Pressley steps into Falkirk hot seat

Posted Friday, February 12, 2010 by Goal.com

LONDON (AFP) - Former Scotland defender Steven Pressley was Thursday appointed as the new manager of struggling Scottish Premier League (SPL) club Falkirk following the departure of Eddie May.

Pressley, 36, steps up from his role as May's assistant for his first job in management and will be aided by veteran former Aberdeen and St Mirren boss Alex Smith, who had been director of football under May.

May left by mutual agreement after less than eight months in charge. He had been promoted to manager following five years on the coaching staff at the club.

His reign concluded with Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock which left Falkirk, known as the Bairns, three points adrift at the bottom of the 12-team SPL.

Pressley has been appointed until the end of the season and said he believed he could keep Falkirk in the top flight.

"There are still 15 games remaining with a potential of 45 points to be won and, make no mistake, all 15 of these games are potentially winnable," he said.

"I feel I have a good relationship with the players and I would not have taken on this job if I did not believe that I can manage them and bring the club a degree of success."

May becomes the third SPL boss to lose his job since the turn of the year, following Jim Jefferies at Kilmarnock and Csaba Laszlo at Hearts.

Only four top-flight clubs - Rangers, Hamilton, St Mirren and St Johnstone - are now led by the managers who were in charge at the end of last season.

As a player, Pressley spent time at Rangers, Coventry, Dundee United, Hearts, Celtic and Danish side Randers before ending his career at Falkirk.

He won 32 caps for his country and briefly served as an assistant to former Scotland manager George Burley.