INTERVIEW: After 10 years in management, Paul Hartley will ready his Cove men for Rangers tie – but is Clyde in the league more pressing?

Paul Hartley has been in management for almost 10 years. He has been in charge of Alloa, Dundee, Falkirk and is currently at the helm at Cove Rangers.

He has nearly 350 games under his belt, four promotions and two dismissals.

Next weekend will see him take his League One side to play Rangers in the Scottish Cup. It’s the biggest game in the club’s history.

But Hartley, 44, isn’t certain how to approach it. The reason is that, 48 hours later, they face Clyde at Broadwood. Getting promotion is his priority.

Team selection is always the most-important decision of the week.

But it’s one of a number of things he’ll need to try to get right in what has been his most challenging year in management.

The pandemic has made sure of that and the stop/start effect it’s had on his club and lower league football.

The former Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts and Scotland star told The Sunday Post: “Going to Ibrox is a huge deal for our club.

“It’s just very unfortunate that the supporters are not allowed into the stadium. But at least it’s on TV.

“To play against the most-consistent team in the country in the Scottish Cup is going to be very challenging but we also need to make it enjoyable.

“We can’t go there with the attitude that we are making up the numbers.

“But I am mindful that we are playing in the League on the Tuesday night at Clyde. I need to think long and hard about the team I pick for Sunday night at Ibrox.

“I need to choose a team that will be able to compete against Rangers. But I need to make sure we are ready for the Tuesday. Having 48 hours between both fixtures is far from ideal.

“Winning promotion is our aim and that is what our season is based around. But we all love the Scottish Cup and we will embrace the tie.

“As a manager, I’ll have conversations with my staff and we’ll come up with what we think is the best way to deal with it.

“We are used to having to make tough calls, this season more than most.

“Since Covid has played a part in our lives, it’s taken up more of my thinking-time about football than the actual football preparation for games.

“We get tested on a Tuesday night and I pray that when the results come through the following morning that we are all negative and have enough to be able to put out a team at the weekend.

“That’s the way it is. There is so much extra admin work to do and protocols to adhere to.

“Listen, it’s all understandable and totally necessary. But it’s not football management as I’d known it for the previous nine years.

“However, a lot has changed in that time. The bottom line is that it’s just not as enjoyable as it used to be. I felt that way even before Covid came along.”

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Most managers would agree with Hartley’s honest assessment. It is a brutal and unforgiving business.

He said: “I’m 10 years in this business in May. It’s where I started as a 34-year-old when Alloa gave me an opportunity.

“In that time I’ve had four promotions and lost my job twice.

“When you do have a wee bit of success you probably only enjoy it for 20 minutes in your office after the game. You tend to sit back, take a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief.

“If you lose a game it can stay with you for days. Defeats and disappointments stay with you longer and can be hard to shake off.

“There is also hardly time to build anything now. Talk of getting three years or so to build something is just nonsense as almost every football supporter wants instant success for their club.

“If the manager is not delivering what they want then you are quick to hear about it. That’s where social media comes in.

“That may well be the single biggest difference from when I started out in 2011 to where are now in 2021.

“Social media has really grown and can have a really negative impact on managers.

“I know that at boardroom level at a number of clubs they will make decisions, such as on managerial appointments, based on reaction and comments on candidates on websites and forums.

“Managers just need to accept this, but it can be unpleasant.

“At times, you do need to find an escape. I usually go for a drive and get a couple of hours to have my ‘thinking time’ and make calls to people I trust and respect.

“That ‘alone time’ in the car allows time for reflection. It’s very important.

“But we know what we are signing up for and we get on with it. It can be good and the most-enjoyable time is being on the training pitch with the players.

“That’s when you focus fully on trying to improve your footballers and get things right for the next game.”