ANY SUPPORT IN A STORM
Rodgers and McInnes gave new Falkirk boss Hartley belief to get back in game
PAUL HARTLEY last night thanked Brendan Rodgers and Derek McInnes for keeping his head up through the darkest days of his post-P45 blues.
The former Dundee and Alloa boss is back in business with Falkirk and will watch interim gaffer Alex Smith take his new charges against Dunfermline from the stand this afternoon. But he admits his six months out of work after his April axeing from Dens Park would have been a lot harder to endure without the backing of Scotland’s top two bosses helping him believe he still had the ability to get the job done at another club. He said: “It was good when Brendan invited me to Lennoxtown. I was reassured. “I had a good chat with him and I also spoke to managers like Derek McInnes and Craig Brown. They’ve all been in this position before and hearing them telling me that I would get back in definitely helped.
“It’s an unforgiving business, management. When you see the number of managers who have lost their jobs because of the expectations placed on them it’s quite unfair.
“There are a lot of good managers who are out of work and desperate for jobs as well, which means you’re never sure how long it will take. It could be a week, a month, a year.
“That’s why I’m really pleased to be here at Falkirk – and I can’t wait to get started.”
Hartley will let 77-year-old Alex Smith steer the side through their Irn-Bru Cup clash with their bitter Fife rivals.
But he insists he has no qualms about leaving his team in the hands of a man who mentored him as a teenager 25 years ago.
He said: “I had a good chat with Alex about the group of players here and what has gone wrong. We want to give them their confidence back and get that winning feeling going again.
“Alex is a guy I’ve known for 25 years, even from before he was my assistant manager at Raith Rovers under Jimmy Nicholl. He’s someone I’ll rely on and speak to because I have the utmost respect for him.
“I would like to still be going at his age! Football is in my blood, I love it, I’ve missed it and I can’t wait to get started with the players.
“I know I have come to a good club that’s well supported and has everything going for it. Now we need to find the missing part of the jigsaw – and get promotion to the Premiership.”
Hartley is taking on a side who’ve lost their mojo after two seasons of second-placed finishes and play-off heartache under Peter Houston.
Despite their pre-season status as second favourites for the title behind Dundee United they sit eighth in the Championship, nine points off the play-offs and 12 off the top.
But he’s a course and distance man in the division, having taken Dundee up in 2014 after earning promotion twice with Alloa.
He said: “One thing I do have is that I know how to get the job done, from the third tier all the way to the Championship. I’ve got the experience of getting clubs promoted.
“So I’ll be honest with the players and tell them where we want to be. This fanbase belongs in the Premiership.
“They’ve got more than 3000 season-ticket holders and everything is geared up to be there. Now just have to manage the expectations and go up.
“If we can produce good young players through the academy then we will play them – but the main aim is to get a winning team on the pitch.”
Hartley, who is expected to draft in a new No.2 in the week ahead, added: “This is a new start for me and the club and I hope the fans are as excited as me. Let’s get the season up and running.”