Del fears English rush to axe bosses has spread north after Grayson KO
DEREK McINNES dodged a bullet when Sunderland sacked Simon Grayson this week after just four months and 18 games in charge.
The Aberdeen boss will know it could have been him after turning down the chance to manage the basket-case Black Cats in the summer.
But his antennae told him no amount of money – thought to be £1million a year – should entice him to the Stadium of Light and that rather than head for the north east of England he should stay put in the north east of Scotland.
McInnes’s talent may hav e kept him at Sunderland longer term than Grayson but he’s pleased he made the decision he did back then.
Now, however, he’s in the middle of speculation over whether he’ll quit Pittodrie for Paisley Road West as Rangers look for Pedro Caixinha’s successor.
With his rejection of Sunderland, where former Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain is now running the show, McInnes has shown he is careful about career moves.
The Dons boss said: “It was sad to hear the news about Simon and it doesn’t give any satisfaction seeing that because he is a good manager. It just shows you the difficulties we have.
“We are not blameless for results of course but when things are as poor as that then it’s an indication it’s more than the manager.
“It’s sad to see someone lose their job so early in the season but it is pretty clear he was working in very difficult circumstances.
“I can only speak for myself and the way I felt at the time because I don’t know the ins and outs of what’s gone on there. Clearly it wasn’t going to be an easy job, you don’t get easy ones so it was always going to be tough and that’s how Simon has found it.
“My worry is that up in Scotland we are in a bit of danger of becoming like it is down south. We’ve seen a third of the managers in the Premiership sacked before November and there have been a lot of casualties in the Championship and elsewhere too.”
McInnes pointed to his own club and to others, like Hamilton, where chairmen have recognised changing the manager when results go badly isn’t the right move.
Stability, he insisted, can bring greater opportunity to overcome a poor period but it is a tough time to be a manager as he underlined how Accies, who’ll host the Dons tomorrow, have been solidly behind Martin Canning through thick and thin.
He said: “These days there seem to be more knee-jerk reactions. It’s the modern way because you can quickly get a groundswell against a manager.
“The whole thing has completely changed. It’s totally different being a manager now compared to 10 or 15 years ago.
“Sometimes it’s down to who the owner is and their background. If you have a steady hand, someone who has been involved for a long time and knows the responsibilitiesonsibilities involved, then you have a better chance.
“Someone like my chairman, Stewart Milne, who knows results can fluctuate. uate.
“But you have others who always think there is someone better round the corner, someonene to do a better job.
“Results have alwayslways got to be there or a managerager feels the heat. But it helps lps when you have a chairman who has been through a lot worse and understands the game.
“Hamilton are the perfect example. They don’t have the biggest support but they can let you know when things are not going their way.
“But Accies deserve huge credit for their perseverance and doggedness. They are everyone’s favourites to get relegated at the start of each season but they keep proving people wrong.
“For every manager who gets harshly treated and loses his job too early there are good examples, like Hamilton and Martin Canning.
“The board there recognised the challenges ahead and you would not bet against them being a Premiership team again next season.”
McInnes refused to be sucked into whether he might be Rangers bound as the Light Blues draw up their wishlist of candidates for the vacant gaffer’s job.
It was business as usual at Pittodrie, he stressed, as he accepted his lack of control over his name being associated withw the post. He added: “We are another week on but it’s not us who determine speculation.spe We can’t dictate whatw is written or said.
“For myselfmyse and the players here it’it’s always been about beinbeing total ly professional anda working towards our nexnext game – and that’s exactly ththe way it has
beenbee this week.”
It’s totally different being a boss now compared to 10 or 15 years ago DEREK McINNES