Recognition is Wright on cue
Award vindicates Saints’ faith in boss
THE voice vehemently calling for Tommy Wright to be dismissed in a deep midwinter of discontent and defeats was heard loud and clear by the St Johnstone manager on his way home from another disappointment. The litter of online displeasure was easily accessible to staff and players who wish to be regularly exposed to it.
Fortunately, the McDiarmid Park boardroom was soundproof to such stupidity. Blissfully ignorant of the nameless knee-jerk ones infesting the internet with short-termism shouts of the sacking season.
From beating Ross County 3-2 on December 5, Saints did not record another win until February 20. Nine matches is more than enough evidence to persuade some clubs to consider dumping their boss no matter the marvels he’d conjured previously.
That Wright has won the Ladbrokes Premiership Manager of the Season award, for another campaign of overachievement carrying Saints comfortably to fourth, is confirmation that keeping trust in the 52-year-old was most wise.
Wright said: ‘I remember coming back from a game during the bad run, listening to the radio and someone wanted me sacked. They’re entitled to their opinion, of course they are, but I’m also entitled to have an opinion of their opinion.
‘And it would have been wrong because, although we were having a bad time, we’ve achieved a few things in the last few seasons.
‘It’s a 38-game season, I keep reminding people that’s what you should be judged on.
‘But that’s modern football. Have a bad run and people want you out the door. At that time, we were still in the top six. We’re not too concerned what people think of us because we know we’ve a good squad.
‘We’ve outperformed the two Dundee clubs for the last few seasons. They’re both bigger clubs but we’ve done better. We outscored Dundee last season. So we’ve not done too badly, despite the criticism aimed at the team from a few people.’
Saints finished with a trademark flourish. That’s three seasons of top-six excellence under Wright in the spring series. His team has never lost to champions Celtic nor Aberdeen following the split.
The last post-split defeat was to Inverness Caley Thistle — a week before Wright guided the Perth club to Scottish Cup glory in 2014.
So the biggest problem likely for chairman Steve Brown, if Wright continues to produce winning top-six football on a bottom-six budget, is retaining the former Northern Ireland goalkeeper.
Wright’s fellow countryman Neil Lennon is, however, just one example of discovering that a desire to dive into an English job can have dire consequences.
His choice of Bolton, a club in a financial predicament that would have made it messy for any managerial hotshot, ended in a sacking and a relegation after 18 months in the post. That’s a lengthy period to be in charge in the English Championship, where the hiring and firing lasts all year round.
Not an attractive environment to convince the steady hand of Wright to point south at the first call.
‘For me to go, it would have to be the right fit,’ said Wright. ‘We’re talking hypothetically but if something did happen I’m not just going to jump in the car and head to England for the first thing that comes along.
‘I’d have to be happy with the stability of the club, the direction it’s going in and the owners.
‘The last thing you want is to move and, after three months, find yourself out of work even though you’ve not done much wrong.
‘The turnover rate in England is massive. I spoke to Steve Clarke recently and he told me the average length of time a manager is in place in the Championship is 12 months. Some owners there should look at what happens when you do stick with a manager.
‘On my situation, I’m happy here. The chairman and I both know there might come a day when, hopefully, a move will come for me. But it would have to be exactly what I felt was right on so many levels.
‘I remember winning the League Cup with Distillery while in administration and, after the game, Michael O’Neill texted to say I’d better get out as quick as I can. It was the same after we won the Scottish Cup here. I’d loads of texts saying congratulations but “get out because you can’t do any more”.
‘But we’ve since beat a good side in Europe in Luzern and finished fourth two seasons in a row. Longevity in a manager’s career is something I feel is important so, if I keep getting the support, then why can’t we keep it going?
‘We do need the support and the chairman said he’ll increase the budget. So I think we can still keep fighting for a place in the top six. It will be tougher again next season but it’s possible. And if you keep doing it, that keeps your stock up.’
McDiarmid Park chief Brown did move swiftly when Wright was decreed the perfect fit for Stephen Thompson’s plans at Dundee United in the wake of Jackie McNamara’s sacking last October. A new, improved contract was arranged. And agreed upon — a rather clever idea for both parties given all the subsequent Tannadice troubles.
‘The Dundee United thing wasn’t really a decision because the chairman made it clear he didn’t want me to go,’ said Wright. ‘It was flattering but he’d made it clear that there was no legs to it. And very quickly he parted with money to give me a new contract — and that’s not something he does very often!
‘Maybe our squad doesn’t look stronger than United’s to some on paper but, on the pitch, I think my lads have proved the better bunch. Every season managers look back and say “what if” we didn’t have that bad spell. I’m sure Derek McInnes and Robbie Neilson are doing it, too.
‘We might have been second or third. But we came through it to finish fourth and that’s a great achievement. It’s a huge honour and a surprise to win this Ladbrokes award.’