SPFL Manager Awards 2014/15 – League 2

1280px-Scottish_League_2.svgLeague Two Managers of the Year 2014/15

1. For me you don’t have to look much further than Gus MacPherson for the top spot in the League Two category. 25362770After last year’s disaster of a season this term could have followed on from that but the reality has been so much different. That is all down to MacPherson and his ability to shape a squad and get a team playing to win. His side play good attacking football but they also have a resilience at the back that has seen them concede the second fewest goals this campaign. You cannot forget that Queens Park finished rock bottom last term, a total collapse over the course of a year. Fast forward to the end of this season and a second place finish with a playoff to look forward to is just rewards for a manager who fell away from Scottish football for two years before taking on a really tough job. If they do get promoted it would be a fantastic achievement.

2. Guiding Albion Rovers to their first title in 25 years is what earns Darren Young a place on this list. JS62106790As a club the Wee Rovers have gone through a very positive spell both on and off the pitch. Last year’s cup heroics resulted in a nice financial reward that means so much to a club the size of Albion Rovers. In June of last year when the board decided to part company with James Ward and replace him with a rookie manager they were taking a gamble but it that has paid off in impressive fashion. The perfect balance between a tight defence and prolific attack has guaranteed that Rovers were always going to be challengers in this division but Young has pushed the team to go a step further to secure that league title. For the manager, the club and the fans the attention will now turn to League One and the possibility of making a name for themselves in 2015/16.

3. For the very last manager in these awards I actually decided to change my mind at the last-minute. Looking through the teams in this league there was a sense of a few teams underperforming. 01844775I originally planned to talk about Gary Naysmith but in actual fact his side probably fell quite a bit short. Instead I go back to what I had in my preview post and I will promote Jim Weir of Elgin on to the winner’s podium. Although he has only been in charge for a short few months he has hauled his side off the bottom of the table and has been in charge during a very impressive run of form. Elgin finished the season in mid-table but they possibly could have been challenging for more if Weir had been appointed earlier. Is his appointment a long-term thing or will it just be a short-term fix? Given Weir’s managerial record it is unsure, but he has at least been the saviour of the Black and Whites this year.

That’s all for this year’s manager awards. Disagree with any of the selections? Let me know!