The Callum Davidson Era - From Double Delight to Dogfight and Despair

That all feels so long ago, so let me transport you back in time for a moment, to the 18th of June 2020 - the day that Callum Davidson became St. Johnstone manager. After a period of stagnation under Tommy Wright, the Northern Irishman left the club during the first covid lockdown. It felt like a natural end to an incredibly successful spell at the club, and it seemed to be in the best interests of both parties going forward. 

 

The appointment of Callum Davidson was an exciting one for Saints fans. A young up and coming coach, who had certainly earned his stripes as an assistant, being Wright’s number 2 in the 2014 Scottish Cup winning season, before spells at Stoke City and Millwall with Gary Rowett. Callum had all of the credentials, he was a St. Johnstone legend so he would be widely accepted by fans, and he was ready to take the next step in his career, becoming a manager. 

 

His backroom staff was soon announced, with Steven MacLean and Alec Clelland forming the rest of the coaching team. A fresh start for Saints, who would now be embarking on a new journey. Club legend, and record appearance holder, Steven Anderson departed in the summer after 16 years at the club, along with Danny Swanson, David McMillan and Ross Callachan. It felt like a changing of the guard.

 

Skip forward a few months, and despite a difficult start to the season, with Saints lacking potency in front of goal especially, it was clear to all who watched the team that the performances were undoubtedly there. The team were attempting to play good football, with a young and energetic side creating plenty of chances, but not quite being able to convert them. It felt as though it was all waiting to click into place; the pieces of the jigsaw were all there, they just needed to be put together. 

 

Saints dropped to the bottom of the Premiership table following 4 successive, frustrating, games without a goal. After 10 games played, the Perth club sat bottom of the table, on just 7 points. Then, it began to click. The first sign of things to come came in an emphatic 5-3 victory over Hamilton, with Saints blowing their opponents away in a thrilling encounter.

 

The feel good factor around the club was beginning to grow. With people stuck in doors and fans unable to attend matches in person, with fans streaming the games and interacting with one another on social media. The results on the pitch brought people together during a very difficult time and fans were grateful to have a team they could get behind. 

 

Callum Davidson would receive a lot of praise in his first season. His revolutionary 3-4-3 formation had St. Johnstone solid at the back, energetic in Midfield, and quick in the transition. His calm and candid interviews were refreshing, and fans appreciated the air of composure that he held. Even after late losses and poor luck, he kept a cool head and would later prevail because of it. 

 

As we all know, what Saints would go on to do that season was nothing short of a miracle. A cup double win in his first season in charge was a monumental achievement, and enough to forever cement Davidson’s place as a bonafide St. Johnstone legend. Of this, there was - and my opinion is - no doubt. 

 

It was mentioned at the time that there was nothing more he could do to ever get close to repeating that level of achievement with St. Johnstone. A cup double win is a feat only achieved by 1 non-old firm club in the entire history of Scottish football, and that was well over 30 years ago now. It is undoubtedly true, that this was the pinnacle of his time at St. Johnstone. 

 

Whilst a cup double win and a 5th place finish would always be a tough act to follow, I don’t think that anyone was quite prepared for the hardships of the following season. Despite promising European results against Galatasaray and LASK, Saints exited European football just before the group stage. This meant that key assets, namely the clubs two best players, Jason Kerr and Ali McCann both left the club in acrimonious fashion on transfer deadline day, to be replaced by loan signings at the last minute. 

 

The disappointment at the failure to strengthen the squad and capitalise on the cup double win, soon became a complete disaster. Davidson would first receive real criticism following a run of 10 straight defeats, as Saints slumped to the bottom of the table, where they would soon find themselves battling it out with Dundee. 

 

Fans were still majority on side during this first slump, with many seeing it as a blip that would be bounced back from, especially if the club could have a good January transfer window. Which they would desperately need. 

 

Saints would go on to bring in a whole host of players, spending 6 figures on incoming players, and adding plenty of quality reinforcements for the bid to beat the drop. Former Dundee United hero Nadir Ciftci, was brought in, alongside senior internations Melker Hallberg and Theo Bair. Irish duo Dan Cleary and John Mahon were also added to the ranks, as well as Tom Sang on loan from Cardiff City. Not to mention the permanent additions of Ali Crawford and Cammy Macpherson, as well as Callum Hendry being recalled from his loan spell. 

