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Paul Hartley reckons trial by Twitter makes football managers’ lives worse than ever because club owners don’t have the guts to stand up to the social media mob.

Now Alex McLeish is the latest boss to take the stand with his job prospects on the line after just two competitive games in charge of Scotland.

To Hartley that’s ridiculous but depressingly not surprising after his personal experience of how swiftly the axe can fall, sacked by both Dundee and Falkirk within a space of 16 months.

Sickened by the harsh consequences of not meeting high expectations in very little time, Hartley doesn’t miss the politics of an environment that he rates worse than ever for managers to build a team.

(Image: SNS Group)

He said: “The game’s definitely changed with the stress and pressure a manager is under and social media has a part to play in that. If they lose three games people are calling for their heads, wanting them to go.

“I know for a fact a lot of chairmen and board members are influenced by what they read on Twitter.

“A lot are fans themselves so they look at it and say, ‘What are they saying about the manager?’ Then if they sit at a game and they are getting a lot of stick that’s when changes happen.

“So you don’t get a lot of time, boards have no patience any more. You have to go in there and win games straight away. If you don’t then you know the consequences, depending on who you work for.

(Image: MARK RUNNACLES/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

“It’s as bad as it has ever been. There was one weekend in October when four managers went. I always thought in Scotland you got a bit more time but it has actually become worse up here than in England now.

“Alan Stubbs got four league games at St Mirren, I got three games at Falkirk this season. And other managers are getting the same – it’s not just us.

“Now Alex is facing his third competitive game and he’s under pressure. I looked at the first Albania game and people were saying, ‘This is a must-win game for Alex McLeish’.

“I know we had a few bad results in friendlies but that was his first competitive game and the manager was under pressure. I thought that was harsh.

(Image: X03806)

“When you are the manager of Scotland there is some amount of pressure on you but you’ve got to give him a chance. But because of that lack of patience nowadays these next two games have become ‘must win’. The first one in particular is vital.

“I didn’t think Albania were any great shakes at Hampden but this game is away from home and that’s always difficult in international football.

“I enjoyed working under Alex with Scotland. I worked under him at Hibs too. He bought me and sold me so he knows his stuff!”

● Hartley was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is a proud sponsor of the Scotland team.