McCall Sacked

[Dick Dastardly]

Obviously I think that the decision is right, even if it was unexpected and leaves a lot of questions as to "why now". I know that it was a great performance yesterday, but it does beg the question as to why the players could be motivated for that game, but not Cove or Hamilton. Was yesterday's motivation anything to do with McCall ?

Back to the "Why now" and could it be related to Morton's win. I think that as a result of that it is the first time since New Year that we have been outside of the playoffs. Perhaps there is some clause in his contract regarding that. I think that is what happened when McInnes got the Kilmarnock job.

[erty13]

10 minutes ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Obviously I think that the decision is right, even if it was unexpected and leaves a lot of questions as to "why now". I know that it was a great performance yesterday, but it does beg the question as to why the players could be motivated for that game, but not Cove or Hamilton. Was yesterday's motivation anything to do with McCall ?

Back to the "Why now" and could it be related to Morton's win. I think that as a result of that it is the first time since New Year that we have been outside of the playoffs. Perhaps there is some clause in his contract regarding that. I think that is what happened when McInnes got the Kilmarnock job.

Why now - the same clause would have applied to any dismissal today.  

The board should have let both the players and the fans reflect on last night's game and tackled this issue this morning. Last night's sacking after the match reflects very badly on the board.

[Jordanhill Jag]

5 hours ago, Tom Stronach said:

Ultimately, I feel it’s the correct decision but like most of us, I’m stunned at the timing of the announcement.

Rumours circulating that he had been talking to Motherwell behind the club’s back seem difficult to believe for a number of reasons, but I suppose we’ll find out more in the coming days.
 

I’m genuinely sorry it didn’t work out for McCall, but as history has shown, he’s a stable, mid-table manager at best.

In the meantime, I think Doolan is the ideal man to take control on an interim basis. He is universally respected by our fans and he’ll know our squad inside out. Hopefully the positivity from Ibrox can be carried onto Somerset and Doolan can be given the backing he so richly deserves.

 

 

 

He was not talking to Motherwell - he was as surprised as anyone else and is gutted 

I have No doubt there will be attempts to muddy the waters - but this is 100% on the Board of PTFC there were no external circumstances 

[Dick Dastardly]

25 minutes ago, erty13 said:

Why now - the same clause would have applied to any dismissal today.  

The board should have let both the players and the fans reflect on last night's game and tackled this issue this morning. Last night's sacking after the match reflects very badly on the board.

I was meaning why this week and not last week after the Cove game.

I don't get some of the comments on here. Yes we played well, but WE LOST. It shows the lack of ambition in some of the support who are prepared to celebrate 32 games since we last beat them. 1 win in 6 since new year and the second time this season we have been on a run like this. His time was up.

[Dick Dastardly]

17 minutes ago, Jordanhill Jag said:

He was not talking to Motherwell - he was as surprised as anyone else and is gutted 

I have No doubt there will be attempts to muddy the waters - but this is 100% on the Board of PTFC there were no external circumstances 

Interesting that you have twice denied he has been talking to Motherwell, but didn't deny an earlier suggestion that he was talking to Dundee Utd. Anything to read into that ?

FWIW I don't think that would have been a reason for yesterday's decision. More likely it would have kept him on if there was a chance of getting cash from another club.

[laukat]

If McCall's time was up there wasn't a huge rush to get rid as we were not in danger of relegation with him at the helm. So we could have lined up a manager, got him to advise which of the playing squad he wanted to keep and ensured a smooth transition whilst affording McCall a chance to leave under amicable terms with a thank you from the fans for his efforts. 

Instead of which we have  an oddly timed, poorly communicated announcement that puts a novice manager at the helm of a club who have 10 first team regulars due to leave at the end of the season. Given how poor that leaves it gives rise to unfounded speculation so I'll add another unfounded wild theory to the mix and it goes like this:

Doolan is appointed to the youth role on the 13th January since then we've played 4 games and with the exception of yesterday all of the performances have looked like something has demoralised the team as well as a Hamilton game were half the squad couldn't make the bench but were back the following week.

So did McCall get told after Doolan was appointed that he would be replaced at the end of the season and that Doolan would be either in charge or assistant to someone like Neil Lennon. They ask McCall to replace Scally or Archibald with Doolan to allow him a few months as coach and enable a smooth transition as per the Jackie McNamara takeover last time. McCall says no to sacking any of his team. 

Players get wind of that just before the Hamilton game and a few throw their toys out the pram because they don't like the way McCall has been treated. Bad atmosphere continues to the Cove game and we lose again. A few players reject contract extensions because of what the board is doing to McCall.

