Dunfermline have made a great move in appointing John Hughes as manager.
Yogi won the Scottish Cup as boss at Inverness Caley Thistle and is a master motivator and organiser.
A bad spell at Raith Rovers became a bad smell – and it seemed to follow him around to the extent that most folk stopped even mentioning him in relation to vacancies.
Yet Hughes got Falkirk promoted to the Premiership and took them to a Scottish Cup Final, took Hibs into Europe and saved Ross County from relegation after picking up the job when they were 4 points adrift in bottom place.
#DAFC are delighted to announce the appointment of John Hughes as our new First Team Manager.
➡️ https://t.co/cwL5rvBrYC pic.twitter.com/sqHI2WlQys
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) November 12, 2021
I recall being in conversation with a Dundee United director when my phone rang to reveal Yogi’s agent asking me in baffled tones what the hell was going on at Tannadice, where he’d thought – as had I – that Hughes was to be appointed within days by then chairman Stephen Thompson.
He came close to the United job twice but missed out.
He’s a force of nature and also, to confound his critics, much more receptive to modern methods of coaching and sports science than many give him credit for.
The Pars need someone who knows the game and the scene in Scotland to ally with their ambitious restructuring plans, which are medium to long term.
Short term though, what they need is inspiration and perspiration in equal measure.
I was on the open deck of the Caley Thistle bus interviewing Yogi on the tour of Inverness the day after they won the cup.
Even a low hanging branch which almost decapitated us both couldn’t quell his enthusiasm and passion.
Hughes is a big character and football needs those – and at this perilous time the Pars desperately need a character like Yogi.
Scottish football was shown its place in the greater scheme of things with Stephen Gerrard’s defection to Aston Villa.
Rangers fans who thought the former Liverpool star would stay at Ibrox out of loyalty and honour have been drinking too much Kool Aid.
Gerrard was always heading back south of the border; timing and the club he left for were the only issues.
Villa are former European Cup winners and have a terrific support base, but Rangers fans would argue that they’re a far bigger club.
Boss. 🟣 #FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/O7x9WsRpK8
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 12, 2021
Trophies won, support and ambition all come into the reckoning in gauging whether one outfit is greater than another, but Villa play in a league which Scottish football simply cannot compete with.
That’s not talking our game down; it’s a simple fact that on any metric the English Premier League is a far bigger stage in modern football.
The revenue generated by Villa – and their spending power – is much greater than that available at Ibrox, so the move for the Englishman was an obvious one.
‘Superstar galaxy’
Celtic and Rangers eclipse every other club in Scotland but, as Brendan Rogers showed when he jumped ship from Parkhead to Leicester City, neither of the Glasgow pair can compete with the financial lure of the mega rich English top flight.
Scottish football simply exists on another planet in comparison to the riches on offer in England’s superstar galaxy.
