| Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 28 February Kick-off: 14:00 GMT |
| Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland & follow live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app |
Sunday’s Scottish League Cup final is refreshing because it features two teams you would not expect to be there. But it’s also interesting because it will feature two coaches in their first year in management, one of whom is going to win a major honour.
David Martindale’s story is brilliant; of course it is. He is a guy who has been given a second chance at Livingston after his time in prison and that is great to see.
But you cannot forget about Callum Davidson. He is a young Scottish coach who has had to follow in the footsteps of a manager who achieved unprecedented success at St Johnstone.
For different reasons, you would be happy for whoever wins it.
Related Post
‘St Johnstone job was made for Callum’
I know Callum well. Not only did I play with him for Scotland but he was also assistant to Tommy Wright when I was a player with St Johnstone.
Throughout my time there, you could tell he was gradually gaining that experience to become a manager and, as soon as Tommy left, I thought Callum was made for the job. I’m not saying it was the plan, but it was almost as if he was the natural successor.
As a player, you could tell Callum was a thinker. He was never a guy who just turned up, trained and went home. He was always switched on tactically and he would never be afraid to voice his opinion in team meetings.
As a coach, Callum took a lot of the training for Tommy. He was heavily involved and vocal in terms of the demands. He drilled us to be organised and hardworking, and you can see that in his team, but he has added flair to his side. That has been so apparent in their recent run of form.
It must be said, it has not all been rosy for Callum this season. St Johnstone have had their rough spells throughout the campaign, but they are absolutely flying at the minute.
However, it is not a surprise to me to see how he has turned it around, because that is the type of guy he is. He does not get too high when things are going well, or too low when things are tough.
He has stuck with his style and now the team are reaping the rewards from it. That is a measure of him as a coach.
You look at the way he plays, he wants his wing-backs to bomb on and attack. Callum played a lot of his football there. His team are a reflection of him.
‘Callum’s put his own stamp on things’
How many times have you seen someone follow a successful manager and it has failed? More often than not due to the expectation.
St Johnstone had been punching above their weight for years under Tommy, so it would have been easy for Callum to continue to implement the same style to sustain that success.
But Callum has put his own stamp on it. He has done it his own way. It is only his first job and he is still young. To win a major trophy in his first season would be an incredible achievement.
However, Livingston will be ready for Callum’s side. Form goes out the window and everyone knows Livingston can turn it on.
Callum will prepare his side for the best Livi – and that will make for a cracking game.
Former Scotland forward James McFadden was speaking to BBC Sport’s Nick McPheat
