, let’s discard Hibs immediately. Fenlon obviously did a poor job of putting a balanced and successful squad together while Butcher has still underachieved with a group of “talent” that is still paid as the third highest (second according to Stuart Milne) in the league.
Gary Locke I don’t know what to make of at this moment in time. I have been a vocal critic of him many times this season as I felt he underperformed tactically. Though when you examine the entire piece he really was on a hiding to nothing with that squad and deserves tremendous credit for encouraging the players to keep on fighting until the very end. When one defeat was all that was needed to relegated them with still eight games remaining they managed to pull off a sequence of two wins and a draw. Now I don’t care what the circumstances are, that’s impressive. Supporters have stated that he should have utilised the likes of Dale Carrick and Sam Nicholson earlier in the campaign, but as Locke has mentioned himself these guys have worked hard over the course of the season to bulk themselves up and get their body ready for the rigours of top flight football. I’m not a fan of discrediting smaller players, but there’s a difference between being small and being lightweight and Nicholson, in particular, was certainly that at the beginning of the campaign. If Hearts are relegated by less than 15 points then he definitely deserves to be called the best of the bottom six managers in 2013/14, because that means he would have kept this Hearts team up without the deduction and that’s mind boggling when you think of the squad restrictions, not to mention imbalance, that they have. Although, having said all that, I still remember the 7-0 defeat to Celtic with the 4-4-2 starring Callum Paterson and Ryan Stevenson up front, not to mention the debacle of the 30 minutes against nine-men semi-final, so he’s not getting the honour just yet.
Alan Archibald looked excellent when Thistle started the season though there is a glaring lack of a plan B from the guy. This counts against him doubly since he’s still in charge of a team that was largely assembled by his two predecessors (Ian McCall and Jackie McNamara). Allan Johnston, on paper, seems to be doing a half decent job. Killie are about where we expected them to be and probably the side least likely to finish in eleventh when you take their strong record against the rest of the bottom six into account. However, I don’t like their style of football, the majority of his signings are terrible and I believe he relies too much on Kris Boyd. Had Hearts not gone into administration and coaxed the goalscorer to Tynecastle – apparently this was a real thing that was going to happen – then I truly believe it would be Killie that are bottom of the league right now.
Danny Lennon? No chance. His arranging of the team into a 4-1-4-1 with four energetic midfielders bounding between defence and attack to support hold up man Steven Thompson was a masterstroke. However, the injury to Kenny McLean brought the whole thing crashing down and he had little answer for how to fix it. Then there’s his terrible list of signings. No, I can’t give it to Lennon either.
That leaves Derek Adams. He really didn’t do a good job of building a new squad in the summer and his initial fannying around with a 5-4-1 was strange to say the least. However, he at least realised that things weren’t working and wasn’t stubborn enough to stick with it in the face of criticism. I quite like the team he’s assembled in January and it’s a shame he couldn’t have done something similar in the summer because with a full pre-season playing together that team could have actually given the top six another go. You also have to remember that County have a smaller gate attendance, which should equate a smaller budget, than any other side in the bottom six.
In the end, I’ll go with Ross County as my answer. It’s really by default more than anything else. I can pick less holes in the case to be made for Adams than I can any other bottom six manager, but should the season finish with Hearts less than 15 points from the team in 11th then I’ll be changing my selection to Gary Locke.
Consider all 42 SPFL senior managers. If you were to make a best XI of their playing abilities, who would make it? – Craig G Telfer (@CraigGTelfer)
After you asked this, Craig, you and a number of our followers basically gave an answer anyway. But like the uncool kid at the party whose decided to bring a bottle of Jaegermister for everyone to drink, I refuse to be omitted from the fun.
Here’s my team, set up in the usual 4-4-2 that applies to any hypothetical XI.
Wright; McNamara, Murray, Butcher, Naysmith; Cameron, Lennon, McCall, Johnston; McCoist, Booth
Tommy Wright (GK)
I know he was a goalkeeper… therefore he’s in. It was either him or Stuart Garden at Montrose. A quick check of his Wikipedia page showed he played for Newcastle in the early nineties and Manchester City in the late 90s. Why don’t I remember him? Ok, even I could probably have gotten my game for City in the late 90s, but I still should remember him.