 

The need for January improvement would soon be exacerbated when Saints travelled to Fife, to take on Kelty Hearts in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. Despite 3 new signings starting, in an almost full strength Saints side, the cup holders were eliminated in embarrassing fashion, failing to defend their title at the first hurdle. Davidson’s side huffed and puffed but could not find a way through to goal, and eventually conceded on the counter attack in extra time, losing the game 1-0. 

 

This is arguably when the St. Johnstone fan base truly began to turn on the cup double winner. Patience began to wear thinner and thinner, and calls for his head grew louder. After providing some of the best results in the club's entire history, this was quite possibly the worst. 

 

Not only was the defeat embarrassing, it can also be pointed to as the moment where a large proportion of the fan base split in half. Whilst the trip to Kelty in the league cup the previous year was one of the turning points of the double season, as Davidson switched to a 3 at the back to great effect, this time around it was his unwillingness to deviate from the formation that was his downfall. Fans were now split, and discourse was, and remains, higher than I can ever remember. 

 

I am only a young Saints fan. All of my footballing life, all I can remember is Premiership football, top 6 finishes, European runs, and cup wins. I was not alive the last time we were relegated, and I have never had to experience Saints going through a period “in the doldrums”. Last season therefore, is the absolute worst I have ever experienced, whether that is a testament to the good work the club has done over the last 15 to 20 years, or a sign of just how bad it got, I will leave up to you. 

 

I had never experienced such a feeling of despair and hopelessness. Never had I gone to every game expecting a loss, not just thinking we might lose, but actively waiting for it to happen. I had never seen such a divide amongst fans, and that united front, that good feeling that had been around the place not even 12 months earlier, had already completely eroded away. 

 

On the pitch, things did improve slowly but surely. After picking up a first league win in 4 months away at Livingston in early February, Saints started to pick up points, and eventually lifted themselves out of the automatic relegation spot, and up to 11th. This is where we would end the season, with very little changing on the field, rather we now had some new and better players. 

 

Then came the relegation play-off, against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The Scottish Premiership playoff is heavily rigged against the side coming up. Inverness had to play 4 games of high intensity football, before they could even face Saints - who in contrast were marooned in 11th with a few games to spare. 

 

Callum Davidson’s side headed up to Inverness on the Friday night, backed by a large contingent of Saints fans, with the goal clearer than ever; to preserve his team's Premiership status.

 

Davidson stuck with his tried and tested 5 at the back formation, as expected, in the highlands, and at first it seemed to have paid off. Saints were dominant in the first half, and playing some of the best football they had displayed all season. The Perth side soon raced into a 2-0 lead, and could well have been 3 or 4 up before the half-an-hour mark. The visitors led comfortably going into the break, and confidence was high amongst fans. 

 

Then, disaster struck. Inverness came out into the second half with their tails up, and the game became a lot more evenly matched. Callum Davidson decided to make a tactical switch in a bid to tighten the game up, and hope to close it out. Happy to sit on the lead and hope that Inverness could not manage to score 2 goals in the final 20 minutes, Middleton - who had been immense on the day, and Melker Hallberg, who himself had scored, were both substituted. Jacob Butterfield was brought on to tighten things up in Midfield, whilst Stevie May was introduced as more of a defensive forward, rather than Middleton who is keen on playing off the shoulder. 

 

All of a sudden, St. Johnstone’s cutting edge and attacking potency had gone in a flash. Reece MacLear pulled one back for the hosts, and the heads instantly dropped. A stunning free-kick from distance from MacLear would soon level things as a contest, and by the end of the game it was Inverness if anything who looked like the stronger of the teams. Saints could not wait for the full-time whistle.

 

The drive back down the road to Perth was an extremely long one. That game encapsulated all of the feelings of the season so far, packed into one frustrating 90 minutes. Going into the second leg and morale was low, expectations were even lower.

 

In the return leg, Davidson opted to stick with his formation and system. He started a 5-3-2, with just one change from the first leg stalemate; the injured Jamie McCart was dropped for John Mahon. 

 

The first half was scrappy and nervy, neither side could really create much of note, with the visitors actually shading the opening 45 minutes. In a bumper crowd of 7355 people at McDiarmid Park, nobody was calm. 

 

Fortunately, super-sub Stevie May came on and saved the day, making an instant impact to score in the 46th minute. This was soon followed by a long range deflected MacPherson strike, which found its way past Ridgers. Hendry and Rooney both scored delightful goals in the dying embers of the game, closing out a comfortable aggregate score of 6-2. The Saints were staying up! 

