Rangers boss Ally McCoist has been praised for the way he is conducting himself as a financial storm rages all around him.
But if there is one man who knows how tough it can be to be in charge of a team during a turbulent time off the field it is Gordon Chisholm.
He was in charge of the Dark Blues just under a year ago when the Dens Park club slipped into administration in the wake of former benefactor Calum Melville”s decision to step away.
An outstanding tax bill that went unpaid eventually led to the club”s second administration and all the misery and heartache that went with it.
Chisholm, himself, was eventually sacked along with assistant Billy Dodds and a host of players.
Up to and including that point, the former Queen of the South and Dundee United manager had tried to shield his squad from the troubles outside the dressing room.
The latest episode regarding Rangers has seen a judge order the club to set aside £480,000 in conjunction with an unfair dismissal case being pursued against them by former chief executive Martin Bain.
Chisholm knows McCoist from their time as teammates at Sunderland and he has been mightily impressed by the Ibrox man’s demeanour throughout the difficulties.
“I have known Ally since he first walked into the Sunderland dressing-room as an 18-year-old boy,” said Chisholm.
“I have been impressed by the way he has handled things at Rangers. It has been a baptism of fire for his first job but he is a strong character and he has the players totally focused on the football.
“I know myself how difficult it is in these circumstances. It gets to the stage that you are scared to open the papers in the morning because of what you might find out next.
“People behind the scenes will be asking what is going on but Ally has the players thinking only about their football. You can see in their performances that there is a closeness among them and Ally will be trying to foster a siege mentality.
“They went to Dundee United last weekend and won 1-0, which is never easy, so it shows they are all pulling together. The players are battling for each other, for Ally and for the club. That tells you everything about them.”
McCoist faces arguably his biggest test yet at Ibrox on Sunday when the Light Blues face Old Firm rivals Celtic but Chisholm believes the focus on football rather than finances will be good for McCoist.
“Given everything that has happened this week off the park, the Old Firm game is probably the best fixture they could have had,” said Chisholm. “Everyone at Ibrox on the playing side will be looking at that game and just wanting to get on with it.
“It has been a tough one for Ally in his first job. He has had a new chairman (Craig Whyte) to work with and then all the off-field issues. But he is a strong guy.
“Everyone thinks he is a joker but he is not he is deadly serious about his football.
“He probably didn”t need to take the Rangers job but he did because that is his club and he is determined to make a success of it. He will emerge from this experience a much stronger person and an even better manager because of it.”