The SPFL’s Biggest What Ifs: Managers
- Che Maguire
- Oct 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 28
Football’s unpredictability is what makes the game so exciting and magical. Fans will always enjoy speculating or wondering their clubs biggest “What if?”, so we have compiled a short list of the biggest what ifs when it comes to managers in recent times.
Aberdeen – What if they kept up their early 24/25 form? Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin got the dons off to the perfect start going 12 games unbeaten winning 11 and their only draw coming against Celtic in a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park. They were the talk of the town, matching Celtic along the whole way, beating Rangers and looking like genuine contenders to finish in the top two. Aberdeen started a steep decline of form in December only winning one of their next 15 games and drastically falling down the table and ended the season finishing fifth. By the end of November, Aberdeen had averaged 2.8 points per game, compared to Rangers 1.9 for the season. Had they kept up their impressive run of form, Aberdeen could’ve made a serious push for second place and with Rangers’ awful season by their own standards, could’ve finished second outright, an achievement not seen with both Old Firm teams in the league since the 90s.
Dundee United – What if Tam Courts didn’t leave when he did? After promotion back to the top flight in 2020 and staying up in 2021, Dundee United were building a good foundation. In the 2021/2022 season, the Tangerines appointed replaced Micky Mellon and instantly made a massive impact at the club, taking them into the top six for the first time since 2015 when they finished 4th, taking multiple points from Celtic and Rangers, including ending Rangers unbeaten run in the league after an invincible season the year prior. After securing their spot in Europe, United fans were hopeful and optimistic of having success in the next season , but in June 2022, Tam Courts was heavily linked with moves away from the club and soon afterwards left by mutual consent and went on to take over at Budapest Honvéd. Courts was replaced Jack Ross who was highly respected in Scotland. They started the season terribly, winning a single domestic game out of six, ending with Jack Ross being sacked and replaced by Liam Fox who was sacked following six straight defeats. They then hired Jim Goodwin who failed to keep them up seeing them outside the top flight for the first time since 2020. Had Tam Courts stayed, they could have properly kicked on after a successful season and potentially seen a cup run. Managerial chaos was the forefront of what ended up a disastrous season by all accounts.
Hibs – What if they sacked David Gray in 2024? Hibees legend David Gray was appointed as head coach in May 2024 after the sacking of Nick Montgomery following a 4-0 home loss to Aberdeen. He took charge of the final two games of the season where they finished 7th. They started the 24/25 season off horribly, winning just 1 in their opening 14 games and the pressure was really mounting on David Gray as many fans were calling for his head. Hibs were on track to finish with less than 30 points which would have certainly seen them relegated. After a dramatic 3-3 draw at Easter Road against Aberdeen, which included three injury time goals, things really started to turn around for Hibs. After a 3-0 win over Motherwell and a 3-0 loss to Celtic, Hibs went on a 17 unbeaten run in the league, winning 12 and picking up 41 points, beating Hearts, Celtic and Rangers along the way. They found themselves clear favourites to finish 3rd and went on to do so, their highest finish since 2021. If they had sacked David Gray amongst their poor run of form, managerial changes could’ve caused Hibs to fall apart even more and potentially seen them go down for the first time in almost a decade.
Comments