Premiership manager spotlight: David Martindale
- Published
Livingston's ability to regularly punch above their weight has established the West Lothian club as a breeding ground for managerial and coaching talent.
They lost Liam Fox to United in summer 2021 and have just appointed another assistant manager after Marvin Bartley moved to League 1 to take charge of Queen of the South last weekend.
Having himself been assistant to several of his predecessors, manager David Martindale is the one constant at the Tony Macaroni Arena but now faces another test of his durability without someone who has been such an influence as player, captain and then right-hand man.
However, you would not bet against another seamless changing of the guard after the promotion of Neil Hastings and addition of experienced former Scotland centre-half Christophe Berra in the first-team coach role he vacated.
Their first test together comes in Perth, where Livingston's three-game unbeaten run at McDiarmid Park was ended by a 1-0 loss in April.
But they head 50 miles north this time four points ahead of their hosts with a game in hand and knowing that a win over St Johnstone would take them above Hampden-bound Aberdeen and into fourth place in the Premiership.
Not only that, but Callum Davidson's hosts are reeling from four straight defeats while Livingston, who got the better of Saints 1-0 in their most recent meeting in West Lothian in October, have only been beaten twice in eight outings.
