Livingston - all the threads merged

[Scotty Tunbridge]

I'd like a Safe pair of hands in to steady the ship and consolidate a top 10 finish

I’m sure Martin Canning would be interested.

[sergie's no1 fan]

Robbie Neilson? [emoji3] 

Heard 2 different reasons why he didn't want our job.

1. He was getting paid more from MK Dons on gardening leave than he would get from us.

2. He seen our budget and thought f'ck that.

So you'd think both would apply to Livi, mo offence intended.

[Ross.]

7 hours ago, EdinburghLivi said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tevi_Steve_Lawson 

The team he signed from were just promoted to the Swiss second division. Hopefully a Tony Andreu rather than David Luongo.

Going by that wiki page he was at Xamax last year, who just won promotion to the top league, several years after some highly publicized financial problems saw them end up at the bottom end of the game here. Ideal training for Livi I guess.

His previous side were Le Mont, who went bankrupt halfway through the 16/17 season, while he was there...

I don’t recall having noticed the boy despite attending quite a few games in the second league while he played for both those sides. No real surprise though as the standard of defending was and still is utterly horrendous.

[Whitburn Vale]

Kenny took his time as did LFC to come to an agreement about taking the job.

Seems like has been said it just wasnt meant to be.

We move on,especially as his appointment was not really met with universal approval from the fans,myself included.

My preference was Gary Holt,here's hoping.

[Jdog]

I heard Kenny Miller the player had a bust up with the manager?

[Armand 2]

I found the whole situation at Livi over the summer rather curious. They held off for as long as possible on Hopkin which was understandable although it did take longer than it probably should have. But the multiple signings that were made whilst no manager was in place were particularly head scratching.

Hopkin was manager. Miller was appointed as player/manager. If it was a Head Coach position then fair enough but given there's no Director of Football, who then was signing off on all of these transfers prior to a manager being appointed? To give an assistant manager carte blanche to build a squad that AN Other manager is going to have to hang his hat on always seemed like a recipe for disaster especially given the very possible scenario that the new man would want to appoint his own staff. Is it possible that this has all broken down over Miller wanting to appoint his own assistant? Because it seems to me that Martindale holds a disproportionate amount of sway from what an assistant manager should.

I think it's rather questionable reasoning to say that the Livi board weren't comfortable with Miller continuing in a dual role given they were happy to appoint him on that basis 7 weeks ago - and if they signed off on a 'probationary period', they need their heads checked. 

All rather bizarre from an outsider looking in (from the league below).

Edit to add: not that I think Miller's departure is particularly bad - he's become an increasingly disruptive figure in recent years.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Armand 2

[Estragon]

10 hours ago, Afro said:

...IMO we’ve not actually played poorly this season. Seriously lacking up front...Kenny Miller’s inclusion on the pitch didn’t help in that regard. Constantly dropping deep to influence the play and just generally not being where you would expect him to be most of the time....

 

 

Eh?  Have you watched much of Kenny Miller over the last twenty years?  The whole "running all over the pitch thing" is kinda his shtick.

In all seriousness, I'm surprised at this news.  Had the feeling you guys were doing ok?  Decent results in the LC, competitive at Parkhead, draw against the juggernaut, unlucky on Saturday.  Behind the scenes trouble?

[LiviLion]

15 minutes ago, Armand 2 said:

I found the whole situation at Livi over the summer rather curious. They held off for as long as possible on Hopkin which was understandable although it did take longer than it probably should have. But the multiple signings that were made whilst no manager was in place were particularly head scratching.

Hopkin was manager. Miller was appointed as player/manager. If it was a Head Coach position then fair enough but given there's no Director of Football, who then was signing off on all of these transfers prior to a manager being appointed? To give an assistant manager carte blanche to build a squad that AN Other manager is going to have to hang his hat on always seemed like a recipe for disaster especially given the very possible scenario that the new man would want to appoint his own staff. Is it possible that this has all broken down over Miller wanting to appoint his own assistant? Because it seems to me that Martindale holds a disproportionate amount of sway from what an assistant manager should.

I think it's rather questionable reasoning to say that the Livi board weren't comfortable with Miller continuing in a dual role given they were happy to appoint him on that basis 7 weeks ago - and if they signed off on a 'probationary period', they need their heads checked. 

All rather bizarre from an outsider looking in (from the league below).

Edit to add: not that I think Miller's departure is particularly bad - he's become an increasingly disruptive figure in recent years.

Pretty sure Hopkin had a few of the signings tied up before leaving, and IMO it was sensible to let Martindale add to the squad rather than stop everything and let targets slip away. 

Sounds like they gave him a chance thinking he'd figure out he can't play 90 minutes every week while trying to manage the team at the same time.  His recent interview where he said he was the fittest in the squad and suggested he had no intentions of not playing probably made the board's decision a bit easier.

FWIW I think he'd still be a half decent player if he didn't keep ending up in midfield trying to manage the team and just focused on being a striker, as LF has mentioned his dropping deep meant we were leaving our target man isolated with no one to pick up the ball when they've held it up. Seems like stubbornness/arrogance was his downfall anyway. 

Hopkin my first choice, let's just forget this all happened and he never left  Failing that I wanted Holt before Miller anyway and I imagine today's job will be contacting him to see if he's still interested. 

