Hibs chairman McPherson explains Sauzee saga at long last
Two-time chief on fan favourite and why he has faith in Montgomery
HIBS non-executive chairman Malcolm McPherson has revealed Alex McLeish encouraged him to appoint Franck Sauzee as his successor – despite the Frenchman’s 2001 stint at the Easter Road helm ending after just 69 days with just one win in 15 games.
McPherson – now in his second spell as chairman of the capital club – spoke exclusively to The Herald in his first in-depth interview and revisited the period in which McLeish left the club to join Rangers, Sauzee was appointed and sacked, and Bobby Williamson was brought in to steady the ship.
“Alex was doing a good job; he was a very intelligent man and he had brought in some great players such as Russell Latapy and Franck, who were probably our best players since Pat Stanton,” McPherson said.
“They lit the place up. They were so special. It was Alex’s contacts and charm that brought these players to us. But I only knew that Alex was going to Rangers when a pal phoned to tell me it had been in a Sunday paper. And what happened the following Wednesday? We played Rangers at Ibrox,” he added.
McLeish had been responsible for bringing Sauzee to Easter Road and the Frenchman quickly became a fans’ favourite and helped the club to the First Division title and a decent showing on their return to the top flight.
“[With Alex going], Franck expressed his interest in taking over and Alex felt he could do the job. Every Hibs supporter in the country wanted Franck as the next Hibs manager, including me. I remember Sir Alex Ferguson speaking from the top table at a Scottish Football Writers dinner, and he said that big clubs who appointed rookie managers were off their heads. ‘It never works,’ he said, explaining that managers had to learn their trade. Clearly, I wasn’t listening hard enough,” McPherson said.
“Franck was such a joy; a lovely man, but it just didn’t work out. Before a game against St Johnstone that we had to win to keep away from the relegation zone, I went with Rod Petrie to see Franck to tell him we couldn’t go on. I was in his beautiful New Town flat with his delightful wife and when I told him we had to let him go he was relieved. He told me the Hibs manager needed to go, ‘F**k, f**k, f**k’. These were his exact words. What he meant was, we needed a hard-man manager, and that wasn’t his style.”
Sauzee’s sole victory as Hibs boss came in a Scottish Cup replay against Stranraer at Easter Road but speaking at the press conference announcing his departure – which he insisted on attending – he declared his
confidence that Hibs would not be relegated despite a poor run of form that had started before he was in post.
His prediction eventually came true as Hibs finished 10th, 20 points clear of St Johnstone who were relegated, with Williamson steadying the ship even if results weren’t particularly spectacular. The former Kilmarnock manager managed five league wins, including a 3-0 success over the McDiarmid Park side in his first game in charge. But McPherson admitted the Hibs hierarchy had harboured some concerns when they appointed him.
“We didn’t interview anybody else as Bobby’s track record was the best in Scotland. He had won the Scottish Cup with Kilmarnock and was doing really well. We had concerns over the way he wanted to play football, but we probably didn’t do enough research into that.”
McPherson left the club during Williamson’s tenure but insisted his departure had nothing to do with the Sauzee saga or the style of play under the former Rugby Park forward, or the rumblings of discontent from supporters – some of whom had protested when the Frenchman was sacked – but was the result of his relationship with fellow board members fraying at the seams.
“For a board to work effectively, it has to be in tune,” he explained. “At the time, I don’t think Rod or Sir Tom Farmer looked at matters in the same way that I did. Sir Tom owned and financially supported the club and he was entitled to determine the direction it was to take. My relationship with the real powers at the club had been strained. We had different attitudes and aspirations.”
Meanwhile, McPherson has backed Nick Montgomery to bring success to Hibs, despite a somewhat turbulent start to his time in Scottish football. The former Central Coast Mariners boss reached the last four of the League Cup but Hibs remain in a fight to secure a top-six berth and keep alive their slim chances of European football.
“Nick and his staff are dedicated, they have a plan, and I am really comfortable with them,” the nonexecutive chairman stated.
“Our luck with VAR has been appalling – some of the decisions that have gone against us, I can’t believe. The penalty at Aberdeen that the SFA apologised for. How did the mistake happen in the first place? That would have been a handball back in the days when I played football.
“But Nick has a plan and the atmosphere within the squad is, as I understand it, very good. We have many very good players and people at the club and top pros like Joe Newell and David Marshall are a great influence and we are lucky to have them.
“Nick will be successful and take us on. His first pick of players came in January and they have made a big difference. He has been unlucky with injuries and lost some games due to bizarre VAR decisions. All these things happen in football but with a modicum of good luck – which he has not had up until now – he will be a very successful manager.”