Alessio no longer leads sacking list

Improved form means Angelo Alessio is breathing more easily now. Picture: SNS.

A grim form of spin-the-bottle seems to be going on with Scottish Premiership managers this season when already a quarter of those in the top flight have been deemed “it” as regards losing their jobs, five league games into the season.

Angelo Alessio was the first, in part because he was a replacement for the overachieving Steve Clarke at Kilmarnock, but the Italian is breathing more easily now. As he takes his team to Celtic Park this afternoon, it is the two Edinburgh managers who will fear being pointed to when the derby revolutions stop.

Alessio feels that judgments were reached on him with unfair haste, his side having claimed seven points from nine without losing a goal.

“After Connah’s Quay it was hard, then we lost against Rangers right at the end. Then a bad game against Hamilton. Then we started the season,” Alessio said. “Against Aberdeen I saw my team play well. We didn’t win but we played well. Then we won against St Johnstone and against Hibernian we proved we are confident now.

“I think every manager is under pressure every week. When there are bad results consecutively, the manager pays, sometimes with the sack. But this is football.”