Only snobbery stops Tommy getting top job
DANNY SWANSON is backing his old gaffer Tommy Wright to be the new Aberdeen manager and believes it’s only snobbery that has prevented the St Johnstone boss bagging a job with a top club.
With Derek McInnes edging closer to taking over at Sunderland, bookies have made the Northern Irishman one of the frontrunners for the Pittodrie post alongside Alex Neil, Alex McLeish and Derek Adams.
Wright has excelled in Perth since replacing Steve Lomas four years ago, guiding Saints to four consecutive top-six finishes and lifting the Scottish Cup for the first time in the club’s history in 2014.
Swanson thrived under Wright over two spells at McDiarmid Park before joining Hibs this summer.
And he reckons the Dons would be making a massive mistake if they overlook Wright, should McInnes make the move south of the border.
Swanson said: “Tommy has done a job that is beyond ridiculous and the recognition he gets for that is non-existent.
“He deserves a big move and if Aberdeen don’t come calling then it will be a very strange one.
“Why has he been overlooked? It’s maybe a lack of glamour or something like that, a bit of snobbery.
“An attitude of, ‘It’s St Johnstone – who cares about St Johnstone?’
“But that shouldn’t detract from the fact he has done an unbelievable job and is a brilliant manager.
“Honestly, I would be surprised if Aberdeen didn’t offer him the job tomorrow. If they don’t even talk to him I would be very surprised.
“People can talk about his age, people can talk about him being a goalkeeper – whatever it is that stops him getting those jobs.
“But the bottom line is he knows how to win games, he knows how to take teams up the league and punch above their weight.”
And having secured fourth-placed finishes with a modest budget in Perth in the past three seasons, Swanson believes the sky is the limit for Aberdeen if they hand Wright more resources.
He said: “St Johnstone are a solid top-six team now, so much so that I think everyone would be surprised if they ever finished below sixth. That says it all.
“He deserves something now. He has been loyal to St Johnstone and they have been loyal to him but he deserves a big chance.
“If you give a guy like that a bigger budget at a club like Aberdeen who knows what he could achieve?”