 

The outpouring of emotion at full-time was clear to see, with an entire season’s worth of anxiety, panic, frustration and exasperation all pouring out after Nick Walsh blew his whistle for the final time of the campaign, putting an end to the season. There had been so little for Saints fans to celebrate, and on that night it felt just as good as a cup final win. The only word that can truly sum it up is; relief. 

 

Bizarrely, winning the 11th place playoff, ended up being one of the highlights of the Callum Davidson era at St. Johnstone. 

 

Preserving Premiership status allowed Davidson his stay of execution. It allowed the idea that this season was simply a blip, and on paper, he had now won 2 cups, finished in the top half one season, and stayed up in the other. A pretty solid record considering the disaster of a summer window, and truth be told there had been improvements following his January business.

 

Many fans were willing to afford the gaffer a clean slate, and in all fairness, rightfully so. After all, a cup double win does not happen by fluke. Some fans, however, had made their minds up, and it would take a good start to the season to turn the tide, and get those fans back on side.

 

This did not happen. At all. 

 

Cup double winning heroes, Shaun Rooney, Jamie McCart, and Zander Clark all immediately left on free transfers, whilst top scorer (and the sole reason that Saints survived in the top flight) Callum Hendry, also left the club. 

 

Already on the back foot and needing quality recruitment, Saints made a whole host of signings. Most of whom were quality players, and fitted the system. The catch? Almost every single player signed in the summer was on the wrong side of 30. Short term fixes and stability would be accepted by fans if there was a long term plan being worked on, and if it brought results in the present. 

 

Many were quick to point out that the average age of the squad was creeping up and up, with yet another rebuild almost guaranteed to be required within the next 2 summer windows. This strategy was risky, and completely different to the direction the club had been going on the transfer front in the final years of Tommy Wright’s reign. 

 

Over the next few months, Callum Davidson would promise fans a new St. Johnstone. The style of play, and particularly the 5 at the back formation deployed, had come under intense criticism, with many fans desperate for change. Davidson would go on to say:

 

“I do like a back four as well, so this season we might change it a bit more. I’ve got players who might be better suited to playing a four now, so that might allow me to get an extra body forward. It’s about being versatile and having the ability to change things in games.”

This was like music to many fans ears, and it also felt like a major learning curve for Davidson. After all, he is a young manager who was still only in his first role as gaffer. He himself would be learning on the job, so to speak. 

 

Unfortunately, this tactical flexibility would remain on the back burner, after a 6-3 hammering against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in pre-season. It would be another six months before we would see a 4 at the back formation deployed again. 

 

After a disappointing pre-season, the Premier Sports (now Viaplay) Cup Group Stage would be the first proper opportunity for fans to witness the changes that Callum had promised over the course of the summer. That is not quite how things panned out. 

 

A home tie with League Two side Anan Athletic in the first game of the group felt like a bit of an open goal for Saints. The Galabankies, who had to make a 260 mile-round trip to Perth, were massive under dogs and despite being a solid outfit, they are an average 4th tier side. All Saints needed to do was turn up, get the job done and take all 3 points. Achieve the bare minimum, and they would be able to get the season off to a positive start - with a very favourable set of League Cup fixtures remaining. 

 

The first sign of frustration from fans began an hour before kick-off, when the line-up for the game was revealed. Saints would be starting with the standard 5 at the back formation, with 1 up top. I personally think this signifies most fans' frustrations and encapsulates the reason for the divide between those who were Callum Davidson in, and Callum Davidson out. 

 

Whilst a three at the back does not instantly mean that the team will be playing with a defence first mindset, the way that it has been utilised under Davidson, especially without Tanser, Rooney and Kerr in the side, means that the team are effectively setting up not to concede. The three, soon becomes a five. Playing with just one recognised Striker also fails to excite most supporters, and at the end of the day, football is an entertainment business. 

 

Within half an hour of the game kicking-off, all good feeling and new season positivity had evaporated. Saints were stagnant in possession and struggling to threaten Annan Athletic, before Dan Cleary was sent off in ridiculous fashion, after striking out at an opponent. Saints were now down to 10 men, and the murmurs of discontent returned. The general feeling that this would be a return to last season set in, and the pessimist wondered if anything had changed at all. 

