Just seven months ago I hit the publish button on the article ‘Who next for the Dens Park hot seat after the departure of Neil McCann?‘ – and now I’m back profiling managers who could take over after Jim McIntyre was sacked last Sunday.
With the former Dundee United player (that was never going to go down well was it?) punted, the men in charge, John Nelms and Tim Keyes, are looking for yet another manager to bring success to the club.
Let’s be honest here, their record isn’t great. Paul Hartley was probably the best out of the three they have had a say in appointing. He was in charge for 1167 days, won promotion to the Premiership, but was sacked after a run of seven games without a win.
Next up was Neil McCann, was in the hot seat for 502 days and achieved a win rate of 33%. Last and by no means least was Jim McIntyre. The most experienced man of the three but definitely had the worst record in charge at Dens. His win rate – 12%.
Nelms and Keyes have went down the experienced and first time manager route and it has done nothing whatsoever to enhance a reputation that is already non-existent.
Nelms said in an interview that more than 100 people have applied for the job since McIntyre was sacked, but fear not I won’t be profiling 100 people. To be honest the sensible options to take over are pretty limited at the moment.
Do Dundee go down the experienced or the young up-and-coming route? Both are risky, and there won’t be guarantee success. Given the track record of Keyes and Nelms whoever is appointed will, no doubt, be sacked in six months time as Dundee sit in fourth in the Championship after having lost four games in a row.
Jim Goodwin
The Alloa Athletic manager has said on several occasions that he would like to make the step up into full-time management. His achievement to get Alloa promoted from League One and keep the part-timers in the second tier was nothing short of brilliant.
The cheque book would need to be looked out if they wanted to prize Goodwin away from Recreation Park, however if Dundee want him I am sure Keyes and Nelm will do just that. One thing Goodwin bring to the role is a never say die attitude which is something Dundee need desperately.
Derek Adams
The ex-Ross County boss is recently out of a job after leaving Plymouth Argyle. Like Goodwin he has a track record of achieving promotion. During his time in Dingwall he won promotion twice and also managed to reach the Scottish Cup final in 2010 where the Staggies got beat 3-0 by Dundee United.
Whether or not Adams is looking to get back into management straight away may be a deciding factor. If the board fail in their pursuit of Goodwin then Adams should be next on the list. Young, but with experience. What more could you want? Probably Jim Goodwin.
Stuart McCall
The former Scottish international has been out of a job since he was sacked by Scunthorpe United in March. He has had an up and down managerial career with the high finishing second in the Premiership two years in a row with Motherwell.
Whether or not he wants to come back north of the border is another question. I also feel many fans may not take to McCall, but if he got them promoted at the first time of asking then he’d soon get them on side.
Alan Stubbs
The ex-Hibs manager has been out of work since being sacked by St Mirren following their disastrous start to the season. His recruitment policy must be one of the worst seen in the era of the SPFL at a top flight club. He has since been seen on BT Sport working on Scottish Football, but no doubt he has been applying for other jobs in a bid to get back into the game.
He has something to prove after two pretty woeful stints at St Mirren and Rotherham United, but people will always point out the Scottish Cup win at Hibs. What fans fail to remember is he wasn’t the man to get them back into the Premiership, that was Neil Lennon. If Dundee go for Stubbs then it’s a risk, but at least he has experience in the Championship.
Ian McCall
I know what you’re all thinking. Not another former Dundee United man, but the current Ayr United boss is being linked with the job. Thankfully McCall played for the Dens Park club so knows the expectations of the club and, more importantly, the size of it. Some of the other candidates may underestimate just how big a club Dundee is which may lead to the old rabbit in the headlights.
In a recent interview McCall said he didn’t want to build a team to finish eighth. He also admitted he has his desire to succeed back and where better to do that than at Dundee in the Championship where, no doubt, they’ll be one of the favourites to go up automatically. Whether the fans take to him is another factor.
There are a number of other names linked to the job, including Morten Wieghorst, Charlie Adam, Kenny Miller, John Hughes and Gordon Strachan. Whoever the board appoint it’s important for the club, including the fans, to all push in the same direction and get out the Championship as soon as possible.
The Forty Two 