Boss Gary Holt considers his future after Livingston’s home loss to St Mirren

Posted Sunday, November 22, 2020 by PA

Livingston manager Gary Holt said he may have to consider his future after his team fell to a ninth league defeat of the Scottish Premiership season.

Jake Doyle-Hayes’ goal in the second half earned St Mirren a 1-0 win at the Tony Macaroni Arena and drew them to within a point of their hosts.

Holt has been in charge of Livingston since August 2018 but wondered whether the players were still responding to him.

He said: “I’ll have to have a look at myself and see what I am doing right and if the players are buying into it. And if they’re not then I’ll have a look at myself about what I’m going to do.

“I’ll have a decision to make on whether I am affecting the players. Have they got tired of me? It happens and at the end of the day you do move on.

“If things aren’t going the right way you look at yourself first and foremost. I’ll analyse the players, I’ll analyse what I’ve done. I’ll go home tonight and ask ‘did I do my best? Did I pick the right team? Did I get the tactics right? ‘

“And if it’s the same record over and over, something has to change. It hurts when you lose games. We haven’t won for a while in the league and we’re losing goals and losing games.

“I’m probably standing here a bit raw with emotion because we lost a game but it is something you do look at.”

His opposite number Jim Goodwin dedicated the victory to everyone at the club as St Mirren won in the league for the first time since August.

He said: “There’s relief for everybody. I’m not stupid – as a manager you’re ultimately judged on results. And ours in the league haven’t been good enough.

“I could list all the reasons and excuses for why that has happened. But with a fully fit squad I believe we’re as good as most teams in this league.

“I hope we’ve had all our share of bad luck and can now start to be optimistic. This win was for everybody at the club as it’s been a realky difficult time.

“We’ve had a lot to deal with and we’ve come through it together. Fingers crossed we’re on the right road now.”