St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has lost his job.
The Perth club’s double-winning boss has been given the news this morning that his time as head coach is over.
Saints have been a team in freefall of late.
They haven’t won a game in six and have only scored one goal in five contests.
Their most recent defeat – the 2-0 loss to Livingston on Saturday – leaves Saints five points clear of the bottom of the table and four above the play-off spot.
In the club statement announcing the “mutual consent” parting of the ways, chairman Steve Brown said: “First and foremost, Callum is a friend and I hold him in high regard which is why this has been an extremely difficult decision to come to.
“But we had an open and honest conversation and we both agreed that we must do what is right for St Johnstone.
“We must always put our football club first.
“Callum has been a brilliant manager for St Johnstone and led us to that cup double in 2021 and then European football.
“But we feel results haven’t been good enough in recent weeks and it’s best for the football club to make a change at this stage.
“I’d like to thank Callum for his service and dedication to us and wish him every success in the future.
“He is a St Johnstone legend and always will be.”
Davidson said after Saturday’s game: “I can understand the fans’ frustrations because I’m probably even more annoyed watching that than they are.
“This is a tough league but I just expect my players to be better than they were today.”
The fact that Saints are seeking to secure a buyer for the club – and talks are at an advanced stage with prospective new owners, including an American consortium – hasn’t helped Davidson’s case as far as being afforded more time to gain the points needed to stay in the league.
The stakes are high for St Johnstone and the owners.
Brown will have to move quickly to appoint a replacement through to the end of the season.
Bringing back Tommy Wright is one obvious solution, with Davidson’s assistant, Steven MacLean, and club legend and current youth coach, Liam Craig, other options.
MacLean is in caretaker charge until the club make their next appointment.
Two trophies legacy
Davidson will go down as the most successful manager in St Johnstone’s history, guiding the team he played for to both League Cup and Scottish Cup triumphs in 2020/21.
The subsequent two campaigns have been much more challenging.
Last season, Saints only survived by beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the play-offs.
A top six position before the World Cup break has been frittered away in this one, with Davidson himself admitting after Saints’ defeat to Ross County a week ago that they are in a relegation battle again.
Winning that battle will now be the task of his successor over the final six matches of the season, starting with a clash with Hibs at McDiarmid on Saturday.
You have to go back to April 2005, when John Connolly lost his job, for the last time Saints sacked a manager.
Steve, and Geoff before him, have been patient and supportive chairmen.
This is a first for Steve, who will himself be stepping down at the end of this season.
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