Daly can step up and take over hot seat at Tynecastle
SAYS DON COWIE
WHEN Don Cowie looked at Jon Daly in the Hearts dugout in Dingwall last December, he saw a man who was clearly just there to hold the fort.
Taking charge of the team in a caretaker capacity after the departure of Robbie Neilson to MK Dons, Daly’s side secured a 2-2 draw against Ross County before he moved back into the shadows days later when Ian Cathro was unveiled in the Tynecastle hot seat.
Yet when Cowie (below) looks across to the away dugout at Ibrox today, he is in no doubt he will see a more experienced man ready and capable of becoming the next Hearts head coach.
And he hopes the Tynecastle side can burnish Daly’s credentials for the top job with a first victory in Govan since August 2014.
‘Can we boost Jon’s chances of getting the job? Of course,’ said Cowie. ‘The club is in good hands under Jon. Nine months ago in that game at Ross County, he was caretaker and new to the job. He admitted he wasn’t ready at that time.
‘But now I see someone who is ready to be Hearts manager. I can only go on what I see in training but there’s been a great response to him — and long may that continue.
‘He has brought a real competitive edge back to the club, especially in training. I think it showed at Kilmarnock last week when we won 1-0.
‘The boys all respect Jon. If we can get another result today, then I’m sure it will do Jon no harm.’
Names like Steve McClaren, Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley and Fabrizio Ravanelli have been linked with the vacant post at Tynecastle. But Cowie believes Daly to be a real contender after the disastrous Cathro experiment crashed and burned four days before the league season kicked off.
Cowie added: ‘We’ve all read the names linked to the post and they are big names. It’s only natural (that big names are attracted to the Hearts job). It’s a massive job.
‘But I’m sure Jon is in there, under consideration and a win against Rangers could be massive for him, for us and for the season ahead.
‘There’s no reason why we can’t do it. Rangers are a good team — but we showed last season that we can trouble them. Hopefully, we can do it again.’
Cowie has emerged as a popular, leader figure in the Tynecastle dressing room over the last troubled nine months.
And the club moved to tie the influential midfielder down on a contract extension, keeping him at Tynecastle until the summer of 2019.
He could yet end up on the coaching staff himself one day as he is being encouraged to do his badges.
‘I’m delighted the club felt the need to extend my deal and I’m grateful to (owner) Ann Budge and (director of football) Craig Levein,’ said Cowie.
‘I’ve loved my time here, so it was an easy decision. It’s been challenging, too. Results haven’t been good enough.
‘But it’s a challenge that I’ve not shied away from and I’m looking to the future.
‘I feel I am contributing on the pitch and I can help the young players at the club, too.
‘When I played in England at Watford, there were experienced players I could go to for advice, like John Eustace and Jobi McAnuff.
‘I would like to fulfil that role at Hearts. It’s about setting standards, being consistent and doing the right things. ‘If the younger players can see you doing that, then they can take that responsibility on themselves. ‘Hopefully, it will help them and the team.’