St Mirren and English clubs are interested in Kieran Ngwenya, the 23-year-old defender who is out of contract after a spell at Dunfermline Athletic. (Courier - subscription required), external
We asked for your views on Craig McLeish being named as the permanent manager at St Mirren.
Here are some of your comments:
Donald: The cheap choice! Underwhelming appointment, we barely escaped the play-off and he only won four of 12 games in charge. The football was poor. Relegation next season for sure!
Craig: Craig did a great job in keeping us up but I feel going on from what Stephen Robinson did we need to get back up there so we need someone with more experience.
Martin: Easy option appointment if not underwhelming, did we even have any other interest? Who knows, he might be the next Pep Guardiola! He'll need to make a very good start or I suspect the fans might lose faith quickly. Tough season ahead I fear.
JD: McLeish is definitely not the right choice. A far more experienced manager is required for the job. It was luck more than judgement that kept the Saints up. Can't see us being lucky twice under McLeish.
Paul: It's a sensible appointment. Continuity and stability over costly change. We could do a lot worse. The question of who the manager will be has been answered so time for every fan to get behind the team and give him a chance.
Alastair: I don't think he has shown enough in the games that I've seen to convince me he has the tactical nous required for the job on a permanent basis. He persists with the same tactics even when it's clear that they aren't working.
Kyle: Not the one I was hoping for. The club needed to turn to a manager who could bring high-quality players with him - a young manager with no reputation will do the opposite. Can't see many quality players having faith in the project.
Innis: Craig deserves a chance, as he kept us in the Premiership. He needs to sign his own players for his style of football. Hopefully some of our talented youngsters get a chance, since he was head of youth development. Hopefully the fans will get behind him.
Image source, SNSCraig McLeish emerged as the "outstanding candidate" for the manager's job after a "number of external candidates" were assessed, say St Mirren.
The Buddies have appointed McLeish - who secured top-flight survival in his interim tenure last season - on a three-year contract following a "thorough, data-driven recruitment process that aligned with the club's football strategy on and off the pitch".
Chief executive Keith Lasley said: "It was always the plan to get to the end of the season, have a short period of reflection on what had taken place in that period and also conclude the thorough process that was already running in the background. That's what we've taken the time to do.
"Ultimately, we feel as a football club, that Craig very much aligns with the club's real ambition and needs moving forward.
"I think this is a moment for the club that was always coming probably to the end of a cycle, a very successful one, but we feel as if there's a new exciting challenge ahead in the way we win as a football club.
"That is the development of young players, the development of a player trading model and the development of a style and an exciting football team for our fans to come here every weekend and watch.
"We wanted the data and the personal characteristics to reflect those key points for us moving forward and those things joined together was really part of the process for us finding the candidate that we felt was best in that role.
"We know where Craig is in his journey, he's still very early, but I think there's some really good examples, at the likes of Brentford and Brighton, that give people opportunity. We want to be that club and that's based on merit. Craig is a very driven, hungry individual."
Chairman John Needham says McLeish's appointment is "about building on the progress made during a challenging period".
He added: "Craig came into a difficult situation and results improved under his leadership. He has earned the trust of the players and leadership.
"He knows the club from the inside, having worked across the academy and first-team environment over a number of years, and understands the standards expected at St Mirren as well as the demands of the support.
"Craig's appointment fits with the club's wider football strategy of developing players, improving recruitment and building a sustainable first-team model."
Craig McLeish has pledged to give St Mirren's young players more first-team opportunities after being confirmed as the club's permanent manager.
The former academy head and player pathway manager has signed a three-year contract and is assisted by Stuart Taylor, while head of goalkeeping Jamie Langfield takes on the added responsibility of set-piece coach.
McLeish handed debuts to four academy players - Grant Tamosevicius, Caiden McMillan, Thomas Falconer and Luke Douglas - during his 12-game stint as interim boss last season in which he kept the club in the top flight via the play-offs.
"I want to thank Keith [Lasley] and the board for giving me this opportunity and I'm ready to grasp it," said McLeish.
"I'm delighted that my vision aligned with the club's, and they feel I'm the best person to take us forward.
"It feels like maybe the end of a cycle with where we were at. We've achieved a lot over this last period, and we have to now look at what we do and how we operate as a club.
