Who is Tommy Wright?
If TW gets appointed our manager I’ll die.
Tommy Wright. ****** Tommy Wright.
Imagine if we get a manager like Tommy Wright. It will break Twitter.
Who has decided TW is a contender. Manages St Johnstone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just a small selection of the social media responses from Sheffield United fans when the St Johnstone boss was tenuously linked with their club to replace Nigel Clough. (I can confirm there were definitely 19 exclamation marks).
They shouldn’t have worried if you believe the bookmakers. You could get a shorter price on Harry Kewell to be the next Blades manager. Infact, probably Harry Kane as well.
Wright speaking about his Saints players not getting the credit they deserved for their achievements was a recurring theme in the last couple of months of the season.
You wouldn’t expect him to say it about himself (he’s not Alan Pardew, after all). But he would have been thoroughly justified in doing so.
There has been no silverware, open-top bus parade, civic reception or book commissioned on the back of finishing fourth in the league. They had to rely on Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday for there to be the tangible reward of European football.
But, in pure managerial terms, this year’s Premiership campaign is Wright’s greatest accomplishment. Greater than winning the Scottish Cup.
Only one stat is needed to sum up Wright’s work this season. St Johnstone scored 34 goals. 34. That’s the second lowest total in the league.
It is one thing having a good year with a once in a couple of generations striker finding the net week after week. Something else entirely when the goalscoring cupboard is bare.
Just ask Brendan Rodgers.
Wright has squeezed everything he could out of this Saints squad. He has made it a virtue to start their season weeks before most of their rivals, rather than a curse. Players are treated like men, and even when they aren’t playing they don’t lose respect for him.
And, to his eternal credit, you’ll never hear Wright use the word “philosophy”.
If Alex Neil was worthy of the Norwich City manager’s job which it appears he was then Wright is certainly worthy of Sheffield United’s, Derby County’s or any other Championship or league One post that comes up. Actually, Newcastle United could do a lot worse. They have.
Whether it’s because young is best in the eyes of chairmen these days, because he was a goalkeeper, or because St Johnstone is as low a profile club as you’ll find for the success they’ve achieved, English football does not seem interested.
Saints fans have to hope that Dave King is just as oblivious to one of the most impressive managers in Scotland.
If Stuart McCall isn’t kept on at Rangers for next season, for me Wright is the obvious candidate to take over at Ibrox.
Or maybe King will agree with the bookies and see that Rino Gattuso, Graham Roberts, Maurice Ross and Barry Ferguson are all much better prospects.