David Martindale steps back into the dugout as Livingston visit rock-bottom, Greenock Morton, on Friday (kick-off 19.30), and he can’t wait.
The club’s former manager admitted to not enjoying sitting in the directors box watching games, and he is in interim charge after the departure of Glenn Whelan and his assistant, Danny Ventre.
Martindale revealed that the club had previously planned a review after nine games, but five games into the William Hill Championship and The Lions are in fifth spot with only two wins in five games. That forced a rethink as that is not good enough for cub bosses who have targeted an instant return to the Scottish Premiership after being relegated last season.
Martindale and Frankie McAvoy, formerly at Hearts, have taken training this week and there is no doubt that Livingston need points, and quickly.
They have with three defeats and two wins and are seven points adrift of pace-setting Stenhoursmuir. Morton have only one point after their five fixtures and prop up the rest in the ten-team division.
Martindale stressed that he had been asked to step-in after a series of weekend telephone calls and it is not a job he is looking to do long-term. He has made that “crystal clear”.
He said: “I miss coaching, but that ship has sailed and, long-term, we need to be looking elsewhere, rather than David Martindale, but I do not mind helping out. Whoever comes into this job next there will be a succession plan for them leaving that job.
“I will be here as long as needed, but it is imperative we bring somebody into the building as soon as possible to bring some stability.”
He added: “Glenn and Danny are, unfortunately, the ones who have lost their jobs, but, let’s be hones, the start has not been good enough from all of us. The expectations from the ownership is that we want to win this league.”
From a football perspective, the club were trying to get to at least Matchday Nine before making an assessment. The 1-0 defeat by part-time Stenhousemuir in a game televised by BBC Scotland at The Home of the Set Fare last Friday added “fuel to the fire” and Martindale admitted: “We are where we are.”
The net is being cast wider, predominantly into Europe, as the skill set in the building, currently, is UK football.
Martindale said “you would be amazed at amount of people that are interested” and all enquiries are being fed into a recruitment team as the ambitious club approach the process in a different manner this time.
There is success and there is failure for a head coach, he said, and Martindale, who was manager for six years before moving upstairs in January to be sporting director, hopes to have a list of potential managers “in the next seven to ten days”.
Focusing on Friday’s game, Martindale said there was “no pressure”, and he was really looking forward to the game. He added: “You know, I enjoy my job at Livingston, but one thing I do not enjoy is Matchday, I hate it.
“I am going to enjoy being back in the dugout with the players, as I can affect that, and there will be no pressure on the players.”
As to the recent change, he said that the modern day players move on quickly. Their job is to go out and do their job, no matter who is in the dugout and he added: “The players have been brilliant.”