"A lot of that will be about developing our own young players and giving them more opportunities. I think with my knowledge of the players coming through and how much I trust them, I don't think there would be a better person to go down that route as well.
"I've been at this club now for eight years and they're [the fans] such a massive part of what we do and we have to continue feeding off them.
"We have to put a product on the pitch that they can be proud of and that's a big part of me looking forward to this the support we get from them and developing good relationships with the fans."
Image source, SNSIs Craig McLeish's "adaptability" the key factor in his retention as St Mirren boss?
The Buddies have opted to stick with the 36-year-old after he guided the club to Premiership safety during his interim tenure in the final months of last season.
After initially implementing a more expansive style, McLeish showed "pragmatism" to alter his tactics, according to Scottish coach and analyst John Walker.
Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, Walker said: "I think it's very deserved. His average points tally was higher than Stephen Robinson's per game, considering he walked into a team that were very much sliding down the league.
"For him to come in in his first job, he showed a lot of pragmatism which is probably outwith his approach to the game.
"I think he tried to play football, had a couple of good performances then a few bad results and went back to Robinson's style.
"He went back to what suited the players, which is something that's always levied at philosophy coaches, young coaches, that they don't do. They don't look at the squad and go, right, I need to be more pragmatic, I need to be safer.
"He did that. He got the results. And I think that's probably what's earned him the job because anyone that has ever watched a St Mirren youth team since McLeish and Allan McManus have been in charge there, they are a very good footballing side throughout their age groups.
"They play a specific way, 4-3-3, very attacking, possession-based, press high, all really good young footballers.
"So I think his adaptability and handling that pressure is probably what's given Keith Lasley and the board the confidence to be like, why would we change it?"
Craig McLeish has been rewarded for steering St Mirren to Premiership survival by landing the manager's job on a three-year deal.
It completes a swift rise to prominence for the 36-year-old former academy coach and player pathway manager, who had 12 games in charge - winning four - last season.
Is McLeish the right choice? Or should Saints have sought a more experienced boss?
Image source, SNSJohn McGlynn says Falkirk have added a "wealth of experience" to their squad by signing Scott Tanser after the left-back's five-year spell at St Mirren came to an end.
The 31-year-old defender has penned a two-year deal with the Bairns, who marked their return to the top flight with a top-six finish last term.
Manager McGlynn says the former St Johnstone man's Scottish Premiership experience will be valuable to his side.
"He's an attacking left-back who loves to get forward," the Falkirk boss added.
"He has good quality in the final third to deliver good crosses for our attacking players in the box.
"He has a good delivery from set-pieces, as he displayed in our last game against St Mirren at the Falkirk Stadium, when the Saints scored from a corner.
"He is more than capable of moving into a left centre-back position if required, so he is a definite advantage to us."
Meanwhile, the departure of Calvin Miller is expected to follow the arrival of Tanser, with Hearts hopeful of concluding the signing of the winger in the next 48 hours.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren hope Mark O'Hara has not played his last game for the club
St Mirren remain in talks with captain Mark O'Hara, fellow midfielders Allan Campbell and Fraser Taylor, plus strikers Mikael Mandron and Jonah Ayunga, about retaining their services for next season.
But left-back Scott Tanser, striker Dan Nlundulu, centre-half Luke Kenny, midfielder Oisin Smyth and striker James Scott have all been released at the end of their current contracts as the Scottish Premiership club continue to deliberate over a new manager.
The 31-year-old Tanser has been with the Scottish Premiership club since 2021, but more than half of his 32 appearances this season have been from the bench.
Nlundulu, who arrived from Bolton Wanderers last summer, scored five goals in the 27-year-old's 32 appearances.
Smith, 26, played 29 times on loan to Partick Thistle as they finished runners-up in the Championship.
Scott, 25, failed to score in 25 outings, mainly as a substitute, on loan as Ross County were relegated to League 1.
The 22-year-old Kenny has not played since turning out four times on loan to Arbroath at the start of the season.
Wycombe Wanderers goalkeeper Shamal George, St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair, Manchester United midfielder Jacob Devaney and Cardiff City forward Kion Etete have returned to their parent clubs at the end of their loans to St Mirren.
