Mackay poser for club – and the game

Scot could be the answer for Tangerines – however questions will remain

It would be a huge understatement to say that Malky Mackay possesses the qualifications required to be the next Dundee United manager.

Yet ticking that box with confidence is merely the beginning of a complex discussion, one which consensus will forever evade.

In August 2014, it emerged Mackay had sent racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic texts during his time as Cardiff boss.

The exchanges between the 48-yearold and the Bluebirds’ former head of recruitment Iain Moody were truly awful.

Their entry into the public domain led to the collapse of Mackay’s managerial appointment at Crystal Palace, where Moody was sporting director before resigning as the FA launched an investigation into the messages.

Six years on, the former Watford and Wigan gaffer’s character remains under the microscope.

Several schools of thought exist regarding Mackay the man. There are those who believe you’d find something incriminating in everyone’s sent items, while others feel he has served his penance.

Some fans have simply taken a ‘he deserves a second chance but not at my club’ stance on the issue.

However, many supporters think that Mackay – in his 40s when the texts were sent – should never be given another job in football.

To this section of the game’s followers, his public apologies are futile. So are the multiple endorsements he’s had from Show Racism the Red Card since the scandal erupted.

In 2017, before he took caretaker charge of the Scotland national team in a friendly against the Netherlands, the charity said: “Malky has acknowledged, taken accountability and apologised for his actions in sending racist, homophobic and sexist text messages.

“He also underwent equality and diversity training and did voluntary work with Kick It Out.

“Show Racism the Red Card firmly believe that education is key in combating homophobia, racism and racist attitudes.

“We wish the Scottish team the best of luck for their game.”

A year earlier, ahead of his appointment as SFA performance director, Show Racism the Red Card had issued a lengthier statement regarding Mackay’s behaviour.

They said: “In light of his comments, Malky Mackay was rightly criticised. His subsequent apology demonstrated that he understood the severity of his actions and recognised how offensive they were.

“Show Racism the Red Card believes that everyone is capable of displaying prejudice, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

“To permanently label individuals as racist is counterproductive to the process of education and rehabilitation, which the charity believes is the most significant weapon in the fight against racism and discrimination.

“As a society, we must believe that attitudes and ideas can change via a process of education. It is not as simple as attending diversity training, though such initiatives can be hugely impactful.

“Education is a journey that never ends; both for those people who have displayed racist attitudes and ideas, and those who haven’t.

“It was inevitable that at some stage Mr Mackay would return to employment, which he did when appointed as the manager of Wigan Athletic in late 2014.

“Show Racism the Red Card understands that many people find this challenging and even unacceptable, but as an anti-racism education charity we maintain the belief that education can change attitudes.

“A failure to recognise this would be a significant backwards step in the ongoing process to challenge racism and discrimination wherever it appears.”

If Mackay and Moody’s exchanges were horrendous, the aftermath was an abomination that ripples to this day.

The League Managers’ Association was forced to apologise after initially saying that two texts sent by the Scot, while “disrespectful of other cultures”, were “friendly banter”.

Three months later, he was appointed to the Wigan hot seat by chairman Dave Whelan who, in an attempt to defend his new boss, claimed using the word ‘chink’ to describe Chinese people was not offensive.

The 83-year-old also said: “Jewish people chase money more than everybody else.”

Whelan’s remarks earned him a six-week FA ban, a £50,000 fine and he was ordered undertake an education programme on diversity and race issues.

In Scotland, the speed at which many of Mackay’s friends and acquaintances in the game – including journalists – rushed to defend him in the media also appears to have stuck in the throat of his critics.

Support from ‘proper football men’ only served to strengthen the feeling of those understandably angered and disappointed by the episode.

As sporting director Tony Asghar and Dundee United consider an appointment that will put the Tangerines in the national spotlight, questions remain, not for Malky Mackay but for fans across the country.

If now isn’t the right moment for him to become a club manager in Scotland, what represents an appropriate passage of time for his rehabilitation? Is the indefensible the same as the unforgivable?

Answers will undoubtedly emerge on social media, forums and on radio phone-ins this week.

Consensus and closure, however, feel a million miles away.

Education is a journey that never ends. SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD STATEMENT

Pictures: SNS/PA. Left: Malky Mackay in the stands in his role as SFA performance director and, above, during his time as Cardiff City manager.