Not for the first time, and not for the last, the phrase “it’s never dull at Dens Park” springs to mind.
The timing of James McPake’s sacking is very strange – and very risky.
I know there have been plenty of Dundee fans calling for change for a while.
And Tim Keyes and John Nelms have backed James when other clubs would have acted differently.
There have been a few occasions when it’s felt like he was on the brink.
But the fact he has just won his last league game at Tynecastle shows you the dressing room was still behind him.
Some people will try to say Dundee were lucky that night and it was down to Hearts playing poorly but you can’t diminish a victory at one of the toughest grounds in the country in my eyes.
Danny Mullen struck the winner as Dundee came from behind to beat Hearts! 💥 pic.twitter.com/LjtS4Qg8WT
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 9, 2022
They’re probably in a relegation battle for the rest of the season and the fact his players were still up for the fight means this is a real gamble.
The other part of the gamble is the new man won’t have a transfer window.
He’s going to have to sink or swim with another manager’s squad.
Picking up the odd free agent is as much as he’ll be be able to do.
It was about this stage last season that Kilmarnock appointed Tommy Wright.
Tommy has a wealth of experience in the Premiership but even he couldn’t turn things around with a squad he inherited.
For James, it won’t feel like it just now, but the timing may end up working in his favour.
He’s got a promotion on his CV in his first management job and when he was sacked it was on the back of winning a big league game to take his team off the bottom of the league.
And he also left with them in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
Dundee took a chance on appointing someone unproven from within.
James can leave with his head held high, knowing the first team is in a better place than when he took over.
The Arbroath boys all enjoyed the Scottish Cup spotlight on Sunday.
It was a great day, which the town really embraced.
To have more home fans than away supporters in the ground when a big club like Hibs are visiting is something to be really proud of.
If we’d scored a second goal when we were 1-0 up, who knows, it could have been ourselves in the hat for the last eight draw.
Credit to Hibs, though.
They turned up with the right attitude and getting the job done, however that comes about, is all that matters in a cup tie.
Arbroath vs Hibernian – Ian Campbell Post Match Interview
Arbroath assistant Manager Ian Campbell reflects on his side's exit from the 5th round of the Scottish Cup at the hands of Hibernian.https://t.co/ihIae85gkH
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) February 14, 2022
For us, the cup party is over.
It’s about getting back into a rhythm of winning league games.
We’ve got the long trip to Dumfries this weekend and a change of manager always brings a bit of uncertainty.
Wullie Gibson knows Queen of the South and the players inside out and they’ll be fired up to get a result for him.
We’ll be giving them the same respect as Hibs got last Sunday to make sure that doesn’t happen.
