Andy Halliday has urged Hearts to consider John McGlynn as their next manager, arguing that the successful Falkirk boss is a natural fit for Tynecastle. The former Hearts midfielder pointed to recent appointments at Celtic and Rangers—Martin O'Neill and Derek McInnes respectively—as proof that clubs should look closer to home.
Hearts' managerial search heats up
Tynecastle chiefs are aiming to appoint Derek McInnes' successor this week. Tony Bloom's Jamestown Analytics has been heavily involved in drawing up a shortlist, with Dutch coach Rene Hake among the leading candidates. However, Halliday believes McGlynn's work at Falkirk—taking them from League One to a top-six Premiership finish in three years—makes him an obvious choice.
McGlynn has had two previous spells at Hearts, working his way up from youth coach to caretaker and then permanent manager. Halliday, who played four years at Hearts under Robbie Neilson and Steven Naismith, said: "I think there'll be a lot of concern in the Hearts fanbase. They were three minutes from winning a league and within weeks they've lost their talisman, their captain, and they've lost their manager. But, for me, that is exactly what their investment in Jamestown Analytics is for. This is where their expertise is. This is where they're brilliant. Buy low, sell high."
Halliday backs analytics but warns against overlooking local talent
Halliday acknowledged the pressure on Jamestown to deliver after the departures of McInnes and skipper Lawrence Shankland to Rangers. However, he pointed to Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise as proof the system works. "How many top, top level players have Brighton lost over the last few years and replaced and stayed where they are? Union Saint-Gilloise won their first league title for years," he said.
He added: "One thing's for sure, in Scotland we've almost turned our noses up at what's in front of us far too often. We've done that with players. Rangers are now reverting back. Celtic have now done it with their manager by getting in Martin O'Neill who was right under their nose. Rangers have done it by getting Derek McInnes, who was right under their nose, in. Would John McGlynn be the answer for Hearts? For me, what he's done at Falkirk has been incredible."
McGlynn's record of developing players
Halliday spent his last professional season at Motherwell, where he was impressed by Jens Berthel Askou's ability to improve players—a skill he sees in McGlynn. "John McGlynn's done that with Falkirk. He's got that same style and tries to develop individuals. They've just lost Calvin Miller, obviously for money, they've lost Dylan Tait, they've lost Barney Stewart for a club record fee," Halliday noted.
He added: "You want to win games, everybody does, but you want to develop individuals as well. If you want Scottish football to get better you want to try and make Scottish players better."
Age no barrier after O'Neill's success
Halliday admitted he was sceptical about older managers, but Martin O'Neill's double-winning season at Celtic—at age 74—changed his mind. "I hold my hands up and say I was one of those who thought it was starting to get a bit more of a young man's game. Could a 74-year-old do it? I found that really difficult to imagine. But he proved me wrong, he proved millions of people wrong," Halliday said.
McGlynn is 64, and Halliday believes his age should not be a barrier: "When I saw the list of candidates that Celtic were looking at I thought it was just crying out for Martin O'Neill. He was the best of what was there. They've gone for tried and tested and no wonder given what he did last year."
