Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Confident Fotheringham says he can be the man to challenge Old Firm
MARK Fotheringham firmly believes he is the man to mount an audacious challenge to Celtic and Rangers – and reckons he has the CV to back up his ambitious talk.
Fotheringham, 40, is fresh from a stint as part of Jurgen Klinsmann’s technical staff at the 2024 Asian Cup, providing tactical analysis for the German legend.
The Taegeuk Warriors reached the semi-final, before exiting against Jordan, with Klinsmann subsequently dismissed.
The proud Dundonian has also won promotion to Bundesliga 2 with Ingolstadt and helped Hertha Berlin survive in the top-flight as assistant head coach to Felix Magath in 2021-22.
His first managerial post at Huddersfield Town lasted just five months but that has done nothing to dampen Fotheringham’s confidence or passion for his next project – and he would love a crack at the top end of the SPFL pyramid.
“I would really love to put the cat among the pigeons with the Old Firm in the future, and I believe I’m the man to do it,” he told Tele Sport.
“I feel it is more doable now. If I do get one of the bigger jobs in Scotland, then you’ll see someone who is passionate in his belief that you CAN cause Celtic and Rangers problems.
“I took myself out of my comfort zone as a coach so that, if I ever did come back to work in Scotland, I would approach the challenge with a different perspective to those who have worked here for the past 10 years.
“I don’t see myself as a risk – the CV is there and there is substance to it.”
He has walked the path less travelled, working at the top three levels of German football, the English Championship and, most recently, with a major international side.
“I brought Ingolstadt up (to Bundesliga 2), kept Hertha – one of the biggest clubs in Europe – in the Bundesliga and, when Felix (Magath) had Covid, there was a period I was responsible for running the team.
“He wasn’t even in the stadium when we beat Hoffenheim 3-0 in the German top-flight.
“I’ve managed in the Championship – one of the toughest leagues in Europe – and stabilised
everything there after they took four points from the first quarter.”
At first glance, Fotheringham’s 21 games with the Terriers, during which he won five games and drew six, would seem imprudent to spotlight.
However, he is defiant regarding his efforts and is adamant he would have kept Huddersfield in the English second tier, before having the “carpet pulled from under my feet”.
He was ultimately replaced by Neil Warnock, who achieved that goal.
“I could have been disappointed by the Huddersfield situation, having an owner that pulled the carpet from under my feet,” Fotheringham said.
“They are another three managers down since I left, with another £7m or £8m down the drain. And the managers that followed me had almost half a million more on wages than I was given.
“I’ve got no doubt I would have kept them in the league. I was averaging more than a point a game and, when analysing performances, we were up on possession, recoveries, counters; everything.
“That was without any investment to bring in my own players and put my own stamp on it.”
He added: “I know when I get my chance to manage again, I’ll be better for those experiences. I’ve got the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence.”
That enthusiasm has only been heightened by an unforgettable adventure in Qatar with South Korea.
Now back in his family home on the outskirts of Dundee, Fotheringham is full of praise for Klinsmann despite the experienced boss being dismissed, with a brutal assessment ringing in his ears.
Korean FA chairman Chung Mong-gyu said: “When it comes to bringing out the best in the national team, managing players and his work habits, Klinsmann did not live up to our expectations.”