John needs time to learn like I did from Mourinho
Micky Mellon could, quite literally, write a book on football management.
Along with author Phil Denton, he put together ‘The First 100 Days’ with help from some of the game’s top bosses such as Walter Smith, Gordon Strachan and David Moyes.
He has been in charge for around
600 games with the likes of Fleetwood, Barnsley, Shewsbury and Tranmere yet insists he is still learning every day on the job as Dundee United gaffer.
His opponent in the dugout at Tannadice today is at the opposite end of the scale. Interim Celtic boss John Kennedy has just ONE game under his belt so far after replacing Neil Lennon.
And Mellon knows that it’s only now Kennedy will be finding out just how tough a gig it can be.
As they prepared to go head to head in the Premiership, the United manager said: “I’ve had an unbelievable journey so far with a lot of good times.
“But football management is an incredible eye-opener.
“I’m sure that John is enjoying his crack at it.
“Everybody thinks they can be a manager until they are one.
“Until you step into the manager’s shoes and you’re the man who is held responsible for everything – you just don’t understand.
“You have to find a way of enjoying it but, at the same time, win games.
“That’s what it’s all about and John will be finding that out now.
“I’m glad that I’m more used to it now. It’s a tough job.
“I have had some magnificent times as a manager, like winning at Wembley.
“I have also managed some unbelievable players during that time at the helm.
“And I’m trying to use all of that experience to help Dundee United be as successful as they can be.
“I don’t think you should ever feel assured as a manager.
“You’re learning all the time.
“You develop your own little processes and your principles of play that you gain from going up against the some of the top managers.
“I’ve gone up against the very best in the country – like Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino.
“You learn everything about development, about stages of the season, how to manage things, how to build a culture, a whole host of things. That’s all the stuff that I feel I have brought to United.
“But it has taken me that time to get that knowledge – and I’m still learning things now.”
Despite spending his entire managerial career in England, Mellon was well versed in Scottish football before taking on the gaffer’s job at Tannadice.
He’s a passionate Scot who is adamant we simply don’t give our game enough credit.
But now that he has experienced it, the 48-year-old admits the big difference is the amount of game-changing players there are down south compared to our top flight.
Mellon, who took the reins at Tannadice last summer, admitted: “It’s difficult to measure because England is so vast.
“There are so many teams and players, so many different levels.
“Certainly, the product in Scotland is a lot better than we give it credit for. It’s tough because the games are always well balanced.
“But I’ve worked in the Championship in England and the difference is that in every team you have three players who are capable of making an impact in the Premier League.
“They’ve got game changers who can cause damage.
“In Scotland we don’t have as many of those elite players in every team.
“What we get here are get tight tussles between some very good technical players but there is not a massive amount of game changers up here.” Mellon will be hoping he has a couple of game changers in his United team today having already run Celtic close at home this season.
Only a late Albian Ajeti winner got the Hoops three points in August and anything other than a victory for Celtic in Tayside will hand the title to Rangers.
But Mellon’s only focus is on his own side picking up a priceless win. He said: “We’ll definitely have a go and be on the front foot. We believe that we can cause Celtic problems.”
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Special One Jose and Mellon