Board now think they have to get rid of McCall to get Doolan in and try to convince Tiffoney, Turner, Holt etc to sign a new contract. They have everything lined up expecting Sevco to run up a cricket score so they can justify it. Unfortunately the team decide to use the Ibrox game as chance to show faith with their boss and put themselves in the shop window.

Doolan is not aware of any of this. Gets told on Sunday after the game that McCall has been fired and would he mind taking the team at Ayr.  Board now realise that its not been handled well and the optics after the Ibrox performance make it look like a bizarre sacking. To offer damage limitation they release a statement that implies Doolan is getting backed and we still have promotion within our grasp. 

Doolan takes over a group of players that are only interested in securing contracts elsewhere. We just avoid relegation, Doolan is fired, we're now in such a financial mess that we sell Milne for tuppence and no decent manager will touch us making the next few seasons just about survival.

[sandy]

Do you have a pessimistic version too?

[jags on tour]

I wonder if Doolan knew he would be taking over the team while commentating on the game for Sportsound or if he’s just had a phone call right after the game asking if he can take over? I’m a bit surprised he has said yes to be honest, I thought he would just want to keep his head down in the background and not involve himself in this mess we’re in, on and off the park. Ah well we go again next week, at least the Ayr fans won’t hate us as much now and they can bin their wee tinpot rivalry they thought they had with us!

[laukat]

2 minutes ago, sandy said:

Do you have a pessimistic version too?

Yes but the one where the PTFC trust play TJF like a fiddle and we find out JLow has been behind this all along is too dystopian even for me.

[Jimbo]

3 minutes ago, jags on tour said:

I wonder if Doolan knew he would be taking over the team while commentating on the game for Sportsound or if he’s just had a phone call right after the game asking if he can take over? I’m a bit surprised he has said yes to be honest, I thought he would just want to keep his head down in the background and not involve himself in this mess we’re in, on and off the park. Ah well we go again next week, at least the Ayr fans won’t hate us as much now and they can bin their wee tinpot rivalry they thought they had with us!

I hope Doolan was unaware of the board's intentions. If he did know he should have declined BBC's invitation.

[Third Lanark]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I hope Doolan was unaware of the board's intentions. If he did know he should have declined BBC's invitation.

It also seems a bit unfair on McCall if Doolan did know given how much McCall has helped him over the years 

[Third Lanark]

8 hours ago, sandy said:

Woke up to this news. Although I think we needed to make a change, I’m surprised at the timing. As @lady-isobel-barnett says, I think we might need to read between the lines.

I believe the TJF statement, but surely their rep on the Interim Board must have known this was coming? Unless it was an exec decision by big Duncan. 

We need to get behind Dools & Paul McDonald until it’s clearer who might be coming in. Jack Ross & Dools would be a good choice. 
 

ETA I’m genuinely sorry to see Archie leave, he gave us some great memories of promotion to the top flight 

I like Jack Ross but do you think he would be interested at all in managing us Sandy, given his last few clubs have all been in the premier league 

[sandy]

2 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

I like Jack Ross but do you think he would be interested at all in managing us Sandy, given his last few clubs have all been in the premier league 

I’ve no idea. Of course there is the lure of Motherwell that we have to compete with.

[Big Col]

I’ve rarely read such guff and baseless conspiracy theories.

The fact of the matter is that we are on a downwards trajectory and results have been poor. No sign that the management team could turn it around so they are being replaced.

We’re not the first club to change the management team. Why are some fans content to accept mediocrity?

[allyo]

We've never been particularly consistent under Iain McCall and if I'm honest I've never been convinced that he'd get us promoted to the Premier league. But weve been stable, I don't think we've ever gone significantly backwards, and in almost 40 years of watching Thistle I've seen much worse from Johnstone, Lamont, Clark, McLeod, McVeigh, Bryce, Collins, Whyte, Britton, Campbell, Caldwell... maybe others I can't remember. In that time only John Lambie, McNamara and Archie could claim to have been more successful. 

Might be a case of being careful what we wish for. Anyway, thanks and good luck to them. Weird timing; who knows what's going on.

[a f kincaid]

"the lure of Motherwell"  There's a phrase you don't hear every day!

[stuart_adam]

I think people are maybe over reacting a little here. The decision was very poorly timed, but overall based on how we have played the best part of 3 months we have been going backwards. You can blame injuries or whatever else, but the reality is - that's why you build a squad and it's quite obvious that there are people who are at Firhill who are not good enough, these guys brought here by McCall. 

With regards to McCall & co being relieved of their duties, there are always going to be those who agree and disagree, thats football. McCall has done 2 impressive stints at the club, the latter being the best in my eyes rejuvenating the club, the fanbase and delivering a title - restoring some passion and pride. 

