Gus is ready to lend his helping hand
As the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
But on the flip side of that, you can teach a new dog old tricks.
And what St Mirren have now is perhaps the experienced head to teach their new man the ways of Scottish football.
Gus MacPherson’s return to St Mirren this week as the club’s new technical director perhaps went unheralded.
Be it the club not wanting to make a big deal about the appointment, or the fact that both Rangers and Celtic were hogging the headlines ahead of their European clashes, MacPherson’s first day on the job passed without much fanfare.
But the hard work has already started for the 49-year-old MacPherson and he hasn’t wasted any time in getting into the thick of it.
Even before he had stepped through the front door, MacPherson had recommended the Buddies take a look at a number of players.
It is his contacts – not just in Scotland – that will serve St Mirren well, and perhaps give Oran Kearney the leg up that he admits he might need when it comes to dealing in an altogether different transfer market from the one he is used to in Northern Ireland.
MacPherson will also be there to lend a hand, perhaps a word in the ear if he spots something he feels could be tweaked, and although some may question what the dynamic is going to be, no one can argue that St Mirren have landed a man best suited for the job.
Some are quick to brush over the MacPherson era but it can’t be forgotten that he turned the club around from one struggling near the foot of the First Division to the side he left in a new stadium, regularly reaching the latter stages of the cups, and sitting pretty comfortably in the top flight.
MacPherson is a man that knows the club, and its chairman, inside out. There won’t be weeks of getting to know people, there won’t be days spent learning the ropes, because having not been away from the game at all, he knows exactly what is required to be a success.
How that success is measured in his new role remains to be seen however, if results turn around on the park then you can be sure the doubts will stop.
When it comes to results... well things are already looking positive under Kearney.
One week in and he is already holding the champions to a 0-0 draw It seems to be the in thing right now to lambast referees the length and breadth of the country.
And when it comes to the likes of Steve Clarke complaining about Gary Dicker’s red card or Aberdeen up in arms over Michael Devlin’s dismissal then that’s all fair and well – when it was clear that a mistake had been made.
However, Brendan Rodgers’decision in Paisley.
The most shocking part of that sentence is perhaps the fact St Mirren kept a clean sheet – against anybody.
That isn’t a slight, it is a matter of fact that the side had conceded a mammoth 12 goals in the previous to come out and blast Andrew Dallas for the Olivier Ntcham’s red card against Saints last week seems utterly crazy.
Ntcham was already lucky to still be on the pitch when he was eventually sent packing for his challenge on Stephen McGinn.
Dallas had already allowed a clear handball to go unpunished, from four games.
But the introduction of Anton Ferdinand at the heart of defence appeared to have made a massive difference, while it was telling that the side was made up with the crux of the one that stormed to the title last which Cammy Smith came close to scoring from the resulting free-kick.
He then spent the rest of the half rampaging around almost as if he was looking to get sent off.
The officials aren’t perfect but the red call was right on this one. season. A few extra jigsaw pieces are still to be added and it isn’t going to turn around overnight.
However, things are looking up for Saints as everything appears to be finally falling in to place. The feelgood factor is on the verge of a return.