St Mirren’s nail-biting playoff escape against Partick Thistle has thrust interim manager Craig McLeish into the spotlight, leaving the Paisley club with a momentous decision about its dugout leadership. After a season of extremes—from League Cup glory to a relegation scrap—the 36-year-old’s tenure in the final 12 games has become the focal point of the summer rebuild.
The context of this campaign cannot be overstated. Under Stephen Robinson, St Mirren had established themselves as a stable top-six Premiership side, peaking with a stunning League Cup triumph over Celtic in December. Yet the cup success papered over cracks that were already spreading. League form evaporated, a long winless run dragged them into the bottom two, and by March Robinson departed for Aberdeen, leaving the team teetering.
Into the breach stepped McLeish, a former youth coach with no senior managerial experience. His remit was brutal and simple: survive. He did exactly that, albeit by the thinnest of threads. A 2-1 aggregate win over Championship side Partick Thistle—sealed by Marcus Fraser’s goal—sparked wild celebrations but also immediate questions about whether the rookie should keep the job permanently.
McLeish did not shrink from the spotlight. After the final whistle, he made his ambitions clear, stating that he felt capable of leading the group and had been building toward such an opportunity from day one. His words carried the weight of a man who had steadied a sinking ship, even if the voyage was far from smooth. He won only three of nine league matches, failed to solve a chronic scoring drought, and oversaw a harrowing 3-0 home loss to Kilmarnock that nearly proved fatal.
And yet, context matters. The slide began under Robinson, not McLeish. The post-cup hangover had already set in, and the interim boss inherited a squad low on confidence and goals. He managed to coax enough resilience to finish 11th and navigate a two-legged playoff that demanded nerve above all else. His tactical adjustments in the second half of the return leg showed a capacity to read the game under immense pressure.
Player sentiment offers a window into the dressing room. Key defender Alex Gogic, a bedrock of the side, publicly stated he would be happy for McLeish to stay, arguing that a full pre‑season would allow him to implement his ideas more effectively. That endorsement matters at a club where unity has often been a precious commodity.
External voices also lent support. Former Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall suggested McLeish had conducted himself “really well” and given himself a genuine chance, noting that the board had taken a gamble by appointing a young rookie in a crisis. The fact that McLeish navigated a perilous moment after the Kilmarnock humiliation reinforced the view that he possesses the temperament required.
Fan reactions, however, were mixed. Some supporters urged the club to find a more experienced manager, pointing to unconvincing performances and a narrow escape that could easily have gone the other way. Others acknowledged that he delivered precisely what the board asked: survival. This divide captures the fundamental dilemma for chief executive Keith Lasley as he begins conversations about the future.
The decision carries major implications. A permanent appointment would signal faith in continuity and internal development, but it also risks entrenching the instability that nearly cost them their top-flight status. Alternatively, an outside hire could bring fresh ideas but might unsettle a squad that has already endured so much upheaval. The playoff success buys time, but it does not erase the underlying problems—a meagre goal tally, a vulnerable defence in transition, and a thin squad that needs significant reinforcement.
For McLeish, the numbers are on his side in one crucial respect: he kept the club in the Premiership. Whether that is enough to earn a permanent contract will depend on Lasley’s vision for the long term. The interim boss’s own assessment—that he “can’t control when the opportunity comes, but had to show he was ready”—speaks to a quiet confidence that may yet sway the decision-makers.
As St Mirren look ahead, the rollercoaster season serves as both a warning and a beacon. The League Cup showed what is possible; the relegation near-miss revealed how quickly it can unravel. Whoever takes charge will inherit a group that knows the extremes of professional football and a fanbase eager for some measure of calm.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
