Mixu Paatelainen's timeless plan to help Spartans climb SPFL ladder as sporting director brings modern twists

They have eyes on promotion out of League Two - but Mixu Paatelainen is already hard at work ensuring Spartans are set up for a prosperous future beyond the fourth tier.

The former Hibs striker and manager is now sporting director at Ainslie Park. Manager Dougie Samuel is the SPFL’s longest serving boss and has guided the club into League Two’s title fight with East Kilbride, hosting Elgin City on Saturday, in their final home game of the campaign. They stand two points off leaders Kilby and an old Sir Alex Ferguson saying is being deployed amid a nerve-wracking end to the term.

That’s for punters, at least. Paatelainen has a level of calm over the situation as his goal is very much on the bigger picture. He doesn’t care whether it’s a title or the play-offs, the sporting director would just like to see Spartans start next term as a third tier club, but they’ll be ready for another League Two run if that is to be their fate.

What is Mixu Paatelainen’s role at Spartans?

“The club has been the highest it's ever been in the football pyramid,” Paatelainen told the Evening News. “Around the top of League Two, the club has never been there before. I know we're second at the moment, one point behind and two games to go, so it's squeaky-bum time as Sir Alex Ferguson would say. It's been a great season already, regardless of whether we go up or not. We are now guaranteed the play-off spot. We want to win our remaining two matches and see where we stand after that. If East Kilbride win the two matches, they deserve it. If they don't and we do, then we deserve it, so it's one of those. All in all, this season has been a success already.

“We've done well in the cups as well and then we'll see our place in the league. When it comes to preparing for matches and training and stuff like that, we've taken big leaps forward. We are more professional, the players get messages all the time, how to play better. The coaching staff has been absolutely fantastic,

“Dougie Samuel as a manager and the whole coaching staff. It's been an absolute pleasure to be part of the team and the club and helping the club progress. That's certainly what we've done this season. I like the sound of Spartans winning the title. I don't care how it happens, when it happens or put it this way. I like the idea of Spartans getting promoted. If it happens, it happens. It's great, wonderful. We are ready for it. If it doesn't happen, quite simply, we're not ready for it. And then the next season is another chance.”

Paatelainen’s remit extends from youth teams all the way up to senior player negotiations. A great level of detail is put on the physical aspect of the game, aspiring Spartans prospects being handed a sprint coach in one example of where they are seeking marginal gains, which can make all the difference. Samuel will make the key tactical decisions but someone with managerial experience at Hibs, Kilmarnock, Finland’s national team and more is a decent sounding board.

“I talk to the manager and the coaching staff about training,” explained Paatelainen. “Training content, how can we improve our training and preparation for matches, tactics, what kind of tactics we should apply. The manager is the key person who really at the end of the day is in charge. I am there almost as a mentor, as a sounding board. I'm there to suggest things and help the manager and the coaching staff to then implement. They obviously have the final say. I do contract negotiations and contracts with the new players and with the extensions for existing players.

“I'm the link between the management, the coaching staff, and the board. I let the board know what's going on, what's the idea, how things have gone and why, and what the future looks like. I have development squad, which is the most potential players if you like, from under-15s, under-16s and under-17s. So that development squad has training sessions and I talk to the coach. The coach is there and hopefully we can improve. We do improve how we coach those youngsters and develop them. I want to look at how we can get the best out of them on the development side of things.

“For example, I recruited a sprint coach for the development squad, which is quite unusual for League Two clubs, and clubs in Scotland in general. Stuff like that, sport science, training-wise, football training. I believe that when you develop youngsters, you have to look at the athletic side of things. If you want to create top players, they need to be athletic in every way. So I pay attention to that. Pay attention to football coaching, position specifics, how the players play their positions and stuff like that. Then on top of the development squad, I've got the under-20s team and I talk to the coaches there about training and matches and stuff like that. On top of that, obviously men's first team, and the women's first team. So those are the teams that I talk to and I am a sounding board for them.”

Are Spartans ready for promotion?

Crowds average below 500 for Spartans home matches and that is something that the former striker is keen to see increase. League Two status and lower attendances have not put a dent in their ambition, far from it, as they recruit and develop players they feel can thrive at least a league above their current level. That way, the 59-year-old feels he can future-proof Spartans, and build an ecosystem that thrives whichever level they’re at. No timelines will be set in pursuit of success.

“I want to live in the future already, added Paatelainen. “I want to make sure that the players who sign for us, the players who are transitioning to the first team from under-20s for example, they are capable of playing in League 1, if not Championship. I need to live in the future. I don't want to bring in players to Spartans who are League Two standard players. I want to bring in better players and that's my job. All the time I need to balance that, look at that, and make sure that anybody who comes in is capable of performing at a higher level. Through that, we have a very, very competitive squad, as we do now.

“Last summer I think our recruitment was very successful, and we are now up there challenging for promotion. The level? Who knows? It all depends. I don't see why not Spartans can eventually, not within the next two or three years even, but eventually climb up the leagues. Maybe Championship, I don't know. League One is a very competitive league, a very difficult league, but we played League One sides this season and there's not much in it at all.

“You want to do better, and better, and better. You want to bring in better players. That also asks a question to the owners and the board. Do we have resources? Do we have budgets to do that? That has to be discussed but it all goes hand in hand. The way we play, we should have bigger crowds already, our average is about 450. The way we play, the entertainment people get, how we play, how we pass the ball, how we score goals and how exciting we are.

“We have very, very good strikers and defenders who are solid. We should have bigger crowds. Through time, I think we will. Obviously, going up the leagues, the people are more interested. Not being in the bottom professional league, but League One, I'm sure that the crowds get bigger and that affects the budgets and everything. There's no timeline. There's no year, this and this, and that. We need to be there and there in terms of leagues, no. We will climb up or not, depending how good we are, how ready we are to climb up.”