Chris Sutton says axed St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean made a big mistake aiming a public blast at his players after their 4-0 defeat to St Mirren.
MacLean – sacked by Saints on Sunday – suggested it looked like some of his stars “chucked it” as the game ran away from them.
He also said: “Some players might be lucky to play again for me. It’s as simple as that.”
Speaking on Sky Sports, Celtic legend Sutton – along with ex-Scotland star James McFadden and Dundee boss Tony Docherty – was critical of MacLean’s decision to hang his men out to dry.
Sutton said: “I do feel for him.
“But he’s made a big mistake calling the players out like that.
“That will have gone against him. He said some of them might be lucky to play for him again and clearly they won’t now.
“It’s a results-driven business. Doing that in the dressing room is fine but as soon as you call players out in the media, in the public arena, they will not like that one bit.
“I suspect that’s one of the reasons he got the sack.”
Docherty expressed sympathy for MacLean and admitted he was shocked by the decision which comes before a full round of Premiership fixtures has been played.
But the Dark Blues gaffer said the Saints legend, who leaves the team bottom of the Premiership, would probably reflect on his post-match interview on Saturday.
Tartan Army hero McFadden, who had a short spell at McDiarmid Park in 2014/15, added: “You never like to see any manager lose their job.
“Steven MacLean got an opportunity here and you want young managers to do well.
“I think St Johnstone will go down a more experienced route now.
“Some of the performances have been okay without carrying a goal threat.
“But if you start to get cut adrift you’re in trouble.
“They need someone to steady the ship and get as much belief and confidence into the players.
“These are the players you have. St Johnstone don’t have a massive budget and you have to work with what you’ve got.”
Conversation