Jackie McNamara (RB)
Better in midfield but I didn’t want to risk him losing out on a place with the amount of competition in that position. For large parts of his career he was underrated because of his style and quiet demeanour. Then suddenly he won Player of the Year! Throw in a few Scotland caps, a couple of league championships and he was always a shoe-in to make this XI.
Gary Naysmith (LB)
Don’t dare argue with me about this or I’ll fight you. I used to love watching Naysmith charge up and down the left wing and maintain to this day that he’s the best left back I’ve seen at Tynecastle – Takis Fyssas had technique that defied belief in Scotland, but the veteran’s Greek’s lack of pace was a concern. Naysmith remains more effective in my eyes. He’s got 46 Scotland caps and would have gotten more if he hadn’t suffered through constant injury problems at the turn of the century.
Terry Butcher (CB)
He captained England at a time when England were relative as a world force. This selection was easy. BLOOD ON THE FACE!!!!
Ian Murray (CB)
Another cheat but his pedigree was a bit better than the likes of Gus McPherson or Jim Duffy or Jim Jefferies, and I’m sure I saw him playing centre half once, maybe. He got six Scotland caps before moving to a member of the Old Firm and would have done more in his career were it not for his arthritis.
Colin Cameron (RM)
It came down to a choice between Gary Holt and Cameron for the final spot in this midfield. So sue me, I’m a biased prick. Cameron was just an excellent all round football player and I was continually dumbfounded as to how he’d been playing in the lower leagues prior to Hearts picking him up for £400,000. Excellent on and off the ball and a good captain before his departure to Wolves. Played in England’s top flight and earned more Scotland caps than either Holt or Murray. I’m content with this choice.
Neil Lennon (CM)
If anyone tries to tell me that Lennon doesn’t deserve to be in this team then you’re either a liar or you’ve let your dislike of the man completely cloud your judgement beyond the point of rationality. I know he was limited in his natural abilities. I know he wasn’t the fittest footballer you’ve ever laid your eyes on. But at a time when defensive midfielders were all the rage he was one of the best in Britain. You don’t win as many titles as he did or face so many world class players in the Champions League every season if you’re crap.
Stuart McCall (CM)
I’ll still feel young as long as Stuart McCall still rocks that mullet. I can just focus on it’s drooping gingerness and pretend that nothing has change since the time I first became aware of the excellent Rangers team of the early nineties gunning for European glory. That mullet is a time portal to my youth. Don’t ever cut it Stu, not ever.
Allan Johnston (LM)
Skilful, fast and could score goals: everything you could want in a winger. It’s a shame his Kilmarnock team are the polar opposite. Unless I consciously connect the two it’s hard to think of Johnston the player and Johnston the manager as the same person. It’s a shame. I never wanted, nor envisioned, “Magic’s” legacy being tarnished in such a way.
Scott Booth (FC)
I don’t have a lot of memories of Booth but he almost won the league with Aberdeen as a youngster, gained 22 Scotland caps and he was once signed by Borussia Dortmund…
…
… Sorry, I was too busy chucking away at that last comment.
Ally McCoist (FC)
Do you know what I said about Johnston? About separating the player and manager into different people? Well the same thing is happening with McCoist. Had he shown the ruthlessness and drive for success as a Rangers manager that he had as the predatory hitman at the club then it would have seemed like a natural continuation. Instead there’s the incredible goalscorer who I literally feared whenever he lined up against Hearts, and the incompetent bloated slaver who I’m praying is still in charge at Ibrox next year when the two clubs battle it out for the Championship crown.
Can you rank the top 12 current top flight managers in order of ability? And, for comedy value, can you add McCoist – Lawrie Spence (@nareystoepoker)
This question was hard. Very f***ing hard! Trying to weigh up the different projections for each team and comparing it with the rest was difficult enough. Then you get into the whole ‘is it easier to manage a smaller club than a bigger club?’ debate and it ended with my head spinning so badly that only a glass of bourbon and game on FIFA could clear it. Several days later I came back to the question, perspiration dripping from my forehead and my knuckles whiter than the fur on my cat. Here was my best shot:
1) Stuart McCall
2) Neil Lennon
3) Derek McInnes
4) Jackie McNamara
5) Derek Adams
6) Terry Butcher
7) Tommy Wright
8) John Hughes
9) Danny Lennon
10) Alan Archibald
11) Gary Locke
12) Allan Johnston
13) Ally McCoist (duh!)
