Livingston players will demand answers from the club’s board after popular player/manager Kenny Miller was sensationally sacked late on Sunday night.
Herald Sport understands that the first-team squad and many more at the club still fully back Miller and are furious he has lost his job just two league games into the domestic Ladbrokes Premiership season.
They remain fully behind the former Rangers and Celtic striker and were left stunned when it emerged he had been forced out of his post, a decision which was described as “amicable” in a club statement.
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Herald Sport can also reveal that a disintegration in the relationship between Miller and his assistant at the West Lothian club, David Martindale, played a major part in the former Scotland internationalist being removed less than two months after taking over as player/manager.
Martindale is a controversial figure within Scottish football having been sentenced to six and a half years in prison in 2006 after being caught in the same undercover police operation that smashed one of Britain’s biggest-ever cocaine gangs.
Miller, who left Rangers in the summer after falling out with former manager Graeme Murty, wanted to remain in his job but made it clear to the Livingston board that it would be his judgment above all others – including Martindale – on all team matters including transfers, tactics and selection.
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But Martindale is understood to have wanted more of a say, which was the beginning of the behind-the-scenes turmoil, and he will now take care of the first team on a temporary basis; something which the players are unhappy about.
Craig Halkett, the club captain, made it clear yesterday that the sacking of Miller had come as a complete surprise to a group of players who had come through the Betfred Cup group stage undefeated and had picked up a point against Kilmarnock in the first home game of the Premiership season.
Halkett expressed the squad’s shock over the move and believes the team were on the right tracks under Miller, who he has predicted will prove a success in the dugout in the future.
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He said: “It came as a bit of a surprise. I don’t think any of the boys were expecting it. As far as I was concerned, Kenny had come in and he was good, he had fresh ideas and everyone was enjoying it. Obviously the club just made the decision from their point of view and they never saw it the same as the players.
“That’s football. It’s quite a cut-throat industry and it’s all about opinions. The club had theirs and the players have theirs as well. All I can say is that I can’t speak highly enough of him. His ideas were good and I’m sure he’ll go on to be a top, top manager.
“There’s not much we can do about it now. Being in the Premiership this season, we know how hard it’s going to be, so we quickly need to get over it and look forward to the game on Saturday [St Mirren, away] because it’s a huge game for us.”
The veteran striker Lee Miller told Sky Sports: “I’m a bit in shock. I think all the boys are in shock. I have [spoken to Miller] but that’s between me and Kenny. Let’s just leave it at that.”
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