The Big Interview Gus MacPherson

Gus MacPherson is about to pull down the curtain on his first-ever calendar year out of football.

He has been out of work since resigning as Queen of the South manager almost 18 months ago, and has watched several jobs come and go without landing any of the posts.

With an impressive CV and still only 45 years old, the ex-Kilmarnock and Dunfermline defender is far from downbeat at now finding himself unemployed.

“I’ve been hugely encouraged with how the year has ended, and at the options that have started to come my way,” says MacPherson.

“I was offered the Derry City manager’s job, but we couldn’t quite agree on the length of the contract. Looking back, I perhaps wish I’d just given it a go.

“They flew me over to Northern Ireland and were very professional, and after interviewing me they offered me the job the following day.

“There was also a coaching offer in the United States, and another, believe it or not, over in China.

“While I wouldn’t rule out moving abroad to work, my preference would obviously be to remain in Scotland.

“You just need to hope someone looks at your CV, is impressed with the job you did in leading St Mirren into the top flight and keeping them there, and think you have something to offer their club.”

Frustrating as it is, MacPherson says you simply have to play a waiting game.

“There are a lot of managers who have had set-backs and then get another job and enjoy a lot of success,” he says. “It’s part and parcel of the game. The important thing is to learn from what you experience.

“Am I a better manager now than I was two years ago? Most definitely. It’s vital you learn from the good experiences as well as the not so good. You have to.

“I’m sure every manager will tell you if they could go back in time, they would do certain things differently.

“The one thing I’ve tried to do more is look at things from a Boardroom point of view.

“You need to be aware of budgets and why they are in place. If you look at the mismanagement of some clubs, it only highlights how important it is to respect why you have to be more prudent than ever.

“As a manager, you always want to improve the team. You always want better or more players. But it must be within the club’s means.

“I think the more communication you can have with your Board of directors as a manager the better.”

Despite his prolonged period out of the game, MacPherson has not taken a sabbatical. In fact, he reckons he is now watching more matches than ever before as he attempts to make sure he is fully up to speed for the time when he steps back into the firing line.

“What have I done with my time out of the game? Well, I haven’t exactly been away from football,” he continues. “I go to a top flight match in Scotland just about every weekend to make sure I’m seeing all of the teams and keeping up to speed with everything.

“More often than not I’ll actually take in two or three games a week. I’ll also go along to at least one youth game, which is something I think you need to place more importance on now than ever before.

“Scottish clubs need to bring through their own players and nurture them.

“When I was at St Mirren, we brought through Kirk Broadfoot, who went on to play for both Rangers and Scotland. Stephen McGinn was another who the club eventually made money on by selling.”

MacPherson’s desire to give youth a chance has also taken him to the English Premier League.

He spent time at Aston Villa, studying how they rear their own youngsters, and understanding Paul Lambert’s vision for the future when it comes to rebuilding a football club.

He says: “That was really interesting. Aston Villa are a huge club and their training ground is unbelievable. So much of the focus, though, is about bringing through young players.

“Paul Lambert is buying young players from abroad, and the club will no doubt try to sell them on for a profit further down the line. The same goes for the young players they are bringing through.

“But they are also hoping to enjoy success by making them better footballers, so I learned a lot from how they are doing things.

“I’d previously spent a few days with Roy Hodgson before he took over as manager of England, and that was a great insight into how one of the best in the business operates.”

MacPherson also believes the job he performed throughout his spell at St Mirren is worthy of other clubs providing him with an opportunity.

He says: “St Mirren were in a relegation battle at the bottom of the First Division when I took over.

“But we managed to turn things around and won the title, and the Challenge Cup that same season.

“After that, the challenge was to try to keep the club in the top flight. We managed to do that.

“At the same time, we reached the 2010 League Cup Final, and also got to semi-finals. So I can look back at my time at St Mirren with pride at what we achieved.

“But I’m as eager as I ever was and hopefully it won’t be long before I’m back doing what I love more than anything.”