Dark Blues move swiftly for McIntyre

The task of reviving Dundee’s season handed to one-time Tannadice striker and former Pars and Staggies boss

Dundee last night moved quickly to appoint former Dundee United striker Jim McIntyre as their new manager.

Just a day after announcing that Neil McCann had left Dens Park, McIntyre has been given the task of saving the Dark Blues’ season.

The 46-year-old, who has been in charge of Ross County, Queen of the South and Dunfermline, has joined on a one-year rolling contract.

With time ticking by before they face Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday, it will be straight to work for McIntyre and he will take training this morning before facing the media at a lunchtime press conference back at the stadium.

This looks to be his toughest challenge yet, with his new team sitting bottom of the Premiership with only one win in eight league matches.

The Dark Blues confirmed: “Dundee Football Club is delighted to announce that Jim McIntyre has tonight been appointed manager of the club.

“Jim has enjoyed a successful managerial career over the past 10 years with time in charge at Dunfermline Athletic, Queen of the South and Ross County. He won promotion to the top flight with Dunfermline in his first job in management in 2011.

“After leaving the East End Park side he went on to manage Queen of the South, where he enjoyed success with a fourth place finish in the Championship.

“Jim moved to Ross County in 2014 and went on to lead them to their first major trophy with a League Cup win in 2015-16, a season in which he also won the SFWA Manager of the Year award.

“Jim joins on a one-year rolling contract and will meet the players tomorrow morning before taking training.”

Speaking before McIntyre’s appointment was confirmed, veteran striker Kenny Miller revealed that the players were a “wee bit stunned” with the departure of McCann on Tuesday night.

The 38-year-old striker only signed for Dundee at the end of August after a short spell as player-manager at Livi.

He said: “The lads are a wee bit stunned. We fully appreciate the results at the start of the season have not been up to scratch.

“There is one things for sure, the lads were right behind the manager.

“Training has been excellent. We left training yesterday (Tuesday) after a fantastic session in preparation for the game against Livingston at the weekend.

“But these things happen in football. Managers come and go, players come and go. We go back in tomorrow fully focused on Saturday.

“But yes, stunned a little bit.” Miller is confident that Dundee can get themselves out of trouble.

The former Rangers and Celtic striker said: “It is personally disappointing for me because I have just been up for over a month and the manager has been a big part of that.

“But football is a results business and I appreciate the results have not been good enough, seven losses out of the eight games have not been good enough but there was a real belief, and there still is, that we will turn it around.

“We have too many good players in that dressing room not to.

“Disappointment, but decisions get made in football and you have to pick yourself up and look forward to the game which is obviously a huge one away at Livingston.”

Earlier in the day, it had emerged that lifelong Dundee fan Charlie Adam was open to a career in coaching, possibly at Dens.

The Stoke City midfielder is getting towards the end of his playing career and manager Gary Rowett would not stand in his way if a new opportunity arose.

Adam has never hidden his love for his home town team and has twice played for them in testimonials.

“That’s me done it twice,” he said previously.

“You never know what will happen in the future.”

It is believed he would now be interested in starting out on a coaching career, possibly at the Dark Blues.

On hearing the news that McCann had left, Adam tweeted: “Gutted for Neil McCann (that) it’s come to this. Every time I spoke with him he had a clear vision what he wanted. Results haven’t been great. Good luck to the new manager of my boyhood club.”

Jim McIntyre is unveiled as Neil McCann’s successor in the Dens Park hotseat last night. Picture: David Young.