United will be Jack high if they appoint Ross – and Hibees will be in his sights
Jim Duffy says Jack Ross is the right man at the right time for Dundee United.
The Tannadice club are expected to confirm the appointment of the former Hibs manager as their new boss in the next 48 hours to replace Tam Courts, who has headed off to Honved in Hungary.
Duffy, who was likewise sacked by Hibs but went on to make a successful return to Scotland’s top flight with Dundee, is eager to see what Ross makes of his opportunity.
And, in particular, how he gets on in his early reunion with the Easter Road club at the Tangerines’ home on September 10.
“If United do get Jack, it will be a tremendous appointment,” said Duffy (inset).
“They have Hibs to play soon enough, and he might be a bit more determined going into that one than I was when I was at Dundee.
“I had no complaints with them because I did not do as good a job for them as I would have liked. I was a bit young and a bit naïve.
“We did beat Hibs when they came to Dens, but I was more concerned with the fact it was a win than of having got one over a former employer.
“Jack, however, does not think he got a fair crack of the whip at Easter Road, and I think most people would agree with him.
“Hibs finished third under him and he got them into a couple of Cup Finals, which is a good achievement.
“He has a good pedigree. He did well with Alloa and St Mirren, and then got a huge job with Sunderland.
“While that one did not go 100% as he would have liked, he was not a failure by any stretch of the imagination.
“He got them to the Play-off Finals, where they lost to Charlton, but the goal was to get them promoted and that didn’t happen.
“If you add it all up, though, I think he has done well, and I don’t think it will have done him any harm to have had a few months out of the game.
“There was talk of him getting the Dundee job. Maybe he had a choice to make there, but if he gets United, I am sure he will be raring to go.”
As Duffy – who is hoping to get back into football himself in the coming season – explained, that was very much his experience when he replaced Ivano Bonetti at Dens in 2002.
“When I left Hibs, I went away and did coaching with Chelsea’s youth players, and then with Portsmouth’s first-team,” he said.
“Doing that gave me back the love of football, and got me re-energised.
“When you are the manager, you have to deal with a lot of other stuff that can wear you down, no matter how experienced you are.
“Jack has had a spell away, and if he is the guy for United, I am sure that spell away will allow him to enjoy it little bit more for having had the break.
“When you are out of it, you maybe do reflect on one or two little things, and decide whether you could have done them differently, or if they were out of your control.
“Then, when you get your next job, you do go in with a real energy and a real enthusiasm. That, allied to the experience you have picked up along the way, should make you a better manager.”
Duffy believes the appointment will be a good fit for both parties, with Ross inheriting a strong Tannadice group.
“Often the situation is that a new manager will be taking over a team that is really struggling, and he will know he has to drag them up by their boot straps,” he said.
“At Dundee United, there is a good core of players and a real positivity about the club. On top of that, they are going to be in Europe.
“Yes, Tam Courts will be a hard act to follow. But, like Lee Johnson at Hibs, he will have the advantage of coming in to the post at the perfect time.
“Pre-season gives you the chance to get used to the players in a relaxed environment, and vice-versa.”