BARTLEY: IT WAS A HOLT FROM BLUE
GARY HOLT is not the first manager Marvin Bartley has seen fall on his sword.
However, the Livingston skipper is praying he is the last.
Bartley admits the Lions’ squad was left shell-shocked on Thursday when Holt called a meeting to inform the players that he would be resigning after a little more than two years at the helm.
Bartley saw the footage of Holt confessing that he would consider his future following defeat against St Mirren but swiftly wrote it off as heat-of-the-moment emotion.
So the decision to stand down came as a bolt from the blue.
And the former Hibs hero is adamant that, even as a grizzled veteran, it never gets any easier to watch a manager walk through the exit door.
Bartley said: “Being one of the older players, I’ve probably lost my manager more than most in the squad.
“It’s never easy and considering I don’t have too long left in the game, hopefully it’s the last time a manager resigns on me.
“When you do postmatch interviews, your emotions can be all over the place. I try not to read too much into post-match interviews so I didn’t think too much of what he said on Saturday. But he obviously decided he couldn’t take the club forward.”
As well as becoming captain during Holt’s tenure, Bartley was also afforded the opportunity to pursue his coaching aspirations by the departed gaffer.
The 34-year-old was recently appointed as reserve team manager, assisted by Efe Ambrose and Gary Maley, and has made no secret of his desire to be a boss in his own right.
However, Bartley is adamant the current vacancy comes too soon for him.
He said: “I’m still enjoying playing and my focus is on that.”
It will fall upon Livi’s head of football operations David Martindale and goalkeeping coach Tony Caig to take interim charge of the side for today’s Betfred Cup last-16 tie against Ayr.
United boss Mark Kerr has hailed his players for responding to tough love this season.
He said: “The players had to take a bit of stick and got plenty of stick from me.
“Then you look at the performance against Dundee and, for a younger group of players, that proves they are developing well.”