Not picking Lennon in first is somewhat controversial, but until the Champions League campaign last season the knock on him was that he couldn’t win the big game and I don’t feel that one success story should be enough to wipe out such a criticism, particularly when they haven’t fared too well in them this term either. I know Stuart McCall is arguably even worse at winning those same types of knock-out matches, but when you’re league incentive is basically wrapped up before a ball is kicked the big knock-out take on much more significance. Who knows? Maybe McCall would be a brilliant leader in those high pressure matches if his teams didn’t have tough games either side of them. Plus, the job McCall has done to build two European qualifying squads at Motherwell is something we’ve never really seen any non-Old Firm manager do in the last 20 years. And we don’t know how much of a say Lennon has in the players he brings into Celtic Park.
Next I’ve gone for McInnes, not just for what he’s done this season but on getting St Johnstone into the SPL and keeping them there. The guy just knows how to make Scottish football teams that are incredibly hard to beat. Look back at that St Johnstone side from 2010-11. They stayed up – comfortably, I might add – despite scoring only 23 goals the entire league campaign. Can you imagine that? I don’t care what team you are. You tell the fans prior to the season that they will net that few goals and everyone will say the same thing: we’ll get relegated. Besides, I also feel his Aberdeen side are now getting a bit of unfair stick. It’s as if people have forgot the last two decades and just think “we’ll it’s Aberdeen, with Hearts where they are now they’re right where they should be”. That’s much easier said than done. In fact, prior to this year the Dons supporters had that same sort of fatalism that plagues Easter Road right now. It takes an exceptional manager to change all of that.
This is where it begins to get really hazy and I’m not even happy with my own list, let alone anyone judging it. Jackie McNamara may not have done a job as impressive as taking Inverness or Ross County into the top six, but then he’s new enough that he doesn’t have the blemish on his record that makes me think twice about him. He did an excellent job raising Partick Thistle up the First Division table when they hadn’t even threatened to do something like that in years and now he’s taken on a United side who were clearly on the decline and breathed new life into them. He doesn’t have the underwhelming year that Derek Adams had after County’s cup final appearance, or the poor squad that Adams built at the beginning of this season. Nor does he have the abysmal failures at other clubs that Terry Butcher has. Some managers strike it lucky when it comes to an environment surrounding one particular club and never repeat that success elsewhere. I’m yet to be fully convinced Butcher is not one of those guys. That’s why he’s behind Adams for the time being.
Tommy Wright probably appears too far down the list. I just don’t know enough about him yet seeing as this is his first job outside Irish football. The job John Hughes did at Falkirk is enough to lift him over some of the other guys, even if he hasn’t done much since then. Danny Lennon will sit too high on this list for many, but while he’s underachieved at St Mirren he hasn’t been a disaster. It’s so easy for a struggling team to completely lose faith in their manager and mentally check out. The Buddies have never done that and he deserves some credit in that respect, even though he’s somehow only been able to finish higher than 10th once with a pretty strong side. We also mustn’t forget how he hauled Cowdenbeath up two divisions despite continued financial troubling plaguing the club.
On to the bottom four: Alan Archibald I touched on in the answer to one of the other questions. He’s struggled to adapt to the challenges of the top flight and is just a little too inexperienced to place him above any of those in front of him. That leaves Gary Locke and Allan Johnston. Locke can only be judged on this season and I believe he’s done a better job than Allan Johnston – I’m completely flabbergasted by his Manager of the Year performance with Queen of the South last year – since I believe the latter relies on the goals of Kris Boyd far too much.
As for McCoist. The only nice thing I can say about him is that he’s built a terrifically efficient team for winning the third tier. And even then he’s spent way too much money doing it.
Listen to the latest podcast discussing the Scottish Cup semi-finals and the 12 best centre midfielders in the Scottish Premiership.
If you have any question you’d like Craig Fowler and The Terrace guys to try and answer then please send them to show@terracepodcast.net or post them on twitter.
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