The Paisley ended the season with youth coach Craig McLeish in interim charge and say they are "progressing with our next manager appointment", stressing that it is "important to ensure we make the right decision".
Meanwhile, St Mirren have appointed Gavin Miller, who has spent the last five years with Motherwell, as their new head of recruitment.
It follows the departure of John Park and chief operating officer Keith Lasley told the club website: "Gavin joins the club with a proven track record of identifying high potential players that have generated significant revenue and has an extensive network across Europe and the UK."
Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and several English Championship clubs have been closely monitoring Calum Adamson's progress as the 18-year-old midfielder moves into the final year of his Rangers contract, while St Mirren and Kilmarnock are keen to take him for next season's campaign. (TeamTalk), external
Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren will begin their defence of the Premier Sports Cup in a group section including Scottish Cup runners-up Dunfermline Athletic, Cove Rangers, League 2 champions East Kilbride and Dumbarton.
The Buddies, then managed by Stephen Robinson, beat Celtic 3-1 in December's final after topping their group ahead of Ayr United, Arbroath, Forfar Athletic and Annan Athletic.
It has yet to be announced whether interim manager Craig McLeish will still be in charge when they start next season's four-game section on 11/12 July, with the final game on 25/26 July, after having to beat Partick Thistle in the play-off final to remain in the Scottish Premiership.
Neil Lennon's Dunfermline were themselves beaten by Thistle in the play-off semi-final after finishing fourth in the Championship before losing 3-1 to Celtic in the Scottish Cup final.
Paul Hartley's Cove Rangers finished seventh in League 1, narrowly avoiding a relegation play-off, while Frank McKeown's Dumbarton were second bottom of League 2.
David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
It's either proof of the limits and dangers of artificial intelligence, a glitch in the matrix, human error, or one of the big tech bros is a Buddie - either way when I entered the words "St Mirren" into one of the search engines the result, accompanied by animated fireworks, was an icon bearing the phrase "St Mirren, Premiership champions!"
Not quite, but to be fair the scenes at full time in Paisley looked more like title celebrations than marking escaping relegation by the skin of the proverbial teeth.
It certainly brought the curtain down on a memorable season. One in which the Buddies won the League Cup, reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals, lost an iconic and successful manager and survived the scrap for Premiership survival.
So the players go down in club annuals as cup winning legends free of the stain of relegation.
Now the question is what happens next?
Club captain Mark O'Hara, Mikael Mandron and Scott Tanser are among those who've reached the end of their contracts. Jonah Ayunga, who is unlikely to play again this calendar year, is also out of contract this summer.
Allan Campbell's short-term deal will be up too and teenage midfielder Jacob Devaney will be back with Manchester United. Goalkeeper Shamal George's loan spell is over, although he's released by his parent club Wycombe Wanderers. How many, if any of them, will be Buddies next season?
But the biggest question of all is who will be the manager?
Interim boss Craig McLeish is clear he wants it and says he's the best person to take the club forward.
Since stepping up from his role in charge of the first team player pathway, he's had a dozen matches in charge, winning four and drawing two of them. After the Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Celtic in extra time, the Paisley Saints lost their next three matches without scoring a single goal.
McLeish's audition which had started so promisingly, appeared to be going pear-shaped. A case of "don't call us, we'll call you."
It looked like St Mirren were locked in a doom spiral heading for relegation.
All was not lost however.
In the end they clung on to their place in the Premiership by the narrowest of margins as Marcus Fraser's second-leg goal against Partick Thistle survived a VAR review by what looked like a gnat's you-know-what.
Small margins right enough. Will it be all enough to convince the board that McLeish is the man for the job going forward?
Depends I guess in which direction the club wishes to proceed. Is it a case of looking for a chip off the old Stephen Robinson block? Good luck finding another Robbo.
Perhaps maybe Scottish football will be blindsided again by the arrival of a Jens Berthel Askou type in Ferguslie Park.
Or is it a case of keeping the faith with Mcleish and his management team? Does his preference for a more possession-based style mean changes to the recruitment profile of players?
There is no easy option. It'll be an interesting summer.
Mark Jardine
Fan writer
On the surface, this was a battle to retain Premiership status. At a more fundamental level, Monday night's frenzy was for the writing of the history books.
