First Scottish Premiership sacking of season announced as defeats and red cards pile up.
Following a dismal start to the season, Craig Levein was fired by St Johnstone after just ten months in command.
The Perth team, who have lost four of their first five league games and only managed a 3-0 triumph over 10-man Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on matchday two, is currently languishing in tenth place in the William Hill Premiership.
With a man sent off for the third straight game and the fourth time this season overall, Saints suffered their fourth straight defeat in all competitions on Saturday at Easter Road against Hibs, a pathetic 2-0 setback.
Less than two hours after Levein met the media on Tuesday afternoon to provide an update on his future plans, word of his leaving leaked out.
During the summer, long-time owner Geoff Brown sold the club to American billionaire Adam Webb, who appointed Francis Smith as his new CEO.
Levein, who turns 60 next month, was chosen in November of last year when St Johnstone was three points from the bottom of the league. With a final-day victory at Motherwell, the former Hearts and Scotland manager ensured that Saints finished above Ross County on goal differential and avoided a relegation play-off. This preserved the team in the top division.
However, the new management has decided that a change is necessary following a miserable start to the current campaign, which included a 3-2 loss to League One outfit Alloa Athletic in the Premier Sports Cup group stages.
“The board of directors can announce that St Johnstone Football Club has parted ways with manager Craig Levein today,” the club said in a statement.
“Craig deserves special recognition from the football team for all of his hard work when he was at McDiarmid Park. In due course, there will be another update.”
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