 

Saints would go on to draw that game 0-0, with Cammy MacPherson receiving a harsh red card in the final moments of the game. An embarrassing result turned into a disastrous one, with Annan winning the penalty shootout and taking the bonus point.

 

The rest of the League Cup Group stage was much the same. After coming back from behind twice against Queen of the South to scrape a draw, once again, the lower league side won the penalty shootout, and the bonus point. Wins against Elgin City and Ayr United were not enough to win the group, and Saints missed out on qualification to the round of 16 due to goal difference. Davidson persevered with the five at the back for all four games, and would continue in this direction going into the new season.

 

The first home game of the season against Hibernian would give Saints the opportunity to put things right, or at least begin to. A completely refreshed squad full of new faces (with just one player not signed by Callum Davidson, actually in the starting 11), would host the opening game of the season - a rarity for St. Johnstone. 

 

Unfortunately, a battling performance was not enough. St. Johnstone put up a good fight and defended well, but created a total of just four shots, only one of which on target, and in total a measly 0.15 xG (expected goals). The visitors were not much better, but they scored from their singular shot on target and left Perth with all 3 points. When you set up to limit chances for both sides and hope for a counter attack, you have to accept that sometimes you will be on the other end of it.  

 

Over the course of this season that has been the running theme. After a welcome run of mid table form, followed up by an incredible 6 game unbeaten run, the highlight of this being a 2-1 victory over Rangers, Saints went into the world cup break on a high. Fans were daring to look up the table, with a top 6 place more than achievable come the turn of the year. Saints were sitting just 4 points off of third place at one point. 

 

Unfortunately, this would not last. In Davidson’s time at the club, his side have constantly lurched from terrible, to terrific, from painful to passionate, and from frustrating to fun. Long winless runs, followed by unbeaten streaks. This ,however, just is not sustainable, and as time has gone on, those winless runs have become more and more frequent. 

 

The final straw came on the 15th of April 2023, on the road in Livingston. Saints travelled to face a side bang out of form and confidence, who had lost their last 2 games back to back 3-0, against St. Mirren and Motherwell. Unfortunately, as has happened so many times this season, Saints made them look good. The Perth side were slow, lethargic and lacked direction on the pitch, and surrendered a 2 goal lead before half-time. The heads had dropped, and there was no real hope that there was any coming back from that. 

 

In the end, despite some huffing and puffing, Saints went down 2-0 on the road, with the hosts barely having to exit 2nd gear all game.

 

And that brings us to today. Callum Davidson has left St. Johnstone football club. This string of defeats was finally one step too far. Davidson leaves his role via mutual consent

 

I for one take absolutely no joy in this. I have always wanted Callum to succeed, as I imagine most fans have. I have supported him and the team through thick and thin, but I think his time has rightfully come to an end at St. Johnstone. For the good of him, and the club. 

 

It started out as the perfect appointment, and he did perform miracles in his first season, of that there is no doubt. The fluid formation and fresh ideas of a young manager in his first job was exciting, like the honeymoon phase of a relationship. He won 2 cups, and got Saints back into Europe, but most importantly he gave us a team we could get behind. We experienced some of the biggest highs in the history of our football club, and especially considering everything that was going on in the world, it meant even more. I can certainly say I will be forever grateful for his contribution to St. Johnstone, and he is still a Saints legend. Without a doubt. 

 

However, after the honeymoon phase ended, this relationship slowly began to turn toxic. Results fell off of a cliff, and worryingly so did performances. Davidson’s interviews had previously been praised for being calm and composed, whereas now they were becoming desperate.  His formation and system had been heralded as revolutionary, making the most of his squad and their talents. By the end it had grown stale, with square pegs being shoved into round holes. Fans were no longer excited to see the team play on a Saturday, with supporters deciding to vote with their feet, and attendances dwindling week by week. 

 

As Saints dropped further and further down the league table for the second successive year of relegation battling, it unfortunately became the only option. Callum Davidson is still someone who I hold great respect for, and I wish him well for the rest of his career. He gave Saints fans so many highs, but unfortunately, those highs began to be outweighed by the lows. 

 

Football is an entertainment business as mentioned above, and at the end of the day, watching St. Johnstone became a chore for many. Football is supposed to provide joy and excitement, once it became apparent that this was not the case, Davidson had to go. 

 

From double delight, to dogfight and despair, Callum Davidson will forever be remembered as the man who won St. Johnstone the double. But as they say, you either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Davidson slowly began to fulfil this prophecy