The reality is 3 months ago we were 1st, now we are 5th. We just lost two home games against two teams in relegation trouble who have struggled to take points of anyone else recently. 

I don't think Doolan had much choice about stepping up, and he's not stabbed McCall in the back or anything. He's contracted by the club and when they ask him to do a job he's expected to do it. Just like any other business.

So lets get behind the team, and Dools going forward and if people want to thank McCall I'm sure we will have plenty of time to do that, and show we appreciate everything they done for us.

I would personally like to thank McCall, Archie and Scally for their services over the past few years and I will always appreciate them for restoring pride in our club and sticking by us during a very torrid time off the park with the power struggle with the board.

 

Whether you agree or disagree with the decision you have the right to be heard, lets refrain from dreaming up scenarios and rumours that are damaging to our club.

 

 

 

[redandyellowallover]

I think if he had been sacked after the game last weekend I doubt many would have batted an eyelid, certainly the timing is very bizarre but it has been something that has been coming.

That being said, if the plan is to appoint Dools and hope for the best we probably would have been better keeping him till the end of the season and then getting someone in at that point.

We'd probably have made the playoffs, maybe made it through one round and then gone out. I'm not convinced Doolan will do any better but we'll see.

This is unless we had sounded out an outstanding candidate and heard over the weekend that he would be interested and we then pulled the trigger.

[Jordanhill Jag]

52 minutes ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Interesting that you have twice denied he has been talking to Motherwell, but didn't deny an earlier suggestion that he was talking to Dundee Utd. Anything to read into that ?

FWIW I don't think that would have been a reason for yesterday's decision. More likely it would have kept him on if there was a chance of getting cash from another club.

He isnt speaking to Dundee United either - this was a PTFC Board decision 

[Wiltshire Jag]

My totally uninformed guess is that the announcement was probably not due till Monday but someone in the know has not been discreet or inexperienced in handling the press and the press have got a hold of it, so forced the early announcement?

Otherwise it's bizarre timing, which took the shine off a positive performance by team and fans alike.

But IMO he's done his bit, which we all should be grateful for, but he's taken us as far as he can and was time for him to go.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Wiltshire Jag

[sandy]

21 minutes ago, a f kincaid said:

"the lure of Motherwell"  There's a phrase you don't hear every day!

I did smirk a little as I typed it

[javeajag]

Part of the problem here is that the current board have managed by some incredible work turned out to be actually worse than the previous board. That is quite the achievement.

there has been no attempt to communicate or engage with fans , there has been literally zero communication on anything until we sacked the manager in the most bizarre way yesterday 

dead people communicate better than this lot.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

1 hour ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Obviously I think that the decision is right, even if it was unexpected and leaves a lot of questions as to "why now". I know that it was a great performance yesterday, but it does beg the question as to why the players could be motivated for that game, but not Cove or Hamilton. Was yesterday's motivation anything to do with McCall ?

Back to the "Why now" and could it be related to Morton's win. I think that as a result of that it is the first time since New Year that we have been outside of the playoffs. Perhaps there is some clause in his contract regarding that. I think that is what happened when McInnes got the Kilmarnock job.

McCall himself pointed out that when such games are involved the players are effectively self motivated. Guys like Alec Forsyth, Gary Harkins & Gerry Britton talking about similar encounters referred to similar experiences. So yesterday's turn around in performance would most likely have little to do with McCall motivating the players. I'd suggest any motivating to be done yesterday would involve the players not selected to start. I honestly don't believe that McCall's motivational/man management abilities will have played any part in his downfall. It's more likely the other parts of the football management game that's caused the performances and results that lead to his sacking. Ironic then for once that McCall got his tactics and formation near spot on yesterday.

Your suggestion that dropping to fifth in the table triggered a clause in McCall's contract will be one of a plethora of theories into his dismissal. One of the better one's I might add. I'll throw in another tho' I don't really believe it. The Board didn't want to sack McCall when he should've been celebrating his 900th game as a manager. The sevco fixture being his 901st.   

 

[sandy]

3 minutes ago, javeajag said:

Part of the problem here is that the current board have managed by some incredible work turned out to be actually worse than the previous board. That is quite the achievement.

there has been no attempt to communicate or engage with fans , there has been literally zero communication on anything until we sacked the manager in the most bizarre way yesterday 

dead people communicate better than this lot.

To be fair to the current (interim) Club Board, I expect most of their time has been taken-up getting to grips with the finances and the shape of fan ownership.

They have probably assumed the PTFC Trust and TJF are communicating to the fans. 

But going forward, I agree that communication from the Club Board is one area for immediate improvement. It should be a ‘quick win’. 

[McCall Out]

Hallelujah. My work is done, better late than never. Gaun Yersell Dools

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