Mackay still paying price for past folly
IT’S now six years since Malky Mackay left his job at Cardiff City under a cloud after being embroiled in a racism and sexism scandal. Mackay paid a price for some reprehensible text messages when he was cast into the footballing wilderness.
Sooner or later, every man has the right to work to support his family and, when he landed the job as SFA performance director, he clearly hoped that the endorsement of a national association would serve as a form of rehabilitation.
Yet, for many, it simply isn’t enough. The outcry over his talks with Dundee United over their managerial vacancy suggest people are neither ready to forgive nor forget.
One minute Mackay was red-hot favourite. A few hours later the odds began to drift in one direction. We’ll never know if United’s American investors took fright at the reaction of supporters to his appointment, but it’s natural to harbour suspicions. Craig Levein thinks supporters will never overcome what Mackay did back in 2014. And he might be right.
Listen, maybe the wages on offer were hopeless anyway. But if Dundee United turn to Tranmere’s Micky Mellon, Austin MacPhee or someone else, it’s another damaging episode which raises a fresh problem.
For now at least, the performance director of the Scottish FA is a key figure. He holds the long-term welfare of the national game in his hands, demanding the dedication and commitment of coaches and players. Why would they pay any heed now if the top man has shown he’d rather be managing a club?