Robbie Neilson’s lightning departure as Dundee United boss stunned fans, but the move is best for both parties.
An unhappy boss is no use to a squad with the new season approaching and given the speed of the exit, it’s fairly clear that Neilson was no longer enamoured of Tannadice.
Neilson wasn’t appointed by the current owner or sporting director, but was inherited from the previous regime.
He worked with Craig Levein at Tynecastle as a novice coach, handpicked by the Hearts director of football, but he arrived at United a much more experienced individual.
That, I suspect, made him somewhat less keen on the arrangement United’s new owners presented to him, working in tandem with a sporting director.
Although Neilson never said as much, I sensed that the approach which United were trying for the first time was an arrangement which didn’t suit him.
Sporting directors scout for new talent, bring in trialists and identify possible new signings.
That’s still a fairly novel concept in the Scottish game where most managers see themselves as lords of all they survey.
The prospects of tension and an encroaching of boundaries in such a working environment are obvious.
I spoke to one highly-regarded manager who would be keen on the Tannadice job but not under those circumstances.
His view will not be unusual for bosses who historically have enjoyed complete control of playing and signing matters.
To date, Mark Ogren has pumped in anywhere between £8 million and £10 million at United but whether he still has the appetite, or indeed the wherewithal for such ongoing hefty investment, is unclear.
Neilson will have weighed up the new signings he needed for the Premiership and the prospects of getting the money for them against a more lucrative contract at Tynecastle, and promises of funds to strengthen Hearts in the Championship.
United have been compensated, freeing up cash for a new manager or perhaps a new signing if they appoint from within, such as current assistant coach Lee McCulloch.
The club have now seen its managing director Mal Brannigan and manager Robbie Neilson leave the premises in short order.
That might cause some supporters to wonder if there’s a bigger issue behind the scenes starting to unfold.
Covid-19 has also changed things dramatically.
The returns from a potential sale of Lawrence Shankland may have been dramatically reduced as English clubs struggle financially with the impact of the pandemic.
The United owner has pumped a fortune into the club and yet recently was glad of a £100,000 lifeline from the Dundee United Supporters Foundation.
That has raised alarm bells among more questioning fans.
United now need urgently a new manager. Tommy Wright has all the experience and is interested under the right conditions.
For me he’s the standout candidate as United face a huge challenge in finding the man to lead them into and keep them in next season’s top division.