St Mirren have three Scottish Cups and two League Cups to show for their century and a half of attempts at national silverware.
Each of these achievements were era defining for the men that earned them, and their names bestow street signs, the Mirren Mile, the walls of the SMISA stadium and the stairs that take you from pitchside to the back row.
In short, win a cup for us and some form of provincial immortality awaits.
Rightly or wrongly, this current squad, battered and broken as they are by a gruelling campaign of injuries, upheaval and misfortune, came within half an hour of their slice of immortality carrying the asterisk of relegation.
Now, and forever more, this chapter of the club's history will tell only of three goals in December that saw silver carried back home to Paisley Town Hall.
As contracts wind down, Monday night represented a goodbye for a number of senior players who have been at the heart of a special period in Saints folklore.
These men were fighting for that goodbye to happen in a state of relief and reflection on what good had come before; to take a breath and accept the acclaim that three top-half seasons, a European adventure and Hampden glory had earned.
St Mirren Football Club turns 150 years old in 2027, and plans for commemorations and celebrations have been long in the planning.
The collective will of those on the pitch in the play-off final and the many more in the stands was to preserve the shimmer of that anniversary being marked by a top-flight Saints side.
The football may not have been pretty, but there was poetry in moments. Marcus Fraser, 32 by the time pre-season arrives, fought through the pain barrier to get himself on the pitch in Saints colours for a 263rd time.
When times are desperate, Fraser is the man most would want to know was suited up for battle. In December, he wore the armband and set the tone - crashing in his early opening goal and then emptying his tank to ensure it meant something.
On Monday night night, Fraser started with the armband before handing it to long-time team-mate and club captain Mark O'Hara shortly after the hour. Within five minutes, O'Hara handed Fraser a gift of his own at the back post and the centre-half duly obliged with a close-range volley for the ages.
Alex Gogic, so often the hero, was gladiatorial in black and white. At times, he was the back three.
When Fraser crashes in his winner, it is Gogic that grabs his brother in arms and smothers him in front of the Family Stand. That image, more than any other since Hampden in December, will come to define the lesser heralded aspects of this challenging season.
In Craig McLeish, the Buddies have had a tactically-astute interim manager willing to make changes to the engrained status quo in pursuit of better football and league safety.
While the road to eventual security has had worrying moments, the manager deserves plaudits for stepping up at a time of need and in being his own man while doing so.
Whether this translates into a more permanent appointment for the well-respected youth coach is another matter, and the balance of public opinion in PA3 is probably calling for a more experienced name to pick up the reins.
Should this be it, for now at least, McLeish can hold his head high in keeping top-flight football in Paisley for a further year.
Image source, SNSWith St Mirren's Premiership survival now assured, the focus turns to who will lead the club next season.
Interim boss Craig McLeish wants the job and hopes he has done enough to earn it after steering the club to safety via the play-offs since stepping up from his academy duties following the departure of Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen in March.
Former Partick Thistle striker and manager Kris Doolan believes McLeish's lack of experience could count against him.
Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, Doolan said: "We will all be debating but it depends in house, what the club want to do.
"Have they seen enough of Craig and the way he is around the place? Because it's not just necessarily what he does on the pitch, it'll be everything.
"If he's going to be the manager, how does he interact with our staff? How is he leading in the press?
"It will come down to what the board at St Mirren want. Do they want a younger manager or do they want an experienced manager? Will they twist or stick?
"Do they want to see a more exciting style of play? Possibly, but ultimately they've been successful under Robinson as well.
"Stephen's teams maybe didn't get the credit that they should because yes, they're well drilled, but being well drilled also makes you successful."
We asked for your views after St Mirren secured Premiership survival with a 1-0 second-leg win over Partick Thistle in the play-off final.
Here's what some of you said:
Stu G: I'm drained. That was a tough watch. We've just not been at it for a while now and you never know where the goals are going to come from, but workhorse Marcus Fraser pops up at the back post. The usual VAR wait to confirm it and we breathe again. Big plaudits to Thistle. Great over both games, and had they won, you couldn't have grudged them.