[TheScarf]

11 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Falkirk fans and their crowdwanks.

Some things never change.

It's literally all they have going for them.  4000 turn up each week and there's always 2 or 3 teams better than them every season.

[thruthenight]

 

[Rabbi Williams]

So many memories

Gone but not forgotten x

[andylivi1]

Hearing Alan Lithgow is going on a celebratory wanking tour of the central belt cos he might get back in the team now. 

Just speculation for now. 

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Hope his walk doesn't take him past any women walking alone

[Reggie Perrin]

1 hour ago, TheScarf said:

It's literally all they have going for them.  4000 turn up each week and there's always 2 or 3 teams better than them every season.

If only it was just 2 or 3.

[Snooky]

2 hours ago, Armand 2 said:

I found the whole situation at Livi over the summer rather curious. They held off for as long as possible on Hopkin which was understandable although it did take longer than it probably should have. But the multiple signings that were made whilst no manager was in place were particularly head scratching.

Hopkin was manager. Miller was appointed as player/manager. If it was a Head Coach position then fair enough but given there's no Director of Football, who then was signing off on all of these transfers prior to a manager being appointed? To give an assistant manager carte blanche to build a squad that AN Other manager is going to have to hang his hat on always seemed like a recipe for disaster especially given the very possible scenario that the new man would want to appoint his own staff. Is it possible that this has all broken down over Miller wanting to appoint his own assistant? Because it seems to me that Martindale holds a disproportionate amount of sway from what an assistant manager should.

I think it's rather questionable reasoning to say that the Livi board weren't comfortable with Miller continuing in a dual role given they were happy to appoint him on that basis 7 weeks ago - and if they signed off on a 'probationary period', they need their heads checked. 

All rather bizarre from an outsider looking in (from the league below).

Edit to add: not that I think Miller's departure is particularly bad - he's become an increasingly disruptive figure in recent years.

I actually liked the approach in the summer. We are a small club with very limited resources who got promoted via the playoffs so we were late lining signings up given we didn’t know what division we would be playing in

i spoke with one of the directors before Miller was appointed and he said that they were signing the players that David Hopkin and Martindale had earmarked and, once the manager was appointed, they would take the lead in signings afterwards. We had only a handful of signed players so needed to build some numbers.

Also, in any other industry, senior positions are filled and the candidate is expected to work with the other senior people in post - we simply cannot afford to pay off four or five guys if a manager doesn’t work out. We have continuity of the back room staff which will give us a wee chance of staying up - if we don’t, then no problem. We have the smallest budget and many of our players were playing third tier football two seasons ago - it’s a hell of a step up.

Perhaps the role should have been described as a Player/Head Coach rather than manager given the above - that is a fair point.

I would love to know what has actually happened as it’s far from ideal being without a manager before such a huge game.

My biggest disappointment about it all is we have gone from a positive feel-good time for the club to another spell of headlines and negativity (Astro pitch, youth system, odd sacking of manager after 5 mins). So much momentum could be lost which is a big downer for me.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Snooky
Fat fingered typos

[sergie's no1 fan]

I actually liked the approach in the summer. We are a small club with very limited resources who got promoted via the playoffs so we were late lining signings up given we didn’t know what division we would be playing in
i spoke with one of the directors before Miller was appointed and he said that they were signing the players that David Hopkin and Martindale had earmarked and, once the manager was appointed, they would take the lead in signings afterwards. We had only a handful of signed players so needed to build some numbers.
Also, in any other industry, senior positions are filled and the candidate is expected to work with the other senior people in post - we simply cannot afford to pay off four or five guys if a manager doesn’t work out. We have continuity of the back room staff which will give us a wee chance of staying up - if we don’t, then no problem. We have the smallest budget and many of our players were playing third tier football two seasons ago - it’s a hell of a step up.
Perhaps the role should have been described as a Player/Head Coach rather than manager given the above - that is a fair point.
I would love to know what has actually happened as it’s far from ideal being without a manager before such a huge game.
My biggest disappointment about it all is we have gone from a positive feel-good time for the club to another spell of headlines and negativity (Astro pitch, youth system, odd sacking of manager after 5 mins). So much momentum could be lost which is a big downer for me.

Our feel good factor is long gone too.

If Livi appoint a competent manager all is not lost. Ourselves, Accies and Dundee are all in a bit of a state just now.

His football isn't pretty but Duffy would be a good fit for Livi. He would give you lot the best chance of staying up imo.

[cilitbang]

Lawless will be gutted that he’s no longer playing for one of his heroes

[Dunning1874]

2 hours ago, TheScarf said:

It's literally all they have going for them.  4000 turn up each week and there's always 7 or 8 teams better than them every season.

FTFY

[mozam76]

I'm delighted he's gone, if only to put an end to the clownshow that his appointment had become. I've never had any issue with Miller, per se - loads of our fans had him labelled as a disruptive influence, a snake etc. - I actually never had an issue with what he supposedly did at Rangers. He called out two of the worst managers they'd ever had in Caixinha and Murty - I'd say that actually makes him quite perceptive.

But anyway. If Hopkin could come back and if Lithgow could absolutely melt Miller whenever they next meet on the pitch, that would be absolutely champion. 

[nsr]

Is Kenny Miller's head stuck in some sort of time-warp where he's still an athlete in his twenties?