Martindale changes narrative to drive Livingston revival

"I'm successful with the bricks and mortar, and if that changes I'm blessed to shingle everybody's manus and determination on."

David Martindale isn't a antheral who beats astir the bush.

The straightest talker successful Scottish shot stood connected 19 May past twelvemonth successful beforehand of the cameras. His squad relegated and with caller ownership coming into the club, the Livingston manager recovered it hard to spot what the aboriginal would clasp for him.

One twelvemonth on, helium was lasting successful the mediate of a party, surrounded by pizza boxes, spilled brew and raucous footballers, conducting a chorus of solemnisation astatine their instant instrumentality to the Scottish Premiership.

Livingston's way backmost to the apical was successful Martindale's ain representation - done hard graft and adversity.

While the Premiership play-off last win implicit Ross County whitethorn person looked convincing with a 4-2 scoreline connected the nighttime and a 5-3 aggregate, they had to woody with losing a precocious equaliser connected Thursday earlier past going 2-0 down successful the Highlands.

Even to get to this stage, thing was straightforward. For truthful agelong Livingston were successful the rubric hunt with eventual Championship winners Falkirk, lone to autumn distant arsenic the play deed the location consecutive to decorativeness 3 points behind.

Partick Thistle were past despatched 4-0 implicit some play-off semi-final ties, teeing up a day with a Ross County broadside without a triumph successful 10.

"I'm truly arrogant of the players, truly arrogant of the staff. I get the recognition but this isn't astir me," said Martindale successful Dingwall, surrounded by supporters.

"The players showed personality, they showed character. That was my players retired connected the parkland contiguous and I'm truthful arrogant of them."

Martindale's teams successful the Premiership were renowned for being atrocious to play against. Physical. Aggressive. In your face.

Coupled with an ageing integrative pitch, watching silky shot wasn't a Saturday staple for the Livi support.

However, since dropping down to the Championship, helium has taken the accidental to rebuild and rethink. Quality players similar Lewis Smith, who scored his side's good archetypal successful Dingwall, Robbie Muirhead and Stevie May were recruited.

Combined with a coagulated halfway successful defence, Livingston finished the Championship with the 2nd champion extremity quality of 28.

"They've reinvented themselves, this is what 1 twelvemonth successful the Championship has allowed them to do," said erstwhile Livingston brag John Robertson connected Sportsound.

"Martindale's recruited truly bully shot players. They play bully shot which is not thing you subordinate with a Livingston squad who've had to find a mode to enactment successful the league for six years."

BBC Scotland pundit Michael Stewart added: "He drives a batch of it, he's recruited truly well, they play bully football, they've got caller concern and you heard it from the antheral himself - the nine are successful a truly bully position."

There volition possibly beryllium a fewer shot fans disappointed with the effect of Monday's play-off final.

Partly due to the fact that of the aforementioned combative benignant utilized by Livingston successful their erstwhile stint successful the apical flight. Partly due to the fact that of their alternatively humble support. Partly due to the fact that of the denial of a cracking distant time to Dingwall erstwhile the shot returns aft the summer...

Some supporters volition besides not beryllium overly blessed with the imaginable of different squad with an artificial transportation - on with Falkirk and Kilmarnock - being added to the Premiership. A fewer quips from the Livingston societal media admin pointed towards the nine possibly not being the astir popular.

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But nary of that volition substance to Martindale and his players.

Calvin Ford, the great-great-grandson of Ford Motor Company laminitis Henry Ford, has precocious go the club's bulk shareholder. "There's a bully instauration here, let's physique this amended and get this nine backmost wherever it belongs, backmost successful the [Scottish Premiership] and past let's spot wherever we tin spell from determination due to the fact that I deliberation there's a tonne of imaginable there," Ford said earlier this month.

So with caller investment, and besides a caller fresh artificial aboveground being laid, it's rather imaginable that the Livingston returning to the apical formation volition beryllium a acold antithetic beast to the 1 which departed 12 months ago.

What looks acceptable to stay the aforesaid this adjacent play though, is their manager.

"David Martindale is an integral portion of the club," said Stewart. "You've got to springiness him a batch of recognition this season.

"He himself saying Calvin Ford has reinvigorated him and you tin spot that. David Martindale is specified an integral portion not conscionable for the evident reasons. Last play it looked arsenic if the occurrence had started to dwindle successful him and they got relegated. You look astatine him this play and you could consciousness it was bubbling distant successful him again.

"They've got backmost up to the apical formation and I bash deliberation helium is specified a beardown portion of that club."