Ali: Watching this game felt like flipping a coin. We were lucky it came up our way. Hats off to the players that showed up and showed character. Craig McLeish has accomplished his mission, and while I'm not entirely convinced he's the person to keep us going forward, he certainly deserves plaudits for keeping us up. This game feels like the end of an era. With Stephen Robinson having departed for Aberdeen, it feels almost a certainty that now a handful of players will follow suit.
John: Well done to Saints. However now we are safe, take time to reflect and make decisions that are right for the club and the fans. The board have to make the decision with their heads and not their hearts.
Iain: Thought we were really poor first half, disjointed with no pace or structure to our play. We were better in the second and somehow managed to find a way. Craig has done well but we need a manager and not a coach. An early appointment please and the squad needs to be sorted out (those that want to stay and those that are leaving). It wasn't an easy watch and I've had a sleepless night! We move on.
Stewart: Not much class from either team, but happy Saints prevailed in the end. Glad to see the past few months closed, and look forward to something better next term.
Marc: It most certainly could not be described as classic, however it was never going to be considering what was at stake. Thankfully we really started to take control of the game in the second half after a pretty abysmal performance in the first half and it was a beautifully worked free-kick with both our captain O'Hara and vice-captain Fraser contributing with the decisive moment. This result not only preserves our Premiership status but also ensures that our league cup winning squad will be remembered forever as heroes for that wonderful day back in December.
Tam: Partick were the better team. I can't remember a game as bad as this one. The Saints just punted the ball up the park, clattered into Partick all night, I feared the worst. Abysmal. We need a clearout and new a manager. Even at the final whistle I was deflated.
Gus: We scraped through. Now let's get a real manger. Hopefully Neil Lennon. McLeish is too inexperienced and it has clearly shown.
Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSGoal-hero Marcus Fraser says "it's absolutely massive" for St Mirren to have retained their Premiership status.
"What we've built in the last three or four seasons, we didn't want to just throw away," said the wing-back, who scored the only goal in the second leg of the play-off final against Partick Thistle.
"I thought we were going to win 2-0, but it was only 1-0 and I got the goal. So, as players, you always write these wee stories in your head. Thankfully, I got the winning goal and it came up trumps."
Fraser's second-half goal, which he describes as "being up there" as one of the biggest in his career, came after nerves settled for the Paisley club in a tense affair.
"Probably both games, there wasn't much quality," he added. "Obviously, there were a few nervy bits, but we got there in the end.
"I wanted to win so much, obviously to stay in the league, but just not for that. We didn't want the League Cup win to get forgotten about because it quite easily could have.
"We can look back on the season now as probably a positive one with a League Cup in the bag and staying in the league as well."
Interim boss Craig McLeish has made it clear he wants the position on a permanent basis and Fraser thinks the 36-year-old coach merits being given a chance.
"His ideas and what he's brought to the table has been really, really good," he said. "I think you can see that in our performances and what he's doing.
"He's been really positive and picked the group up and fair play to him for that."
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McLeish waiting to hear St Mirren future
The final of the Scottish Premiership play-off is finely poised after Partick Thistle came from behind to earn a first-leg draw at home to St Mirren. What did you make of St Mirren's performance?
Image source, SNSSt Mirren interim manager Craig McLeish tells BBC Scotland: "I'm delighted for the players and the fans. The remit when I took over the role was to stay in the league.
"We would have liked to avoid this type of situation, but we managed to [stay up].
"We wanted to make sure the players were remembered as legends at this club after winning the League Cup. We didn't want that black mark against our name.
"First half was nervy, cagey and full of mistakes. It wasn't really tactical, just us controlling our emotions. We did that better in the second half.
"Our bench was a strength. When Partick started to tire we brought on fresh legs, who saw us over the line.
"I imagine [chief executive] Keith [Lasley] will start to have conversations about that over the next few days.
"We spoke about taking care of everything and whatever the outcome is, the club will plan their future from there.
"I'm privileged that the club put trust in me to take the team on. I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for Stephen Robinson giving me opportunities up to that point, so I have to thank him.
"If I get the opportunity to lead the group, my biggest thing is to make sure we're never in that type of position again.
"I've felt I'm capable of doing the job and handling the full thing. I've felt that from day one. This is what I've always been building towards.
"I can't control when I would get the opportunity. I just had to show I was ready to go and I hope I have shown people that."
