IRN-BRU Phenomenal 2nd Division Manager of the Month
Friday 27th January 2012
Brechin City boss Jim Weir completed a foursome of IRN-BRU SFL Manager of the Month Awards when he picked up December’s Second Division award after a month that saw the Glebe Park side move from one Play-Off zone to another.
Weir’ side began last month on the fringes of relegation trouble and ended it on the fringes of promotion after a draw at Arbroath and wins in Lanarkshire against Airdrie United and Albion Rovers.
Weir, who picked up two awards last season as Brechin boss and one when he was in charge at Arbroath, reckons that his substitutes played a huge part in getting him the gong.
The 42-year-old said: “We had a tough run of games in December and the month did not start well as we were losing to Arbroath but Paul McManus, David McKenna and Derek Carcary came on and changed the game. We got an equaliser and the following week, Paul and David came on and scored against Airdrie so I have to thank them.
“I always tell the substitutes that they have a huge role to play and these guys proved it. Paul and David then started against Albion Rovers and combined for the winning goal so it has been a win-win for everyone.”
Brechin’s season had got off to a sluggish start and the equaliser at Weir’s former Gayfield ground could prove to be pivotal with the Manager saying: “It was a last minute goal and if we had not scored it, we would have slipped down to ninth place. Getting that point against a team away from home at the top of the table galvanised us and now we are heading up the way.”
Weir orchestrated a summer revolution in Angus as he tried to improve on losing last season's Promotion Play-Off Final to Ayr United as he explained: “Eleven players left and I brought in nine. It was always going to take a bit of time to settle down especially we did not have the spine of our team at the start of the season.
“Our centre back pairing was missing with Ewan Moyes away to Gateshead and big Gerry McLauchlan out injured as was Craig Molloy from our midfield. Any club at this level would miss the goals of Rory McAllister so a slow start could have been predicted but it went on for too long.”
The former Montrose boss was also honest enough to admit his mistakes at the start of this campaign saying: “You want to hit the ground running and I maybe chopped and changed things too much at the beginning looking for the right formula. I was looking for things to gel quicker than it did and maybe I made too many changes too soon but we now have a platform to find consistency in 2012.”
