Stuart Taylor's Hamilton appointment approved - but plenty of work to turn Accies into title contenders

New Hamilton Accies boss Stuart Taylor had the perfect vantage point during the club’s 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock on Saturday to hear and see the feeling amongst fans.
Stuart Taylor has a big job on his hands to turn Hamilton into title contenders. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Stuart Taylor has a big job on his hands to turn Hamilton into title contenders. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Stuart Taylor has a big job on his hands to turn Hamilton into title contenders. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Taylor, who was announced on Friday, sat in the stand for the first 70 minutes. He would have been able to hear the groans, the shouts and the sighs as, rather than ooze from supporters, frustration was projectile with interim boss Guillaume Beuzelin taking flak.

Enough was enough, he made his way to the dugout.

For large parts of the cinch Championship clash, Accies were toothless, unimaginative and simply lacking direction.

Taylor left his seat in the stand to take a place in the dugout towards the end of Saturday's defeat to Kilmarnock. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Taylor left his seat in the stand to take a place in the dugout towards the end of Saturday's defeat to Kilmarnock. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Taylor left his seat in the stand to take a place in the dugout towards the end of Saturday's defeat to Kilmarnock. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
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Hamilton have just one point from their opening three league matches, trail Killie by eight points, while having already failed to defeat League Two Albion Rovers over 90 minutes in the Premier Sports Cup.

It’s quite reasonable to question how they got themselves in this position. The decision to award Brian Rice a new contract when the team sat second bottom with four games remaining in April perplexed many of the club's fans. The board saw their future with 57-year-old but fully understood “his reasoning for leaving at this time” earlier in August.

‘A great fit’

Taylor's arrival has largely been met with approval from supporters. The 46-year-old was assistant to Billy Reid when the club won the First Division in 2008.

"We do think it is a bit more Accies orientated with his past, he's been part of a very, very successful Accies team and the calibre he has coached at recently," David Thomson of the Only Accies podcast told The Scotsman.

Taylor’s appointment also has the backing of a key member of the playing squad.

“As soon as I heard his name mentioned as a possibility I thought ‘that's a great fit’,” Brian Easton, who worked with his new boss in his first spell at Accies, said.

“The brief time he spoke to us on Friday it was really encouraging

"He seemed really positive about everything. I know what he's like as well. He’ll definitely be able to get a lot out of this team because there is a lot of quality. He wants us to play in a positive way.”

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On his unveiling Taylor talked about a return to the top-flight, only natural for a club who have spent the previous seven campaigns duking it out as one of the 12 best in Scotland.

“I think it’s very realistic that the club will go back up – it’s just a matter of time,” he said. “I’m not looking for perfection right now but I’m certainly looking for progression."

Shift in mentality

On this season’s showing so far, plenty of progression is required.

While Tommy Wright has had the summer to rebuild his Killie squad, Taylor is up against the clock. The squad has talent but it needs a right-back, while fans will want additions further up the field.

Andy Ryan was Accies’ best player on Saturday but lacked support in attack despite the presence of Josh Mullin, Lewis Smith and latterly David Templeton. In midfield, there has been an absence of control.

Mentally, Hamilton will have to undergo a shift in the Championship, there is a requirement to be instigators, to be proactive rather than reactive. That’s how Taylor will want it.

On Saturday, he got to work earlier than expected.

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